Trump has a history of downplaying heatwaves and denying droughts. In the White House, Trump ignored scientists’ warnings about water issues and thwarted American workers’ protections against extreme heat.

• Trump dismissed California’s four-year drought, which was the driest in the state’s history. The drought disrupted rural water access and farming jobs, and worsened tree mortality and wildfires in the state.
• Trump pushed a plan to divert water to California farmers and sidelined scientists when they warned of harm to wildlife. After the warning, the Trump administration directed a “strike team” to rewrite the findings and Trump eventually signed an order diverting the water. 
• Trump railed against California’s “man-made” droughts and blamed Gov. Gavin Newsom for the state’s droughts. 
• Despite record temperatures during the Trump administration, OSHA nearly halved its inspections to protect American workers from extreme heat. As President, Trump worked to hamper OSHA’s enforcement efforts and sought to cut its budget every year.
• Shortly after Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill that blocked Florida municipalities from requiring heat protections for outdoor workers, Trump embraced DeSantis and welcomed DeSantis’ fundraising efforts for Trump’s campaign.   

We know what notorious climate denier Trump will do if elected – GOP strategists and even a top Trump Labor official have said he would scrap President Biden’s efforts to tackle the effects of extreme heat, including worker projections.

2013: Trump Downplayed A Heatwave And Called Out “Disciples Of Global Warming”

July 18th, 2013: Trump Downplayed A Heat Wave, Telling “Disciples Of Global Warming” That There Have Been 20 Heat Waves In The Last 150 Years. According to a tweet from Donald Trump, “For the disciples of global warming, in 150 summers (years) there have been 20 heat waves as bad or worse than current-this has happened b4!” [Twitter – @realDonaldTrump, 7/18/13]

• 73% Of New York City’s Heat-Related Deaths In 2013 Were Associated With The July 14-20 Heat Wave. According to a report about New York City’s heat-related deaths in 2013 from the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, “Nineteen of the 26 (73%) heat-related deaths identified by DOHMH surveillance during the 2013 warm season were associated with the July 14 to 20 extreme heat event.” [New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene – Heat-related Deaths in New York City, 2013, Accessed 6/6/24] 
• New York City’s Temperature And Heat Index Peaked One Day After Trump’s Tweet. According to a report about New York City’s heat-related deaths in 2013 from the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, “The maximum temperature (99°F) and maximum heat index (109°F) were recorded on July 19, 2013. For 12 of the heat-related deaths, the date of illness onset was July 19 or 20; two additional deaths on July 20 did not have a recorded date of illness onset.”  [New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene – Heat-related Deaths in New York City, 2013, Accessed 6/6/24] 
• July 2013: A Northeast Heat Wave Killed At Least Four Elderly People In New York City. According to CNN, “The heat wave that rolled through the Northeast last week killed at least four people in New York, the city’s medical examiner reported Monday. The victims were all in their 80s. […] All died as a result of the high temperatures that roasted the Northeast last week, said Grace Brugess, a spokeswoman for the office. Temperatures peaked at 96 in New York on Friday and 93 on Saturday, with high humidity that drove the heat index up to or over the 100 mark.” [CNN, 7/24/13]

In California, Trump Dismissed Severe Droughts And Called Them “Man-Made”

2016: Trump Dismissed California’s Four-Year Drought, The Driest In The State’s History

2016: Trump Claimed There Was No Drought In California And That The State Was Denying Water To Farmers 

2016: Trump Claimed “There Is No Drought” In California. According to CNBC News, “Presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump told California voters Friday that he can solve their water crisis, declaring, ‘There is no drought.’ California is, in fact, in midst of a drought. Last year capped the state’s driest four-year period in its history, with record low rainfall and snow.” [CNBC News, 5/28/16]

Trump Accused California Officials Of Denying Water To Farmers “To Protect A Certain Kind Of Three-Inch Fish.” According to CNBC News, “Speaking at a rally in Fresno, Calif., Trump accused state officials of denying water to Central Valley farmers so they can send it out to sea ‘to protect a certain kind of three-inch fish.’” [CNBC News, 5/28/16]

