Obama Vows to Protect Children from Lead-Based Toys

[Hope And Change]

Obama Vows to Protect Children from Lead-Based Toys


Des Moines, IA | December 15, 2007

Unveils Plan to Strengthen Consumer Product Safety Commission

Des Moines, IA -- U.S. Senator Barack Obama today held a press conference in Waterloo to discuss his commitment to protecting America's children from lead-based products. Since the U.S. government ratified permanent normalized trade relations (PNTR) with China, Chinese consumer products have flooded the U.S. market. Unfortunately, U.S. officials who negotiated and passed PNTR failed to include strong safety and health standards for products entering the U.S. were enforced by the U.S., despite considerable warning that China had a weak safety and health screening process

"Today, going Christmas shopping isn't just a matter of what toys would bring our children the most joy, but what toys are safe to give them," Obama said. "The problem is that what safety standards are applied to toys made in China aren't enforced. And Americans, including many children, are paying the price. In the last six years, over 140 of the 152 consumer product recalls for unsafe lead materials issues have been for products made in China. This has to stop.

In 2005, Obama introduced the Lead-Free Toys Act, which would require the Consumer Product Safety Commission to ban children's products containing more than a trace amount of lead. Following news reports that millions of Chinese-made toys were being recalled because of lead paint, he has also directly pressured toy manufacturers and Bush administration officials to do a better job protecting American children from the threat of imported toys, especially those manufactured in China.

"I've challenged the Bush administration and the toy companies to do a better job of protecting our children from unsafe toys, especially those made in China," Senator Obama said. "And I introduced a bill that would make it illegal to sell a toy that has more than trace amounts of lead - and that's a bill I'll sign into law when I'm President."

Barack Obama has been a consistent champion of strengthening laws to reduce the threat that lead-based products have for our children's health and safety. As president, Obama will build on his long-standing commitment to removing lead from children's products and homes to ensure that all American children are given the best opportunity to succeed in the future and he will push China and other exporters to enforce product health and safety standards.

Click here for more on Senator Obama's plan:http://my.barackobama.com/page/-/iowa/Fact%20Sheet%20Lead%20Toys%20FINAL.pdf">Here

http://www.barackobama.com/2007/12/15/obama_vows_to_protect_children.php">Source

[MethuenProgressive]

1. What legislation has he authored? Co-sponsored? Skipped the vote for?

"Barack Obama has been a consistent champion of strengthening laws to reduce the threat that lead-based products have for our children's health and safety."
Well, "Hope"? Let's see his record. I'm willing to be impressed.

[Bitwit1234]

4. If you are talking about the so call bills he authored, introduced

they were majored flawed...he didn't author any, he introduced a few which never even made it to committee. He co-sponsored a couple, some were introduced by republican and the other consponsors were Snowe and Liberman. I'd say all in all the information posed on his site needs to upgraded and corrected. Is he going to fire the person who gave him the erroneous report. When people did such outrageous things in her campaign Hillary was ethical enough to fire them.

[1corona4u]

5. From his site;

Obama's Lead Free Toys Act, first introduced in November 2005, requires the Consumer Product Safety Commission to classify any children's product containing lead as a banned substance under the Hazardous Substances Act.

No federal limits on lead in children's products currently exist.

http://obama.senate.gov/news/070405-recall_of_child/


And then this from August;


http://obama.senate.gov/press/070803-obama_bill_woul_2/


It's just not enough to me. We should shut it down. Period.

[BenDavid]

2. Miracle Worker..when hope was lost, noble saviour arrived.NOT!

[1corona4u]

3. Yeah they all should, but it needs to go further ...remember what Joe said?

From the debate, months ago....
(Oct. 30th)
MR. WILLIAMS: Senator, Senator Biden, I introduce a new subject here. Christmas shopping season, holiday hoping, almost upon us, as there is a chill in the air. Would you advise Americans against buying imported toys from China, in light of the recent health and safety problems?

SEN. BIDEN: If I were president, I'd shut down, flat shut down any imports from China, period, in terms of toys -- flat shut it down, number one. (Applause.)

Number two, imagine if this -- Morocco was selling these -- these toys. We would have shut it down a year ago.

They have mortgage on our house because Bush mortgaged us to a trillion dollars to them. He is responsible for this. This is outrageous.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xuOkXgZqofA



And, if Joe did shut it down, maybe we could get some toy companies back in the US, thus creating more jobs.