Trump to Workers: Drop Dead
Job Safety Budget Just $3.68 per Worker
In Washington DC, the classical way to attempt to hide bad news is to announce it late Friday afternoon. And the Trump administration never disappoints: Late Friday afternoon (May 30), the administration dumped its detailed FY 2026 budget proposals for four federal worker safety agencies.
If budgets are the monetary expression of an organization’s values, Trump’s message to workers is: Drop Dead.
Where is the stated “commitment to and emphasis on the enforcement of workplace safety and health standards and regulations?”
The administration’s budget requests that Congress impose devastating cuts on the Occupational Health and Safety Administration, the similar Mine Safety agency, the research arm called the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health and the elimination of the Chemical Safety Board.
Before I get into the depressing details, remember that the President’s request is only the first piece of the final puzzle: We still need to see the House and Senate budget proposals, and then what comes out in the final bill. The new fiscal year begins on October 1, although Congress has not met that deadline in almost 30 years.
As we expected, OSHA faces serious budget cuts under Trump’s proposal (see the chart below): an 8% cut overall from FY 2025, the current federal budget year.
Staffing will be reduced from 1,810 to 1,587, 223 people or 12.3%. These staff cuts are expected to come through “attrition,” which seems to mean no layoffs or firings.
https://www.dcreport.org/2025/06/07/trump-to-workers-drop-dead/