Ferguson sends stern message to Biden administration

By on Thursday, September 16th, 2021 in Columbia Basin News Columbia Basin Top Stories

OLYMPIA โ€“ Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson is criticizing the Biden administration for continuing a Trump-era challenge to Washingtonโ€™s law strengthening workers compensation access for sick Hanford workers.

In December 2018, the Trump administration filed a lawsuit to gut Washingtonโ€™s protections for Hanford workers that get sick on the job. Fergusonโ€™s legal team defeated the Trump administration in a federal court in Yakima and again at the Ninth Court of Appeals.

โ€œNow the Biden administration is continuing Donald Trumpโ€™s cruel effort to eliminate these critical protections for the hardworking men and women at Hanford,โ€ Ferguson said Tuesday. โ€œPresident Bidenโ€™s Department of Justice recently filed an appeal to the United States Supreme Court โ€“ just days after Labor Day, no less.โ€

Ferguson said the Trump administrationโ€™s lawsuit angered him and heโ€™s upset now that the Biden administration is continuing it. He said he will continue to fight for not only Hanford workers, but all Washington workers.

โ€œThe Biden administration should withdraw their appeal immediately,โ€ Ferguson added.

File photo of Hanford Tank Farm provided by U.S. Department of Energy