'Your life could get a lot more dangerous': Robert Reich blasts Supreme Court's gutting of regulations

Former United States Secretary of Labor Robert Reich blasted right-wing efforts to gut federal regulations in a new video posted to YouTube on Tuesday.

In the roughly four-minute-long spot, Reich warned Americans that Republicans are working tirelessly to make life "more dangerous" in the name of boosting corporate profits.

"Your life could get a lot more dangerous. Republican appointees on the Supreme Court seem poised to strip away basic safety standards for our workplaces, our food, our air and water," Reich began.

He explained that regulatory organizations exist to protect the public from predatory practices.

"Remember when lots of romaine lettuce was recalled because it was causing E.coli outbreaks? That was the Food and Drug Administration protecting us from getting sick. Working in a warehouse? The Occupational Safety and Health Administration sets standards to ensure you don’t breathe in dangerous chemicals like asbestos. Enjoying the fresh air on a clear, sunny day? Thank the Environmental Protection Agency for limiting the amount of pollution that can go into our air," said Reich. "These agencies save lives. Since OSHA was established a half-century ago, its workplace safety regulations have saved more than 618,000 workers’ lives."

In this case, Reich takes aim at HFIB versus OSHA, in which the Court sided with the plaintiffs who sued to have COVID-19 workplace vaccine-or-testing mandates lifted.

"What this ruling tells us is that the Republican appointees on the Supreme Court are intent on gutting the power of agencies to issue regulations," he said. "This term, the Court will also hear a case regarding the EPA’s authority to enforce the Clean Water Act. If the Court undermines the EPA’s authority, it will put our environment – and our health – at risk. Remember when the Cuyahoga River caught on fire because it was brimming with oil, acid, and factory chemicals? That’s what we may be returning to."

Reich then reminded viewers that the GOP's assault on regulations is far from over.

"And what’s next? Will they gut the Federal Trade Commission and put us all at risk of being defrauded? Target the Securities and Exchange Commission and deregulate the financial sector, sparking another financial crisis?" he asked.

"Beware. If Republican appointees on the Supreme Court succeed in gutting regulatory agencies, we all lose. This agenda is anti-worker, anti-consumer, and anti-environment," Reich added. "The only thing it’s good for is corporate profits."

Watch below:

How Corporations Could Make Your Life More Dangerous | Robert Reichwww.youtube.com