Tuesday, November 3, 2026. Today is the end of midterm voting so if you haven't voted yet, please do so. Chump drags his DESPERATION TOUR to the reflecting pool disaster he created, Priss Pot Pete Hegseth is in so much trouble -- losing Chump's favor, awarding a contract to a corrupt company, those he's pissed off gathering evidence for a possible impeachment hearing, Epstein rattles from the grave, an ICE agent who rammed a man with his car breaking the man's leg turns himself in, and much more.
I’m optimistic that the American people recognize that our democratic institutions and sense of decency can bring us together.
We have come back from crises before. We were more divided than we are today during the Revolution, the Civil War, Reconstruction and Vietnam. For 250 years, our country has prevailed in fits and starts, forging achievements, however imperfect, related to race and equality in American life.
But given our divisions, as we vote we must each ask ourselves: What kind of leadership will see us through the current crisis? Why do we continue to support leaders who are invested in deepening our divides, who tap into conspiracy theories to frighten the public, deny facts and, to quote Alexander Hamilton, “throw things into confusion,” so that they “may ‘ride the storm and direct the whirlwind’”?
Most midterm elections are seen as referendums on the policies of the president. This one is no different. But there’s something more fundamental at stake here, beyond policy differences. This election is about the people — who are empowered to check our chief executive — and the candidates running for Congress, who either have sworn an oath to the Constitution or hope to do so. Whether they are prepared to honor their oath should matter enormously to everyone who values the idea of us— the idea of America.
President Donald Trump has been met by a public display of taunts, jeers and NSFW protest signs on his final campaign stretch.
Trump, 80, visited Dubuque, Iowa on Sunday, ahead of Tuesday’s midterm election. The appearance came as the senior president reversed his initial decision to cancel the trip on Thursday, stating he would appear via telerally.
The about-face gave anti-Trump demonstrators the chance to share their thoughts with the president in person.
As the presidential motorcade passed through the streets on the way to the rally venue at the Five Flags Civic Center, a string of protesters held up signs and made obscene gestures at Trump, according to pictures captured by Reuters and Getty photographers.
One NSFW sign read, “2 Days A-----e,” referring to the date of the midterm election, while multiple people were photographed flipping Trump the bird.
Hours before voters will take to the polls in a midterm election that will be considered a review of President Donald Trump’s second term, the president spent his last major televised appearance before Election Day highlighting his troubled Reflecting Pool project and his efforts to reduce crime in Washington, D.C.
Trump spoke for nearly 20 minutes at the Reflecting Pool about the structure’s renovation project and crime and vandalism in Washington, D.C., before pivoting to the election.
He showed photos of grass he alleged had been vandalized, called former FBI Director James Comey a “dirty cop” and joked he is giving “serious consideration” to renaming the Reflecting Pool, a reference to other buildings and institutions Trump has renamed after himself during his second term.
How fitting that his tour would conclude at the site of his big failure. He hired poorly and instead of admitting that, he went on to blame the problems with the reflecting pool on vandals. Atlantic Industrial Coatings admitted that human oversight, design flaws, incompatible chemical layering, and heat-reaction issues resulted in the peeling of the blue liner. Chump couldn't admit to it because he picked them -- that's what he declared April 23rd, that he found them and he selected them. This was a no-bid contract, by the way. So it was a sign of his corruption and his incompetence and his rage. That was just the way to wind down his DESPERATION TOUR. It is his farewell tour in many ways. With him lying about the reflecting pool yet again as AP notes:
The president brought some visual aids to his speech on the Reflecting Pool, holding up photos to show what he deemed to be neglect of the iconic Washington site.
Trump held up pictures of “rusted” pipes and algae as he persisted in claiming that vandalism to his repairs had also been documented, a claim that was undermined in court filings by the president’s own administration.
He'll never do another national tour. Not just because he was falling apart but because there will be no need. No one wants him, correct, but he'll never run for president again. Even if he barnstorms it some for the 2028 candidate, he still won't be the center of attention. This was it. This was the final tour he'll be doing. He can leave the White House, crawl back under his rock and live out the rest of his pitiful days.
Retiring Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.) said Sunday that potential Republican losses in Tuesday’s midterms would trigger an internal party debate over the MAGA movement — one he said the GOP needs.
“I do think there will be a debate in the party, and I think we need it,” Bacon said on CNN’s “State of the Union.”
Host Jake Tapper had asked whether major Republican losses in the House or Senate could mark “the beginning of the end” for MAGA.
