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Senate Injects Money Into Ailing Safety Agency

By Joseph S. Enoch
ConsumerAffairs.com Congressional Correspondent

March 26, 2007

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The Senate has passed an amendment to strengthen the Consumer Product Safety Commission after a hearing last week revealed the agency's anemic budget will force it to cut staff levels to an all-time low.

Senator Mark Pryor (D-Ark.) introduced the amendment as an attachment to the Fiscal Year 2008 Budget Resolution.

The amendment calls for an additional $10 million annually to maintain current staff levels, improve antiquated testing facilities and increase Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) agents at major U.S. ports of entry. That's a 16 percent increase to President George Bush's proposed 2008 budget of $63,250,000.

"The CPSC resources and capabilities are not in step with the 21st century, yet this agency's oversight is critical to every family," Pryor said in a prepared statement. "In passing my measure, the Senate showed its commitment to renew this agency's bite and to protect kids and consumers from unreasonably dangerous products."

At a Senate Consumer Affairs Subcommittee hearing on Wednesday, Senators and consumer advocates agreed that a shrinking staff, leadership drought and aging testing facility have chipped at the CPSC's ability effectively protect American consumers from dangerous products.

"This is an agency in distress," Pryor, chairman of the subcommittee, said at the hearing.

The issue Senators highlighted the most last week was Bush's proposed budget for 2008.

That budget increases the CPSC's funds by $880,000. However, without Pryor's amendment, the agency will be forced to fire 19 full-time employees, dropping from 420 to 401 due to increased office rent and inflation.

Nancy Nord, acting chairman of the CPSC and Bush appointee, balked at the notion of straying from Bush's budget and would not say whether the CPSC needed more money. However, the other commissioner, Thomas Moore, a Clinton appointee, insisted more money is needed along with a larger staff.

Last week's hearing also put the spotlight on the commission's aging testing facility.

Moore said the facility, located in a 1950s missile-tracking site, has not been updated in 32 years. Pryor said he hopes the increased funds will enable the CPSC to update their testing facility.

The funds are also intended to increase import scrutiny. In 2006, the CPSC announced 471 product recalls. Two-thirds of those recalls were of imported products, primarily from China, Nord said at the hearing.

The next step for this amendment is that it will go to conference between the House and the Senate after both chambers pass their 2008 budget resolutions.

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