CPSIA – Our Worst Nightmare: A Recall Involving Spiders!

Today in a shocking development, Mazda recalled 65,000 cars in North America because of spiders in the gas tank. Talk about hidden hazards! Lenore Skenazy pointed out in a recent article that five Americans die because of spider bites every year. And cars are coated in lead paint, to boot. Obviously, cars are just too dangerous to be on U.S. roads. Thank heavens Mazda took decisive action before tragedy struck. . . .

Needless to say, it is only a matter of time before Rep. Henry Waxman calls for hearings to interrogate Mazda management. Did they check the electronics? No, Mazda blamed the drivers for the spiders. . . . And what if Senator Dick Durbin reads about these spiders in the Chicago Tribune over breakfast? I can see another letter coming. And who will Dick Durbin write? The current Administrator of NHTSA is David Strickland, formerly the senior Senate staffer largely responsible for the Senate’s role for creating our beloved CPSIA. Check out Rep. John Dingell’s “gushing” remarks about the contribution of the Senate to that great legislative achievement. Durbin and Strickland, that “A Team” will get it done for the American public!

Spiders, cars and lead paint. It’s a consumer advocate’s worst nightmare. This requires a LEGISLATIVE SOLUTION, guys!

Read more here:
CPSIA – Our Worst Nightmare: A Recall Involving Spiders!

CPSIA – House Hearings Clips of Questions for Both Panels

A few select clips for you from last week’s House Subcommittee hearings. I will provide just a bit of commentary to accompany the clips. I will also be posting two other clips in a separate blogpost to follow.

Questions by Rep. John Dingell for Inez Tenenbaum and Anne Northup:

This clip features John Dingell trashing the CPSIA and pushing HARD for change. Listen to him BASH the Senate for mucking up his law!

Clip of Inez Tenenbaum and Anne Northup arguing about what the public injury/incident database cost – $3 million or $29 million.

The bickering over this critical point reflects a real misunderstanding on the CPSC Commission. What explains this? Not sure, really. Jennifer Kerr wrote about this topic today for the AP and noted that she had previously been quoted at $20 million by the CPSC. Oops. . . .

Clip of Inez Tenenbaum admitting that the CPSC will likely post INACCURATE information into the database . . . .

Shocked?! She also admits that only 723 companies have registered in the “soft launch” of the new database. Is that a lot? We registered seven brand names, so count me for 1% myself. I cannot say we control 1% of the economy. Draw your own conclusions . . . .

Clip of Rep. Jan Schakowsky questioning me!

Smackdown! I ran the Finance Committee for Ms. Schakowsky’s opponent in the 2010 midterm elections. She gave the quote above to the Wall Street Journal in a profile of my role in that campaign. Have fun!

Clip of Rep. Olson questioning me about the 15 Month Rule and destructive testing.

Check out how many units the CPSC wants me to destroy in testing EVERY year!

Clip of Rep. Marsha Blackburn questioning Nancy Cowles of Kids in Danger on the sources of lead poisoning in America.

Clip of Rep. Blackburn questioning me about our testing costs.

Clip of Rep. Harper questioning me about testing standards.

Read more here:
CPSIA – House Hearings Clips of Questions for Both Panels

Time to Make Your Voices Heard!

I have perhaps the most important request of you readers since I started blogging on the CPSIA 18 months ago.

Tomorrow at 2pm Eastern time, the House Energy and Commerce Committee Committee will be marking up Henry Waxman’s “fix” to the CPSIA. In my opinion, this is no fix at all. I sent the e-mail below out earlier today that details why I think this “deal” should be rejected.

Now is the time for your voices to be heard. I encourage you to e-mail members of the Committee before 2pm tomorrow to voice your concerns about the proposed “fix” and demand that the Committee begin drafting a legislative solution that truly addresses the problems with the CPSIA.

You can find e-mail addresses for the Committee at here. Click the name of the Member of Congress, then click “contact” and that will take you to a form where you can submit an e-mail. You can choose one Committee member or all of them – it’s your choice but I ask you to send at least one e-mail by 2pm tomorrow. If you happen to live in the Congressional District of a Committee Member, even better.

If we don’t speak up now, we have only ourselves to blame.