Bacon is also saying that a big loss in today's midterms should mean Chump is no longer leader of the GOP.
These days, the lies are far more brazen and blatant, and an accusation of lying barely rates a mention in any news story.
That’s partly -- or largely -- because Trump has turned the Republican Party and the MAGA movement into one big disinformation outfit. He doesn’t spin. He lies over and over, and his party and cult happily go along with and cheer on his deceit. The GOP’s midterm effort that he’s leading -- like his past presidential campaigns -- is foremost a disinformation operation. Trump never stops pumping out extreme falsehoods.
He tells the crowd at one rally that “98 percent” of Somali immigrants in the United States “don’t work…because they steal so much. They all have a Mercedes-Benz…low IQ. And they live better than you.” He repeatedly proclaims that the United States is experiencing an economic Golden Age after he “inherited the worst inflation in American history” and that inflation is down to 1.8 percent. The worst inflation in US history was 23.7 percent in 1920, and it was 3.0 percent when Trump returned to the White House last year. Currently, it’s 3.7 percent.
He calls his Democratic foes and critics “communists.” They are not. Even members of the Democratic Socialists of America are not communists. He continues to spread the debunked MAGA conspiracy theory that James Talarico, the Democratic senatorial candidate in Texas, left the campaign trail to be treated for mental illness. He asserts that Democrats are for “open borders” (they are not) and that President Joe Biden allowed 25 million people to “pour across the borders,” including drug dealers, rapists, and 11,888 murderers. These numbers are exceedingly wrong.
Perhaps the most disturbing lie Trump has been hawking is that schools are performing gender transition operations on children without the knowledge of their parents. This is batcrap crazy -- but it fuels anti-trans paranoia. Schools these days cannot even dispense an aspirin without the consent of a parent. And there is no evidence to support this claim. Does Trump -- and the MAGA devotees he’s trying to stir up -- believe there are operating rooms in schools where these procedures are happening in secrecy?
At a rally in Georgia, Trump went deep on this lie:
We got critical race theory and transgender mutilization insanity out of our schools. I mean, we have five states where your child goes off to school as Tim and comes back as Tammy, three or four days later. It’s true. And teachers make -- somebody makes a decision. Can you imagine? “Goodbye, Timmy. I love you so much. I’ll see you later.” And you say, “Where’s my son? My son is in the hospital.” Can you imagine? Can you imagine? They don’t even need approval. It’s sick. You’ll have five -- I think Minnesota and some others -- I think it’s five or six states. You know that, right?
Donald (“pretend-I’m-on-the-ballot”) Trump has made this election into a referendum on him. Good.
He is a historic anomaly whose election to the highest office in the land -- twice! -- will forever be a stain on the judgment of the American people. A president who lies incessantly; who generates fear and fuels hatefulness; who viciously attacks the free press, political opponents, and all who disagree with him; who uses his office for personal gain; and who cozies up to dictators such as Vladimir Putin while turning against our historic friends, such as Canada.
For the sake of our democracy and our future, we must send a clear signal on Tuesday that we find Trump repugnant. A rejection beyond mere repudiation. A clear vote of no confidence.
While Trump and his Republican enablers have manufactured false threats to America -- Americans who are Muslim, Mexican Americans, Latino Americans, transgender Americans, fraudulent voters, “globalists” -- they dismiss the real threats to America that are growing worse by the day: climate change; widening inequalities of income, wealth, and political power; unregulated AI; and the most expensive and least effective healthcare system in the world.
We must get back to work on what is critical to our future.
Every branch of the federal government is now under the control of the Republican Party, and the Republican Party is under the control of Trump. Unless constrained, he and they will be emboldened — to eliminate what’s left of the Affordable Care Act, to further cut Medicare and Medicaid, to eviscerate Social Security, to give even more tax cuts to the rich and large corporations.
On today's MORNING JOE, Joe and the panel address the closing arguments from Chump and other Republicans.
Bill Scher (WASHINGTON MONTHLY) has done great work for the last six months. Today he notes:
Trump’s strategy to contain a Blue Wave has been to crisscross the country, insert himself in as many Senate races as possible, insist that he is “on the ballot,” and try to juice turnout among his loyalists. As I wrote three weeks ago, several of Trump’s predecessors learned the hard way that presidents aren’t very useful at juicing midterm turnout. And nothing in the last three weeks—from widening Democratic poll leads to worsening inflation numbers to Trump’s fixation on Senator Jon Husted’s ass—suggests he’s going to be an exception.
