A Republican senator expressed disagreement on Tuesday with at least some of the firings and closures carried out by the Trump administration in the name of efficiency.
In a letter to Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) reacted to decisions that cut an office and workers working to protect coal miners’ health.
“I support the President’s vision of right-sizing our government, but I do not believe eliminating NIOSH coal programmes and research will achieve that goal,” wrote Capito, referring to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.
“I am concerned that the [force reductions] at NIOSH will jeopardise vital health-care programmes that benefit so many West Virginians. I urge you to immediately reinstate the NIOSH employees so that they can continue to support our nation’s coal industry,” she said.
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), which houses NIOSH, carried out mass layoffs earlier this month, resulting in the termination of 10,000 employees.
According to CBS News, NIOSH lost 873 employees. A union representing miners previously expressed similar concerns, citing the fact that mine workers can suffer from serious lung problems.
Even in the face of Republican opposition, it remains unclear whether the administration will change course. The HHS spokesperson did not immediately respond to The Hill’s request for comment.
