Virginia Foxx — a ferociously anti-union North Carolina Republican Congresswoman — opposes an OSHA rule to expand employer recordkeeping about workplace injuries. And she hates a new OSHA rule to allow union representatives to accompany OSHA inspectors on worksite visits. But in recent months, she found a worker safety issue to get excited about: President Joe Biden’s dog.
CNN reported that Commander, a German shepherd, bit numerous Secret Service agents over a period of many months, including one incident that required six stitches. Commander was removed from the White House last October and was the second Biden dog to be sent away: Major, also a German shepherd, was sent to live with friends after two biting incidents.
Foxx is on top of the situation. Having erased “Labor” from the name of the House Labor Committee when she became its chair last year (it’s now the Education and Workforce Committee), she’s leading a committee investigation into OSHA’s enforcement of workplace safety standards at the White House. As committee chair, she’s written three letters demanding answers about the dog bites and details about plans to protect White House workers from dogs. So far the investigation hasn’t turned up much. The Department of Labor told the committee it couldn’t turn over any OSHA complaints, because none were filed.
