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Senate Unanimously Passes Klobuchar-Menendez Amendment to Prohibit Industry Paid Travel at Consumer Product Safety Commission

Legislation vital after CPSC took trips paid for by industry they regulate

March 5, 2008

Washington, D.C. – The U.S. Senate today passed a landmark amendment by Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Robert Menendez (D-NJ) that would prohibit employees of the Consumer Product Safety Commission from accepting travel paid for by industries regulated by the Commission. The Klobuchar-Menendez amendment will be attached to the broader CPSC reform bill under consideration by the Senate this week.

Klobuchar and Menendez, who have championed CPSC reform during the last year, proposed the travel ban in 2007 after it came to light that Commission staff had accepted thousands of dollars of travel at industry expense.

“It flies in the face of basic common sense to accept paid travel from those you are charged with regulating,” said Klobuchar.  “This is about making the Commission more accountable to public – this kind of abusive government practice must end.  We must prevent the CPSC from engaging in practices that give even the appearance of impropriety or undue influence from regulated industries.”

“The passage of this amendment was vital to help ensure that these product gatekeepers are looking out for one interest and one interest only: the well-being of the American people. Hopefully, we will no longer have to worry that our children are playing with lead-filled toys while the people that should be looking out for them are hopscotching around the world with corporate bigwigs,” said Menendez. “This is toxic travel, and we are putting an end to it.”

The Klobuchar-Menendez amendment was adopted by a vote of 96-0.  Senators Durbin (D-IL), Schumer (D-NY), and Obama (D-IL) are also sponsors of the amendment.

It would prohibit any Consumer Product Safety Commissioner or employee from accepting payment or reimbursement for travel or lodging from any person with interests before the Commission.  The amendment provides the CPSC with $1.2 million for the next several years to cover travel and lodging.

Ever since a series of toy recalls were announced last year, Klobuchar and Menendez have been leading voices to reform the Consumer Product Safety Commission to help better protect consumers.

In addition to offering the travel ban amendment, Klobuchar was successful in including three provisions she introduced earlier this year as part of the final Consumer Product Safety Commission Reform Act.  Klobuchar’s legislation in the final bill bans lead in children’s products – the first time such lead standards will be put into law.  The legislation also requires packaging and the toys themselves to contain batch numbers so parents can easily identify recalled toys already in their home.  Finally, Klobuchar’s legislation makes it illegal to knowingly sell a recalled toy.

Senator Menendez introduced the Restoring Truth in Regulator Travel Act last November in the wake of the revelations of industry-sponsored trips taken by CPSC Chairwoman Nord and her predecessor.  The legislation would prohibit such travel for all federal regulators. Senator Menendez has also called for the resignation of Chairwoman Nord.

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