[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 130 (Friday, August 1, 2008)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1645]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




CONFERENCE REPORT ON H.R. 4040 CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY IMPROVEMENT ACT 
                                OF 2008

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                          HON. ROSA L. DeLAURO

                             of connecticut

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, July 30, 2008

  Ms. DeLAURO. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of the conference 
report on H.R. 4040, the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 
2008, and applaud the members of the conference committee for their 
work in reaching an agreement on this very important legislation.
  I also would like to congratulate the coalition of consumer groups 
for their efforts, including: Consumers Union, Consumer Federation of 
America, Kids in Danger, National Research Center for Women & Families, 
Public Citizen, Union of Concerned Scientists, and the U.S. Public 
Interest Research Group. These groups were instrumental in urging the 
conference committee to adopt the best provisions from the House and 
Senate bills.
  After 2007 became the ``Year of the Recall'' due to the numerous 
recalls of toys and children's products, it was imperative that 
Congress act to stem the flow of unsafe products into our stores and 
homes. That is why I introduced legislation that would, among other 
things, ban lead in children's products, enhance recall and inspection 
authority of the Consumer Product Safety Commission, CPSC, and expedite 
recall disclosure to the public. This bill was cosponsored by 167 of my 
colleagues.
  I am pleased that some of the important ideas and provisions in this 
bill were included in the final conference report, including language 
that would: essentially ban lead in toys and children's products; 
require CPSC to establish a publicly-accessible database to inform 
consumers about unsafe products; require third-party testing of certain 
children's products; and ensure that the CPSC does not preempt State or 
local laws.
  I am especially pleased that that this legislation includes 
provisions to provide the CPSC with the new authority to cease the 
distribution of toys that pose an imminent hazard from the outset. This 
is a provision that I worked on with Congresswoman Eshoo, and I am 
proud to see it in the conference report.
  The conference committee should be commended for insisting that the 
final conference agreement include a ban on toxic phthalates from 
children's products. Earlier this year, some of the country's largest 
toy sellers, including Wal-Mart, Toys-R-Us, and Babies-R-Us notified 
their suppliers that they would no longer carry products containing 
phthalates beginning in 2009. It would have been senseless if Congress 
had allowed for the continued use of phthalates in children's products 
even though the market already has essentially banned it.
  Many of us who support the final conference report would agree that 
it could have been stronger, but we also agree that it represent a 
solid first step. We should remain vigilant in ensuring that our 
families and children are truly protected from harmful products and be 
prepared to make further improvements to these laws should additional 
problems arise in the future.

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