And even if Trump somehow managed a late turnout surge and fended off the worst outcomes, that should offer Republicans only a modicum of comfort. For one, Trump will never be on the ballot again. A baseball team can’t rely on one relief pitcher forever, and a political party can’t rely on one president forever. That so many Republican incumbents need rescue missions and compelling Republican fresh races are hard to find are signs that the ultra-self-centered Trump has done little to build a bench.
Second, Trump is the main reason why so many Republicans need rescuing. His policy choices on tariffs and Iran were childishly impulsive and erratic, as were his stubborn refusals to change course. The resulting impact on consumer prices hit Americans hard and spared no Republican base voters. At the same time, Trump has flaunted his ability to line the pockets of himself and his family members. He has jettisoned core conservative principles regarding limited government when it suits his political or personal purposes. All of this has ruptured the bond he had forged with Republican base voters and contributed to job approval ratings languishing in the upper 30s.
Trump’s inability to think two steps ahead has also led to boneheaded political mistakes. As Semaforrecently reminded readers, Trump opened two Senate seats, now on the verge of flipping, by plucking Ohio’s JD Vance out of the Senate to be his Vice President and making North Carolina’s Thom Tillis miserable enough that he refused to run for re-election. His longstanding feud with Governor Brian Kemp made it impossible to recruit the popular Georgian to run against Senator Jon Ossoff. He endorsed the scandal-tarred Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton in the primary against incumbent Senator John Cornyn, and he handpicked the not-ready-for-prime-time Darline Graham to run and keep her late brother’s Senate seat in South Carolina.
More broadly, Trump insistence on personal loyalty made it difficult for most Republican incumbents to develop personas independent of him—which can come in handy when trying to survive a midterm election against the backdrop of an unpopular president.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has not been forthcoming about the war in Iran to President Donald Trump, opting instead to classify it in “rosy terms” to keep the president “happy,” according to a bombshell report in The Atlantic.
In the report that dropped on Monday, The Atlantic’s Jon Lemire cites officials close to Trump, who say that Hegseth may be deceiving the president about the state of the war:
Hegseth is not a popular figure in much of the White House. Some close to Trump suggested to us that the defense secretary has not been honest about the state of the war, which he consistently paints in rosy terms to keep Trump happy. “Hegseth is good at telling the president what he wants to hear,” said one of the outside advisers.
At the same time, Trump has been consulting with friends about the performance of Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan Caine, Lemire writes.
Trump has also been questioning allies about the job performances of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and General Dan Caine, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, two outside advisers close to Trump told us. Hegseth and Caine have been two of Trump’s key counselors on the war. In its earliest stages, they were also among the most publicly optimistic about its prospects — although they haven’t held a press conference since May. Trump often solicits opinions from a kitchen Cabinet of friends outside his administration before making any personnel moves.
Chump picked him. His deception and dim witted nature is on Chump. But Chump can never be at fault in his mind so his plan to push the blame all off on Priss Pot Pete is in keeping with Chump's standard operating behavior. Phillip Nieto (DAILY MAIL) writes:
Donald Trump is secretly asking close advisers about whether Pete Hegseth and General Dan Caine should be fired after the midterms, even as he weighs restarting the bombing of Iran.
The president has been quizzing allies on the performance of his defense secretary and his Joint Chiefs chairman, the two men who assured him the war would be wrapped up well before the midterms, according to the Atlantic.
A fresh round of strikes could come within days of Tuesday’s vote, advisers said.
As Republicans face the real possibility of losing the House and Senate, Trump has concluded the Iran war would be partly to blame and trained his attention on the advisers who promised a quick and decisive fight.
Speaker of the Closet Mike Johnson sent the House home quick rather than take a vote on US House Rep Thomas Massie's impeachment bill on Priss Pot Pete. When they come back, Johnson most likely will not be able to avoid a vote. If he is or if Hegseth survives the vote, this is the outgoing Congress. The incoming Congress will have much to do and that would include reviewing Hegseth's poor performance as Secretary of Defense. Priss Pot is aware of that and that's why he's expressed interest in having Marsha Blackburn appoint him to her Senate seat should she win tomorrow's race for governor of Tennessee. While he's preparing alternate escape routes, those who have worked with him are compiling information should Congress require it. Susan Greene (DAILY MAIL) reports:
One set of documents is stashed in a gun safe in Northern Virginia. Another sits in a safe deposit box at a Washington, DC, bank. A third is tucked away somewhere on the West Coast.
