Public safety is part of the role of government, because individual people can’t work effectively on the bigger picture of risks that affect whole communities, states, and nations. Whatever you believe about the role of government in regulation, it’s important to be aware of all the things the American federal government, our government for and by the people, has been doing to protect your safety, and the safety of your family and your community. And to understand what might happen if these protections go away.
When the government is doing its job well, it runs in the background, and we might not even know it’s there working for the good of its citizens.
NIOSH, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, is a federal agency within the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Yes, that does sound like some deep layers of government bureaucracy. But look more closely at what NIOSH does for you.
If you’ve ever used safety glasses, dust masks, respirators, or other personal protective equipment (PPE) for your job, or a home construction or repair project, you might have noticed a NIOSH label on these items. If you are a miner or firefighter, if you work on a farm or a naval ship, or any other profession where you might be exposed to dust, smoke, mold, airborne viruses, or other hazards, you probably rely on equipment that NIOSH has researched and certified to protect you while doing your job.
When you put on safety glasses to do a construction project, NIOSH did the work behind the scenes to be sure they will protect your eyes. When a firefighter wears a respirator, NIOSH made sure it really works to keep smoke out of their lungs. When naval workers need to escape from hazardous conditions, NIOSH did the testing to make their emergency escape breathing devices (EEBDs) really protect them.
Some things- like your eyes and lungs- are too important to entrust to products that have not been tested and certified. If your PPE doesn’t work while you are fighting a fire, applying pesticides, evacuating people from a burning ship, or mining underground, there might not be a second chance to switch to a better product next time. It has to work right every time, and NIOSH is what helps make that happen.
In April 2025, the Trump administration made sweeping cuts to NIOSH, eliminating at least two-thirds of their employees and slashing programs such as respirator certification, investigation of firefighter deaths, and research on workplace exposure to chemicals.
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Everyone has heard of recalls when some appliance, toy, or other product is found to have a safety concern. These recalls come from the US Consumer Product Safety Commission. The job of the five commissioners is to make sure your blender doesn’t burn you, your cooler handle doesn’t cut off your fingertips, your bed doesn’t collapse while you’re sleeping in it, and your baby swing doesn’t strangle your child.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission is supposed to be independent and bipartisan. Commissioners are appointed to seven-year terms by the President and confirmed by the Senate. The rule is that no more than three out of the five commissioners can belong to the same political party. If there is a vacancy, a current president might have to work across the aisle to appoint a commissioner from the opposite party.
Commissioners can only be fired for “neglect of duty or malfeasance.” Yet in May 2025, Donald Trump fired all three Democrat commissioners, without giving a reason. This left only two out of five commissioners, both Republicans. In July 2025, the US Supreme Court upheld the firing 6 – 3, acting on an emergency appeal arguing that the president can remove commissioners without cause.
Commission requesting ER records
Trump appointees to replace Democrats fired
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