[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 127 (Wednesday, August 2, 1995)]
[House]
[Page H8182]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


              CLINTON ADMINISTRATION ZIGS AND ZAGS ON OSHA

  (Mr. BALLENGER asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute.)
  Mr. BALLENGER. Mr. Speaker, I guess we all know by now that the 
Clinton administration has made a lot of zigs and zags and 180-degree 
turns. Now they are doing their famous ``now you see it, now you 
don't'' on OSHA reform.
  Two months ago President Clinton made quite a show of going to a 
small business in northwest Washington and promising that his 
administration was going to reinvent OSHA. He said that the 
administration wanted OSHA to be a partner with employers in working 
toward safety in the workplace. ``Prevention not penalties'' was going 
to be the new goal for OSHA, according to the President. Last month, 
Assistant Secretary for OSHA, Joe Dear, made the same promises to the 
White House Conference on Small Business. Our goal is not to issue 
penalties, he said, but to work with employers and employees to improve 
safety.
  Someone must have forgotten to get the script to Secretary of Labor 
Reich. Yesterday he criticized every effort Congress is making to have 
a more reasonable OSHA.
  The Clinton administration's efforts to appeal to the small business 
community with promises of a reinvented OSHA are looking more and more 
like one more PR gimmick by this administration. Small businesses, 
employers, and employees, deserve better.

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