Leaders of the Senate Commerce Committee have announced a compromise on major CPSC reform legislation approved in committee last fall. The committee's lead Republican, co-chairman and Senator Ted Stevens (R-AK), has signed off on a modified version of S. 2045, the CPSC Reform Act sponsored by Senators Mark Pryor (D-AR), Chairman Daniel Inouye (D-HI) and others. There is no word yet on whether the deal guarantees that all Senators will consent to bringing the bill to the floor without pernicious delays common to the Senate under its rules, but this is a major step. Our hope is to enact final legislation that melds the best parts of the House-passed bill, HR 4040, with the Senate bill, and even improves them where they are lacking.

Also this week, I am speaking both today and Thursday at the International Consumer Product Health and Safety Organization annual conference. Other speakers include Rep. Bobby Rush (D-IL), lead sponsor of HR 4040, CPSC acting chair Nancy Nord and key hill staff. The event committee is chaired by Rachel Weintraub of the Consumer Federation of America.

Finally, our colleagues at Kids In Danger have released an important report called 2007: The Year of the Recall. Check it out:

There were 231 recalls accounting for more than 46 million items, including twelve recalls that involved one million or more units. "These products together caused at least 657 injuries and 6 deaths," stated Nancy Cowles, executive director of Kids In Danger. " And those incidents include only those already reported at the time of the recall. More needs to be done to protect children from these hazards."