2012-2016: California Experienced One Of Its Most Severe Droughts Resulting In Problems With Rural Water Access, Disruption Of Farming Jobs, And Wildfires

The 2012-2016 Drought In California Resulted In Rural Communities Left Without Water, Disrupted Thousands Of Rural Farming Jobs, And Fueled Catastrophic Wildfires. According to the California Department of Agriculture, “California’s drought between Water Years 2012 and 2016 was one of the most severe in state history. A string of five dry winters left some rural communities without water, interrupted surface water deliveries to some farmers in the Sacramento and San Joaquin valleys for two consecutive years, disrupted thousands of farming jobs, pushed some fish populations toward extinction, and created conditions that fueled some of the most catastrophic wildfires in state history.” [California Department of Agriculture, 3/16/21]

Tree Mortality Increased During California’s Drought, With 62 Million Tree Deaths In 2016. According to a report released by the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment, “Annual tree mortality in California forests showed a steep increase in 2015 (USFS, 2016), as the 2012-2016 drought progressed. The largest number of tree deaths in any one year (62 million, more than double the previous year’s estimate) was recorded in 2016, the fourth year of the drought.” [California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment: Indicators Of Climate Change (2022), Accessed 6/3/24]

2023: Trump Railed Against California’s “Man-Made” Droughts

[VIDEO] 2023: Trump Claimed California’s Drought Was “Man-Made.” According to Trump’s remarks at the GOP California Convention posted on YouTube by LiveNOW From Fox, “TRUMP: We’re fighting so hard. They were fighting so hard for water rights. They actually said, could you come, we don’t have any water. I said, no, I didn’t know you had a drought. It’s a man-made drought, you know that? Man/women. It’s man, women made. I don’t know. I don’t think women did that, no. Women are too smart to do that. They don’t create droughts. It’s a man-made drought, right? Let’s leave it man-made. I think. women will be honored when I say that.” [LiveNOW From Fox YouTube, 9/29/23]

[VIDEO] Trump Blamed Governor Newsom And All Democratic Governors For “Man-Made” Droughts. According to Trump’s remarks at the GOP California Convention posted on YouTube by LiveNOW From Fox, “TRUMP: I ask, what’s going on here? Why is it that that land is so fertile, but right next to it for miles and miles, it’s just empty? Looks like a desert. And they said because we’re in a man-made drought, that’s what they called it. We have a man-made drought. I said what’s the man-made drought? He said we have tremendous amounts of money. and other things coming at us to fight this, but it’s, it doesn’t do any good because Newsom and any Democrat governor, they won’t allow us to have water.” [LiveNOW From Fox YouTube, 9/29/23]

2019: Trump Pushed A Plan To Divert Water To California Farmers And Sidelined Scientists To Make It Happen

2019: Trump Announced A Plan To Divert Water To California Farmers

2019: Trump Announced A Plan To Divert Water To California Farmers. According to NPR, “The Trump administration has announced a plan to divert water to California farmers, fulfilling a campaign promise by the president, but contradicting federal biologists who found the plan would drive endangered salmon closer to extinction and could harm other fish.” [NPR, 10/22/19]

Trump’s Plan Further Threatened Endangered Fish

Trump’s Plan Jeopardized The Future Of Endangered Fish. According to NPR, “An analysis completed by NOAA Fisheries biologists in July found the administration’s proposed plan jeopardized the future of endangered fish. Under federal law, they are then required to impose limits, such as restricting how much water can be pumped to farms from the state’s rivers.” [NPR, 10/22/19]

The Plan Created New Hatcheries To Breed Fish, But Environmental And Fishing Groups Said The Decision Was “Scientifically Unsound” And Showed “Political Interference.” According to NPR, “The administration’s latest plan creates new hatcheries to breed fish, and relies on real-time monitoring to track the location of threatened fish. They plan to slow pumping when the fish are nearby. Still, environmental and fishing groups say the decision is scientifically unsound and shows political interference.” [NPR, 10/22/19]

