Washington and financial powers that be are abuzz with daily updates as to whether the U.S. government will actually plunge at year’s end from the so-called “financial cliff” brought on by piling federal debt. There is even talk of Congress returning to DC between Christmas and New Year’s to try to work out a deal. Republicans want cuts in federal spending; President Obama and Democrats don’t want to discuss cuts until the GOP agrees to retain current tax rates on the wealthiest Americans.
Going over the cliff would trigger automatic eight percent budget cuts at federal agencies such as OSHA. With OSHA’s meager funding, eight percent is no small number.