Political Quotes

“I rise in support of the Consumer Product Safety Commission Reform Act of 2008. I applaud the leadership of Senators Pryor, Stevens, and Inouye in this effort to strengthen protection for America's consumers, especially our children. It has been a pleasure to work with the sponsors of this bill to strengthen Federal protections against dangerous toys moving through the global supply chain. We must detect and counter threats to children before, not after, toys reach store shelves so that they don't end up in homes, schools, and daycare centers as, unfortunately, they can now. The pressing need for this bill was dramatized last year by numerous and significant safety recalls of children's toys. The recalls have involved some significant threats to life and health. For example, last November the Consumer Product Safety Commission recalled 200,000 units of imported jewelry for children: earrings, charms, and bracelets that contained unsafe levels of lead. Earlier in 2007, the Commission recalled millions of other hazardous toys. The tragic trend continues. CPSC recalls last month included other items that violate lead paint standards or that can burn, poison, or even strangle children. The Pryor-Stevens bill takes a comprehensive and thoughtful approach to these threats.”