[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 30 (Wednesday, March 18, 1998)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E412]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[[Page E412]]
          AMENDING OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ACT OF 1970

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                        HON. SHEILA JACKSON-LEE

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, March 17, 1998

  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 
2877--a bill to prohibit quotas for OSHA workplace inspections. OSHA 
should not be using quotas to rate the performance of employees.
  This activity would be fundamentally unfair to both the employees of 
OSHA and the companies that are being inspected. This bill places a 
prohibition on the practice of using citations or penalties to judge 
the performance of the employees of OSHA.
  The incentive for excellent work done by the employees of OSHA should 
not be based on the number of fines they give or the number of 
citations they hand out. Each worker's performance should be based on 
the quality of their work and the professionalism that they exhibit.
  This bill has received a wide range of support because it is a good 
bill. Supporters include the AFL-CIO, the Chamber of Commerce, the 
Coalition on Occupational Safety and Health, the National Federation of 
Independent Business [NFIB], as well as the Clinton administration.
  The safety of our workers is an issue in which this Congress can not 
afford to play partisan politics. That is why I am encouraged that this 
bill has received strong bipartisan support.
  The mission of OSHA is to save lives, prevent injuries, and protect 
the health of the American worker. Federal and State workers across 
this country are working together in partnerships with more than 100 
million working men and women.
  Everyone who works in this country comes under the jurisdiction of 
OSHA, with a few exceptions--such as miners, transportation workers, 
many public employees, and the self employed.
  According to OSHA, its State partners, along with OSHA, has 
approximately 2,100 inspectors, plus complaint discrimination 
investigators, engineers, physicians, educators, standards writers, and 
other technical and support personnel spread over more than 200 offices 
throughout the country. This staff is charged with establishing 
protective standards, enforcing those standards and reaching out to 
employers and employees through technical assistance and consultation 
programs.
  As a lawyer and member of the Judiciary Committee, I am concerned 
with the idea that OSHA would be favorably viewed based on the number 
of citations issued. Violations of criminal activity should be pursued 
based on the law, not based on the idea that rewards will be handed out 
to the reporting agency or employee. This legislation seeks to remedy 
this problem.
  H.R. 2877 directs OSHA to focus on promoting safety for the American 
worker, instead of judging the performance of its workers on the number 
of citations and penalties that they issue.
  There is no doubt that this bill will help OSHA in fulfilling its 
mission to save lives, prevent injuries and protect the health of 
America's workers, not collect penalties or issue citations.
  I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.

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