All three hold evidence that fed-up Defense Department officials hope will force Pete Hegseth out after next week's midterm elections.
Pentagon sources told the Daily Mail they and their colleagues have spent much of the last 22 months compiling emails, memos and meeting notes.
The files detail times the defense secretary and his inner circle allegedly ignored strategic and legal advice, berated the experts who gave it, withheld information from Congress and the public, and threatened the careers of subordinates who either challenged his decisions or struck him as too woke, fat, queer or disloyal.
They figure the paper trail, plus a list of potential witnesses from inside the department, will come in handy if Democrats retake the House in November and, as expected, open an impeachment investigation in 2027.
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has made some "uncontrollable enemies" with his political purges in the military, according to a new report — and this may ultimately incentivize President Donald Trump to let go of his controversial cabinet official.
"Two of the officials asserted that Hegseth could work across party lines, depending on how aggressive Democrats were in their investigations," reported The Washington Post's Noah Robertson and Dan Lamothe on Sunday. "Still, several others predicted that his critics, both in Congress and in the Pentagon, could feel more emboldened to oppose him if Democrats take power."
"“Pete has made so many enemies — and uncontrollable enemies,” one person familiar said," according to Robertson and Lamothe.
Earlier in the same article, they noted that the same congressional Republicans who have otherwise toed the line for Trump have found themselves instead drawing the line when it comes to Hegseth.
"With limited exception, Republican lawmakers have declined to stand in Hegseth’s way while he has purged dozens of senior military leaders he’s deemed disloyal, waged an eight-month war in Iran without the consent of Congress and pursued an unprecedented campaign against the illicit drug trade," the Post wrote.
It added, "Democrats would give Hegseth far less room for maneuver once the next Congress convenes in January. Already, some are threatening to investigate and try to remove him from office if they reclaim a majority."
On Monday, a shocking new report revealed that half of U.S. armed forces service members want to quit because of the policies and poor leadership of President Donald Trump and his officials. Experts warn that the situation has become a full-blown “readiness crisis” that reduces the country’s military capabilities.
According to Military.com, a poll conducted by Common Defense “found that 53 percent of active-duty service members want to separate from service sooner because they said the military is becoming more politicized.” The survey revealed that 45 percent of service members are considering quitting specifically because of policy changes and uncertainty under the Trump administration, and that “67 percent agree that decisions affecting service members are being made for political gain, not mission readiness, compared to 25 percent who disagreed.” These findings come amid Trump’s ongoing conflict with Iran, and as the president considers resuming an all-out war following this week’s midterm elections.
"Veterans know what real leadership looks like: you take care of the people under your command and you keep politics out of the mission," said Jose Vasquez, U.S. Army veteran and executive director of Common Defense. "Right now, nearly 8-in-10 veterans and military families say they're being left behind, and active-duty troops are telling us that politicization is pushing them toward the exit. That's not a talking point; it's a readiness crisis.”
This is not surprising and it has been building and this is also why I've noted several times in the last months when the DoD has boasted of recruitment that I'm not so sure those claims are accurate regarding recruitment numbers because, again, I have been told that recruitment numbers have gone down under Priss Pot Pete.
When Hegseth was first nominated by Chump for the position, we noted he was not fit. We noted he had no experience with leadership that indicated he could handle it. We did that because several higher ups were appalled that Hegseth was nominated. We questioned everything about his nomination including his sexism and racism which were already well known. Priss Pot seems to love showing just how unfit he is for the post he holds. Erik De La Garza (RAW STORY) notes:
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s Pentagon has awarded weapons maker Raytheon a no-bid contract extension worth up to $394 million — despite its admission to defrauding the military, PunchUp reported Monday.
The two-year radar maintenance extension came a month after the Navy determined that Raytheon could remain eligible for government contracts despite the fraud, according to the report.
“These schemes to defraud caused the DOD to pay Raytheon over $111 million more than Raytheon should have been paid on the contracts,” the Justice Department said in 2024.
Raytheon admitted to inflating the price of an Air Force radar maintenance deal by roughly $11.1 million and committing a separate $100.1 million fraud involving an Army Patriot missile contract. It entered a deferred prosecution agreement requiring three years of government oversight.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene posted on social media that the Jeffrey Epstein controversy, foreign policy decisions regarding Israel and Iran and domestic economic pressures are driving widespread voter backlash against President Donald Trump and the Republican Party ahead of the Tuesday, November 3, midterm elections.
