CPSIA Letter from Vermont Senator Patrick Leahy

This image is an attachment I received with the below letter today from Vermont Senator Patrick Leahy (please click to enlarge it). Senator Leahy has always been a strong supporter of small business, but I wasn't sure what to expect in reply when I wrote to him. This is very positive and gives me hope! Please leave your comments below. I would love to hear what you think.

Dear Ms. Leibovitz:

Thank you for contacting me about third party testing of toys. I appreciate knowing of your concerns.

In July, Congress overwhelmingly approved H.R. 4040, the CPSC Reform Act, to address the safety of products sold in the United States. I supported the bill because the number of consumer safety crises over the past two years demanded that we put more emphasis and funding into product safety and oversight. Major reform was needed because the CPSC had not been properly equipped to handle these serious problems.

A number of small manufacturers in Vermont have contacted me concerning the CPSC's regulatory guidance. During Senate consideration of the bill, I raised similar concerns and sent the attached letter to Senators negotiating the final package. I am hopeful that the CPSC will take the needs of small, American manufacturers into consideration as they continue to develop new testing policies. In the next session of Congress, I will continue to work towards a solution that both ensures the safety of our children and allows small businesses in Vermont to stay competitive.

Thank you again for contacting me. Please keep in touch.

PATRICK LEAHY
United States Senator

Subscribe to Senator Patrick Leahy's periodic newsletter at the following address:
http://leahy.senate.gov/NwsLtr/indexSub.cfm

Comments

[mark hall]

This law could destroy garage sales, eBay, and Thrift Store sales. A disaster, especially in this economy, for young families and anyone who is struggling to survive.

[Justyn]

I think it is great that Senator Leahy responded (I did not get a response from my Oregon Rep.)
Leahy's letter is dated May 08 and Congress DID pass this new legislation in August 08, so Leahy's letter did not help. What we need Leahy and others in Congress to do is to amend the new legislation.
By far the best letter I have read is from NAM. You can read it here.
http://www.fashion-incubator.com/archive/cpsia-i-endorse-the-nam-plan/
I highly encourage everyone to send their representatives a letter letting them know that they are in support of NAM's Plan to this dire problem. NAM's letter is representative of all children's trades and really would benefit everyone.
Medium sized businesses are already starting to test their products. If there is not more outcry directly to your reps I am afraid that nothing will be amended and hand crafted items for our children will no longer be available!
I personally buy handcrafted toys for my son and would like to continue to do so : )
with peace and respect,
Justyn
owner of Go Natural Baby LLC
P.S. Although our clothes are made with certified organic cotton and low impact dyes we will be testing too!

[Aaryn]

I live in Texas and got a great reply from my congressman, Gene Green. I'm not sure what he can do, but at least the issue is on his radar. Got one canned reply from a senator, nothing from the other.

[Pat Austin - Mountainside Crochet]

You're lucky to have such a terrific Senator. My response was an automated "Received your letter. Thanks for writing. I will get back to you shortly" (yeah, right!). That was over a week ago - nothing since. Probably got deleted immediately! At least I tried!

[Marina]

This is really fantastic! I live in CA and so far have received very canned "Thanks for your email" responses from both my senators that didn't even address this bill. Thanks for posting this, it gives some hope :)

[Melissa McKeagney]

So jealous of your letter. Mine was a form letter from Paul Hodes, and didn't address a single concern of mine. Here's the link to the letter:

http://www.littlegirlpearl.blogspot.com

[renee]

Wow, that's good to see. I sent Senator Leahy's office an email a few days ago and got what appeared to be a form letter in response. Maybe I just got the wrong form letter.

[Old School Acres]

YAY!!

[Leigh]

I received a form letter from Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison, saying she supports the bill....and that was about it. It was cold and basically said she didn't care about our plight. I make one-of-a-kind dolls and this is surely becoming a hostile environment for those of my ilk. Thank you for fighting this!