My letter from earlier today:

Dear Friend,

We are at a critical juncture right now as the House Committee on Energy and Commerce is in the late stages of considering an amendment to the CPSIA. The proposed legislation has been analyzed in my blog over the past few weeks, but is now about to move to the subcommittee “mark-up” phase. Assuming it proceeds past mark-up, the bill will be put to a vote at the committee and then by the House, and submitted to the Senate for its consideration. This could happen rather quickly given its sponsorship by Henry Waxman. Notwithstanding his desires, the Republicans are not yet on board with this “bipartisan” bill and Senate cooperation is another unknown.

I wanted you to see my latest blogpost on this amendment and hope you will contact your representatives in Washington to express your concern. The new Waxman Amendment does nothing to fix the fundamental issues in the CPSIA and continues to stack the deck against small business in favor of big business and certain favored industries. If this legislation proceeds in its present form, Congress is likely to assert that they have “listened” to our complaints and addressed them, washing their hands of the matter. With almost 2500 pages of rules already promulgated by the CPSC to implement the CPSIA, and more spewing out on a daily basis, this law is not only incomprehensible to most businesses but completely unmanageable as well. Based on testimony by Chairman Inez Tenenbaum at last week’s Senate Appropriations Committee meeting, it seems clear that the CPSC is transitioning to an enforcement posture (from its implementation phase). Therefore, you can safely assume that you will held responsible in a matter of months by a CPSC that has little sympathy for your problems complying with their blizzard of rules. [If you doubt this, read my blogposts about penalties.]

The time to act is NOW. We must block this amendment.

Richard Woldenberg
Chairman
Alliance for Children’s Product Safety

Read more here:
Time to Make Your Voices Heard!

CPSIA – New Waxman Amendment Draft Issued Tonight, Mark-up Set for Wednesday Morning

The third draft of the Waxman Amendment 2.0 was released this evening. I have attached a clean copy of the legislation, as well as a redline for your convenience. The powers-that-be also released a draft of their “report language“. The report language is interpretative language and is not included in the law mainly to keep future law clerks busy doing research. It should also give us something new to argue about.

This is the Committee Briefing Memo accompanying the draft legislation.

Consistent with past practice, this draft was issued with the usual coercion. A mark-up has been scheduled for Wednesday AM 10:00 a.m. in Room 2123 Rayburn House Office Building BUT the Dems will decide tomorrow if they will proceed with that process. All talk of a hearing to vet this legislation has been quashed by the Dems who are scrupulous in managing the record. [I will never get to testify, that's for sure.] There will be a meeting on Tuesday at 4 PM to discuss this draft, at which point the Dems will either pull the plug or move forward. Presumably, this depends on the enthusiastic response to this draft. The Dems say they want a bipartisan bill and further want to send it to the Senate with the news that the bill is “supported by industry”. In other words, Mr. Waxman is not interested in negotiating with the Senate, just wants their rubber stamp. He’s not big on “jawboning” if that means he has to listen to others and make concessions . . . .

You are right to consider this another patented Waxman “take it or leave it” offer.

In response to complaints that this bill ignores the many legitimate concerns of the small business community, Waxman staff has advised that they “can’t help everyone”. That means you, guys.

Changes in this Draft:

a. Functional Purpose “Exception” – Minimal changes, mainly reverting back to the “public health or safety” test formulation. References to “all foreseeable users” is gone now. The “town hall” provision allowing “interested parties” to intervene in every proceeding has been eliminated. The “Previously Denied Petitions” provision is unchanged and still makes no sense.

The report language clarifies the meaning of “practicable”, noting that excessive or unreasonable costs should be considered not “practicable”. Specifically, they note: “The Committee does not consider a mere increase in the cost of manufacture or production, in itself, to be excessive. The Committee does expect that the Commission will consider compliance to be impracticable where compliance would place the viability and continuation of a class of products or materials in jeopardy, such as youth All Terrain Vehicles or youth bicycles made with recycled steel.” [Emphasis added]

In case you were wondering about the purpose of the functional purpose exception, it is a gift to the noted industries. It’s not for you. Remember, this relief is only available to those who are capable of mounting an exception application. Not a small undertaking.

Remember that the applicant for a functional purpose exception must apply for relief for a “specific product or material”. You must also PROVE that your costs are not “practicable”. Can you see some wiggle room there? A true believer Commission might have very little incentive to interpret these terms permissively. [You can count on that one with the Dems in charge.] This will be a costly and technical process. Think of this in the context of your business – is this realistic? With our 1500 products, it’s just inconceivable. Too bad for us. Let’s also not forget the stringency of the three-prong test.

