A political tug of war is delaying the Omnibus Appropriations Bill in Congress over the budget of the Consumer Product Safety Commission, the vanguard of consumer safety in this country. The bill was introduced by Rep. Bobby Rush (D-Il.).
Advocates for child safety and watchdog groups over unsafe merchandise support Democrat legislation that would double the CPSC’s budget the next seven years, totally ban the use of lead in children’s toys and help state officials enforce federal safety laws, reported the Wall Street Journal.
Pro-business groups support a more lenient House measure that would breathe less heavily down manufacturers’ and retailers’ backs while limiting state’s enforcement powers.
The Omnibus bill before Congress in mid-December would add $10 million to the CPSC’s budget, its’ largest increase ever, bringing its’ annual sum to $80 million.
Sen. Richard Durbin (D-Il.) said money only goes so far. "The CPSC's failed track record on consumer safety shows it has neither the will nor resources to protect American families. By giving the agency its largest budget increase in over 30 years, it will have resources. But Congress cannot appropriate the will to use these funds effectively."
More than 25 million toys and children's items were recalled by the CPSC this year, many from China. The federal agency has 400 employees that oversees 15,000 types of products.
Industry supporters oppose empowering state attorneys to enforce federal product-safety laws and issue penalties. Business advocates want to prohibit the CPSC from releasing information about dangerous products before safety defects are substantiated. Such protection would minimize lawsuits and damage to a company’s reputation.
Sen. Mark Pryor (D-Ark.), co-sponsor of the Senate’s legislation, disagreed. “We have to have someone looking out for the public interest,” he said. “We need the CPSC to get the information out but right now the industry has more control than it should."
Co-sponsored by Sen. Durbin, that Senate bill would allow the CPSC to penalize manufacturers $100 million for the distribution and sale of unsafe products. The House bill’s maximum on penalties is just $10 million.
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