Warren, Omar urge OSHA to scrap respirator rule changes

More than 5,000 Americans die each year from job related respiratory diseases, a statistic cited in a letter demanding the Occupational Safety and Health Administration abandon its plan to loosen respirator rules. Senator Elizabeth Warren and Representative Ilhan Omar led the effort, sending the document to OSHA Assistant Secretary David Keeling. The lawmakers argue the new proposal would reduce protections for employees handling dangerous substances like lead, asbestos, formaldehyde, and inorganic arsenic.

The letter targets a specific regulatory change. The proposal would end a requirement that employers provide medical evaluations to workers who use certain respirators on the job. The signatories contend this shift weakens the safety net for people exposed to toxic materials in industrial settings. They accused the Department of Labor, which oversees OSHA, of endangering workers. The letter stated the agency is prioritizing the interests of unscrupulous employers over Americans who work hard to provide for their families.

The congressional group also criticized the speed of the process. OSHA issued the proposal in July 2025 without providing required evidence or requesting necessary information to implement the rules. A procedural hearing took place in August during a congressional recess when few lawmakers were in Washington. The letter noted that most OSHA standards take years to move through the same steps these respirator rules completed in a matter of months.

Support for the letter extends beyond the House and Senate. More than 20 other Democratic members of Congress joined Warren and Omar. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Cory Booker signed the document. Representatives Pramila Jayapal, Rashida Tlaib, and Jasmine Crockett also added their names. The group is part of a wider push to counter deregulatory changes at OSHA under the Trump administration, which proposed more than 60 rule changes in the Department of Labor last year.

Outside of Congress, unions and industry experts have warned against the pullback. The Advisory Committee on Construction Safety and Health, the American Industrial Hygiene Association, National Nurses United, and North America's Building Trades Unions all cautioned the agency. The Associated General Contractors of America, a construction trade group, commented that quality safety regulations save contractors money in the long run. The group argued that any deregulatory benefits associated with the proposed rule would be outweighed by potential liability down the line.

The proposal is one piece of a larger trend in workforce safety. In 2025, OSHA inspections fell by 20 percent. The agency lost 223 full time employees to buyouts and early retirements during efforts to shrink the federal workforce. Republicans have proposed cutting OSHA's budget by more than 8 percent for fiscal year 2027. OSHA did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the letter.