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NEED FOR ‘BEEFED UP' OVERSIGHT AGENCY
Thursday November 08, 2007
DeGette: Manufacturers Must Inspect and Certify Safety of Products
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Energy and Commerce Committee Vice Chair Diana DeGette (D-CO) today issued the following statement regarding the recent consumer product recall of the children’s toy, Aqua Dots:
“Today’s recall is just another glowing example of the need for comprehensive reform of our consumer protection system. While I commend the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) for recalling these toys promptly, recalls alone do not solve the problem. Only a small percentage of the products recalled are actually returned, leaving many sitting in our homes just waiting to harm our children.
“We need to insist that foreign and domestic consumer product manufacturers effectively inspect and certify the safety of their products before they are put on our store shelves. This requires a fully efficient Consumer Product Safety Commission with beefed up authority, resources, and funding to carry out the mission of ensuring the safety of our products. My legislation will accomplish this and assure American consumers that our oversight agencies are doing their job.”
Congressional leaders recently proposed a comprehensive plan to protect consumers including both food imports and consumer products. The Consumer Product Safety Modernization Act [H.R. 4040] will go a long way in protecting consumers from harmful products. DeGette, along with Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), have also introduced the SAFE Consumer Product Act [H.R. 3691], legislation that takes critical steps to ensure the toys our children play with are safe by strengthening the authority and staff of the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).
“Today’s recall is just another glowing example of the need for comprehensive reform of our consumer protection system. While I commend the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) for recalling these toys promptly, recalls alone do not solve the problem. Only a small percentage of the products recalled are actually returned, leaving many sitting in our homes just waiting to harm our children.
“We need to insist that foreign and domestic consumer product manufacturers effectively inspect and certify the safety of their products before they are put on our store shelves. This requires a fully efficient Consumer Product Safety Commission with beefed up authority, resources, and funding to carry out the mission of ensuring the safety of our products. My legislation will accomplish this and assure American consumers that our oversight agencies are doing their job.”
Congressional leaders recently proposed a comprehensive plan to protect consumers including both food imports and consumer products. The Consumer Product Safety Modernization Act [H.R. 4040] will go a long way in protecting consumers from harmful products. DeGette, along with Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), have also introduced the SAFE Consumer Product Act [H.R. 3691], legislation that takes critical steps to ensure the toys our children play with are safe by strengthening the authority and staff of the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).