Torres Leads Fight to Protect Workers from Extreme Heat and Restore Preschool Funding

Torres Leads Fight to Protect Workers from Extreme Heat and Restore Preschool Funding

Washington, D.C. - Congresswoman Norma J. Torres (CA-35), a senior member of the House Appropriations Committee, introduced two critical amendments during the Fiscal Year 2027 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (LHHS) Full Committee markup.

The amendments pushed back against harmful provisions in the Republican drafted funding bill, protecting workers from heat-related injuries and illness and restoring funding for Preschool Development Grants, the only federal program solely dedicated to supporting states and territories in strengthening and expanding early care and education for children ages 0 to 5.

"The House Republican spending bill is a direct assault on the health of our workforce and the future of our children," said Congresswoman Torres. "By blocking federal safety standards for extreme heat and eliminating Preschool Development Grants, the majority is putting lives at risk and leaving working families behind. My amendments would restore common sense, protect workers on the front lines as temperatures continue to rise every year, and give our youngest learners the strong foundation they deserve."

Congresswoman Torres introduced the following amendments during the FY27 LHHS Full Committee markup:

• Protecting Workers from Heat Injury and Illness: This amendment removes a House Republican policy rider that prohibits the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) from finalizing its proposed Heat Injury and Illness Prevention rule. Rep. Torres, who represents a major logistics and warehousing hub, has long advocated and pushed for federal heat protections, including access to water, cooling measures, and heat safety training. Despite increasingly dangerous heat waves, millions of workers remain without basic federal safeguards against heat-related illness and injury.
• Restoring Preschool Development Grants (PDG B-5): This amendment fully restores $315 million in funding for the PDG B-5 program, which House Republicans eliminated in their FY27 draft bill. After Republicans proposed similar cuts last year, Rep. Torres successfully fought to secure $315 million for the program in the final FY26 funding package. In California, more than $50 million in PDG B-5 funding has helped support efforts to double and triple investments in preschool and transitional kindergarten, respectively, fund 129,000 additional child care vouchers, and expand opportunities for early childhood educators and reduce staffing shortages.

Committee Republicans voted against both of these amendments, choosing instead to leave workers unprotected and eliminate funding dedicated to helping our youngest kids learn and thrive.

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