House votes to repeal Obama-era workplace protections

The House voted Wednesday to repeal an Obama-era workplace regulation.

The Labor Department’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has long required companies to report workplace injuries and illnesses, but the agency last December extended the time period during which they can be penalized for failing to make these reports to five years. 

Rep. Bradley Byrne (R-Ala.), who introduced the legislation, called the OSHA rule a “power grab.”

Republicans led the charge to repeal the Obama-era rule, which went into effect just days before President Trump’s inauguration.

The House voted 231 to 191 to roll back the workplace protections under the Congressional Review Act, which makes it easier for a simple majority of lawmakers to overturn recently published regulations. Six Republicans opposed the measure, while four Democrats supported it.

With support from President Trump in the White House, Republican lawmakers have repealed a handful of Obama-era rules without much Democratic support.

The Labor Department’s workplace rule could be the latest victim of the Congressional Review Act. The Senate has yet to vote on the bill, but is expected to pass this and a number of similar regulatory repeals after it gets past the confirmation process for Trump’s cabinet nominees.

President Trump is likely to sign these bills.