Joe Barton: “I already complimented the majority on their process. I also want to compliment the majority and the minority on both…”

“I already complimented the majority on their process. I also want to compliment the majority and the minority on both sides on the policy. This bill has the toughest lead standards in the world for children's products. Let me repeat that. The bill before us has the toughest lead standards in the world for children's products. It is phased in. The timetable may not be quite as aggressive as some of our consumer advocates would like it to be, but it is a fact that if this bill gets through the Senate, and I hope it will, the President signs it, and I know he will, we will have the toughest lead standards in the world for children's products. It has a premarket approval process that is a major reform over the current practice, so that no product will be put into the marketplace until it has been adequately and aggressively tested before it goes to market. That is another major change from the current law. The Consumer Product Safety Commission is a small agency. I believe it has less than 500 employees. But it is a very important agency.”