OMAHA, Neb. (AP) – Nebraska Congressman Adrian Smith is welcoming the U.S. Labor Department’s decision to withdraw a proposed rule designed to protect children who work on farms, calling it a “major victory for farmers and ranchers.”
Smith, a Republicans in Nebraska’s 3rd District, released a statement Thursday evening celebrating the Labor Department’s decision to abandon its proposed rule. He argued that “common sense has prevailed.”
In announcing it was dropping its proposal Thursday, the Labor Department noted it would not pursue the matter during the duration of the Obama administration. The agency says it will work with groups such as the American Farm Bureau Federation and Future Farmers of America to reduce accidents involving young people.
Officials earlier argued new rules were needed because farming is among the nation’s most dangerous occupations.