The House of Representatives passed all four of Charlie Norwood's OSHA roll-back bills this evening. The Confined Space-inspired tsunami of calls, faxes and e-mails aparently weren't enough -- this time. We'll try again next time.
All the bills passed with comfortable margins, with the support of a few Democratic Representatives. I've never worked on Capitol Hill, so I'm never quite sure exactly what makes thise guys tick. I mean, I can understand if you're in a close district facing a tight election, but what's with Al Wynn or Nydia Velasquez? What's with Harold Ford?
It's hard to say what happens now. These same bills were passed last year in the House, but never taken up in the Senate. Mike Enzi , chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions committee, which is repsonsible for OSHA, has his own version of OSHA deform that also never became law. He has indicated that he may be open to considering the House bills this year.
Anyway, good work We'll undoubtedly have another chance soon to strike fear into the heart of Congress.
Here's the list of Dems who can be taken off of your Christmas list. If you're in their district, call and let them know you're unhappy:
H.R. 739,Occupational Safety and Health Small Business Day in Court Act (256-164): Baird (WA), Bean (IL), Bishop (GA), Boren (OK), Boyd (FL), Case (HI), Cooper, Costa (CA), Cramer (AL), Cuellar (TX), Davis (FL), Davis (TN), Edwards (TX), Ford (TN), Gonzalez (TX), Gordon (TN), Harman (CA), Herseth (SD), Lipinski (IL), Marshall (GA), Matheson (UT), McIntyre (NC), Mollohan (WV), Rahall (WV), Salazar (CO), Skelton (MO), Tanner (TN), Taylor (MS), Udall (CO), Velazquez (NY), Wynn (MD).
H.R. 740 Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission Efficiency Act (234-185): Boren (OK), Boyd (FL), Case (HI), Cramer (AL), Cuellar (TX), Gordon (TN), Matheson (UT), Taylor (MS)
H.R. 741 Occupational Safety and Health Independent Review of OSHA Citations Act (226-197): Boren (OK), Boyd (FL), Case (HI), Cramer (AL), Cuellar (TX), Davis (TN), Marshall (GA), Matheson (UT), Taylor (MS)
H.R. 742 Occupational Safety and Health Small Employer Access to Justice Act (235-187): Bishop (GA), Boren (OK), Boyd (FL), Case (HA), Cooper (TN), Costa (CA), Cramer (AL), Cuellar (TX), Davis (TN), Edwards (TX), Ford (TN), Gonzalez (TX), Matheson (UT), Tanner (TN) NY), Taylor (MS), Velazquez (NY), Wynn (MD).
