Scott Mugno’s nomination to head OSHA going back to Senate committee

Washington — President Donald Trump has resubmitted Scott Mugno’s nomination to lead OSHA – a move required because the Senate did not confirm the FedEx executive’s appointment before the legislative body’s term ended last month.

The Senate – now made up of 51 Republicans, 47 Democrats and two independents who caucus with the latter party – opened a new session on Jan. 3.

Mugno’s road to become assistant secretary of labor at the agency again will take him before the Senate’s Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, which has scheduled an executive session for Jan. 11 to consider his nomination, among others.

[UPDATE: On Jan. 11, the HELP Committee postponed the nomination hearing. The hearing had not been rescheduled as of press time.]

The HELP Committee initially approved Mugno’s nomination along party lines in a closed executive session on Dec. 13 and sent it to the full Senate. He appeared before the committee on Dec. 5 with three other nominees and emphasized teamwork during the two-and-a-half-hour session.

“If confirmed, I will work very hard every day side by side with the best safety professionals at America’s ultimate safety department,” Mugno said in his opening statement before the HELP Committee. “The discussions or debates on how to reach that goal (of safety) can, at times, lead some to believe one side or another doesn’t believe in the goal. Nothing could be further from the truth.”

Mugno is the vice president of safety, sustainability and vehicle maintenance at FedEx Ground, where he has worked since August 1994, joining the company as a senior attorney. From February 2000 to December 2011, he was managing director of corporate safety, health and fire prevention until his promotion to vice president.

Mugno also served as OSHA subcommittee chairman for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, a noted regulatory opponent.

If confirmed as OSHA administrator, Mugno would take over from Loren Sweatt, who has served as acting assistant secretary of labor since July 24. Sweatt is OSHA’s deputy assistant secretary of labor.