COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE, NINETY-FIFTH CONGRESS SECOND SESSION ON S. 2796 ... TO AMEND THE CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY ACT TO EXTEND Falk, Bernard H., president, National Electrical Manufacturers Associa- Hayward, John O. and Dr. Robert A. Goldstone__: Johnson, Anita, Environmental Defense Funds; accompanied by Robert Opening statement by Senator Ford.. Buc, Nancy L., National Retail Merchants Association__. Prepared statement_-_- Donaldson, Charlie, attorney, Center for the Study of Responsive Law.. Garvey, Edward R., executive director, National Football League Players Association; accompanied by Ben Zelenko, special counsel; and Brig Knox, Philip M., Jr., Sears, Roebuck & Co.; accompanied by Joanne E. Mattiace; and Thomas A. Camp--. Whitaker, Baron, president, Underwriters' Laboratories, Inc.; accompa- Willett, Sandra L. executive vice president, National Consumers League; ADDITIONAL ARTICLES, LETTERS, AND STATEMENTS American Gas Association, statement. Arena, Jay M., M.D., Duke University Medical Center, letter of April 3, Bauman, J. N., vice president, White Consolidated Industries, Inc., letter Page 237 221 221 Byington, S. John, Chairman, Consumer Product Safety Commission, letter 157 176 Consumer Product Safety Commission, chronic hazards statement_ 175 117 Falk, Bernard H., president, National Electrical Manufacturers Associa- 8 Goldstone, Robert A., M.D., FAAOS, letter of January 31, 1978_. 25 224 222 McIntyre, James T., Director, Office of Management and Budget, Execu- 223 238 Nelson, Sharon, legislative counsel, Consumer Union, and Mark Silbergeld, 39 Rosenthal, Benjamin S., and Henry A. Waxman, U.S. Representatives, 119 Schwartz, Teresa M., professor of law, George Washington University, 222 REAUTHORIZATION OF CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY ACT TUESDAY, APRIL 4, 1978 U.S. SENATE, COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE, SCIENCE AND TRANSPORTATION, SUBCOMMITTEE FOR CONSUMER, Washington, D.C. The subcommittee met at 9 a.m. in room 1202, Dirksen Senate Office Building, Hon. Wendell H. Ford (chairman of the subcommittee) presiding. OPENING STATEMENT BY SENATOR FORD Senator FORD. Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. This morning the Consumer Subcommittee has before it S. 2796, a bill to reauthorize the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) for fiscal years 1979 through 1981. During the next 3 days of hearings, I hope our witnesses will be able to provide us with a variety of opinions on the future role of the CPSC." I am well aware that a number of our witnesses have been, like myself, disappointed with the CPSC's past performance. I hope we are able to reach some common agreement as to the value of this agency and its future activities in reducing product-related death and injuries. Because of the number of witnesses we will hear from this morning, there are several areas of interest not directly related to our reauthorizing bill that will be impossible to cover today. I assure you that as chairman of the Consumer Subcommittee, vigorous oversight into the CPSC and its activities will continue in the upcoming months. Two areas I hope to discuss today are standard development and the Commission's role in the area of chronic hazards. With respect to standard development, we frequently hear the Commission criticized for mandating only three product safety standards during the past 5 years. I understand that two of those standards were recently struck down by Federal appellate courts. The Commission's performance in the area of standard development has been disappointing, to say the least. I am of the opinion that the Commission has a number of other regulatory tools that may be more effective in many instances than the development of mandatory standards. However, I do believe the Commission may need the flexibility to develop a standard "in-house" when the public interest would be served. Increased attention must be given to the cooperation with standard-setting groups in the development of industry voluntary standards that will adquately address the risk to consumers. (1) |