Trump Removed Scientists From The Process After They Warned The Administration Of The Water Plan’s Risks To Wildlife

Scientists And Regulators Complained That They Were Sidelined By The Trump Administration After Being Warned About Wildlife Risks Of Trump’s Water Plan. According to The Guardian, “Federal scientists and regulators repeatedly complained they were sidelined by Donald Trump’s administration when they warned of risks to wildlife posed by a California water management plan, according to newly unveiled documents.” [The Guardian, 2/13/21]

Two Days After Scientists Released A Report Saying Trump’s Water Plan Would Hurt Wildlife, The Trump Administration Directed A “Strike Team” To Rewrite The Scientists’ Findings. According to The Guardian, “On 1 July, the scientists issued their report, saying the Trump water plan would hurt endangered and threatened Chinook salmon and steelhead, as well as endangered killer whales that depend on the fish for their food supply. […] Two days after the report, the Trump administration directed a “strike team” to rewrite the scientists’ findings.” [The Guardian, 2/13/21]

February 2020: Trump Signed An Order Diverting Water To California Farmers

February 2020: Trump Signed An Order That Diverted Water To California Farmers. According to The Hill, “President Trump on Wednesday signed an order in California to re-engineer the state’s water plans, completing a campaign promise to funnel water from the north to a thirsty agriculture industry and growing population further south.” [The Hill, 2/19/20]

California Sued The White House After Trump Ordered The State To Reconfigure Its Water Plan. According to The Hill, “The state of California sued the White House late Thursday after President Trump ordered the state to reconfigure its water plan, funneling more water from the north to a thirsty agriculture industry and growing population further south.” [The Hill, 2/21/20]

• California AG Xavier Becerra Argued That The Trump Administration Failed To Consider The Water Plan’s Environmental Impacts. According to The Hill, “California Attorney General Xavier Becerra argued the administration violated the law by failing to consider a number of environmental impacts or giving an opportunity for the public to comment.” [The Hill, 2/21/20]

May 2020: A Judge Temporarily Blocked Trump’s Water Plan. According to The Hill, “A judge on Monday temporarily blocked a plan President Trump announced with great fanfare that diverted much of California’s water to a growing agriculture industry in the southern part [of] the state.” [The Hill, 5/12/20]

March 2022: A Judge Allowed The Water Diversion Plan To Remain In Effect For Three Years With Added Safeguards For Endangered Fish. According to Courthouse News, “In a long-running dispute over water rights in California, a federal judge will allow a pair of challenged Trump-era biological opinions to remain in effect over the next three years with added safeguards that some groups complain fail to ensure the survival of endangered fish. […] The two opinions — issued by the National Marine Fisheries Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife — enable more water to be sent to some 20 million farms, businesses and homes in Southern and Central California via two massive federal and state water diversion projects.” [Courthouse News, 3/15/22]

Under Trump, OSHA Inspections To Protect Workers From Dangerous Levels Of Heat Almost Halved – Despite Record Temperatures 

OSHA Was Responsible For Regulating Extreme Heat In The Workplace

Extreme Heat Fell Under OSHA’s “General Duty” Clause For Job-Site Hazards. According to the Washington Post, “Extreme heat risk falls under the OSHA’s ‘general duty’ clause, a catchall for job-site hazards without specific guidelines.” [Washington Post, 7/14/23]

Inspector Staffing Levels At OSHA Reached Record Lows Under Trump

Trump Stalled Hiring At The Occupational Safety And Health Administration, Resulting In OSHA’s Total Inspection Workforce Falling Below 1,000 By October 2018. According to NBC News, “In the months after President Donald Trump took office, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration lost 40 inspectors through attrition and made no new hires to fill the vacancies as of Oct. 2, according to data obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request. The departing inspectors made up 4 percent of the OSHA’s total federal inspection force, which fell below 1,000 by early October.” [NBC News, 1/8/18]

