[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 30 (Friday, February 13, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E274]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   IN SUPPORT OF RESTORING THE WHITE HOUSE OFFICE OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS

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                     HON. DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                       Friday, February 13, 2009

  Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Madam Speaker, over the past eight years, 
American consumer safety has taken a back seat to the special 
interests. As a result, many Americans have been exposed to dangerous 
toys for their children, hazardous household products for their 
families and even contaminated food, resulting in illness. Now is the 
time to support consumer advocates across the country by encouraging 
the new administration to restore the White House Office of Consumer 
Affairs.
  Our country gave the government a clear mandate for change in 
November. Without question, a new focus on consumer safety should be 
part of this change. Under President Clinton, consumers had an 
effective advocate with a long record of commitment to protecting 
consumers in Ann Brown, former Chairwoman of the U.S. Consumer Product 
Safety Commission. Unfortunately, staff cutbacks suffered by the Food 
and Drug Administration and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission 
have undermined effective efforts to protect consumers.
  While bipartisan legislation has attempted to address these 
challenges, it is clear that more progress is required. We must act 
now. Americans should have confidence that the products they use are 
safe and will not pose any dangers to them or their families. The new 
Administration can make significant progress toward this goal by 
restoring the Office of Consumer Affairs to its rightful place in the 
Executive Branch. I strongly encourage President Obama's administration 
to do so, and I echo the New York Times and their call to action.
  The editorial follows.

                [From the New York Times, Jan. 4, 2009]

                        A Voice for the Consumer

       The time has come to give the American consumer a much 
     stronger voice in Washington. President-elect Barack Obama 
     has already named what amounts to an energy and environmental 
     czar in the White House, and America's beleaguered consumers 
     deserve no less.
       Mr. Obama should restore the White House Office of Consumer 
     Affairs, which vanished during the Clinton years, and appoint 
     a director who has both the president's ear and the authority 
     to rebuild the consumer protection agencies that were 
     undercut or hollowed out by the fiercely anti-regulatory Bush 
     administration.
       There is no shortage of agencies ostensibly designed to 
     protect consumers. But without an emergency like killer 
     spinach or lead in children's toys, the Bush administration 
     has mostly failed to hear customers' complaints. The consumer 
     safety net is simply far too weak.
       The Food and Drug Administration has suffered cutbacks in 
     expert personnel, and still relies too heavily on industry to 
     police itself. Credit-card holders who have been subject to 
     all kinds of Dickensian tricks and traps were finally told by 
     the Federal Reserve that relief is in sight--in 2011. Not so 
     long ago, there was only one official toy tester at the 
     Consumer Product Safety Commission, and oversight generally 
     was so weak that Congress was forced to step in with new 
     protections, which still could be strengthened.
       It will be up to the Obama administration to bring these 
     agencies back to life. In part this means restoring the 
     morale of government workers who have too often been stymied 
     by the anti-regulators at the top. It will also mean stronger 
     consumer protection policies and hiring more skilled people. 
     It will mean giving one official responsibility for 
     coordinating the entire apparatus.
       Presidents Johnson and Carter both recognized the need for 
     a strong person to do that job. Both chose Esther Peterson, 
     who during about eight years in office pushed for then-
     radical ideas like nutritional labeling on food and truth in 
     advertising. As the Reagan anti-government era began, the 
     consumer protection job steadily lost clout until it was 
     shuttered in the late 1990s.
       During his campaign, Mr. Obama promised consumers that he 
     would help them get a fairer deal. As the victims of lead 
     toys and predatory lenders can attest, they certainly need 
     one. Restoring the Office of Consumer Affairs and appointing 
     a director as strong and capable as Mrs. Peterson would be an 
     encouraging first step.

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