Washington – A bill cutting OSHA’s current budget by nearly $100 million for the remainder of fiscal year 2011 passed the House Feb. 19 in a 235-189 vote.
The continuing resolution bill (H.R. 1) would reduce OSHA’s budget to $459.7 million, which is close to 2004 levels. OSHA currently is operating under an extension of its FY 2010 budget, which was set at $558.6 million.
Cuts to OSHA (.pdf file) in the bill include:
- $41.3 million from federal enforcement
- $34.9 million from safety and health statistics
- $14.9 million from state programs
The Republican-backed bill strips nearly $100 billion in federal spending from President Barack Obama’s FY 2011 budget request. According to the GOP, the bill would reduce the federal deficit and promote economic growth and job creation. Democrats contend the plan would have the opposite effect.
A federal budget for FY 2011 has not been signed into law. Since the end of FY 2010 on Sept. 30, federal agencies have been operating under that year’s budget as part of a stop-gap measure that ends March 4. If an agreement is not reached by then, the government will be forced into a shutdown.
