Supporting the mission and goals of Workers Memorial Day in order to honor and remember the workers who have been killed or injured in the workplace.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H. Res. 1154, supporting the mission and goals of Workers Memorial Day in order to honor, remember and pay tribute to the workers who have been killed or injured in the workplace.

Monday, April 28 marked the 20th annual Workers Memorial Day, a day to honor our Nation's workers who were injured or lost their lives as a result of incidents in the workplace.

I was honored in my district in York, Pennsylvania, to participate with the York Adams County Central Labor Council in a Worker Memorial Day ceremony where three individuals were remembered following their deaths in the workplace in 2007, and pay tribute to them, with their families being in our thoughts and prayers and our sympathies going out to them on the loss of their loved ones.

We remember and pay tribute to all Americans who have given the most to ensure our Nation's economic growth and sustainability. On this day, we reaffirm our commitment to guarantee a safe and healthy work environment for all employees.

Employers, employees, and the local, State, and Federal Governments have all shared in the mission of protecting our Nation's workforce. I would note, Mr. Speaker, that labor organizations are not specifically mentioned in the resolution, but certainly they have played a critically important role in promoting and enhancing workplace safety. We all aspire to have hazard-free workplaces, and the combined efforts of these groups and individuals have moved us closer towards achieving this goal.

According to OSHA Administrator Edwin Foulke, Jr., in 2006, the Department of Labor reported that the Nation's injury and illness incident rate of 4.4 per 100 employees was the lowest ever recorded. Additionally, fatality rates remain at historic lows. Clearly these numbers show that workplaces are getting safer, but we must ensure that this trend continues.

April 28 also commemorated the 37th anniversary of the start-up of the Department of Labor's Occupation Safety and Health Administration. We commend OSHA for years of hard work and dedication. From day one, the agency has promoted a safe and healthy workplace for all employees. OSHA's regulations, educational efforts, and enforcement activities have enhanced both workplace safety and success across the United States.

Moving forward, it is important to remember that OSHA cannot guarantee the safety of our workers by itself. OSHA cannot write and enforce rules effectively if it does not receive adequate funding and valuable input from all interested stakeholders. We must ensure that our efforts to enhance workplace safety provide for this funding and input. We must maintain a strong commitment to work with OSHA on its mission of protecting the American worker.

Even one workplace injury or fatality is one too many. Workers Memorial Day serves to reaffirm our commitment to protecting all employees. On a day when we remember those who have sacrificed so much, it is clear Americans must work together to ingrain a culture of safety in all workplaces. I am pleased to support this resolution and ask for a ``yes'' vote.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 1154) supporting the mission and goals of Workers Memorial Day in order to honor and remember the workers who have been killed or injured in the workplace.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and insert material relevant to H. Res. 1154 into the Record.

Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to yield such time as she might consume to the sponsor of this resolution, the distinguished gentlewoman from the State of Texas, Representative Eddie Bernice Johnson.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume to close.

Mr. Speaker, I want to commend Representative Johnson from Texas for introducing this resolution, and I am pleased to join with her and with Representative Platts in supporting its passage. I rise in support of the mission and goals of Workers Memorial Day.

Workers Memorial Day allows us to honor and remember the many workers who have been injured or even killed in the workplace. Unfortunately, while the United States loses about 5,500 workers each year, more than 2 million people die worldwide from workplace-related accidents and disease.

According to the National Safety Council and the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the job fatality rate has been cut by 78 percent since 1970. While direct comparisons of injury data for 2006 and years prior to 2003 are not possible due to a change in classification systems, in general, declines in workplace fatalities and injuries have been much greater in those industries where the Occupational Safety and Health Administration has targeted its standards and enforcement activities.

So, Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation, which encourages OSHA industries, employers and employees, to support activities that increase awareness of the importance of preventing illness, injury and death in the workplace.

I would also like to thank all those who took the time on Monday to remember those Americans who were injured, or those who have lost their lives due to a workplace accident.

And so, again, Mr. Speaker, I commend Representative Johnson from Texas for introducing this timely and important resolution.

I also thank Mr. Platts, the gentleman from Pennsylvania, for his support. But I also thank him for the opportunity to work with him this afternoon. It's been a pleasure, as it always is. He is one of the most pleasant Members of this House, and it's always a pleasure to interact and work with him.

I yield back the balance of my time.

I thank the gentleman from Illinois for bringing this bill to the floor.

On Monday of this week, millions of people worldwide recognized Workers Memorial Day. I introduced H. Res. 1154 because each year this country has thousands of workers who are killed due to workplace- related injuries, and tens of thousands more die of occupational illnesses. It is staggering to think that each day an average of 16 workers are killed due to injuries on the job. Worldwide, more than 2 million workers die of occupational illness and injuries annually. That means more people are killed on the job each year than in wars.

The bottom line is that everyone deserves a safe and healthy workplace. Many of us may take this basic right for granted. But for millions of Americans, the threat of being permanently disabled or even killed on the job is very real.

Workers Memorial Day not only recognizes and honors those who have been killed or injured on the job, it also reminds us of the overwhelming need to improve health and safety standards in our Nation's workplaces.

It has been 38 years since the creation of OSHA, and over this time worker health and safety standards have vastly improved. However, there is still work to be done, as evidenced by the Sago mine disaster and the recent combustible dust explosion at the Imperial Sugar refinery in Georgia that killed 12 workers.

Today we will take a step toward improving those safety standards by considering the Worker Protection Against Combustible Dust Explosion and Fire Act. This bill represents a pressing need for OSHA standards to prevent combustible dust explosions which have killed more than 100 workers since 1980. That's 100 workers who went to work in the morning but never returned home to their families and loved ones. Workers Memorial Day remembers those workers who gave their lives and the families they left behind.

I would like to thank House leadership and Chairman Miller for his support in bringing this resolution to the floor today; and, of course, Mr. Davis. I would also like to thank the House Labor and Working Families Caucus, and in particular Congresswoman Linda Sanchez, for their assistance in bringing this resolution forward. I urge my colleagues to support recognizing this Workers Memorial Day.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H. Res. 1154, supporting the mission and goals of Workers Memorial Day, and commend my colleague, Representative Eddie Bernice Johnson for introducing this important resolution.

Just 2 days ago on April 28th we honored the 20th Annual Workers Memorial Day, when people all over the world gathered to remember the workers who have been killed or injured on the job.

April 28th also commemorated the creation of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). Since 1970, OSHA has been a driving force in improving workplace safety and health conditions across the country. However, the Bush administration has sought to stifle that progress by downsizing OSHA, favoring employer voluntary programs over real enforcement.

A weakened OSHA has real life-or-death consequences for American workers. One such worker is Cintas washroom employee Eleazar Torres- Gomez--father of four--who was killed on March 6, 2007 when he was dragged by a conveyor belt into an industrial dryer.

Mr. Torres-Gomez's fate is unfortunately too common--16 workers die every day in our country from work-related injuries. In 2005 alone, over 5,700 workers were killed at work, and the situation is only getting worse. The Bureau of Labor Statistics found that the number of workplace deaths jumped by more than two percent between 2005 and 2006.

Last year, Representative Lynn Woolsey and I, along with Senator Ted Kennedy introduced the ``Protecting America's Workers Act,'' which amends OSHA to cover more workers, increases penalties and strengthens protections and accountability. The best way to honor Mr. Torres-Gomez and all the other workers who have been killed at their jobs is to quickly send this bill to the President's desk.

Again, I thank Representative Eddie Bernice Johnson for introducing this resolution to honor our workers.