The report language specifies that a “measurable adverse effect” on public health or safety refers to changes in blood lead levels. The language is pretty specific and will require a toxicologist’s report to justify any exemption. Here are the magic words: “Given that there is no current blood level at which the scientific community considers lead exposure to be ‘safe,’ the Committee understands that a very small adverse effect may theoretically occur at any level of exposure. The Committee intends, however, for the Commission to deny requests for exception under this section as having a ‘measurable adverse effect’ on health or safety only in the case of those adverse effects that the Commission determines to be empirically, as opposed to theoretically, measurable. At present, the Committee understands that there is scientific consensus to interpret the phrase ‘measurable adverse effect’ from lead exposure to mean a measurable increase in blood lead levels.“

This is a form of legislative filter to make sure that the exception is only for the chosen industries or companies. Again, this isn’t meant for small fry, just big business. That’s equity these days, I guess.

Anyone remember how hotly the Dems defended the inclusion of ATVs and bikes in this law back in ’08 and ’09? It was intentional, they insisted, necessary to protect the public against deadly lead. There’s no safe level of lead, blah blah blah. Guess they got over that one . . . after they received 170,000 emails from ATV’rs.

b. Thrift Store Relief: Virtually no change, other than minor clarifications.

Not unlike the workings of other parts of the CPSIA, this new provision will be good for large scale thrift organizations like Goodwill or Salvation Army who are presumably able to centrally evaluate complex laws and implement system-wide responses to changes in law. i wonder how the smaller independent Mom-and-Pops will react to this provision. In any event, the provision tacitly bans resale of children’s jewelry, painted toys and vinyl children’s products. Stores will have to keep straight which items are in and which are out. With many resale stores staffed with minimum wage workers, I question how effectively most owners can prevent violations without just avoiding the category (at least in part).

Resale of childcare articles, including cribs, seems unaffected. The real gotcha is the risk the stores will bear from recalls. For that reason, I think many stores will stay away from reselling this category of goods. Clothing may make a reappearance in resale shops, finally.

It is uncredible that the Democrats let this industry flap in the wind for almost two years before acting to save them from CPSIA oblivion. Think of the economic devastation these insensitive legislators wrought on small businesses all America, not to mention the patrons of this important industry – through two cold winters. This is just inexcusable, a true demonstration of stubbornness or being completely out of touch. Those who suffered at the hands of the Dem inaction have no recourse, either. Shame, shame.

c. Relief for Small Batch Manufacturers: The sham of this “relief” is perpetuated in this new draft. The definitions of “covered products” and “Small Batch Manufacturer” were left structurally intact but the thresholds were tweaked upward meaninglessly to 7500 units or $50,000 sold per item per (calendar) year, with an overall cap of company sales of $1 million. “Covered Products” oddly continues to refer only to manufactured items but Small Batch Manufacturers are defined by sales of manufactured OR imported goods. Go figure.

As I pointed out earlier today, Mattell and Hasbro have quarterly revenues of $880 million and $672 million, respectively. The so-called relief here is for companies with annual revenue of under $1 million. If these little companies pop over that revenue hurdle, they will be held to the same standard as Mattel and Hasbro. Don’t worry, the CPSC plans to coach the little guys! Now if only they could provide non-recourse financing . . . .

Even if you are salivating over this pathetic crumb of “relief”, I encourage you to reread what goodies Mr. Waxman is giving you. Here’s the meat of it: “Any such alternative requirements shall provide for reasonable testing methods to assure compliance with the relevant consumer product safety standards.” The reasonable TESTING METHODS must ASSURE COMPLIANCE. You tell me what this English sentence means. I think it means the small fry will be testing. I know the rest of us will, too. Testing and testing and testing and testing. It’s time to buy stock in Intertek, I think. Later on, the bill instructs the Commission to work “cooperatively” with the little guys to “impose the least burdensome testing requirements . . . consistent with goals of statute.” And those goals are, what exactly? Comprehensive, prophylactic testing.

Oh, the bounty of this relief!

d. Phthlates and Inaccessible Components: No material changes.

e. Subpoena Power: No changes whatsoever. Somebody’s going to be sorry someday that this procedural speed bump was removed. Unfettered power of government was always un-American . . . until we met these Democrats.

