Miller votes to protect children and consumers from unsafe toys and products
Washington, D.C. – In response to escalating recalls of children’s toys and consumer products, Rep. George Miller (D-CA) joined the majority of the House of Representatives this week in voting for several bills that would help protect children from products that are either structurally unsafe or tainted by harmful chemicals. And Congress has plans to take additional safety steps this fall.
“With Halloween and the winter holidays on the horizon, anxiety by parents about child exposure to lead poisoning and other hazards is on the rise,” Miller said. “That is sad, but it is also understandable given the epidemic of recalls of tainted children’s products. That’s why the House has approved several bills to keep children safe from tainted products and we will continue to push for greater protections in this area. Directly notifying consumers about crib recalls, improving pool safety, and holding irresponsible companies accountable are just some of the steps we just approved in the House.”
Earlier this week, the House unanimously approved four bills to protect children. The bills will improve safety of gasoline containers, notify consumers when cribs and high chairs are recalled, encourage companies to report safety problems and protect children from drowning in swimming pools.
Continuing the Democratic Congress’ focus on children, the House is expected this fall to also consider bills to provide greater resources for the Consumer Product Safety Commission, which currently only employs one full-time toy tester, ban lead in children’s jewelry and products, and make third-party testing of toys and children’s products for compliance with safety standards mandatory.
“I am outraged by the need for the rising number of recalls. It is unacceptable that our children are exposed to harmful chemicals or unsafe equipment when that can be easily prevented,” added Miller. “These bills would improve child safety at a time when it is sorely needed.”
children
districtmatters
productsafety
Posted by BDM-Staff at October 11, 07 12:00 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
« Port Chicago bill is approved by committee | Main | Miller: “President Bush has Left Poor Children’s Health Care Behind” »
