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AIHA—and everyone invested in worker health and safety—received some good news in late July. As part of its deliberations on the budget bills for fiscal year 2026, the Senate Appropriations Committee recommended funding OSHA and MSHA at levels equivalent to what those agencies received in fiscal year 2025 and even endorsed a slight increase for NIOSH. The committee rejected the Trump administration’s proposal, which would have slashed funding for all three agencies and crippled NIOSH with an 80 percent decrease from FY 2025. And, unlike the strict party-line votes we’ve become accustomed to, the recommendations passed by a wide margin of 26 to 3.

The committee’s action is evidence that workplace health and safety has a broad constituency. To be sure, many hurdles remain in the budget process, and the long-term outlook for federal health and safety agencies in general, and NIOSH in particular, remains uncertain at best. But the committee’s action validates our advocacy. We all share in this success; it’s vital that we celebrate it—and build on it.

To that end, AIHA has launched a new advocacy campaign, our fourth of the year. While our previous campaigns focused primarily on NIOSH, we are broadening our efforts to encompass the entire OHS ecosystem, which includes not only NIOSH, OSHA, and MSHA, but also these essential agencies:

• The Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission (OSHRC), an independent adjudicatory body that ensures due process in OSHA enforcement by balancing the rights of employers and workers and promoting transparency and accountability. OSHRC has not had a quorum since 2023, leading to a backlog of cases. Its members are appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate. Currently, all three positions on the commission are vacant (PDF).
• The National Advisory Committee on Occupational Safety and Health (NACOSH), which was created along with OSHA by the 1970 Occupational Safety and Health Act. NACOSH offers advice on OHS programs and policies, contributes to rulemakings, and oversees whistleblower protection and mental health programs. The committee is unique in that management and labor have equal representation, which gives its recommendations legitimacy. Cuts to OSHA’s budget potentially affect NACOSH.
• The Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB), an independent agency that investigates chemical incidents. Its reports offer critical lessons that prevent future disasters. The Trump administration has proposed eliminating CSB, claiming that it duplicates the functions of other agencies, but neither EPA nor OSHA can replicate CSB’s work on the root causes of chemical incidents.

Our fourth advocacy campaign calls on members and allies to advocate for the entire OHS ecosystem and to emphasize not just funding these vital agencies but restoring their function and representation. While the budget process gets a lot of attention, one lesson of 2025 is that merely appropriating funds is not sufficient. Congress needs to take an active role in securing and protecting these agencies, which serve the public good. To take part in our campaign, simply visit our public affairs webpage and follow the directions for sending letters to your representatives.

AIHA members: to receive the latest updates on what’s happening at all levels of government, join the Government Relations Email List community on Catalyst.