Conclusion:

I wish I could recommend this bill. It has some good stuff in it. Unfortunately, it is utterly ineffective to arrest the damage being inflicted by the CPSIA. It is a gift to large industries but leaves the hammerlock on American small businesses catering children’s markets. It sustains the fantastic notion that those of us in this business have somehow been poisoning kids for years or decades. That’s a slanderous notion, something deeply offensive to me, but for the Dems to admit otherwise would mean a mea culpa. And there’s no chance of that.

If the Dems manage to tempt enough corporate entities to sell out for this low price, it will be the biggest gift ever given by the corporate community to Mr. Waxman. He should host a champagne party for himself if he buys off the resistance. There will be no remaining organized opposition to the bulk of his CPSIA handiwork, and the focus will shift to surviving a manic CPSC bent on enforcing voluminous but ineffective safety rules and ladling out massive penalties for infractions without injuries. And once the action moves permanently to Bethesda, we’ll see finally how much Cassandra got right.

I’m not looking forward to finding out. Vote NO on Waxman.

Read more here:
CPSIA – New Waxman Amendment Draft Issued Tonight, Mark-up Set for Wednesday Morning

CPSIA – Why Do Dems Want to Ban Rhinestones?

Why indeed. The Democrats apparently have it in for rhinestones and are so uptight about this “menace” that they are willing to write an outright ban into the CPSIA, via Mr. Waxman’s new amendment. No more bling for you!

Have we finally entered the land of the looneys?

The Dems’ rallying cry on rhinestones goes way back. On September 10, 2009, Rep. Bobby Rush welcomed Inez Tenenbaum to the one CPSIA hearing since August 2008 by commending her for bravely banning rhinestones.

Let’s think about the basics here:

• Rhinestones are simple embellishments. They are found in inexpensive jewelry, on clothing and shoes, in craft kits, used in scrapbooking, are decorations on kids’ pageant and athletic costumes, adorn hair bows and barrettes, etc. They are bling.
• Rhinestones have no history of causing lead poisoning.
• Rhinestones are even okay to sell under the obnoxious Proposition 65.

Chairman Tenenbaum has conceded in writing that the stones are not dangerous: “Commission staff recognized that most crystal and glass beads do not appear to pose a serious health risk to children . . . .” Of course, CPSC Staff are just scientists and Ph.D.’s, not lawyers writing important laws.

Unfortunately, Tenenbaum recanted her stance in Congressional testimony on September 10, 2009. On September 17, I wrote a letter to Chairman Tenenbaum about her rhinestone testimony . . . but never received a reply. The letter asks her to back up her assertion in testimony that swallowing rhinestones presents a lead poisoning risk. This is an unsupportable contention and perhaps this is why my letter was never accorded a response. In particular, I made the following point about the literal “danger” of rhinestones:

“[T]he Exponent study submitted [by the FJTA] on February 2 indicates that the FDA has determined that six micro-grams of lead per day is required to produce a one micro-gram of lead per deciliter change in blood lead levels in children six years old or younger. Thus, to produce such a change in blood lead levels from jewels would require sustained daily ingestion of 12 grams of stones (roughly 4,000 stones or hundreds of pieces of jewelry) or mouthing of 42 grams of stones (roughly 14,000 stones or more than 1,000 pieces of jewelry). Clearly, this is unlikely to occur, particularly accidentally.” [Emphasis added]

As noted, Tenenbaum never answered this letter.

[See also my posts of July 21, July 21 (no. 2), September 10 and September 12.]

Of course, the natural ally of the Dems, the consumer groups, bang the drum mindlessly for banning rhinestones, too. In my September 20 post, I recounted the attack of Nancy Cowles on the rhinestones “menace”. Here is Ms. Cowles’ suggestion for those who value their bling:

“In an interview with BNA, Nancy Cowles, executive director of Kids in Danger, praised the commission’s July decision on fashion jewelry accessories. Cowles told BNA that lead is a severe toxin with no safe level. She added that while more common sense could be applied to determining which products are hazardous, consumers overall do not want products containing lead. ‘People will come up with other ways to put [jewelry] on children’s clothing that isn’t toxic. Whether the lead [in rhinestones] leaches out fully, it’s hard to know, but we don’t want lead in our children’s products. We will come up with other ways to decorate our clothes,’ Cowles said.”

