Contact: Mike Reynard 202-225-1112

Washington, Oct 1 - Congressman Marsha Blackburn (TN-7) today sent a letter to President Barack Obama requesting the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to refrain from penalizing our nation’s brightest innovators and job creators.
 
The CPSC which is tasked with protecting the public from unreasonable risks of injury or death has used excessive and selective enforcement of regulations which has strained manufacturing and caused some small businesses to close their doors. Since the CPSC began enforcing the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 (CPSIA), at least 20 businesses have closed their doors, 56 have reported being negatively impacted, and 10 have stopped production on certain children’s lines.
 
Furthermore, for only the second time in 11 years, the CPSC has filed an administrative complaint against, Maxfield and Oberton Holdings, LLC, the makers of Buckyballs and Buckycubes which are magnetic executive desk accessories marketed to adults. Congressman Blackburn requests that the administration examine and review this extremely rare legal action in light of the limited number of cases involving these products. Reps. Sue Myrick, Alan Nunnelee, Mike Pompeo, Phil Roe, Mike Rogers (AL) and Mike Rogers (MI) joined Congressman Blackburn in sending the letter.

“It is critical to our nation’s economic recovery for the CPSC to refrain from taking excessive regulatory action against our nation’s brightest innovators and job creators," Blackburn said. "Instead of trying to work with industry and educate consumers about potential hazards, the CPSC seems content to hand small business owners the regulatory death penalty.

“Maxfield & Oberton which has sold nearly 2.3 million sets of Buckyballs and Buckycubes over the past 3 years is a small business success story. Instead of standing up for American innovators, this administration is actively working to shut them down.
 
“If President Obama truly cares about the systemic health of small businesses he will immediately reign in the destructive culture which has developed at the CPSC under Chairman Inez Tenenbaum’s watch and is certain to send more American jobs overseas."