David Obey: “the rule under which this bill was considered contains a self-executing provision, the effect of which was to delay from…”

“the rule under which this bill was considered contains a self-executing provision, the effect of which was to delay from anywhere between 2 and 5 years the Consumer Product Safety Commission's adoption of a rule protecting consumers from flammable furniture. Because of the way that rule was adopted, Members were precluded from offering any amendments to that provision. The proponents of that provision will say that all this provision does is to allow for more study and to get more science before the Commission proceeds. In fact, in my view, the real purpose of this provision is to stall and stall and stall some more, in hopes that eventually they will get a commission with a different makeup so that the rule will never proceed at all. Mr. Speaker, this is part of a pattern. What has been happening is that law firms around this town have been hired by clients. Those clients are hired to prevent action by the government to prevent consumers or workers from being protected by new actions of the government. So whether it is children's pajamas or whether it is OSHA being precluded from offering a new rule to stop the development of carpal tunnel syndrome by millions of workers or whether it is consumers continuing to die because of flammable furniture, those law firms find friendly voices in Congress who will carry out their wishes and we wind up with language like this in the bill. I think the issue is very simple in this case.…”