David Michaels

Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health (since December 2009)

(Dept. of Labor Biography)

Why He Matters

Before being nominated to head the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), Michaels established himself as a respected authority on epidemiology and public health, particularly in relation to public policy. He served as assistant secretary for environment, safety and health in the the Clinton Energy Department.

With his public-health background and history of progressive positions, Michaels proved a somewhat controversial choice for the job. Labor advocates and public-health scholars alike praised the nomination as a "breath of fresh air," while conservatives bemoaned his pro-regulation views.

Read more

Corrections?

Background

At a Glance

Career History: Professor of Environmental and Occupational Health at George Washington University (2001 to 2009); Assistant Secretary of Energy for Environment, Safety and Health (1998 to 2001); Professor of Community Health at the City University of New York Medical School (1991-1998)
Hometown: New York, N.Y.
Alma Mater: City College of New York (BA, 1977); Columbia University (Master of Public Health, 1981; PhD, 1987)

DC Office: 200 Constitution Ave., Washington, D.C. 20210, (202) 693-2000
Email
Web site

Path to Power

Michaels grew up and went to college in New York, N.Y.; he graduated from the City College of New York with a B.A. in 1977, and graduated from Columbia University in 1987 with both a master's of public health and a Ph.D.

Over the next decade, Michaels established himself as a respected epidemiologist. He founded and directed the Epidemiology Unit of the Montefiore-Rikers Island Health Service, conducting studies on tuberculosis, sexually-transmitted disease, drug abuse, mental health, homelessness and HIV.

Read more

As professor of community health at the City University of New York Medical School, Michaels developed a widely-cited mathematical model estimating the number of children and adolescents orphaned by the HIV/AIDS epidemic.

Clinton Administration

Michaels first entered the public sphere in 1998 when President Bill Clinton nominated him as the Energy Department;s assistant secretary of environment, safety and health.

Working under then-Energy Secretary Bill Richardson, Michaels spearheaded the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program, a $5 billion initiative to compensate workers who became ill or died as a result of workplace exposure to radiation, beryllium and other hazardous chemicals.

Though the program was set to be implemented after his tenure at the DOE was over, Michaels promised to stay involved in an advisory capacity. In 2009, Sigma Xi, the Scientific Research Society, gave Michaels the John P. McGovern Science and Society Award for his work.

After leaving DOE, Michaels took a position at the George Washington University School of Public Health, focusing his research on the role of science in public policy.

He was frequently quoted by the media as a critic of Bush-era bureaucratic appointments and policies. In 2006, Michaels became a regular contributor to the public-health blog The Pump Handle where he often criticized public policy decisions. In 2008 he published a book: "Doubt is Their Product: How Industry's Assault on Science Threatens Your Health."

Obama Administration

When the Obama administration announced its nomination of Michaels to head OSHA, liberal lawmakers, public health advocates, and organized labor officials cheered, while business interests and industry groups objected.

Despite strenuous opposition from industry and conservative commentators, only a few lawmakers vocally opposed Michaels' nomination. Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.), a member of the Senate Health, Environment, Labor and Pensions Committe, pressed for a hearing. "The position of Assistant Secretary for OSHA is too important a job to leave to a behind-the-scenes process," he said.

Still, no public hearing was held, and instead Michaels submitted written answers to senators' questions. In the Senate HELP Committee vote, only Burr and Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) opposed the nomination, and it passed by a Senate voice vote Dec. 3, 2009.

The Issues

Throughout his academic and government career, Michaels has espoused liberal, anti-industry and pro-labor positions on employer regulations, and pro-regulatory views on public- health issues. His nomination by the Obama administration predictably drew praise from organized labor and public health advocates, and opposition from conservative, pro-business interests.

Public Health

In his 2008 book, "Doubt is Their Product," Michaels demonstrates how the chemical industry has dodged government regulation by raising doubts about the science behind government regulations.

Read more

"What polluters have seen is that the strategy that the tobacco industry came up with, which essentially is questioning the science, find the controversy and magnify that controversy, is very successful in slowing down public health protections. And so the scientists who used to work for the tobacco industry are now working for most major chemical companies," Michaels wrote.

One of Michaels' priorities at OSHA is updating the Permissible Exposure Limits that govern the permissible exposure of industrial workers to toxic substances. Although scientific studies have indicated that currently legal levels of exposure are dangerous, the regulations have not changed.

Oversight and Transparency

On the health blog The Pump Handle, Michaels often posted critical pieces on Bush-era government agencies, including OSHA. In 2007, he lambasted the agency's political appointees for failing to act to protect workers from diacetyl, a fake butter compund shown to cause lung disease in workers. Before the 2008 election, Michaels called on the next president to increase agency transparency.

Michaels has said that his top regulatory priorities at OSHA would be to complete rulemaking on current proceedings (including regulations on silica, beryllium, cranes and derricks), create and publicize a combustible dust standard and initiate rulemaking for an occupational safety and health program standard.

Gun Control

Michaels considers gun violence to be a public health concern, and is a strong advocate of stricter gun control laws. After his nomination was announced, conservative commentators raised concerns about his views on gun control, calling him "an anti-gun zealot."

A spokesman for the National Rifle Association argued that Michaels and OSHA could prohibit all businesses from allowing firearms in the workplace or workplace parking lots, and thus "your right to defend yourself [could] vanish when you drive to work."

n response to senators' questions, Michaels said he did not believe regulating guns was part of OSHA's mission, and had no plans to "develop or revise any regulations or guidance" on the issue of firearms in the workplace.

The Network

When his nomination was first announced, Michaels received strong support from George Miller (D-Calif.), chair of the House Education and Labor Committee. Labor secretary Solis has proven to be a strong supporter of OSHA and Michaels.

Michaels' nomination also drew praise from organized labor. Eric Frumin, safety and health coordinator for Change to Win, a federation of seven national unions, commended Michaels' "commitment to protecting workers."

Read more

Campaign Contributions

In March, June, and September 2007, Michaels donated $650 to the presidential campaign of his former boss at Energy, Bill Richardson, who dropped out of the race after placing fourth in the Iowa and New Hampshire primaries. In October 2008, Michaels donated $250 to Barack Obama's campaign.

Additional Resources