It’s okay, they just want to protect you.

At this point, I have to ask – what on Earth happened to our country? How did we get to this point? I can’t say for myself, I don’t know how this kind of stridency and absence of BASIC common sense took over our nation. Politics no longer makes sense to me. In today’s New York Times, Senator Evan Byah blasts this theme as he explains why he is dropping out of the Senate after 12 years. It’s a depressing read.

More depressing still is how the Democrats are making such a mess of things and disillusioning so many people, myself certainly included. In yesterday’s Barron’s Magazine, the Dems’ ability to actually govern is questioned. That’s a “wow”. This small article details how Senator Max Baucus’ jobs bill (written in response to President Obama’s call for more economic stimulus), was gutted by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid for “speedy” passage:

“So Reid selected four provisions that he believes all Senate Democrats and Republicans can agree on: tax breaks for small-business investment; more money for highway construction; expansion of the Build America Bond program, and a payroll-tax exemption for employers hiring someone who’s been jobless for at least 60 days. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi is openly opposing the payroll-tax exemption, a stance which has fiscally conservative Democrats near despair. ‘Democrats are in danger of demonstrating they cannot govern on the most basic level,’ a progressive Democratic party leader said last week.”

That’s right – the Dems are failing at the most basic level. The CPSIA saga and the politics/populism infecting CPSC leadership and policy these days are part and parcel of the same phenomenon. Rhinestones are this week’s victim. Who is next in line – you?

When are you going to say “ENOUGH”?!

Read more here:
CPSIA – Why Do Dems Want to Ban Rhinestones?

CPSIA – Why Do Dems Want to Ban Rhinestones?

Why indeed. The Democrats apparently have it in for rhinestones and are so uptight about this “menace” that they are willing to write an outright ban into the CPSIA, via Mr. Waxman’s new amendment. No more bling for you!

Have we finally entered the land of the looneys?

The Dems’ rallying cry on rhinestones goes way back. On September 10, 2009, Rep. Bobby Rush welcomed Inez Tenenbaum to the one CPSIA hearing since August 2008 by commending her for bravely banning rhinestones.

Let’s think about the basics here:

• Rhinestones are simple embellishments. They are found in inexpensive jewelry, on clothing and shoes, in craft kits, used in scrapbooking, are decorations on kids’ pageant and athletic costumes, adorn hair bows and barrettes, etc. They are bling.
• Rhinestones have no history of causing lead poisoning.
• Rhinestones are even okay to sell under the obnoxious Proposition 65.

Chairman Tenenbaum has conceded in writing that the stones are not dangerous: “Commission staff recognized that most crystal and glass beads do not appear to pose a serious health risk to children . . . .” Of course, CPSC Staff are just scientists and Ph.D.’s, not lawyers writing important laws.

Unfortunately, Tenenbaum recanted her stance in Congressional testimony on September 10, 2009. On September 17, I wrote a letter to Chairman Tenenbaum about her rhinestone testimony . . . but never received a reply. The letter asks her to back up her assertion in testimony that swallowing rhinestones presents a lead poisoning risk. This is an unsupportable contention and perhaps this is why my letter was never accorded a response. In particular, I made the following point about the literal “danger” of rhinestones:

“[T]he Exponent study submitted [by the FJTA] on February 2 indicates that the FDA has determined that six micro-grams of lead per day is required to produce a one micro-gram of lead per deciliter change in blood lead levels in children six years old or younger. Thus, to produce such a change in blood lead levels from jewels would require sustained daily ingestion of 12 grams of stones (roughly 4,000 stones or hundreds of pieces of jewelry) or mouthing of 42 grams of stones (roughly 14,000 stones or more than 1,000 pieces of jewelry). Clearly, this is unlikely to occur, particularly accidentally.” [Emphasis added]

As noted, Tenenbaum never answered this letter.

[See also my posts of July 21, July 21 (no. 2), September 10 and September 12.]