• OSHA Was Subject To Trump’s Federal Hiring Freeze. According to NBC News, “Like most other federal agencies, OSHA was subject to the hiring freeze that Trump imposed shortly after taking office ‘to stop the growth of a bloated government,’ as the White House put it.” [NBC News, 1/8/18]
• OSHA’s Workforce Dropped To Below 2,000 Permanent, Full-Time Employees By September 2017. According to NBC News, “By that measure, Trump has succeeded: The federal government had 16,000 fewer permanent workers at the end of September than it had at the end of 2016 out of a workforce of nearly 2 million, according to data from the Office of Personnel Management. During the same time period, OSHA dropped below 2,000 permanent, full-time employees, with 116 fewer total staff than in December 2016, according to the latest personnel data.” [NBC News, 1/8/18]
• The Number Of Inspectors Employed By OSHA Reached A Historic Low Under Trump, With Just 875 Inspectors On Board As Of January 2019. According to a report from the National Employment Law Project,​​ “The agency also revealed that the number of OSHA inspectors under the Trump administration is now at a historic low. […] Data released by OSHA in January also reveal that OSHA now has the lowest number of safety and health inspectors in its 48-year history.17 In 1982, OSHA had 1,003 compliance officers; in 2010, OSHA had 1,016 compliance officers; in 2016, it had 952; as of January 1, 2019, it had 875 on board.” [National Employment Law Project, ‘Data Brief – Workplace Safety Enforcement Continues to Decline in Trump Administration’, March 2019]

David Michaels, Former OSHA Head Under President Obama, Warned That Reduced Staffing Made It Harder For The Administration To Do Its Job Properly And Increased Risk For Workers. According to NBC News, “Reduced staff has made it even harder for OSHA to do its job properly, said David Michaels, who headed OSHA during the Obama administration. ‘It means there’s greater pressure to quickly reach a settlement with the employer, which often means reduced fines,’ he said. ‘The lack of new inspectors makes OSHA invisible. If employers don’t think OSHA will come, workers are much more likely to be hurt.’” [NBC News, 1/8/18]

Workplace Safety Advocates Calculated That With Record-Low Staffing Levels, OSHA Would Need 165 Years To Visit Every Workplace In America

The Guardian: “Under The Trump Administration, Osha Has Cut Workplace Safety Inspectors To The Lowest Level In Its 48-Year History As An Agency.” According to The Guardian, “A number of workplace safety advocates fear fatalities will soar as Trump cuts back on the federal work safety watchdog Occupation Safety and Health Administration (Osha). The latest Death on the Job report from union federation AFL-CIO, released to time with Workers’ Memorial Day, showed a slight dip in deaths from 2016, when 5,190 people died on the job. Some 5,147 people were killed on the job in 2017, Donald Trump’s first year in office. But the true toll of work-related injuries and illnesses may be closer to 7m to 10.5m each year, according to a report released on Thursday. Under the Trump administration, Osha has cut workplace safety inspectors to the lowest level in its 48-year history as an agency. The report also shows that Osha has cut by more than half the number of the highest level of legal action brought against employers for violations of workplace safety law.” [The Guardian, 4/25/19]

Workplace Safety Advocates Calculated That With The Cuts At OSHA Under Trump, The Agency Would Need 165 Years To Visit Every Workplace In America. According to The Guardian, “With a small budget of approximately $550m even during the height of Obama years, workplace safety advocates calculated that Osha only had the resources to inspect every workplace once every 129 years. Now with even less inspectors, Osha would need 165 years to visit every workplace in America.” [The Guardian, 4/25/19]

As The Number Of Inspectors Dropped, So Did The Number Of Inspections OSHA Completed…

