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Politics

Despite toy uproar, Congress fails to act

Time is running out to fix next year's batch.

By Washington Post
Published December 21, 2007

WASHINGTON - After a year in which American parents discovered Elmo was tainted with lead and Polly had dangerous magnets in her pockets, Congress is going home this week without reforming the nation's consumer product safety system.

The House passed legislation Wednesday that would ban lead from children's products, require toy testing by independent labs, and boost funding for the Consumer Product Safety Commission over the next several years. But the Senate left without taking up that bill or a version passed by a Senate committee in October, making it less likely that toys sold next year will be affected by any regulatory changes.

On Tuesday, Congress approved two far more limited measures affecting the agency as part of a larger spending bill. It passed $80-million for the 2008 fiscal year budget for the consumer commission and a ban on industry-sponsored travel for commissioners and staff.

The delay in the overhaul of the nation's product safety system comes as a disappointment to the bill's supporters in Congress, consumer advocates and the toy industry, which were hoping to get reforms passed by Christmas as a symbolic gift for consumers. The toys that will be opened next week were made months ago, and toymakers are already at work on products for next year.

The bill's sponsors hope to cut a deal with the White House and Senate Republicans by the time Congress returns in late January. Sen. Mark Pryor, D-Ark., who sponsored the Senate bill, said on the floor Wednesday that he was "very close to achieving bipartisan compromise to allow this bill to go forward early next year."

Chris Byrne, an independent toy industry analyst, said the longer it takes for Congress to act, the harder it will be for toymakers to comply with new regulations in time for the next holiday shopping season.

Manufacturers will be finalizing orders for next Christmas in March and April, he said. "That's when they flip the switch and start producing."

[Last modified December 21, 2007, 01:58:57]