Letter to Santa: Please Help Congress Improve the Consumer Product Safety Commission

Dan Frith

Contributor

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The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is charged with protecting the American public from unreasonable risks of serious injury or death from more than 15,000 types of consumer products under the agency's jurisdiction. The commission recalled over 25 million toys and children's items this year - many made in China.

The problem is that the CPSC has only 400 employees to monitor more than 15,000 types of products! The agency is terribly under-staffed and under-funded! That is where Congress enters the picture.

Lawmakers in both the House and Senate are locked in a tug of war over how to toughen and improve the CPSC. Child-safety groups support Democratic-backed Senate legislation that would almost double the CPSC budget over seven years, ban lead in children's products and empower state officials to enforce federal product-safety laws. Business backs the more lenient bipartisan House measure that is easier on manufacturers and retailers and limits state authority.

My hope is that Congress decides to fully fund the CPSC and allow it to do its intended job - protect the American public! So Santa...please write or visit your Congressman today!