OSHA Enforcement Activity Declined In 2017 And 2018 Under Trump. According to a report from the National Employment Law Project,​​ “New data just released by OSHA reveals that safety enforcement activity continues to decline under the Trump administration, dropping in FY 2017 and falling even further in FY 2018.” [National Employment Law Project, ‘Data Brief – Workplace Safety Enforcement Continues to Decline in Trump Administration’, March 2019]

The Number Of Inspections To Protect Workers From Dangerous Levels Of Heat Fell By Almost Half In 2018. According to a report from the National Employment Law Project,​​ “According to OSHA reduced by almost half the number of inspections to protect workers from dangerous levels of heat, though last year was one of the hottest years on record.” [National Employment Law Project, ‘Data Brief – Workplace Safety Enforcement Continues to Decline in Trump Administration’, March 2019]

… While Temperatures Continued To Rise And People Died

2018 Was The Fourth Hottest Year On Record For The Globe At The Time. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, “Earth’s long-term warming trend continued in 2018 as persistent warmth across large swaths of land and ocean resulted in the globe’s fourth hottest year in NOAA’s 139-year climate record. The year ranks just behind 2016 (warmest), 2015 (second warmest) and 2017 (third warmest).” [National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 2/6/2019]

In 2018, The U.S. Saw 19,487 Highest Daily Maximum Temperature Records Broken. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the U.S. saw 19,487 highest daily maximum temperature records broken in 2018. [National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, accessed 6/5/2024] 

Between 2018 and 2020, More Than 3,000 People Died Due To Heat In The U.S. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, “During 2018–2020, a total of 3,066 heat-related deaths occurred.” [Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 6/17/2022]

Trump Hampered OSHA’s Enforcement Efforts As President And Sought To Cut The Agency’s Funding In Every Single One Of His Budgets

Serious Enforcement Actions Were Cut By More Than Half Under Trump

Under Trump, OSHA “Cut By More Than Half The Number Of The Highest Level Of Legal Action Brought Against Employers For Violations Of Workplace Safety Law.” According to The Guardian, “A number of workplace safety advocates fear fatalities will soar as Trump cuts back on the federal work safety watchdog Occupation Safety and Health Administration (Osha). The latest Death on the Job report from union federation AFL-CIO, released to time with Workers’ Memorial Day, showed a slight dip in deaths from 2016, when 5,190 people died on the job. Some 5,147 people were killed on the job in 2017, Donald Trump’s first year in office. But the true toll of work-related injuries and illnesses may be closer to 7m to 10.5m each year, according to a report released on Thursday. Under the Trump administration, Osha has cut workplace safety inspectors to the lowest level in its 48-year history as an agency. The report also shows that Osha has cut by more than half the number of the highest level of legal action brought against employers for violations of workplace safety law.” [The Guardian, 4/25/19]

Under Trump, OSHA Decreased The Number Of “Serious Enforcement Actions” From 131 In 2016 To 53 In 2018. According to The Guardian, “Osha has also drastically decreased the number of willful violations citations from workplace safety laws, from 542 under the last year of the Obama administration in 2016 to 341 in 2017. Additionally, the number of what Osha defines as ‘serious enforcement actions’ dropped from 131 in 2016 to 53 last year.” [The Guardian, 4/25/19]

Under Trump, OSHA Decreased The Number Of Willful Violations Citation From 542 In 2016 To 341 In 2017. According to The Guardian, “Osha has also drastically decreased the number of willful violations citations from workplace safety laws, from 542 under the last year of the Obama administration in 2016 to 341 in 2017. Additionally, the number of what Osha defines as “serious enforcement actions” dropped from 131 in 2016 to 53 last year.” [The Guardian, 4/25/19]

