President Bush says he fights repetetive motion injury by taking several naps a day.
Despite opposition from organized labor, Senate Republicans rushed through legislation on Tuesday to repeal a workplace injuries rule set in place by the Clinton administration. The House followed suit on Wednesday, repealing the measure and sending the matter to President Bush, who had already indicated he would sign it.
"I know what is the best for American peoples," President Bush said, "and it is not a comfortable, injury-reducing workplace. Trust me. It's the right thing to do. For the peoples."
The Republican tag-team event was a blitzkrieg action by political standards. The Senate decided the matter in 10 hours and Congress was limited to a debate time of one hour. It was the first time a workplace safety rule has been repealed and the first use of the Congressional Review Act of 1996. The act allows Congress to kill executive branch rules at will.
The move set off bitter feelings among Democrats, who opposed repealing the rule. The rule, which took effect four days before Bush took office, dealt with repetetive-motion injuries
A senior Bush advisor, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Republicans aren't against workplace safety but rather "anything to do with former president Clinton. Certainly Republicans are concerned with repetetive-motion injury. That's why debate was limited to an hour in the House, to protect the jaw muscles of members on both sides of the aisle."
To further ease concerns Labor Secretary Elaine Chao promised "to take a comprehensive approach to ergonomics, which may include new rulemaking. This could include such bold measures as requiring employers to install 'Check Your Posture' or 'Be Happier' signs in the workplace."
