Consumer Product Safety

With recalls of everything from food to toys at their highest levels in recent memory, Congresswoman DeGette encourages all of her constituents to shop smart by familiarizing themselves with which products have been recalled.  This information changes frequently, so be sure to visit often.

 
Click to Watch Rep. DeGette talk about toy safety

The Facts

 
*As of September, 2007

• The number of recalls of children’s products and toys was 63 in 2002, 94 in 2006, and by September, 175 in 2007. 
  
  
• Almost half (48.6 percent) of the recalls so far this year for children’s products and toys were due to violations of the lead standard. 
  
  
• The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) began in the early 1970’s with a budget of about $35 million. Properly adjusted for inflation that budget would be about $140 million today. By contrast, the CPSC’s actual budget for fiscal year (FY) 2007 was about $62 million. 
  
  

• The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) began in the early 1970’s with 786 full-time employees (FTEs). That number increased to almost 1,000 by the early 1980’s, before declining to the present number of about 400.  President George W. Bush’s fiscal year (FY) 2008 budget would have caused the CPSC to reduce its staff by 19. 

   

   

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 Congresswoman DeGette's Work

 As the Vice Chair of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, Congresswoman DeGette worked closely with the her colleagues to incorporate many of her ideas into the bill the Energy and Commerce Committee sent to the House. Before recessing for the holiday season, the House of Representatives unanimously passed the Consumer Product Modernization Act of 2007. This legislation goes a long way toward protecting the American consumer from bringing harmful products into their homes by giving the CPSC enhanced recall authority, and additional staffing and funding resources to carry out its vital mission. In addition to imposing the toughest lead standard in the world for children’s toys, it also requires independent, third-party testing of consumer products. Finally, the Congresswoman secured a provision in the bill that banned industry-sponsored travel by CPSC staff.