Education and the Workforce Committee Chairwoman Virginia Foxx (R-NC) sent a letter to President Biden and Acting Secretary of Labor Julie Su raising serious concerns that the White House is not following the law and providing a safe working environment for White House employees. As of October 4, 2023, there have been 12 dog bite incidents involving Commander, which raise questions about workplace safety at the White House.
In the letter, Foxx writes: “The White House has the responsibility to set an example for ensuring workplace safety and health for its employees. Unfortunately, it has recently come to our attention that it is failing to uphold this responsibility. … I write to ensure that the White House is maintaining compliance with OSHA’s standards and guidance and is doing so at the same level that the federal government expects of private entities.”
The letter continues: “When he recently testified before the Subcommittee on Workforce Protections, the Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health, Douglas Parker, stated: ‘At OSHA, our vision for good, safe jobs is one in which every workplace in America embraces health and safety as a core value.’ However, recent reports concerning White House staff and U.S. Secret Service personnel regularly incurring dog bites indicate that occupational hazards are prevalent at the White House.”
Foxx concludes: “[E]mployees at the White House are subject to the same regulatory regime as executive branch agencies. … The White House should not embrace an attitude of ‘rules for thee, but not for me’ when it comes to workplace safety. Accordingly, I am requesting the information that the White House and the Department of Labor have on file related to workplace accidents and injuries at the White House to ensure the White House is living up to its expectations of the private sector.”
To read the full letter, click here.
