Washington — Keith Sonderling, President Donald Trump’s nominee for labor secretary, fielded only one question on workplace safety during his July 16 confirmation hearing before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee.
It came from Sen. Andy Kim (D-NJ) and was mainly about OSHA staffing. As of last year, the agency had 736 inspectors – to cover 11.6 million worksites – down from 846 in February 2024, according to the Department of Labor Office of the Inspector General.
Kim, who also inquired about OSHA’s budget cuts under the Trump administration, asked Sonderling, “How are you squaring decreasing OSHA’s budget and capacity with improving workplace safety?”
Sonderling responded, in part, by pointing out that the agency has hired more than 90 new inspectors and, “if you go on USAJobs.gov right now, you can apply to be an OSHA inspector.”
He added, “We’re replenishing that workforce,” and included the Mine Safety and Health Administration.
Sonderling, confirmed as deputy labor secretary in March 2025, has led DOL in an acting capacity since Lori Chavez-DeRemer resigned on April 20. The HELP Committee is expected to vote on his nomination at 10 a.m. Eastern on July 23.
BLS to study AI use
In response to questions about artificial intelligence from Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO), Sonderling indicated that the Bureau of Labor Statistics is beginning to gather data on AI use.
“We just issued [a Request for Information] last week through BLS to have [the American Time Use Survey] that BLS does to include AI,” Sonderling said. “So, now they’re going to ask people: ‘How much AI do you use at home? How much AI do you use at work?’
“So, in the meantime, before we get [data] from the employers and tech companies, we’re going to get it from the American workers who are being impacted instantly, and we’ll be able to see what they’re doing.”
Proposed rules featured in opening statements
The hearing’s opening statements featured differing perspectives on DOL’s proposed changes to its joint employer and independent contractor rules.
“[Sonderling] has continued to push for Americans’ ability to work as independent contractors at DOL, championing policies that provide regulatory clarity to workers and businesses as to what constitutes an independent contractor,” said Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA), who chairs the committee. “He has also clarified the joint employer standard protecting the American franchise model that employs over 9 million Americans.
“The workforce is changing. It’ll continue to change as technology advances.”
Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA) called the proposed rules an “outright grift.”
“You want to let giant corporations classify workers as contractors so they don’t have to pay them minimum wage and overtime,” Murray said. “A conservative estimate finds this rule would rob workers of $3.7 billion a year.
“You’re also pushing a joint employer rule to let giant corporations take advantage of employment structures so they aren’t liable when people like janitors or nurses get a paycheck stolen, or when there are child labor violations or other worker right violations.”
