Washington, D.C. – Today, Congressman John D. Dingell (D-MI15) made the following opening statement for the record at the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade hearing on legislation to revise the Consumer Product Safety Modernization Act of 2008:

“Thank you, Madam Chairman, for holding this important hearing.  My concerns about the impracticability of certain provisions in the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) are a matter of public record and need not be revisited here.  I commend you, Madam Chairman, for circulating draft legislation meant to remedy these concerns.  I hope the Committee’s deliberations on this matter will yield bi-partisan legislation that maintains the tenor of CPSIA’s landmark consumer protections, yet at the same time grants the Consumer Product Safety Commission greater administrative flexibility and facilitates compliance with the Act.

“I wish to stress that my support of legislation to amend CPSIA is contingent to a great extent on such legislation’s having bi-partisan support.  Further, my interest with respect to this Act has always been to avoid intractability in the face of common-sense ways to make CPSIA workable.  To that end, I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to cooperate on this matter, engage stakeholders, and produce a bill – much like the House’s Consumer Product Safety Modernization Act – that the Committee and House will unanimously approve. 

“I look forward to hearing our witnesses’ thoughts about the legislation pending our consideration today, as well as their general advice for addressing what some consider CPSIA’s apparent shortcomings.  Thank you for your courtesy, Madam Chairman, and I yield back the balance of my time.”

Congressman Dingell has long been an advocate for the rights and safety of consumers and continues vigorous oversight in the 112th Congress to improve industry regulations and investigations to best protect consumers.

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