Happy Holidays From The bush Administration

As we enter into this holiday season, a time for giving, remember the bush administration and the story of The Grinch. Because of bush's foreign trade policies and lax standards on imports, think about our system for keeping food and products safe is in serious need of repair.

• This year, more than 25 million toys have been recalled, many for dangerous lead paint.
  80% of toys are made in China.


• The agency responsible for the safety of more than 15,000 products has only 15 inspectors at ports nationwide.


• The FDA inspects only about 1% of imported food.

We have long known the dangers of lead--so why are our children surrounded by it?

Real safety means an era of corporate self-regulation, lax enforcement and minimal penalties must end. Lawmakers are now considering reforms, but it will be impossible to pass strong measures before the holidays.

It's time to pass legislation to hold manufacturers, importers and retailers accountable for the products they import and sell.

Independent certification

Companies don't always know if products manufactured overseas are safe, unless someone tests them first. Independent, government accredited laboratories must ensure that imports meet U.S. safety standards. Products should be tested in foreign factories and at our ports--before they wind up on our shelves.

Increased inspection

The CPSC has only half the staff it had when it opened in 1973. It must have more inspectors and product testers.

Strong Standards

CPSC standards should be strong and up to date. CPSC's thirty-year-old lead standard should be strengthened and extended to all children's products.

Real enforcement power

All agencies with enforcement authority should have the power to levy meaningful civil penalties for manufacturers, importers, distributors and retailers who fail to comply with regulations and criminal penalties for the executives of those companies who knowingly jeopardize public safety.

Greater retailer responsibility

Retailers must be required to remove all recalled products from shelves promptly, post prominent recall notices, and continue to check products for safety. It should be against the law to sell all recalled products. The retailer is the last stop before a product is bought and must play a role in assuring its safety.

Recall authority

Food recalls today are "voluntary" so the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has to negotiate its recall requests with companies. The government should be able to demand the quick removal of unsafe food from the shelves. It should be illegal to sell recalled consumer products.

Greater public disclosure

The public has a right to know about any reports of unsafe products on the market. All government agencies should be required to publicly disclose information about safety investigations and reports of adverse events.

Country of Origin information

Consumers have a right to know where the food and products we buy are from. A product traceability program for consumer products, including their components, needs to be put in place. And food, as well as consumer products, should be labeled with country of origin.