[Cecilia]

I'll do that Steve, thanks for the suggestion. I believe the article that was published in Seven Days http://www.7dvt.com/2008new-safety-law-no-fun-vts-artisan-toymakers yesterday resulted in many calls to Senators Leahy and Sanders. I'll bet their phones are still ringing!

A fellow small business owner, asked today if i thought it would be a good idea to send the letter from Senator Leahy to her congresspeople. I think it's a great idea and would encourage you all to do the same!

And here's some food for thought about Vermont (which I'm sure applies to many other areas in the US):
In Vermont, we need to have small businesses and self-employment because of the geography. There are so many small towns scattered throughout the hills that it's logistically impossible for everyone to have equal opportunity to access large employers, primarily located in the handful of cities that exist in Vermont.

Vermont does not have a public transportation system outside of the major cities, and winter travel can often be treacherous.

Senator Leahy truly believes in and understands our cause. He has been championing for small businesses for many years, and he knows that small businesses are the backbone of Vermont's economy. In the next session of Congress, he will "continue to work towards a solution that both ensures the safety of our children and allows small businesses in Vermont to stay competitive." He will speak for Vermont, but his voice will benefit all of us!

[Steve Lamar]

I would encourage you to call Senator Leahy today or tomorrow to follow up and ask him whether he can contact others in the Senate who wrote the CPSIA (such as Senator Pryor) or the CPSC directly. The CPSC needs to hear from Senators and Members of Congress on this.

Thanks. Steve Lamar

[Tyann Marcink]

I'm glad at least one senator is listening. Claire McCaskill (MO) gave me a canned response that she was proud of the legislation (and subtext: that she didn't care about our plight).

***
From the Desk of Senator Claire McCaskill

Dear Mrs. Marcink:

Thank you for contacting me regarding potentially dangerous substances used in consumer products. I appreciate hearing from you, and I welcome the chance to respond.

The recent spate of consumer product recalls has raised serious questions about consumer safety. Many consumers are concerned that the effectiveness of government agencies charged with enforcing consumer safety standards. Additionally, some are worried that potential health hazards, including many chemicals such as "phthalates" that are commonly used in consumer products, are not being addressed.

Americans deserve strong and effective regulatory oversight that will help prevent unsafe products from reaching store shelves and remove them quickly when they do make it to market. I am proud that the Congress passed a bill H.R. 4040 The Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act, in July 2008. Among its provisions, the new law provides more staff and resources to the chronically underfunded Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), which is supposed to act as a watchdog against dangerous products. Additionally, it requires all manufacturers of children’s products to have those products tested and certified by an independent, third-party inspector, and it increases penalties for violations of consumer standards, among other provisions. The law also bans the use of certain phthalates, which are believed to disrupt hormones in children, in children's toys or other child care articles, and directs the CPSC to determine whether additional restrictions are needed. To help strengthen the enforcement of the law, I was proud to lead the effort to include protections for industry employees who blow the whistle on violations of consumer product safety law, as well as strengthen the role of the CPSC Inspector General.

However, I realize that ensuring the safety of consumer products going forward will require ongoing vigilance and oversight. I will keep your views in mind when considering any legislation affecting regulation of dangerous chemicals.

Thank you again for contacting me. I hope you will continue to reach out with your thoughts and advice in the future.

All best,
Senator Claire McCaskill
***

[Allisa]

Thank you for sharing this letter, great to see an actual response!

[Miriam]

Wow! Great reply! Now, how do we get such responses from our other Congresspeople? (I got 2 canned replies and none from Feinstein.)

[Kathy Ellen Davis]

Patrick Leahy is great.
I used to live in Plattsburgh, NY, across the lake from Burlington, and I used to hear about him on the news all the time.
I'm glad he took the time to write you this later, and I'm glad he cares.

[Heather L.]

Thank you for sharing that personal letter. I wish the reply I got from my rep would not have been a form letter.

[Denise Mollison, The Lucky Pebble LLC]

It's so nice to see a response that is genuine and not a form letter. Thank you for sharing this fantastic news.