Congresswoman Gwen Moore Fights to End Toxins in Toys

Statement

Congresswoman Gwen Moore Fights to End Toxins in Toys

Congresswoman Moore released the following statement regarding her strong support for the expected U.S. House of Representatives passage of the Consumer Product Safety Commission Act, HR 4040. Among other provisions, HR 4040 increases the funding authorization for the CPSC, and significantly reduces acceptable levels of lead in toys and other consumer goods.

"Over the past year, the number of consumer goods that we've seen recalled has gotten out of hand. We've been warned that toy cars with too much lead in their paint and Aqua dots that cause kids to pass out when they are accidentally swallowed are just the tip of the iceberg. The rate of recalls for everyday household products, including children's toys, is going to keep increasing until we act decisively to stop it."

"We've been lulled into a false sense of security under the false pretense that the goods sold on our store shelves undergo rigorous testing and pose no hidden dangers. As we've discovered recently, that's not the case. For years, oversight on consumer goods - both internationally and domestically made - has apparently been lacking, due in large part to a decreasing staff and stagnant budget at our Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). This bill will help change that by giving the CPSC the tools and resources needed to get the job done."

"This bill also gets rid of the most dangerous types of phthalates that have been found in the plastic of many children's toys. It's become obvious that these chemicals might have serious health consequences for the unfortunate kids who chew on their plastic toys, and it's a commonsense safety issue that we push to ban the chemicals that put our children at risk."

The President has not issued a veto warning for this legislation.

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