DeLauro Continues to Press for Greater Consumer Protections

Press Release

ongresswoman Rosa L. DeLauro (Conn.-3) welcomed efforts in Congress and Connecticut to strengthen consumer protections in the wake of repeated recalls of lead-contaminated toys.

"With a spate of recalls last year and an ineffective Consumer Product Safety Commission, American consumers are rightly concerned about the safety of the toys their children play with," said DeLauro. "This is why I am pleased that efforts are underway in Congress and in Connecticut to strengthen consumer protections. We need to ensure that the Consumer Product Safety Commission has the resources and staff to protect the public from harmful products, as well as improved legal authorities to ensure the safety of children's products."

DeLauro has been a leading advocate for strengthening and improving the Consumer Product Safety Commission, introducing last summer one of the only comprehensive pieces of reform legislation in the House, The Safety Assurances For Every (SAFE) Consumer Product Act - many components of which have been incorporated into comprehensive product safety legislation passed by the House. Additionally, the SAFE Consumer Product Act served as a model for legislation recently introduced in Connecticut, incorporating the ban on lead paint in children's products by setting a 40 parts per million (ppm) lead standard; defines ‘children's product' as a consumer product designed or intended primarily for children under age twelve; and prohibits the sale or retail (among others) of any tainted children's product.

"The House bill was a good first step and the Senate bill, also makes important improvements to the system," continued DeLauro. "However, I do believe that we have not gone far enough and I look forward to making these bills stronger still, working through the conference to address the shortcomings. We need to require independent third party testing of toys - eliminating any loopholes in the bills that would allow manufacturers to conduct their own tests; ensure State Attorneys General can enforce state laws; include whistleblower protections to promote accountability; and effectively ban lead in children's products by lowering the lead limit to 40 ppm.

"While I am optimistic that Congress will send the President a comprehensive consumer product safety bill to be signed into law, I applaud the effort underway in Connecticut to further protect our children. Last year we saw a one-state recall of Mattel Inc.'s Fisher-Price red toy blood pressure cuffs because of unsafe lead levels. These toy cuffs were removed from store shelves because in Illinois because of stricter lead limits at the state-level, yet in other states like Connecticut , Mattel allowed the product to remain on store shelves. Our children's health and well-being should not be determined by the state in which they reside. I commend Speaker Jim Amman for his leadership on this issue and ensuring that yet again, Connecticut is at the forefront of efforts to protect our children.

"Parents should know that when they walk into the store to buy a toy for their child, that toy will not cause their child harm. Government has an obligation to its citizens."

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