In an official statement from the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Acting Chairman Thomas Moore is fighting back against allegations by Congress and the media that he refused additional resources and additional responsibilities for the CPSC in light of so many recent recalls, especially those dealing with lead paint in toys.
“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,” writes Mr. Moore in the statement.
According to Moore, the reason he spoke out against pending legislation was not that he doesn’t think the CPSC needs extra resources. It was because the additional responsibilities required by the legislation would have created a need for even MORE resources than the legislation would provide. As it is, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission is already charged with protecting the public from unreasonable risks of serious injury or death from more than 15,000 types of consumer products under the agency’s jurisdiction. Deaths, injuries and property damage from consumer product incidents cost the nation more than $700 billion annually.
As for Acting Chairman Moore, he ended the statement with a refusal to resign despite pressure to do so from congress.
Editors Note: Call your congressperson and tell them to stop playing political games with the CPSC and our health. What do THEY know about consumer product safety? The CPSC is FAR from perfect, as indicated by the recalls that we have to post on this web site almost every day. But instead of throwing money at the situation with no real plan of attack, and then calling for the resignation of anyone who tries to open a debate, why don’t they sit down with Mr. Moore and his colleagues and try to figure out how to FIX the system in the fastest, safest and most economical way possible? Instead, what they’re doing is rushing to pass legislation to show their constituents that they’re doing “something” about it. Well sure, it’s great that something is happening, and this is what US Recall News has been urging for years. But let’s take an extra step here and make sure that “something” is the “right thing”.
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