Workplace Safety Advocates Feared That Fatalities Would Soar Due To Trump’s Cuts To OSHA. According to The Guardian, “A number of workplace safety advocates fear fatalities will soar as Trump cuts back on the federal work safety watchdog Occupation Safety and Health Administration (Osha). The latest Death on the Job report from union federation AFL-CIO, released to time with Workers’ Memorial Day, showed a slight dip in deaths from 2016, when 5,190 people died on the job. Some 5,147 people were killed on the job in 2017, Donald Trump’s first year in office. But the true toll of work-related injuries and illnesses may be closer to 7m to 10.5m each year, according to a report released on Thursday. Under the Trump administration, Osha has cut workplace safety inspectors to the lowest level in its 48-year history as an agency. The report also shows that Osha has cut by more than half the number of the highest level of legal action brought against employers for violations of workplace safety law.” [The Guardian, 4/25/19]

Trump Tried To Slash OSHA’s Funding In Every One Of His Budget Proposals

Trump “Tried To Slash OSHA’s Funding In Every One Of His Budget Proposals.” According to the Intercept, “Meanwhile, Trump has tried to slash OSHA’s funding in every one of his budget proposals (Congress has repeatedly restored it) and has never bothered to nominate a leader for the agency. Almost half the senior positions at OSHA remain vacant.” [The Intercept, 10/20/20]

Trump’s FY 2021 Budget Cut OSHA Funding By $4.5 Million. According to the American Society of Safety Professionals, “The FY 2021 budget proposes a small reduction of $4.5 million in OSHA’s overall budget, bringing it to $576.8 million. Last year, OSHA received a significant increase in appropriations, from $558.2 million in FY 2019 to $581.2 million.” [American Society of Safety Professionals, 2/26/20]

Trump’s FY 2020 Budget Cut OSHA’s Overall Funding By $254,000. According to Industrial Safety and Hygiene News, “President Donald Trump’s proposed 2020 budgets for occupational safety and health agencies is a mixed bag, and include increases for certain OSHA activities while decreasing the agency’s overall funding by $254,000.” [Industrial Safety and Hygiene News, 3/20/19]

Trump’s FY 2019 Budget Cut OSHA Funding From The FY 2017 Level Of $552.8 Million To $549 Million. According to the Department of Labor, the President’s FY 2019 budget proposed $549,033,000 for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. OSHA’s FY 2017 funding was set at $552,787,000. [Department of Labor – FY 2019 Budget, accessed 6/5/24]

Trump’s FY 2018 Budget Cut OSHA Funding By $9.5 Million. According to the AFL-CIO, “OSHA Cuts: $9.5 million  Eliminates OSHA safety and health training program for workers, including vulnerable workers.  Cuts 150 OSHA enforcement staff from 2016 budget.”  [AFL-CIO, accessed 6/5/24]

• Trump’s FY 2018 Budget Also Included A 40 Percent Cut To Job Safety Research And Assistance. According to the AFL-CIO, “THE BUDGET CUTS : Job Safety Research & Assistance by 40% The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) performs key scientific and application research that help workers, employers and state programs improve safety in the workplace.” [AFL-CIO, accessed 6/5/24]

OSHA Never Had A Permanent Leader Under Trump

OSHA Did Not Have A Permanent Leader Under Trump. According to Government Executive, “The Senate voted 50-41 on Monday evening to confirm President Biden’s nominee to lead the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. […] Principals from the law firm Jackson Lewis wrote that Parker’s nomination signals “significant regulatory and enforcement changes’ at the agency. Also, if confirmed, he ‘would become the first to fill the post since David Michaels left it in January 2017’ they wrote. ‘[President] Trump nominated Scott Mugno for the position on October 17, 2017, but Mugno withdrew from consideration in May 2019 after the Senate failed to act on his nomination.’ Schumer said the fact that OSHA did not have a permanent leader throughout the Trump administration ‘shows how little they cared about worker safety.’ David Michaels, who was the most recent confirmed OSHA head, congratulated Parker on Twitter on his impending confirmation.” [Government Executive, 10/25/2021]

Trump Also Repealed Rules Requiring Companies Accurately Report Workplace Injuries

