Immediately following the announcement of extinction-level cuts to the NIOSH workforce in April 2025, AIHA began encouraging members to make their voices heard. Over the next nine months, the OEHS community rallied behind AIHA's grassroots efforts, sending more than 9,900 letters to their representatives. 

Now, AIHA shifts its focus to the Preserve NIOSH campaign. With budgets, spending, and federal policy in a state of constant flux, we must continue to ensure ALL congressional leaders and their staffers understand the unique value of NIOSH's mission, emphasizing that its research and programs are not duplicated elsewhere in the federal government and are critical to the protection of worker health and safety not only here in the US but around the world.

What You Can Do

We ask members to continue outreach to their elected officials to emphasize the importance of NIOSH to the protection of workers across all industries.

Use our NIOSH Talking Points document for easy messaging and our NIOSH Background document for more information.

2025 AIHA Restore NIOSH Advocacy Campaign

  • ● Following the April 1, 2025 Reduction-In-Force (RIF) notification to some 85+% NIOSH workers, AIHA launched a series of grassroots advocacy campaigns to reinstate the agency. In May of that year, over 300 NIOSH workers had their jobs reinstated.
  • ● Assuming a baseline staffing of about 1000 as of January 1, 2025, approximately 425 employees remained RIF’d on administrative leave. Many career federal workers opted for early retirement, resulting in the loss of decades of institutional knowledge.
  • ● Over the course of 2025, multiple lawsuits contested the legality of the RIFs, including National Nurses United v RFK, Jr. AIHA signed as an amicus brief to State of New York vs RFK, Jr.
  • ● AIHA continued to lead grassroots campaign efforts into early 2026, with over 9,900 letters sent to representatives in support of NIOSH.
  • ● On January 13, 2026, RIF notifications were reversed. Broad reinstatement is now underway across all divisions. Given the nine-month gap since original notifications, full assessment of personnel and functional capacity will take time.
  • ● After months of deliberation, interrupted by a government shutdown, FY26 funding for all occupational health and safety agencies impacting our profession—NIOSH, OSHA, OSH Review Commission, MSHA, and the Chemical Safety Board—was signed into law. The approved budgets maintain full funding for all agencies.
  • ● These successes prove our collective advocacy was effective; however, we must continue reminding officials of NIOSH's importance to prevent future cuts.

Make a difference by joining AIHA’s Government Relations Email List

Interested in taking an active role with policymakers to apply scientific knowledge to help create a world where all workers are healthy and safe? Join AIHA’s Government Relations Email List!

Core functions include:

  • ● Working on and proposing new projects to implement AIHA's Public Policy Agenda.
  • ● Developing model language for legislation and regulations at the Federal, State, and local levels.
  • ● Organizing and mobilizing AIHA's members to help achieve the Association's government relations goals.
  • ● Advising AIHA's Board of Directors on government relations matters.

Government relations is fast-paced, exciting, and vital to our society. Your voice and expertise are needed. Together, we achieve amazing things.

Click here to access AIHA’s primer on advocacy tips.

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