It’s 2011, but some in Congress inexplicably are on a mission to send product safety back to 2007, when consumer and children’s products underwent a record number of recalls because of the danger they posed to consumers.
A Congressional subcommittee is entertaining a draft proposal aimed at rolling back the much-needed consumer product safety protections that Congress passed into law in response to the recalls. In a nutshell, this proposal gives the green light to profit-driven manufacturers to take unnecessary risks with families’ health and safety.
Public Citizen yesterday joined 17 other public interest groups in a letter to the subcommittee (PDF) voicing our objection to the draft proposal. The letter explains all of its weaknesses, including that it will: undermine safety testing and lead protection for children’s products; lower the age scope for children’s products protected under the law; delay or prevent implementation of a strong crib safety standard; grant unnecessary exemptions for the ban of the harmful chemical phthalates in toys and child care articles; and place onerous burdens on persons making complaints on the brand-new product safety reporting database.
We should all tell Congress to stop toying around with consumers’, especially children’s, safety.
Follow Christine Hines on Twitter @chines_citizen.
