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Pelosi calls for ouster of consumer-products regulator |
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By Mike Soraghan
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Posted: 10/31/07 07:47 PM [ET] |
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said Tuesday that President Bush should demand the resignation of his top consumer products regulator.
Nancy A. Nord, acting chairwoman of the Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC), has come under criticism from Democrats for failing to seek additional legal authority and money for her agency. Democrats say it needs more of both, noting the agency has only one person assigned to inspecting toys.
“Any commission chair who does not … say we don’t need any more authority or any more resources to do our job does not understand the gravity of the situation,” Pelosi said at a news conference on toy safety, which included a display of lead-tainted toys found at the home of an aide. “I join my colleagues in calling on the president of the United States to call for her resignation.”
Pelosi was echoing similar calls by House Appropriations Agriculture subcommittee Chairwoman Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) and Energy and Commerce Consumer Protections subcommittee Chairman Bobby Rush (D-Ill.).
“She needs to go,” Rush said.
But the White House is strongly backing Nord, who is serving as acting chairwoman because Bush’s nominee to head the commission, Michael Baroody, withdrew his name amid criticism from Democrats.
“It’s past time for Democrats to stop politicizing the important issue of consumer product safety and begin working with us on meaningful reform,” said White House spokeswoman Emily Lawrimore. “We look forward to announcing a nominee for the CPSC soon and we call upon Democrats to take this nomination seriously rather than continuing to simply seek political gain.”
Nord, a former executive of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, had written to Congress opposing most provisions in a bill that would increase her agency’s authority, double its budget and shore up its staffing. The bill was approved Tuesday by the Senate Commerce Committee.
The agency has come under fire because of a growing number of reports of dangerous toys, some of which led to recalls. Many of the toys were made in China.
“She’s an employee of the Bush administration,” Pelosi said. “Toy safety and product safety is not a priority for them.” |
