Blumenthal & Schakowsky Call on President Biden to Strengthen Consumer Product Safety Commission by Nominating Diverse Slate of Consumer Advocates

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Chair of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Subcommittee on Consumer Protection, Product Safety, and Data Security, and U.S. Representative Jan Schakowsky (D-IL), Chairwoman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Consumer Protection and Commerce, urged President Joe Biden today to bolster the leadership of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) by swiftly nominating a diverse slate of consumer advocates to lead the agency. The CPSC is currently deadlocked, with two Democratic and two Republican Commissioners, and one vacancy.

“You can fill three seats on the Commission—a rare opportunity to rebuild the Commission and infuse the CPSC with new ideas, fresh perspective, and greater diversity,” wrote Blumenthal and Schakowsky in a letter to President Biden. “We urge you to nominate a slate that is committed to leading the CPSC in this new era. As you consider this rare opportunity that you have to remake the agency, we urge you to nominate consumer advocates dedicated to fighting on behalf of consumers and who will robustly strengthen and enforce consumer and product safety laws. This should include nominees who have committed to addressing racial disparities in product safety, worked collaboratively with consumer advocates across government to tackle COVID-19, and embraced new technologies to make products safer.

CPSC is an independent federal agency established by Congress in 1972 and tasked with promoting consumer safety with jurisdiction over more than 15,000 consumer products. Over the years, its authority has been weakened and funding reduced.

Blumenthal and Schakowsky have long advocated for strengthening the CPSC. Last month, along with U.S. Representative Bobby L. Rush (D-IL), Blumenthal and Schakowsky introduced the Sunshine in Product Safety Act to repeal Section 6(b) of the Consumer Product Safety Act. Section 6(b) places significant regulatory constraints on the CPSC and has contributed to delays in public warnings about dangers of products, most recently in the case of the since-recalled Peloton Tread+ treadmill.

The full text of the letter can be found here.

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