Dick Durbin Calls for Meeting with Toy Manufacturers, Retailers on Safety Standards and Inspections of Chinese Toy Shipments

August 14, 2007 -- [WASHINGTON, D.C.] - United States Senator Dick Durbin released the following statement today, following the second recall announcement by Mattel Toys in as many weeks, after concerns that toys manufactured in China were tainted with lead paint.

"Another week, another recall of Chinese-made toys. We can’t wait any longer for China to crack down on its lax safety standards. This needs to stop now before more children and more families are put at risk."

"I have asked to meet, next week, with the CEO's of the major U.S. toy manufacturers and retailers and will urge them to voluntarily submit to third party inspections of their Chinese manufactured products. I've joined Senator Bill Nelson (D-FL) in introducing legislation that would make this a requirement and I hope that Congress will pass this bill when we return next month."

"This problem is serious, and I think that we should temporarily detain and inspect all shipments of children’s products from China that contain paint. Doing so is a strong step, but one that will catch tainted and dangerous toys before they hit store shelves. I've asked CPSC to examine this option and I hope that in light of this new recall, they will take a serious look at such action."

"Today's recall underscores the larger problem -- as we import more toys from countries with different safety standards we must be more vigilant in protecting children and families. We need meaningful safety standards for imported products and a CPSC with the resources to do their job. The time to talk is over. It’s now time to act."

Last month, Durbin introduced the Consumer Product Safety Modernization Act, will dramatically expand CPSC’s ability to protect American consumers. This bill increases the authorized funding level for the agency over the next five years, repeals the requirement that the CPSC have a quorum to engage in regulatory actions, decreases the amount of time that firms have to respond to the information CPSC releases, institutes a civil penalty for retailers that knowingly sell a recalled product, and increases maximum fine for violations.

Senator Bill Nelson (D-FL) and Durbin, who chairs the Senate Appropriations subcommittee with jurisdiction over the CPSC, are the lead cosponsors of the Children’s Products Safety Act which would require all children’s products -- both imports and those manufactured domestically -- to be certified as having met rigorous product safety standards by independent laboratories.

Source: Senator Dick Durbin