[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 121 (Friday, August 5, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1502]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 PROVIDING GREATER AUTHORITY AND DISCRETION TO CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY 
                               COMMISSION

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                            HON. PAUL TONKO

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, August 1, 2011

  Mr. TONKO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to applaud House passage of H.R. 
2715, the Enhancing CPSC Authority and Discretion Act of 2011, ECADA.
  I voted in favor of this long-awaited bill, because it addresses the 
needed reforms of the 2008 Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act, 
CPSIA, without undoing its core protections of consumers from unsafe 
toys and other products.
  This landmark legislation came in the wake of one of the biggest wave 
of consumer product recalls in American history. In excess of 10 
million toys were estimated to have been recalled due to lead paint and 
other product safety standards, standards that have been on the books 
for decades. This was and is unacceptable, and Congress responded 
accordingly.
  Specifically, Mr. Speaker, this bill adequately addresses what I 
believe is the key provision of CPSIA--that consumer products, 
especially children's products--should be tested as being in compliance 
with mandatory safety standards.
  And testing is the key. We live in a global supply chain environment, 
where any given product has a dozen or more part suppliers from a dozen 
or more countries, where safety standards may be weaker than our own.
  That is why, Mr. Speaker, I am proud and pleased that the final ECADA 
bill passed by the House today maintains the requirement that products 
be tested to CPSC lead and other standards. But I am equally pleased 
that the final bill reflects the need to make such testing affordable.
  Additionally, H.R. 2715 directs the CPSC to look for ``other 
techniques for lowering the cost of third party testing consistent with 
assuring compliance with the applicable consumer product safety rules, 
bans, standards and regulations.''
  Mr. Speaker, this last language is critical because it will protect 
consumers and create jobs here in America. I know this because in my 
Congressional District a company, XOS, Inc. has developed state of the 
art instruments for detecting lead, mercury, cadmium and other heavy 
metals in children's toys and other products.
  This new technology is the only CPSC approved method for the 
detection of lead paint without using wet chemistry. This method was 
also adopted by one of the most widely respected voluntary standards 
development organizations in the country (ASTM).
  Finally, I would suggest that, as this bill is on the precipice of 
becoming law, we consider that, if a small company in upstate New York 
can find a solution to ``how much lead is in this product,'' we can 
find more home-grown solutions to many of the other pending issues 
facing our country. We need to focus all our efforts on investing in 
our people and in creating jobs and this bill does just that.

                          ____________________