DEPARTMENTS
PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE
NICOLE GREESON, MS, CIH, is associate director of the occupational and environmental safety office at Duke University and Health System.
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Government Relations: Staying the Course
BY NICOLE GREESON, AIHA PRESIDENT
It’s no secret that AIHA’s members are passionate about occupational and environmental health and safety. For many years, our 50-plus volunteer groups have transformed that passion into meaningful action to protect workers and their communities through the development of rigorous guidance, fact sheets, and publications; the world-class education offered at AIHA Connect; the exchange of ideas and advice on Catalyst, our online member forum; and the breadth and depth of articles that appear in The Synergist and the research published in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene.
Another measure of that passion can be found in our members’ engagement with all levels of government. This engagement takes many forms, such as sending letters to federal and state policymakers, commenting on regulations, and testifying at government committee hearings. In 2024, AIHA members volunteered more than 2,500 times on government relations projects, an increase of 84 percent from 2023; AIHA shared more than 150 pages of recommendations with federal entities; and our association was referenced more than 480 times in federal and state legislation, regulations, and comments. You can read more about our government relations successes in SynergistNOW.
Given this track record of high engagement on OEHS issues and particularly on matters of public policy, it isn’t surprising that the November 2024 elections were upsetting to members who fear that the results will lead to adverse consequences for worker health and safety.
What to Expect
The new Trump administration, combined with Republican majorities in both houses of Congress as well as in many state legislatures, will certainly mean a shifting of priorities within government. We expect to see an effort to reduce the size of the federal government stemming from recommendations generated by the “department of government efficiency,” or DOGE, the unofficial name given to a proposed presidential advisory commission. This commission is likely to work with the congressional DOGE Caucus, which may draft bills based on its recommendations. A general reduction in government regulations will probably mean that OSHA’s heat stress standard, among other proposed rules, won’t be finalized.
The new political reality will not change how we approach OEHS matters.
With Republicans in full control of nearly half of state governments—23 states have Republican “trifectas” where the same party occupies the governor’s mansion and has majorities in all state legislative chambers—a similar reduction in state regulations is expected. Federal courts may also increasingly challenge existing and proposed regulations, perhaps with greater success, following the Supreme Court’s ruling in Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo. In this decision, the justices overturned the doctrine of “Chevron deference,” the practice of federal courts deferring to government agencies when interpreting laws. To learn more about the Loper Bright decision, read “The End of Chevron Deference.”
Working with All Policymakers
It’s helpful to remember that a trifecta doesn’t guarantee the party in power will achieve its aims, particularly at the federal level. Not long after the November elections, disagreements surfaced between various factions within the Republican House and Senate majorities and President Trump that may limit their ability to enact campaign promises into law. If Republicans can’t overcome their differences, frustration will build in Congress, and the president may look for opportunities to take unilateral actions that don’t require congressional approval.
Keep in mind also that party identity doesn’t determine everything individual policymakers hope to accomplish. While they typically favor certain policies, their preferences are generally based on their own interests, experiences, pressure from constituents, and advocacy from groups such as AIHA.
For AIHA members, the most important takeaway is that the new political reality will not change how we approach OEHS matters from a government relations perspective. We may tailor our messaging, but OEHS is a nonpartisan issue, and AIHA is a nonpartisan organization. Our updated public policy priorities will be published to the AIHA website by the end of February. We will continue working with all policymakers to protect workers and their communities.