The House Energy and Commerce Committee has jurisdiction over the Food and Drug Administration and the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSU). In response to the recent food contamination and product recalls, CPSA worked to pass legislation that would strengthen the authority of the CPSU and has held hearings on the FDA’s ability to address food safety problems.

One of the bills the Energy and Commerce Committee passed on this issue was the Consumer Product Safety Modernization Act of 2007, H.R. 4040, was introduced by Rep. Bobby Rush (D-IL) on November 1, 2007. It bans lead in products intended for children under 12 years of age, mandates pre-market testing for lead and other hazards in children’s products, and requires manufactures to place bar codes on products to make recalls easier. The bill also makes sure the public has access to the latest important information about which products potentially pose a danger to our health. It mandates that the CPSC develop a plan for submission to Congress that provides consumers with a user-friendly database of information about incidents involving death or serious injury caused by dangerous consumer products. The bill also ensures that the CPSC will share information with state agencies to create a more effective, coordinated approach to product safety. I co-sponsored the Consumer Product Safety Modernization Act because it represents a bipartisan effort to craft a solid piece of legislation that will protect consumers and children.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately 76 million Americans are affected by foodborne illnesses each year. While many of these illnesses result from the improper handling of food within individual American homes, the recent cases of contaminated produce and peanut butter have unfortunately highlighted the gaps in our country’s food safety system. In a response to the problems uncovered in food safety standards in our country, the Committee held a hearing on the Food and Drug Import Safety Act of 2007 in September. This bill increases civil penalties for the manufacturer or importer of adulterated food, requires the government to issue an order requiring an immediate cease in the distribution of food that may cause serious, adverse health consequences or death and subjects all imported food to United States food safety standards.

Congress will continue to address this issue and provide the FDA and the Consumer Product Safety Commission the resources they need to ensure the products we purchase are safe for our families.

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