Key facts
- Democratic lawmakers are protesting OSHA's proposed rollback of respirator mask and medical evaluation requirements for workers.
- The proposed rules would lessen employer obligations for providing respirators when workers handle substances like lead, asbestos, and formaldehyde.
- The agency is also seeking to end mandatory medical evaluations for employees using certain respirators.
- Lawmakers argue the changes endanger workers and prioritize employer interests.
- The proposed rules were issued in July 2025 without required evidence or information requests, according to the lawmakers.
- Industry groups and unions have also voiced opposition to the proposed rollbacks.
Democratic lawmakers have strongly criticized the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) for proposing to roll back regulations concerning worker respiratory protections. In a letter to OSHA assistant secretary David Keeling, a group of more than 20 congressional Democrats, including Senators Elizabeth Warren and Chris Van Hollen, and Representatives Ilhan Omar, Pramila Jayapal, Rashida Tlaib, and Jasmine Crockett, urged the agency to abandon the proposed changes. The lawmakers contend that these rollbacks would weaken protections against hazardous substances like lead, asbestos, and formaldehyde, and eliminate requirements for employers to provide medical evaluations for employees using specific respirators. They argue that the Department of Labor, OSHA's parent agency, is endangering workers and prioritizing the interests of unscrupulous employers. The letter also highlighted that the proposed rules were issued in July 2025 without sufficient evidence or information requests and that a procedural hearing was held during Congress's recess. Unions, medical experts, and industry groups have also expressed concerns, with the Associated General Contractors of America noting that the potential deregulatory benefits would be outweighed by future liability. The lawmakers view this as part of a broader deregulatory agenda under the Trump administration, which has also proposed significant budget cuts to OSHA.