Bush to nominate Baroody as CPSC head

The White House has made months of rumors official. On Thursday afternoon, President Bush announced his intention to nominate Michael E. Baroody (pictured, right) to be chairman of the Consumer Product Safety Commission. Baroody currently serves as the executive vice president of the National Association of Manufacturers; he has also been NAM's senior vice president for policy, communications, and public affairs.

When it comes to safety regulation, NAM has traditionally pushed for a hands-off approach, urging the Commission to rely on educational campaigns and voluntary standards set by industry.  So it will be interesting to hear Baroody's thoughts on the CPSC — and equally interesting to hear what the Democrat-controlled Senate thinks about the nomination.

The CPSC has been without a chairman since Hal Stratton left the Commission last July; and with only two commissioners, the agency has been left without a quorum, limiting its ability to issue new rules or take new action on large civil penalties against firms that have failed to report defective or hazardous products. We think it is very important the CPSC regain its full authority.  However, it is even more important that — as an agency charged with overseeing safety of over 15,000 products, and ensuring that they do not pose unreasonable safety risks — the CPSC must be lead by someone who will champion the interests of consumers. Consumers Union will be urging Congress to carefully scrutinize Baroody's views, perspectives, and biases.  If those views reflect the manufacturers' points of view, we have significant concerns with him running a consumer protection and consumer safety agency.  In the coming next weeks we will be more carefully evaluating his background and urge Congress to do the same.

Comments

[Kyle Kepley]

Why is there always this anti-corporate mentality that anyone with a background in industry can't "champion the interests of consumers?" Industry survives precicely by giving consumers what they want, as opposed to the CPSC which continually burdens industry and increases prices for consumers with their outrageous fines and arbitrary safety policing. Someone with an understanding of the manufacturing sector is much preferred over the typical career politician who won't hesitate to burden industry for political gain, or trial lawyers who view industry as a gold mine to be harvested with lawsuits to the point of bankruptcy! Businesses and industry are what built America and what keeps it going, not busy-body lawyers, regulators, politicians and other self-aggrandizing do gooders.

[Jeff]

This is very interesting since he is coming from the "dark side". Maybe the CPSC will now concentrate on soemething worthwhile isntead of chasing retail chemical suppliers based on a paronia what eveybody wants to make m-80's and such !

Jeff