Survey: 9 in 10 Americans support proposed worker heat protection rules

The Biden administration’s proposed rules for extreme heat protections for workers are broadly popular among Americans, according to polling from the left-leaning Data for Progress that was first shared with The Hill.

The polling found 90 percent of respondents either strongly or somewhat support the proposed rules, which would require employers to provide drinking water, shaded or indoor rest areas and mandatory breaks for temperatures above 90 degrees Fahrenheit.

Democrats were more likely than independents or Republicans to “strongly” support the rule, with 78 percent of self-identified Democrats supporting it, compared to 63 percent of independents and 56 percent of Republicans.

However, when those who “strongly” and “somewhat” supported the rule were combined, more than 80 percent of all three groups supported it, including 96 percent of Democrats and 86 percent each of independents and Republicans.

Rep. Greg Casar (D-Texas), a vocal backer of the rule, told The Hill the recent series of record temperatures highlight the urgency of the rule and their broad popularity with the public.

“I think it’s important for us to get the word out about the proposed rule over the course of the next year, so voters can speak up to their members of Congress,” he said. “This could be the law of the land tomorrow if we had four or five Republican members.”

Diego Iñiguez-López, government affairs director for the UFW Foundation, said the organization, which advocates for United Farm Workers members and farmworkers in general, is “incredibly encouraged by the proposed rules.”

“We know that it will save lives, that it affirms the need for basic safety and recognizes the dignity of farmworkers … based on effective state regulations that were written in the blood of farmworkers” from extreme heat, he said. Between 2018 and 2022, more than half of the 168 farmworkers who died on the job in California alone did so in temperatures above 80 degrees, according to a 2023 review by Inside Climate News.

It’s easy to focus on extreme heat in the thick of the summer months, but Iñiguez-López told The Hill he’s hopeful that advocates can keep up the momentum past the end of the summer if necessary.

“These are basic protections that are needed not just on the hottest days but year-round,” he said. “The rule recognizes that and recognizes how deaths occur year-round due to heat.”

Data for Progress researchers surveyed 1,247 likely voters from July 22-23. The poll has a margin of error of 3 percentage points.