Trump's Labor Agenda: Unsafe and Underpaid

Floor Speech

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Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding, and I thank her for organizing this Special Order so we can discuss the actions of the Department of Labor.

Right now, the Trump administration and congressional Republicans are starting to implement an aggressive deregulatory agenda that harms workers. Trump's deregulatory agenda weakens workers' civil rights, undermines worker protections and hard-earned wages, and downgrades the U.S. economy.

Right now, the Trump administration is in the process of rolling back labor regulations that do a lot of things, such as promote nondiscrimination and strengthen the regulations we have. The ones they are trying to undermine are the regulations that promote nondiscrimination and strengthen registered apprenticeship standards. They are rolling those back.

They are rolling back the regulation that prevents the privatization of State civil services. They are rolling back the regulation that strengthens fair wage protections for home care workers that would enable them to keep minimum wage and other protections. They are rolling that back.

The regulation requiring Federal contractors to pay workers at least $15 an hour. They are rolling that back. They are rolling back regulations to create clear and specific requirements for occasions when employers must require the use of respirators that prevent exposure to toxic chemicals that can cause cancer and other diseases.

Regulations to bolster labor protections for farmworkers on guest worker visas; they are rolling those protections back.

The implementation of Federal law requiring affirmative action for employees and applicants with disabilities, ensuring that they are hired, retained, and promoted by Federal contractors; they are rolling that back.

Enforcement of antidiscrimination and affirmative action requirements that ensure that Federal contractors are for equal employment opportunities for workers, they are rolling that back.

There are more rollbacks waiting in the wings, because, in fact, the Labor Department in a draft rule that is sitting in the White House regulatory office right now would likely weaken the rules that prohibit children from working in particularly dangerous jobs.

All workers deserve to be paid fairly, earn good benefits, and come home safely at the end of the day. If we truly want to prioritize workers, then we must strengthen the laws, including regulations that protect workers' health and safety on the job and that empower workers' ability to form unions and bargain for their rights.

The Trump administration, instead, is rolling back regulations that protect workers. We should be doing better.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for organizing this Special Order and giving us the opportunity to discuss what is going on with the Department of Labor.

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