She argued that the administration and party leadership attempted to block transparency and protect influential figures, leading to a bitter public falling-out in which Trump criticized her.
[. . .]
Greene took to X on Sunday, November 1, to explain her bleak midterms forecast for Republicans, writing, “For anyone who is confused about why Democrats are likely to win. Here’s your starter pack of reasons. We tried to stop all this. But Trump doesn’t like me and Massie. He likes his Epstein friends and Netanyahu.”
Chump wanted to protect Epstein's customers. And that may be because he himself was one -- as documented in the Congressional report issued last week. Yohann Thiou (ESPRESSO) notes:
Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee are calling for a special counsel to investigate the ties between Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein. Their report, released on October 26, brings together several allegations of violence against the U.S. president and challenges the Justice Department’s handling of the case. The White House denies all the allegations.
The 53-page document was presented by Jamie Raskin, the committee’s top Democrat. Its authors examine material concerning 11 women, five of whom directly accuse Trump of rape or assault in circumstances connected to Epstein. The report was prepared by the committee’s Democratic staff.
The authors compiled previously public accounts and expanded on some testimony. They argue that, taken together, this material warrants a criminal investigation into Trump’s possible involvement in Epstein’s exploitation activities. The alleged incidents mainly date from 1992 to 1997, in New York and Palm Beach, Florida.
Beatrice Keul is among the accusers. According to the report, the former beauty pageant contestant alleges that Trump raped her at New York’s Plaza Hotel in November 1993. Stacey Williams, Jill Harth, Katie Johnson and an unnamed woman also make direct allegations involving separate incidents.
Immigration. Chump's war on immigrants will impact voting today. He has killed people in this war -- immigrants and US citizens. He has broken up families. He has ruined lives and allowed his ICE to behave like bullies. For example, running over someone with your car is being a bully. Dropping back to October 10th:
Leslie Briones, who is the Harris County Commissioner for Precinct 4, released a statement on Saturday saying, "I am horrified to learn that an ICE vehicle struck a man on Clay Road this morning in Precinct 4. While we wait to learn more, my prayers are with his family. Under the Trump administration, ICE has brought chaos and destruction to communities across our country. ICE must cooperate fully with the Harris County Sheriff's Office and release all video evidence of this incident. We demand full transparency, accountability, and respect for the rule of law."
Cesar Espinosa with FIEL Houston released a statement on Saturday afternoon saying, "We have more questions than answers. The biggest question we have is why does this keep happening? We demand answers and transparency from all agencies involved. the community needs to know the identities of the agents and if there are charges that are filed for the wrongdoing committed."
Harris County Attorney Abbie Kamin released on statement late Saturday afternoon saying, "This morning, there was another incident involving ICE actions in Harris County. Time is of the essence in getting the facts, and the public deserves clear, accurate answers. ICE must cooperate fully with the local investigation. My office supports Sheriff Ed Gonzalez and District Attorney Sean Teare in their ongoing independent investigation, and the Harris County Attorney's Office stands ready to assist and support these critical efforts. We will continue to monitor developments closely as the facts become clear."
Alejandra Salinas, Council Member Houston-At Large for Position 4, released a statement on Facebook Saturday saying, "ICE agents hit a Houstonian with a vehicle while pursuing him during an enforcement operation this morning, leaving him hospitalized with serious injuries. This is yet another example of ICE operating without accountability and harming our community. All video evidence should be released, and ICE must cooperate fully with a transparent investigation by local law enforcement so those responsible are held accountable."
Surveillance video obtained by ABC13 shows the moment an unmarked SUV carrying U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents ran over a man during a pursuit at a shopping center in west Harris County.
The video shows a white pickup truck stopping along Clay Road, facing oncoming traffic. Two men get out of the truck. One runs toward Highway 6, while the other, identified by ICE as Miguel Parra-Hernandez, runs through a shopping center parking lot.
Moments later, a dark, unmarked SUV turns into the parking lot and runs over Parra-Hernandez.
A witness who spoke with ABC13 on the condition of anonymity said he saw the incident unfold.
"He said, 'Ah! Ah! Ah! You broke my leg! You broke my leg!'" the witness recalled.
So now they're running down suspects -- please note, a suspect, they had no idea who this man was -- with their cars and inflicting physical damage.
