Clinton Administration Expected to Publish Final Ergonomics Rule.

According to sources at the Labor Dept., the administration's controversial workplace ergonomics rule is undergoing final revisions and will be issued shortly. Negotiations between the administration and congressional Republicans over the fiscal year 2001 Dept. of Labor spending measure broke down at the end of October because of a disagreement over OSHA's ergonomics rule. The spending bill contains an AFS-backed provision that would prevent OSHA from finalizing its $18-billion ergonomics regulation for 1 year. Once the ergo rules are published as final, a new administration would be required to go through a complicated rulemaking process to undo the regulations. However, there is a device enacted in 1994 known as the Congressional Review Act (CRA) that is at the disposal of lawmakers. This tool would allow Congress to invalidate a regulation within 60 legislative days of its issuance. The CRA never has been used because President Clinton most likely would have vetoed a congressional invalidation of one of his administration's regulations. The CRA would not be an option if Vice President Core wins the presidency or the Democrats regain control of the House of Representatives.