The Trump administration has proposed to eliminate the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board by October 2026, citing fiscal responsibility and redundancy.
An initial round of layoffs on April 1 cut about two-thirds of the agency workforce — including NIOSH Director Dr. John Howard after a 22-year tenure — on the orders of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Let’s be blunt: Gutting worker protections isn’t about good governance — it’s about power, politics, and profit. And workers are the ones paying the price.