Omar, Warren, Colleagues Urge Trump Administration to Abandon Rollback of Critical Worker Safety Protections

October 29, 2026 Press Release Lawmakers warn that OSHA’s rollback of respirator rules could endanger workers, exposing them to hazardous chemicals and airborne illnesses “The Labor Department is endangering workers and prioritizing the interests of unscrupulous employers over Americans who work hard to provide for their families.” WASHINGTON – U.S. Representative Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) and Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) led their colleagues, Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) and Cory Booker (D-N.J.), alongside 23 U.S. Representatives, in calling on the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to abandon its proposed rollback of workplace respirator protections. In a letter to Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health David Keeling, the lawmakers warned that the changes could expose workers to dangerous chemicals and airborne hazards, despite objections from labor unions, medical professionals, and industry experts. “OSHA now seems to be moving rapidly to finalize the removal of critical respiratory protections from more than a dozen OSHA standards. Most OSHA standards take years to move through the same steps these respirator rules have in a matter of months,” wrote the lawmakers. The proposed rules would weaken requirements for employers to provide effective respirators to workers exposed to hazardous substances, including lead, asbestos, formaldehyde, and inorganic arsenic. The changes would also eliminate medical evaluation requirements for employees who wear certain types of respirators, raising concerns about the risks to workers with underlying health conditions. “Unions, medical professionals, and industry experts have cautioned you against removing this requirement. In fact, the Advisory Committee for Construction Safety and Health (ACCSH), which is statutorily required to provide advice to OSHA on construction-related issues, recommended that you not proceed with this rulemaking,” continued the lawmakers. National Nurses United also warned that weakened respirator programs could leave health care workers exposed to airborne hazards that cause serious illness, long-term health problems, and death. Labor unions and construction industry groups have also raised concerns about the risks to workers and employers. “The Labor Department is endangering workers and prioritizing the interests of unscrupulous employers over Americans who work hard to provide for their families,” concluded the lawmakers. The proposed respirator changes are part of a broader Department of Labor deregulatory effort. Since July 2025, OSHA has proposed more than 60 deregulatory actions, including changes to workplace safety requirements covering general workplace hazards, construction lighting, and safety color codes. In addition to Omar and Warren, the letter was signed by U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) and Cory Booker (D-N.J.), and U.S. Representatives Emanuel Cleaver (D-Mo.), Paul Tonko (D-N.Y.), Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), Jonathan Jackson (D-Ill.), Frederica Wilson (D-Fla.), Judy Chu (D-Calif.), Lucy McBath (D-Ga.), Melanie Stansbury (D-N.M.), Stephen Lynch (D-Mass.), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.), Adelita Grijalva (D-Ariz.), LaMonica McIver (D-N.J.), Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas), Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.), Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.), Dwight Evans (D-Pa.), Delia Ramirez (D-Ill.), Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), Suzanne Bonamici (D-Ore.), Veronica Escobar (D-Texas), Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.), Val Hoyle (D-Ore.), Maxine Dexter (D-Ore.), and Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.). You can read the full letter here . ### Issues : Workers and Economy