CPSIA - What Nancy Nord, Acting Chairman of the CPSC Said

[honoluluhoneybaby]

I just watched a video that was posted on the Consumer Product Safety Commission website. The video is of a January 22, 2009 meeting between the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and the American Apparel and Footwear Association. In her welcome address during this meeting Nancy Nord, the Acting Chairman of the USCPSC, highlighted several times that she is VERY aware of the dire and unintended consequences of the CPSIA but that Congress has not provided many ways for her agency to provide relief. You can read select direct quotes I transcribed from the video below:
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United States Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) Public Meeting: American Apparel and Footwear Association and Retail Industry Leaders
January 22, 2009
Washington D.C.

Welcome of Nancy Nord, Acting Chairman of the USCPSC:

“…At every turn we have met each of the deadlines imposed by the legislation. But we’ve done this in what is proving to be an unrealistic and potentially damaging deadline set out by Congress. And we’ve done all this without any additional funds or support from the United States Congress.”

“…In these dramatic and drastic economic times we are hearing from thousands of micro producers, home crafters, thrift shops and small retailers that the new testing and certification requirements that go in effect on February 10th will have catastrophic effects on them. And these are not big faceless companies, these are real people whose efforts are the backbone of this country’s economy. Now several members of Congress have recently sent us a letter after we had of course scheduled this meeting, encouraging us to schedule meetings like this so that we could address the looming problems presented on February 10th. Yet they did not provide us any more flexibility to deal with these problems. The law’s process and deadline for dealing with these issues remains so tightly written that the agency is very limited in what it can do by February 10th. “

“I am very anxious to hear the information that is to be provided at this morning’s meeting because we all have to work together to make sure that industries can continue providing products for American consumers. We want to know how you are going to fare under this new law. We share the same goal that Congress had: to protect American consumers. That has always been the core mission of this agency and it is a mission that the people of this agency from the Chairman down to the people that greeted you when you came in all share. But with no additional resources, with very little flexibility, and with time running out for an agency whose efforts have been non- stop, I am very concerned about effectively achieving that shared goal.

So, again, I am going to be very interested in understanding and hearing the information that you are going to present today. We want to work through the issues that have been presented by this new law, but I think we all have to understand realistically what we can and cannot do.”

[Former_Member]

Thanks!

[meredithdillman]

Thanks! I think that what we needed to hear.

[LaurieRyan]

IN other words continue to write out DC reps and the pres

[honoluluhoneybaby]

In an excellent commentary on Forbes.com entitled
"Scrap The Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act--II
Why are Rep. Waxman and his allies so insensitive and deaf?" Walter Olson wrote:

"The law's prime sponsors, Reps. Henry Waxman, D-Calif., and Bobby Rush, D-Ill., joined by Sens. Mark Pryor, D-Ark., and John D. Rockefeller IV, D-W.Va., sent a letter to Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) Chairman Nancy Nord proposing to mitigate a few of the law's burdens through regulatory interpretation.

Some critics of CPSIA saw reason for hope in this news.
After all, only days earlier, Waxman and Rush had dismissed the protests of craftspeople, thrift store owners and garment makers as the result of mere "confusion" and "inaccurate reporting." Had the two suddenly seen the light?

Alas for false hopes. Whatever its value as a political feint (don't blame us for what's coming!), the lawmakers' Jan. 16 letter does very little to avert the coming business calamity."

"... It is not clear that the CPSC, whose hands are tied by the law, in fact has legal authority to adopt even these modest exemptions--and in no case can it put them into practical effect before the looming deadline. What is significant is the ongoing bad news: Waxman and Rush remain dead set against the only real way forward, which is for Congress to revamp or repeal the law itself."

[AllNaturalSleepShop]

marking for later

[FantasyCreations1]

Thank you. The men in power don't have a clue about the impact this will have on craftspeople. I used to make beautiful stuffed animals. I stopped because of existing federal regulations requiring sending every design in every plush option to a lab to be burned to a cinder and pay for it. I sell the patterns in my other shop. I think that all crafts people will eventually be put out of business in the name of safety. Sadly, I'm not very hopeful about this as you can tell.

[Former_Member]

I can only hope that all of the work we are doing and the attention we are bringing to this matter will make a difference. I am scared of what will happen to my livelyhood, but I am optimistic that these laws cannot stand as they are.

[FantasyCreations1]

If you make "stuffies" or any form of toy for children there are already existing federal regulations in place with serious penalties that require expensive lab testing. No one seems to realize that this is just the most recent attack on us. It is not the first law that prohibits selling things that will be used by children without lab tests.

[JoyandWhimsy]

That's why it's important to call the 3 lawmakers involved:
George Radanovich
Joe Barton
and Waxman
Google their names and their homepages with phone numbers are there. If you call assisants answer right away.

[Former_Member]

marking .. thank you!

[honoluluhoneybaby]

Yes, it looks like the only way real change can occur is for Congress to revamp or repeal the CPSIA.

That said, however, I just received a response from one of our senators, Senator Daniel Akaka, saying that he shared our concerns that the health and safety of Americans must not be compromised by the importation of unsafe products and that he was pleased to vote in support of this important legislation... PERIOD.

[JoyandWhimsy]

Maybe call this Alaska Senator back to say you want it amended to save small business. Sounds like he might be misinformed. We just want it amended to save small business - he should be for that.

[Former_Member]

marking