NEWS RELEASE

Committee on Energy and Commerce
Rep. John D. Dingell, Chairman

Committee Requests Follow-Up Information on Lead-Tainted Children’s Products

Washington, D.C. – The Committee on Energy and Commerce yesterday sent letters to four companies to request further information on the discovery of lead in their children’s products. In the letters, Reps. Bobby Rush (D-IL) and Cliff Stearns (R-FL), Chairman and Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade and Consumer Protection, asked top executives at Claire’s Boutique, RC2, Dollar General and GeoCentral to provide clarifications and further details to responses the companies previously supplied the Committee in regards to toy testing, vendor contracts, recalled products and the companies’ processes for recalling products.

“To solve the problem of lead in children’s products, we must first retrace the events that allowed these serious mistakes to occur,” said Rep. John D. Dingell (D-MI), Chairman of the Committee on Energy and Commerce. “Unfortunately, we did not receive the complete answers we sought from all of the companies the first time around. These specifics are extremely important as we proceed in drafting legislation to protect children from lead-tainted products in the future.”

“These companies have vast outreach and consumer impact in communities throughout the U.S., especially companies like Dollar General with retail outlets concentrated in large, urban and predominately low-income communities,” said Rush. “They operate with a tacit level of good will within the communities they serve. Being responsive to our inquiries, on behalf of the American people, is vital and we welcome a timely response.”

In August, the Committee opened an investigation into the widespread findings of lead in children’s products imported from China. The same month, the Committee sent letters to 19 retailers and importers requesting information on their findings of lead. On September 19 and 20, the Committee held a hearing on lead in children’s products and the resulting recalls. During the hearing, Chairman Dingell, Ranking Member Barton, Chairman Rush, and Ranking Member Stearns expressed their intent to work together on bipartisan comprehensive legislation to make further improvements to ensure the safety of children’s products, including toys, and to reform the Consumer Product Safety Commission. The lawmakers will likely introduce the resulting legislation in the coming week.

Please visit http://energycommerce.house.gov to view the letters sent yesterday and all materials related to the Committee investigation, including Committee letters, the companies’ responses and hearing testimony.

Read the letters

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