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Obama Pledges Doubled Funding for Product Safety Agency

Feds say 22 children died in toy-related accidents in 2006

By Truman Lewis
ConsumerAffairs.com

December 15, 2007

• Obama Announces $3.4 Billion For Transition To 'Smart Energy Grid' • Consumer Legislation Faces Key Vote This Week • Survey: Americans Want Consumer Agency For Financial Products and Services • Banks Prepare for Assault on Obama's Proposed Financial Protection Agency • Consumer Groups Back Obama Regulation Changes • Obama Proposes Massive Regulatory Overhaul • Obama Seeks 19 Percent Budget Hike For FDA • White House, Congress Cracking Down On Credit Cards • White House Pressuring Credit Card Companies • Obama Tackles Food Safety Issues • Consumers Hopeful of Better Times Under Obama • Obama Can't Quickly Stimulate Homebuyers' Hopes • Upper-Income Taxpayers Seeking Shelter • Obama Eyes Consumer Activists for Agency Posts • Consumer Issues Could Get Early Focus in Obama Administration • "Fixing" Health Care: What Does That Mean? • Obama Calls for Bankruptcy Law Reform • Is Obama Dragging Down the Stock Market? • Obama Pledges Doubled Funding for Product Safety Agency

Barack Obama says that if he's elected President, he'll double the funding for the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and make sure it has the inspectors it needs to ensure that the goods sold to American consumers are safe.

At a news conference in Waterloo, Iowa, Obama said existing safety laws "aren't being enforced and many Americans, including many children, are paying the price. This has to stop."

Meanwhile in Washington, the CPSC said toys were associated with at least 22 deaths in 2006 while 165,200 children were treated in emergency rooms for toy-related injuries, up from 155,400 in 2005.

The CPSC is planning a special study to try to identify the reason for the increase in injuries, spokeswoman Julie Vallese said.

• Toy Importer to Pay Penalty for Violating Lead Paint Ban • CPSC Outlines Revamped Crib Recall Policy • Mississippi Warns Residents on Unsafe Toys • CPSC Delays Enforcement Of Testing on Kids' Products • Popular Zhu Zhu Pet May Contain Dangerous Chemicals • Report: Fewer Toys Contain Lead but Toxins Still Common • California Warns Retailers On Lead • Mattel Settles Suits Over Dangerous Toys • Target To Pay $600,000 For Violating Lead Paint Ban • Tougher Safety Requirements For Children's Products Now In Effect • Toys 'R' Us Launches Unsafe Baby Products Awareness Program • New Safety Agency Chief Pledges Greater Openness • Obama Names New Consumer Product Safety Chair, Boosts Budget • Toymaker Fined $1.1 Million For Consumer Violations • Maryland Stores Stop Selling Toys With Lead Paint • Toymakers, Craftspeople Up In Arms Over New Safety Law • Thrift Stores Protest Ban on Lead Toys • Target Launches In-Store Recall System • Do's and Don'ts of Holiday Decorating • New Jersey Finds Recalled Toys in Four Stores • Mattel Agrees to Lower Lead Paint Levels in Toys • Consumers Cautioned About Dangerous Toys • Soon-To-Be-Banned Plastic Toys Flooding the Market • Safety Agency Warns of Safety Hazards in Cribs --- • More Consumer Safety News • Recall Notices

The latest statistics illustrate that, while lead paint and tiny magnets have gotten a lot of attention this year, many injuries are still being caused by such simple and traditional toys as balloons, tricycles, scooters and balls.

As in previous years, riding toys, especially non-motorized scooters, accounted for most of the toy-related deaths and injuries in 206.

Three children riding scooters died when they were hit by cars whiel three others died while riding powered riding toys.

In one case, a three-year-old boy rode his battery-powered scooter into a swimming pool. A six-year-old died when the cape of a costume he was wearing became tangled in the axle of his gas-powered ATV. In two separate cases, small children rode their tricycles into swimming pools and drowned.

Three children died when they choked on plastic nails or pegs from toy tool sets. Three other children died when they choked on small rubber balls.

Obama's bill

In 2005, Sen. Obama (D-IL) introduced the Lead-Free Toys Act, which would require the CPSC to ban children's products containing more than a trace amount of lead.

Obama said he has also directly pressured toy manufacturers and Bush administration officials to do a better job protecting American children from the threat of imported toys, especially those manufactured in China.

"I've challenged the Bush administration and the toy companies to do a better job of protecting our children from unsafe toys, especially those made in China," Obama said. "And I introduced a bill that would make it illegal to sell a toy that has more than trace amounts of lead - and that's a bill I'll sign into law when I'm President."

Speaking at West High School in Waterloo, Obama presented outlined his proposals to improve product safety:

• The U.S. needs to have inspectors on site in China, as Japanese officials do for food safety inspections.

• Obama said he would drastically increase fines for toy companies not abiding by the rules.

• Expand the CPSC's regulatory powers and establish mandatory inspections to ensure imported toy safety.

• Work directly with China and the World Trade Organization on the issue.

Obama noted that since the U.S. government normalized trade relations with China, Chinese consumer products have flooded the U.S. market. Unfortunately, U.S. officials who negotiated the normalization failed to include strong safety and health standards for products entering the U.S. despite warnings that China had a weak safety and health screening process, he said.

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