Of course, the natural ally of the Dems, the consumer groups, bang the drum mindlessly for banning rhinestones, too. In my September 20 post, I recounted the attack of Nancy Cowles on the rhinestones “menace”. Here is Ms. Cowles’ suggestion for those who value their bling:

“In an interview with BNA, Nancy Cowles, executive director of Kids in Danger, praised the commission’s July decision on fashion jewelry accessories. Cowles told BNA that lead is a severe toxin with no safe level. She added that while more common sense could be applied to determining which products are hazardous, consumers overall do not want products containing lead. ‘People will come up with other ways to put [jewelry] on children’s clothing that isn’t toxic. Whether the lead [in rhinestones] leaches out fully, it’s hard to know, but we don’t want lead in our children’s products. We will come up with other ways to decorate our clothes,’ Cowles said.”

It’s okay, they just want to protect you.

At this point, I have to ask – what on Earth happened to our country? How did we get to this point? I can’t say for myself, I don’t know how this kind of stridency and absence of BASIC common sense took over our nation. Politics no longer makes sense to me. In today’s New York Times, Senator Evan Byah blasts this theme as he explains why he is dropping out of the Senate after 12 years. It’s a depressing read.

More depressing still is how the Democrats are making such a mess of things and disillusioning so many people, myself certainly included. In yesterday’s Barron’s Magazine, the Dems’ ability to actually govern is questioned. That’s a “wow”. This small article details how Senator Max Baucus’ jobs bill (written in response to President Obama’s call for more economic stimulus), was gutted by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid for “speedy” passage:

“So Reid selected four provisions that he believes all Senate Democrats and Republicans can agree on: tax breaks for small-business investment; more money for highway construction; expansion of the Build America Bond program, and a payroll-tax exemption for employers hiring someone who’s been jobless for at least 60 days. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi is openly opposing the payroll-tax exemption, a stance which has fiscally conservative Democrats near despair. ‘Democrats are in danger of demonstrating they cannot govern on the most basic level,’ a progressive Democratic party leader said last week.”

That’s right – the Dems are failing at the most basic level. The CPSIA saga and the politics/populism infecting CPSC leadership and policy these days are part and parcel of the same phenomenon. Rhinestones are this week’s victim. Who is next in line – you?

When are you going to say “ENOUGH”?!

Read more here:
CPSIA – Why Do Dems Want to Ban Rhinestones?

CPSIA – NAM Coalition Asks for Senate Hearing on CPSIA

The National Association of Manufacturers led a coalition of 41 trade associations and alliances in requesting a promised Senate hearing on the CPSIA this week. In a letter to Senator Mark Pryor, the coalition asked Senator Pryor to honor his commitment to hold hearings 60 days after confirmation of Ms. Tenenbaum as the new Chairman. The letter states: “The various stays of enforcement issued by CPSC to temporarily resolve CPSIA implementation problems will soon expire, and a permanent resolution is needed. We believe that the Senate’s oversight role is extremely important in helping the agency implement common sense solutions to resolve these issues, and we strongly urge you to set a date for a CPSIA oversight hearing.”

These hearings, if they come soon, will be the first opportunity for Congress to hear from business owners affected by this law since the law’s passage. [I am disregarding last May's staged hearing at the House Small Business Committee that was nothing more than an opportunity for the Democratic leadership to launch yet another missile at the CPSC for not using "common sense".] It is shocking that Congress has dodged this necessary “sunshine” activity. I have always felt it is part of their message control where all problems are blamed on the CPSC, Congress naturally being faultless like any good omnipotent organization. The persistence of this Congressional attitude is exposing the CPSC to embarrassment as it attempts the impossible, sensible implementation of a defective law. The harder it tries, the more it twists itself into a tighter pretzel. Notwithstanding the unfortunate position it is in, the CPSC seems quite reluctant to challenge Congress (or even notify Congress of its own educated view of the matter). Care to guess who is stuck in the middle?

We can only hope that Congress will develop a renewed interest in fact finding, or the CPSC will finally stand up and deliver the unsolicited message that the CPSIA needs to be fixed. While that’s hardly kneecapping Congress, I recognize that some members of Congress won’t want to hear anything of the kind. Whether you call these changes “fixes”, “amendments” or “tweaks”, the fact remains that an incoherent, overreaching law governs the land, and its byzantine requirementes are making administration of safety almost as complicated as the tax code. The CPSC needs to educate and guide Congress on the changes necessary to create a robust but workable, effective but sensible regulatory system.

Oh, to dream . . . .

Read more here:
CPSIA – NAM Coalition Asks for Senate Hearing on CPSIA