2019: The Trump Administration Rolled Back A 2016 Rule Requiring Employees To Electronically Submit Detailed Workplace Injury Reports To The Department Of Labor Annually. According to Vox, “On Friday, the Trump administration gutted a 2016 rule that required most employers to electronically submit detailed reports of all workplace injuries to the Department of Labor each year — reports they’ve long been required to keep, but never required to submit.” [Vox, 1/29/2019]

• The Rule Would Have Given The Federal Government More Complete Data On Workplace Injuries To Help Inspectors Identify Dangerous Work Conditions. According to Vox, “The Improve Tracking of Workplace Injuries and Illnesses rule would have allowed the government, for the first time, to get more complete data on how many US workers are injured on the job and how those injuries happened. Enacted under the Obama administration, it was supposed to help inspectors identify dangerous work conditions, and in turn pressure businesses to comply with workplace safety laws.” [Vox, 1/29/2019]
• In 2017, The Trump Administration Put The Reporting Rule On Hold. According to Vox, “But in 2017, the Trump administration put the electronic reporting rule on hold, then amended it this summer to let employers off the hook. Employers would no longer have to submit the detailed injury reports — just a summary report.”  [Vox, 1/29/2019]

Trump Fundraiser Ron DeSantis Signed A Bill That Blocked Florida Workers From Taking Heat Breaks 

April 2023: DeSantis Signed A Bill That Blocked Heat Regulation Requirements For Florida Workers

Ron DeSantis Signed A Bill That Blocked Heat Regulation Requirements For Florida Workers. According to a press release posted by the Communications Workers of America union, “In the face of increasingly hot weather, Florida’s Republican governor, Ron DeSantis, has signed into law HB 433, which effectively blocks municipalities from requiring employers to provide heat exposure abatement, such as cooling areas and cold water.” [Press Release – Communications Workers of America, 4/18/24]

• HB 433 Restricted Local Authorities From Requiring Employers To Meet Or Provide Heat Exposure Requirements. According to The Hill, “The law, House Bill 433, blocks local governments from several activities, including setting a minimum wage higher than that of the state or federal governments. It also restricts local authorities from ‘[r]equiring an employer, including an employer contracting with the political subdivision, to meet or provide heat exposure requirements not otherwise required under state or federal law’ or ‘[g]iving preference, or considering or seeking information, in a competitive solicitation to an employer based on the employer’s heat exposure requirements,’ according to a summary released by the Legislature.” [The Hill, 4/15/24]

The Bill Was In Response To Miami-Dade County’s Efforts To Require Shade And Water Breaks For Outdoor Workers. According to Fox 13 News, “In a bill DeSantis signed Thursday, Florida, one of the hottest states in the country, local governments will be banned from requiring heat and water breaks for outdoor workers. It was a direct response to Miami-Dade County’s effort to require shade and water for construction, farm and other outdoor workers.” [Fox 13 News, 4/15/24]

2010-2020: At Least 215 Workers Died Of Heat-Related Causes In Florida. According to a press release posted by the Communications Workers of America union, “In Florida, 215 workers died of heat-related causes between 2010 and 2020, though experts warn this number may be low due to how deaths are recorded.” [Press Release – Communications Workers of America, 4/18/24]

An Estimated 2 Million Floridians Worked Outdoors. According to a press release posted by the Communications Workers of America union, “An estimated 2 million Floridians work outdoors. Excessive heat is also a threat to workers in factories and warehouses, which often lack air conditioning and may use machinery that creates additional heat.” [Press Release – Communications Workers of America, 4/18/24]

May 2024: DeSantis Raised Money For Trump 

May 2024: DeSantis Pressed Allies To Raise Money To Support Trump. According to the Associated Press, “DeSantis convened his allies this week in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, to press them to raise money to support Trump, making the case over a seafood and steak dinner that they need to work together to prevent Democratic President Joe Biden from winning a second term. The governor and about 30 people then spent Thursday morning in a hotel conference room raising money for an outside group that supports the former president’s 2024 White House campaign.” [Associated Press, 5/23/24]

