Hi,

In the midst of a slew of recalls, ranging from toys to tires, Congress has finally taken long awaited action to increase the effectiveness of the federal agency in charge of consumer product safety; The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).

The objective of the legislation currently under Senate review has many, specific suggestions to strengthen the CPSC in order to provide for more improved consumer safety. The CPSC is charged with protecting the public from unreasonable risks of serious injury or death from more than 15,000 types of consumer products. As it makes its way through Congress, legislation being offered would:

• Boost fines for safety violations by companies/businesses (Specifically: increasing maximum civil penalties from $250,000 to $100 million)
• Create tracking labels for children’s products to facilitate recalls
• Terminate licenses of repeat importers of defective and hazardous products
• Whistleblower protection for employees who provide information on safety hazards
• Tighten standards for lead paint in children’s products.
• Increase the CPSC budget
• Increase the CPSC staff

Additionally and more dramatically, on October 31, 2007 in Washington, D.C., several members of Congress publicly called for the resignation of CPSC Acting Chairman, Nancy Nord (appointed in April of 2005 as Acting Chairman) after a report that Nord did not support a bill that would provide more funds and staffing for the agency. The copy of the full report Ms. Nord sent to the Congress can be found at: http://www.cpsc.gov/pr/Nord102407.pdf. After the call for her resignation, Ms. Nord immediately–released the following Press Release:

WASHINGTON, D.C. – This week, several members of Congress publicly called for my resignation as CPSC Acting Chairman, citing a report I recently sent to the Senate Commerce Committee expressing my views on pending legislation before that committee. In the report, I respectfully pointed out what I think are several unwise proposals in a bill to reauthorize and expand the mission of the CPSC. However, despite media reports to the contrary, nowhere in the report (or anywhere else) did I assert that the CPSC does not need additional resources. In fact, quite to the contrary, the main message of the report is that if CPSC resources are diverted to new missions and mandates, we will need a dramatic upsurge in our personnel and funding, far beyond what either the House or Senate are proposing for our pending budget. Nor have I ever asserted that the agency does not need new legal authority. Again, the opposite is true. In July I submitted to Congress a legislative package seeking no fewer than 40 new statutory enforcement tools and other changes to enhance our ability to protect the public from unsafe products. To date, the Committee has only seen fit to adopt a few of those proposals.
I am very troubled by the prospect that any time a federal agency official is critical of legislation pending before Congress; congressional leaders may seek to have that official silenced or even dismissed. At the request of the committee, and as follow-up to a meeting I had with committee staff, I provided what I and the agency’s senior staff believed were honest, constructive and apolitical comments and suggestions on a bill that could have a dramatic effect on our agency and our ability to carry out our core mission.
I do not intend to resign because I care passionately about the mission of this agency. However, I am saddened and troubled by the tactics being used in an attempt to silence debate on important policy issues.
Source:  The Consumer Public Safety Commission. October/November 2007 Press Releases.

The background that outlines why we are reviewing national product safety policies are:

• Deaths, injuries and property damage from consumer product incidents cost the nation more than $700 billion annually. The safety of these products all falls under the jurisdiction of the CPSC. 
• In June 2007, more than 20 million China-made toys have been recalled for hazardous lead levels. The United States banned lead paint in toys in 1978.
• Nord has gone on the record to say she welcomes more resources and more money but she wants the right resources. The proposed legislation would have the agency more often in court and in litigation. Nord wants to hire more scientists and safety inspectors, the legislation would mean more attorneys.
• Records on file documenting nearly 30 trips taken since 2002 by Chairwoman Nord and her predecessor, Hal Stratton – airfares, hotels and meals totaling nearly $60,000 – paid for by the very groups they are supposed to be regulating.
• Prior to her post at the commission, Nord served as director of consumer affairs for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, president of the American Corporate Counsel Association, and as a lobbyist for Eastman Kodak.
• Responsible for 15,000 products, The Commission had a high of 978 employees in 1980, but now has 420 employees. There is only one toy inspector in the entire agency.
• Imports have risen by 338% since 1974, when Congress set up the Consumer Product Safety Commission, but agency staff has since dropped to half of its original level and under Nord’s leadership is continually dropping.

Perhaps U.S. Rep Rosa DeLauro, said it best at the Congressional meeting when asking for Ms. Nord’s resignation: “It’s time for her to resign. The American public deserves better. It’s time for someone who can do a better job. We can no longer have regulatory agencies that protect corporate interests.” Can we really blame one person for this problem, I don’t think so. This situation has been brewing for decades from one administration to another.

What do you think? We not only welcome but encourage your comments.

Since life has no reset button…tune into this blog and to our website daily. Safe living, Yovette Mumford

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