Sen. Capito Urges RFK Jr. to Restore NIOSH Workforce, Protect Coal Miners

Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) has publicly opposed the Trump administration's decision to cut staff and programs at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), warning that the move threatens critical health protections for coal miners, including black lung disease surveillance and safety research. Capito sent a letter to Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., urging the reinstatement of NIOSH employees, particularly those in Morgantown, West Virginia, after nearly 900 staffers—many focused on miner health—were laid off as part of broader federal workforce reductions. She emphasized that NIOSH provides unique services not duplicated elsewhere in government and that the layoffs have already led to the suspension of vital programs, such as disease detection and workplace safety initiatives. Capito also cautioned that decommissioning NIOSH labs would incur significant taxpayer costs and hinder future efforts to restore these services. The layoffs have drawn concern from mine worker unions and come amid rising cases of severe black lung disease in Appalachia. While Capito supports government efficiency, she argues these cuts undermine essential worker safety infrastructure and called on HHS to urgently reverse them.