[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 96 (Thursday, June 24, 2010)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1197]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         FORMALDEHYDE STANDARDS FOR COMPOSITE WOOD PRODUCTS ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                           HON. BETTY SUTTON

                                of ohio

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, June 23, 2010

  Ms. SUTTON. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support for Formaldehyde 
Standards for Composite Wood Products Act (S. 1660).
  And I'd like to commend my friend, Rep. Matsui, for her leadership on 
this issue.
  This bill will protect the health of American families from high uses 
of formaldehyde in common household products like flooring, paneling, 
cabinets, and doors.
  Currently foreign manufacturers who use unsafe levels of harmful 
toxins like formaldehyde are able to undercut domestic manufacturers 
who put safety above profits.
  When a family installs a new countertop or paneling, they expect that 
the wood products are harmless.
  And we must ensure that is the case regardless of where the products 
are made.
  Recently, the Economic Policy Institute published a report stating 
that 2.4 million American jobs have been lost since 2001 directly 
because of unfair trade tactics by China.
  The report states that in the ``wood products'' segment, our trade 
deficit was a negative $862 million in 2001.
  By 2008, our trade deficit in ``wood products'' alone had more than 
doubled to $1.8 billion.
  This trade imbalance from unfair trade practices like using cheaper 
and often dangerous materials like formaldehyde has cost our nation 
millions of jobs and endangered American families.
  Today, we can help to level the playing field for domestic 
manufacturers by taking action against unsafe amounts of formaldehyde.
  Vote yes on Formaldehyde Standards for Composite Wood Products Act.

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