ICE is out of control. They are terrorizing people across the country. They are poorly trained and often unqualified. Which makes them not unlike their current leader Markwayne Mullin.
A federal immigration officer charged with aggravated assault after he ran over a Mexican man with his car in Houston will turn himself in on Monday, according to his attorney.
Mario Alberto Morales, a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer, struck Miguel Parra Hernandez, a 48-year-old construction worker, with his unmarked SUV on Oct. 10, as he chased Parra Hernandez through a parking lot. A grand jury indicted Morales on Friday on a felony charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
Morales is planning to turn himself in at a courthouse sometime on Monday, David Lindenmuth, his attorney, told The Associated Press. Lindenmuth previously told the AP that the incident was “clearly just an accident” and that local officials had “invented a crime out of thin air.”
ICE officer Mario Alberto Morales turned himself in Monday after being indicted last week in connection with running over a man who was on foot. The case has put Morales’ work record under scrutiny and called attention to the administration’s hiring surge last year to fill in immigration enforcement posts.
The case has escalated criticism of the administration’s attempt to quickly increase the ranks of ICE officers to fulfill President Donald Trump’s mass deportation pledge, just as voters are heading to the polls for midterm elections.
[. . .]
Video of the collision captured by cameras from local businesses and bystanders recorded Morales pursuing Parra, who exits a stopped truck and begins running. Morales’ vehicle makes a quick left turn in front of a stopped vehicle and hits Parra.
Morales’ body camera video captures the officer saying, “You got hit with the car, bro,” turning Parra over, straightening his leg, trying to pick him up from under his arms and telling others he should be moved into the car.
Let's wind down with this from Senator Elizabeth Warren's office:
Lawmakers warn that OSHA’s rollback of respirator rules could endanger workers, exposing them to hazardous chemicals and airborne illnesses
“The Labor Department is endangering workers and prioritizing the interests of unscrupulous employers over Americans who work hard to provide for their families.”
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Representative Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) led their colleagues, Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) and Cory Booker (D-N.J.), alongside 23 U.S. Representatives, in calling on the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to abandon its proposed rollback of workplace respirator protections. In a letter to Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health David Keeling, the lawmakers warned that the changes could expose workers to dangerous chemicals and airborne hazards, despite objections from labor unions, medical professionals, and industry experts.
“OSHA now seems to be moving rapidly to finalize the removal of critical respiratory protections from more than a dozen OSHA standards. Most OSHA standards take years to move through the same steps these respirator rules have in a matter of months,” wrote the lawmakers.
The proposed rules would weaken requirements for employers to provide effective respirators to workers exposed to hazardous substances, including lead, asbestos, formaldehyde, and inorganic arsenic. The changes would also eliminate medical evaluation requirements for employees who wear certain types of respirators, raising concerns about the risks to workers with underlying health conditions.
“Unions, medical professionals, and industry experts have cautioned you against removing this requirement. In fact, the Advisory Committee for Construction Safety and Health (ACCSH), which is statutorily required to provide advice to OSHA on construction-related issues, recommended that you not proceed with this rulemaking,” continued the lawmakers.
National Nurses United also warned that weakened respirator programs could leave health care workers exposed to airborne hazards that cause serious illness, long-term health problems, and death. Labor unions and construction industry groups have also raised concerns about the risks to workers and employers.
“The Labor Department is endangering workers and prioritizing the interests of unscrupulous employers over Americans who work hard to provide for their families,” concluded the lawmakers.
The proposed respirator changes are part of a broader Department of Labor deregulatory effort. Since July 2025, OSHA has proposed more than 60 deregulatory actions, including changes to workplace safety requirements covering general workplace hazards, construction lighting, and safety color codes.
In addition to Warren and Omar, the letter was signed by U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) and Cory Booker (D-N.J.), and U.S. Representatives Emanuel Cleaver (D-Mo.), Paul Tonko (D-N.Y.), Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), Jonathan Jackson (D-Ill.), Frederica Wilson (D-Fla.), Judy Chu (D-Calif.), Lucy McBath (D-Ga.), Melanie Stansbury (D-N.M.), Stephen Lynch (D-Mass.), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.), Adelita Grijalva (D-Ariz.), LaMonica McIver (D-N.J.), Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas), Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.), Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.), Dwight Evans (D-Pa.), Delia Ramirez (D-Ill.), Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), Suzanne Bonamici (D-Ore.), Veronica Escobar (D-Texas), Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.), Val Hoyle (D-Ore.), Maxine Dexter (D-Ore.), and Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.).
