Warren, Omar urge OSHA to keep respirator safety rules

Senator Elizabeth Warren and Representative Ilhan Omar led a group of Democrats in urging the Occupational Safety and Health Administration to drop a proposal that would loosen respirator mask regulations. The lawmakers sent a letter to OSHA assistant secretary David Keeling, a former executive at UPS and Amazon, arguing the changes would reduce protections for workers who handle dangerous materials.

The letter states that the proposed rules would limit what employers must do to supply respirators to workers exposed to substances like lead, asbestos, formaldehyde, and inorganic arsenic. It also notes that the agency wants to end the requirement for employers to provide medical evaluations for workers using certain types of respirators.

The signatories argued that the Department of Labor is prioritizing the interests of unscrupulous employers over American workers. They cited data showing that more than 5,000 Americans die each year from occupation-related respiratory diseases. Rates of silicosis and coal workers' pneumoconiosis have climbed in recent years, with the increases tied to artificial stone used in countertops and greater silica exposure in coal seams.

The lawmakers criticized OSHA for issuing the proposal in July 2025 without providing required evidence. They noted that the agency held a procedural hearing in August during a congressional recess when no lawmakers were in Washington. They wrote that most OSHA standards take years to move through the process, whereas these respirator rules moved through in a matter of months.

Other signers included Senators Chris Van Hollen and Cory Booker, and Representatives Pramila Jayapal, Rashida Tlaib, and Jasmine Crockett, along with more than 20 other congressional Democrats. Opposition to the plan extends beyond Congress, with unions and medical experts cautioning OSHA against pulling back its standards.

The Associated General Contractors of America, a construction trade group, said in a comment that quality safety regulations save contractors money in the long run. They argued that any deregulatory benefits associated with the proposed rule would be outweighed by potential liability down the line.

The lawmakers described the respirator proposal as part of a broader deregulatory push at OSHA under the Trump administration. The Department of Labor proposed more than 60 deregulatory rule changes last year. Republicans have also proposed cutting OSHA's budget by more than 8% for fiscal year 2027. In 2025, OSHA inspections fell by 20%, and the agency lost 223 full-time employees to buyouts and early retirements. OSHA did not immediately respond to a request for comment.