The Progressive

NewsWire

A project of Common Dreams

For Immediate Release
Contact: (202) 546-9707

Congress Mulls Dismantling America's Public Health and Consumer Protections

"The Regulatory Accountability Act (H.R. XX) and the Regulatory Flexibility and Improvement Act (H.R. 2542) would threaten the health and safety of the American people, by disarming standards like the ones that keep children safe from faulty cribs and toxic toys. These bills would block enforcement of critical laws by creating new bureaucratic hurdles and impossibly short timelines for approval of public health rules.

WASHINGTON

"The Regulatory Accountability Act (H.R. XX) and the Regulatory Flexibility and Improvement Act (H.R. 2542) would threaten the health and safety of the American people, by disarming standards like the ones that keep children safe from faulty cribs and toxic toys. These bills would block enforcement of critical laws by creating new bureaucratic hurdles and impossibly short timelines for approval of public health rules.

"The Regulatory Accountability Act would add layers of new bureaucratic processes before even simple public health rules could be enforced, and empower special interests to use the courts to delay protections that have been years in the making. For example, in 2011 after a 10 year fight, Congress authorized and the Consumer Product Safety Commission developed new safe crib standards. Parents finally received protection against collapsing cribs that injured and killed far too many infants. The RAA Act would make it easier for special interests to contest the new crib standards in court, delaying these critical protections.

"The Regulatory Flexibility Improvements Act, by adding new layers of red tape and bureaucracy,will potentially jeopardize straightforward proposals. This could hurt the ability to create important new tools such as the www.SaferProducts.gov website, which provides parents with information on dangerous and toxic toys and children's products.

"As a nation, we have made significant progress toward ensuring a safe and healthy marketplace for consumers. Congress should continue in that proud tradition and oppose these bills, to protect the health and safety of the American people."

U.S. PIRG, the federation of state Public Interest Research Groups (PIRGs), stands up to powerful special interests on behalf of the American public, working to win concrete results for our health and our well-being. With a strong network of researchers, advocates, organizers and students in state capitols across the country, we take on the special interests on issues, such as product safety,political corruption, prescription drugs and voting rights,where these interests stand in the way of reform and progress.