Labor Spending Bill Draws Early Veto Threat

June 12, 2000
The full House voted 220 to 203 on June 8 to accept a rider on the\r\nbill that would block OSHA from spending money to promulgate its\r\nergonomics rule.

OSHA may be moving as slowly as it usually does, but both Congress and the Executive Branch are acting with uncharacteristic dispatch this year when it comes to the Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education appropriations bill.

The full House voted 220 to 203 on June 8 to accept a rider on the bill that would block OSHA from spending money to promulgate its ergonomics rule.

President Clinton has threatened to veto the House bill, which would grant no spending increases to OSHA and is $44 million under the President''s budget request for the agency.

It is not clear whether the ergonomics rider will survive conference with the Senate, where an attempt to delay ergonomics failed last year. The White House has repeatedly promised to veto any effort to stop ergonomics.

OSHA fared better in the Senate, as the Senate Appropriations Committee approve in late May-- its version of the bill, granting the $44 million increase in OSHA spending the President requested, leaving the agency with a fiscal year budget totaling $426 million.

The appropriations bill is one of the most contentious on the calendar, and in past years the Senate committee usually did not act on it until much later in the year.

Even though the overall spending in the Senate bill is much closer the President''s request, the White House wasted little time in issuing a threat to veto the measure, surprising Senate committee Republicans and Democrats alike.

The veto threat of the Senate bill was tied to spending provisions unrelated to OSHA.

Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa., chairman of the Senate appropriations subcommittee with jurisdiction over the bill, said it was very hard work to come up with a spending plan acceptable to everyone.

"Managing this bill is like trying to dodge raindrops in a hurricane," he said at the May 10 subcommittee mark-up. Specter is committed to working with Senate Democrats, and so far his bill has won bi-partisan in the Senate.

The $44 million disparity in OSHA spending contained in the two bills will be worked out in the next few months in a House-Senate conference. Specter''s bi-partisan approach gives him a stronger bargaining position in conference negotiations with the House.

Last year, OSHA''s final budget was very close to the Senate''s bill and the President''s request.

by James Nash

About the Author

EHS Today Staff

EHS Today's editorial staff includes:

Dave Blanchard, Editor-in-Chief: During his career Dave has led the editorial management of many of Endeavor Business Media's best-known brands, including IndustryWeekEHS Today, Material Handling & LogisticsLogistics Today, Supply Chain Technology News, and Business Finance. In addition, he serves as senior content director of the annual Safety Leadership Conference. With over 30 years of B2B media experience, Dave literally wrote the book on supply chain management, Supply Chain Management Best Practices (John Wiley & Sons, 2021), which has been translated into several languages and is currently in its third edition. He is a frequent speaker and moderator at major trade shows and conferences, and has won numerous awards for writing and editing. He is a voting member of the jury of the Logistics Hall of Fame, and is a graduate of Northern Illinois University.

Adrienne Selko, Senior Editor: In addition to her roles with EHS Today and the Safety Leadership Conference, Adrienne is also a senior editor at IndustryWeek and has written about many topics, with her current focus on workforce development strategies. She is also a senior editor at Material Handling & Logistics. Previously she was in corporate communications at a medical manufacturing company as well as a large regional bank. She is the author of Do I Have to Wear Garlic Around My Neck?, which made the Cleveland Plain Dealer's best sellers list.

Nicole Stempak, Managing Editor:  Nicole Stempak is managing editor of EHS Today and conference content manager of the Safety Leadership Conference.

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