Reps. Summer Lee, Chris Deluzio Celebrate Full Reinstatement of Workers at National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health

WASHINGTON, D.C. - JANUARY 14, 2026 - Today, Congresswoman Summer L. Lee (PA-12)  and  Congressman Chris Deluzio (PA-17) welcomed the news that all workers at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) will be able to return to work, including hundreds of mine safety workers in Allegheny County who have been off the job for nine months. The decision reverses the Administration's mass firings and restores critical public health and worker safety functions that communities across Western Pennsylvania depend on.

"This is a win for working people and for every family who just wants their loved ones to come home safe at the end of the day,"said Rep. Summer Lee. "For months, the Trump Administration chose politics over people, sidelining the very people whose jobs are to protect workers and keep our communities safe. That decision put lives at risk and treated dedicated public servants like they were disposable. But workers spoke up, communities fought back, and we stood with them to demand better. Now, those workers can finally return to the jobs they were hired to do. I will continue to fight for the people of Western Pennsylvania and for workers across this country."

"Today, we got a big win for Western PA and worker safety across America," said Congressman Deluzio. "For nine months, I've stood strong with NIOSH workers and other Members of Congress in demanding that the Trump Administration immediately stop and reverse their dangerous plans to fire NIOSH staff whose contributions help to keep American workers safe on the job. These workers should have never been fired in the first place, and who knows what damage has been done over the past nine months to the mission of occupational safety and health-but I'm glad that my efforts helped get these public servants back on the job and working for the American People."

BACKGROUND

On April 1, 2025, the Department of Health and Human Services initiated a "Reduction in Force" (RIF) at NIOSH, placing upwards of 90% of the agency's staff on administrative leave and effectively halting multiple health and safety programs.

That same day, Congresswoman Summer Lee condemned the layoffsand called on the Administration to restore worker safety funding and protect federal public health research jobs, warning that these cuts jeopardized the health and safety of workers nationwide.

In June 2025, Rep. Lee joined members of the Pennsylvania congressional delegationin calling for the reinstatement of mine safety workers at the NIOSH facility in Western Pennsylvania, urging HHS leadership to reverse the harmful personnel actions and protect the mission of research that safeguards miners and their families.

Throughout the summer, Rep. Lee continued to elevate the issuein statements to the public, highlighting how the RIF at NIOSH undermined worker safety and disrupted community trust in federal worker protections.

Rep. Lee has also been recognized for her broader work on worker health and safety, including her receipt of a 2024 Legislative Leadership Award from the International Safety Equipment Association (ISEA) for efforts to strengthen occupational safety and health initiatives.

These actions, alongside pressure from workers and community advocates, contributed to today's announcement restoring all NIOSH staff to duty and reopening vital research and safety programs.

Congresswoman Summer Lee serves on the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform and the Committee on Education and Workforce. Since taking office in January 2023, shehas delivered historic levels of federal investment totaling over $2.4 Billionbrought back to Western PA, including over $580 million for infrastructure, over $110 million for affordable transit, over $500 million to keep clean energy manufacturing at home in Pennsylvania, and over $55 million on clean energy efforts in and around schools to help keep our kids and communities safe. These investments will help improve Western Pennsylvania's infrastructure and transit, ensure cleaner air and drinking water, lower housing costs, fund research institutions, fuel clean manufacturing, fund STEM innovation and entrepreneurship, boost workforce development, and create thousands of good paying union jobs.  Lee and her team have also delivered casework and constituent services to over 3,000 constituents with issues ranging from helping our seniors and disabled community access Medicare and social security to helping folks secure housing and helping families with immigration support and passports.