Introduced by Rep. Mark Messmer (R-Ind.), the Act was created in response to a regulation proposed by the Biden administration two years ago that would require employers to provide workers with water and a cool place to rest when heat and humidity reach 80 degrees. It passed 18-15.

OSHA has made no moves to advance the proposed standard during the Trump administration, but Messmer said he wanted to obstruct the “terrible rule,” which he accused of trying to address “a problem that doesn’t need solving,” according to Politico.

“The Biden and Harris suggested rule must be stopped before it causes significant harms to American businesses without any evidence that it will create one iota of improvement in existing workplace safety efforts,” he said Tuesday, as reported by Politico.

Lawmakers debated the bill as an extreme heat wave hit the Midwest. Rep. John Mannion (D-N.Y.) noted the timing and described the Biden-era rulemaking as “a commonplace measure to keep workers safe.”

“When it comes to any OSHA standard I too want to make sure that it’s workable for businesses to understand and to follow, but throwing out the entire standard altogether is wrong and puts people at continued risk,” said Mannion, according to Politico.

An amendment to replace the bill with the Asunción Valdivia Heat Illness, Injury and Fatality Prevention Act of 2025, offered by Rep. Alma Adams (D-NC), was defeated in an 18-15 vote.

“Go outside and stack boxes on Independence Avenue for a few hours without water and without shade come back after you’re done and tell me how you feel about the heat standard,” said Adams.