DeSantis Raised More Than $3 Million For Trump. According to the Associated Press, “DeSantis and his top donors raised more than $3 million on Thursday for the super political action committee Right for America, backed by big Republican donors such as Ike and Laurie Perlmutter, who have agreed to match at least a portion of the DeSantis team’s fundraising rather than funneling money directly to Trump’s campaign.” [Associated Press, 5/23/24]

Trump Called Into The Gathering To Thank DeSantis Saying, “Ron, I Love That You’re Back.” According to the Associated Press, “DeSantis convened his allies this week in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, to press them to raise money to support Trump. […] Trump called into the gathering to thank members of the group for their work, according to four people familiar with the matter who were not authorized to publicly discuss the private session and spoke on condition of anonymity. In what three people present described as a warm and gracious call to the group that was heard over speakerphone, Trump praised DeSantis and the effort, saying ‘Ron, I love that you’re back.’” [Associated Press, 5/23/24]

The Meeting Was The Kickoff To A Coast-To-Coast Fundraising Effort By DeSantis And His Allies. According to the Associated Press, “The meeting was the kickoff for what is expected to be a coast-to-coast fundraising effort by DeSantis allies, with upcoming events likely in Texas, California, Washington state and perhaps New York.” [Associated Press, 5/23/24]

DeSantis Hoped To Raise At Least $10 Million For Trump. According to NBC News, “Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis hopes to raise at least $10 million as part of a multistate fundraising swing for former President Donald Trump, a man he fought in a bitter primary race but with whom he has now found a cautious truce.” [NBC News, 5/30/24]

Biden’s Efforts To Respond To Extreme Heat Were Threatened By A Second Trump Term

GOP Strategists Said Trump Would Erase Biden’s Efforts To Respond To Extreme Heat. According to the New York Times, “But Mr. Biden’s efforts to respond to the extreme heat linked to climate change will almost certainly be erased if former President Donald J. Trump returns to the White House, Republican strategists said in interviews.” [New York Times, 5/28/24]

Former Trump Labor Department Official Jonathan Berry Said Trump Would Get Rid Of The Office Of Climate Change And Health Equity. According to the New York Times, “But Mr. Biden’s efforts to respond to the extreme heat linked to climate change will almost certainly be erased if former President Donald J. Trump returns to the White House, Republican strategists said in interviews. Initiatives like the Office of Climate Change and Health Equity could be wiped away. And the proposed OSHA heat rule would very likely be shelved and ignored. ‘So far this rulemaking seems bound up in policy concerns about climate change and structural racism,’ said Jonathan Berry, who served as a senior Labor Department official under Mr. Trump. ‘I don’t see a second Trump administration supporting rules on those bases.’” [New York Times, 5/28/24]

Berry Indicated The Proposed OSHA Rule Offering Workers Heat Protections Would Be Shelved And Ignored. According to the New York Times, “But Mr. Biden’s efforts to respond to the extreme heat linked to climate change will almost certainly be erased if former President Donald J. Trump returns to the White House, Republican strategists said in interviews. Initiatives like the Office of Climate Change and Health Equity could be wiped away. And the proposed OSHA heat rule would very likely be shelved and ignored. ‘So far this rulemaking seems bound up in policy concerns about climate change and structural racism,’ said Jonathan Berry, who served as a senior Labor Department official under Mr. Trump. ‘I don’t see a second Trump administration supporting rules on those bases.’” [New York Times, 5/28/24]

• Biden’s Proposed OSHA Rule Would Offer Protections For An Estimated 50 Million People Exposed To High Temperatures At Work. According to the New York Times, “In the coming months, this team of roughly 30 people at the Occupational Safety and Health Administration is expected to propose a new rule that would require employers to protect an estimated 50 million people exposed to high temperatures while they work. They include farm laborers and construction workers, but also people who sort packages in warehouses, clean airplane cabins and cook in commercial kitchens.” [New York Times, 5/28/24]