Lawyers for consumers urge Congress to preserve the Consumer Product Safety Commission, calling for constant protection of consumer rights and safety.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) faces a potential shift in operations, with a proposal in the Biden administration's Fiscal Year 2026 budget suggesting a transfer to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). However, more than 120 consumer advocacy groups have sent a joint letter to Congress, expressing concerns that such a move could cause major delays in product recalls, investigations, and public warnings.
The groups, including national consumer rights organisations, public health organisations, product safety researchers, and community advocates, argue that the commission's narrow focus and specialized expertise have been key to preventing thousands of injuries and fatalities each year. They fear that housing the CPSC within HHS could lead to major delays in safety actions, potentially putting consumers at greater risk.
Key concerns raised by these advocates include delays in safety actions, dilution of focus, and loss of direct accountability. The bureaucratic structure of HHS could slow down rapid CPSC responses to dangerous products, potentially compromising consumer safety. Furthermore, given HHS’s broader health-related mission, there is concern that consumer product safety might receive less prioritized attention compared to the CPSC’s current independent and specialized role.
The coalition warns that this shift would jeopardize consumer protections and create bureaucratic hurdles that delay critical safety actions. Under the proposed structure, safety actions might require additional review and approval from both the HHS Secretary and the Office of Management and Budget, potentially stalling decisions by months or even years.
The groups are calling on Congress to preserve the CPSC as a standalone agency to maintain its ability to efficiently investigate, recall, and warn about unsafe consumer products. They are urging Congress to fully fund the CPSC's original FY 2026 budget request, submitted on June 26, to allow the agency to stop dangerous products at U.S. ports of entry, strengthen enforcement of product safety laws, conduct in-depth investigations of emerging hazards, inform the public more effectively about safety risks, and modernize outdated technologies essential to its mission.
The fate of the CPSC—and its ability to safeguard Americans from hazardous products—hangs in the balance as Congress begins budget negotiations for FY 2026. The coalition's letter serves as a reminder of the importance of maintaining the CPSC's independence and responsiveness to protect public safety effectively.
- The groups contend that relocating the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) from its current independent position to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) could lead to a policy-and-legislation shift that might impact product recalls, investigations, and public warnings, thereby entering the realm of politics.
- The coalition urges Congress to consider the potential impacts on general-news, such as delays in safety actions, dilution of focus, and loss of direct accountability, when deciding whether to preserve the CPSC as a standalone agency or transfer it to HHS.
