Industry-Paid Travel Outrageous

Press Release

INDUSTRY-PAID TRAVEL OUTRAGEOUS

DeGette Intends to Offer Amendment Prohibiting Practice

WASHINGTON, D.C. - As news reports surface that the current and former head of the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) have accepted over $60,000 in industry-sponsored travel, Energy and Commerce Committee Vice Chair Diana DeGette (D-CO) today assailed the Commission and announced she intends to amend the Consumer Product Safety Modernization Act prohibiting these practices as it moves through Committee next week.

"It is outrageous that those in charge of ensuring the safety of our products are accepting free travel from the very same industry they are responsible for overseeing. This conflict of interest puts the objectivity of our nation's oversight agency at risk.

"While the Commissioners are off globe-trotting with industry, children across the country are being exposed to harmful toys. I intend to outlaw this abusive practice."

The Washington Post today reported that the current and former head of the Consumer Product Safety Commission have taken dozens of trips at the expense of the toy, appliance and children's furniture industries and others they regulate. Just yesterday, DeGette joined senior Energy and Commerce Committee members in introducing "The Consumer Product Safety Modernization Act" [H.R. 4040] . DeGette has also introduced the "SAFE Consumer Product Act" [H.R. 2691] 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), including new requirements that all children's products be certified as having met rigorous product safety standards by independent third party laboratories. It also gives the CPSC enhanced authority to recall tainted toys and bans lead in children's toys.

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