Senate Rolls Back Obama Rules On Workplace Safety And Internet Privacy

With all the hoopla about the Russia investigation and the drama over whether or not House Republicans will possibly commit political suicide by just voting on Trumpcare, the Republicans in the Senate have been quietly rolling back Obama regulations under the little used Congressional Review Act.

On Wednesday, the Senate, in a party line vote, repealed an Obama rule that had extended the time period that business were required to keep records of workplace accidents by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). Senator Al Franken pointed out how heartless and really stupid the rollback of this rule is. Franken cited a warehouse and trucking company that had failed to report at least half of the injuries that actually occurred. When workers eventually protested to OSHA, the investigation showed that the company had illegally hired foreign students on temporary visas as well as stiffing those workers' wages. Needless to say, the company got off with simply a fine. But, as Franken pointed out, over 60% of the injuries for which the company was fined occurred outside the time window that this repeal currently puts in place. Says Franken, "The OSHA reporting rule does not kill jobs; it creates no new obligations that are different from what they were required to uphold for nearly 45 years. And the rule does not cover small businesses. What the rule does is save employers from killing and maiming workers."

Yesterday, by that same party line vote, rolled back the important internet privacy rules that Obama implemented and were supposed to be put in place later this year. The Obama privacy rules would have restricted internet providers like Comcast, Charter Communications, AT&T, Cablevision, and Verizon from tracking users' browsing activity and use of apps and then "sharing", that is selling, that information to other entities. The rules were hardly punishing but simply required the companies get users' permission before being able to collect and sell the information. As Ed Markey says, "Senate Republicans just made it easier for Americans’ sensitive information about their health, finances and families to be used, shared and sold to the highest bidder without their permission."

More importantly, the Senate's actions also rolled back the requirement that these providers ensure there are reasonable measures in place to protect users' data from being hacked. Basically, the Senate's actions open up a virtual free-for-all over users' internet activity. With big data able to do even more targeted selling, you can expect to be barraged with advertisements based on not only your browsing history but also on the elements of your lifestyle that can be gleaned from that data, such as when you wake up or where you eat. As Democrats also point out, if the ACA is repealed, health insurers could buy your internet history and possibly determine if you have a pre-existing condition. But at least those are theoretically legitimate organizations. Imagine this kind of data in the hands of hackers. Thieves can determine when you normally leave for work and come home. Your financial data will be less secure making it easier to have your identity stolen.

It is also probably no coincidence that the day after this vote, the CEO of Charter Communications was at the White House helping Trump deflect attention from the failure of Trumpcare by announcing 20,000 new jobs and a substantial monetary investment in the US economy. The fact that these jobs and investment had been announced by the company last April was not important. What was important was that Charter got what it wanted and gave Trump what he needed, although that cost the company nothing.

This is what putting America first really means - screw the workers and the public and cater to the class that the GOP really represents, big business and the rich elites.