Today's Article
President Obama’s
budget for Fiscal Year
2010 will continue a
dangerous under-
funding of the
Consumer Product
Safety Commission
(CPSC).
budget for Fiscal Year
2010 will continue a
dangerous under-
funding of the
Consumer Product
Safety Commission
(CPSC).
The American Spark
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Obama Continues Under-funding Of Consumer Safety Agency
By Cliff Montgomery - June 17th, 2009
President Obama’s budget for Fiscal Year (FY) 2010 will continue a dangerous under-funding of the
Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), the top federal regulator of everyday products like toasters
and toys.
The U.S. government's fiscal year starts on October 1st; hence the budget for FY 2010 will go into effect in
Oct. 2009.
"In the President’s budget, the CPSC receives $107 million, a 71 percent increase in resources since FY
2007," according to a May White House press release.
"This is almost three quarters of the way to meeting the President's goal of doubling CPSC’s funding," added
the May release.
At first glance, the move seems a welcome change from the George W. Bush years, when one of America's
top corporate cops was perilously under-funded. Obama's move is a definite improvement; but it's not quite the
lifesaver that this White House pretends.
Let's take a closer look at the numbers. The release claims that Obama’s call for $107 million marks "a 71
percent increase in resources since FY 2007." That’s technically true. But the Obama Administration fails to
mention that much of this CPSC budget increase actually occurred in Fiscal Years 2008 and 2009.
After receiving a paltry $63 million for FY 2007, CPSC was given $80 million for FY 2008 and received $105
million for FY 2009. Congress deserves the credit for those budget increases.
Readers handy with a calculator will note that Congress thus produced a 67 percent budget increase for
CPSC from Fiscal Year 2007 to FY 2009.
Thus the Obama Administration actually is proposing a tiny budget increase of less than two percent for the
next fiscal year--a far cry from the "71 percent increase in resources since FY 2007" claimed by the president.
In fact, Obama’s request for the agency is nearly 10 percent less than the full amount certified by Congress
last summer through CPSC reform legislation. The agency may receive as much as $118 million for FY 2010.
CPSC has been under-funded and neglected for years. The agency lost half of its funding from 1974--the year
the agency became fully operational--to 2007. Staff levels also have considerably dropped over that period.
At the same time, the various industries and imported products regulated by the CPSC have grown by leaps
and bounds.
The inevitable results are known to any well-informed American. A host of tainted or unsafe products--most
infamously numerous imported toys tainted with lead--increasingly have made it to U.S. consumer shelves.
A remaining hope is that Congress once again will provide CPSC with more public dollars, so that the agency
may more properly fulfill its function as one of America's major corporate cops. Whether the Democrats
running Congress will be as interested in fixing the mistakes of a White House headed by one of their own
remains to be seen.
Like what you're reading so far? Then why not order a full year (52 issues) of the The American Spark e-
newsletter for only $15? A major article covering an story not being told in the Corporate Press will be
delivered to your email every Monday morning for a full year, for less than 30 cents an issue. Order Now!
By Cliff Montgomery - June 17th, 2009
President Obama’s budget for Fiscal Year (FY) 2010 will continue a dangerous under-funding of the
Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), the top federal regulator of everyday products like toasters
and toys.
The U.S. government's fiscal year starts on October 1st; hence the budget for FY 2010 will go into effect in
Oct. 2009.
"In the President’s budget, the CPSC receives $107 million, a 71 percent increase in resources since FY
2007," according to a May White House press release.
"This is almost three quarters of the way to meeting the President's goal of doubling CPSC’s funding," added
the May release.
At first glance, the move seems a welcome change from the George W. Bush years, when one of America's
top corporate cops was perilously under-funded. Obama's move is a definite improvement; but it's not quite the
lifesaver that this White House pretends.
Let's take a closer look at the numbers. The release claims that Obama’s call for $107 million marks "a 71
percent increase in resources since FY 2007." That’s technically true. But the Obama Administration fails to
mention that much of this CPSC budget increase actually occurred in Fiscal Years 2008 and 2009.
After receiving a paltry $63 million for FY 2007, CPSC was given $80 million for FY 2008 and received $105
million for FY 2009. Congress deserves the credit for those budget increases.
Readers handy with a calculator will note that Congress thus produced a 67 percent budget increase for
CPSC from Fiscal Year 2007 to FY 2009.
Thus the Obama Administration actually is proposing a tiny budget increase of less than two percent for the
next fiscal year--a far cry from the "71 percent increase in resources since FY 2007" claimed by the president.
In fact, Obama’s request for the agency is nearly 10 percent less than the full amount certified by Congress
last summer through CPSC reform legislation. The agency may receive as much as $118 million for FY 2010.
CPSC has been under-funded and neglected for years. The agency lost half of its funding from 1974--the year
the agency became fully operational--to 2007. Staff levels also have considerably dropped over that period.
At the same time, the various industries and imported products regulated by the CPSC have grown by leaps
and bounds.
The inevitable results are known to any well-informed American. A host of tainted or unsafe products--most
infamously numerous imported toys tainted with lead--increasingly have made it to U.S. consumer shelves.
A remaining hope is that Congress once again will provide CPSC with more public dollars, so that the agency
may more properly fulfill its function as one of America's major corporate cops. Whether the Democrats
running Congress will be as interested in fixing the mistakes of a White House headed by one of their own
remains to be seen.
Like what you're reading so far? Then why not order a full year (52 issues) of the The American Spark e-
newsletter for only $15? A major article covering an story not being told in the Corporate Press will be
delivered to your email every Monday morning for a full year, for less than 30 cents an issue. Order Now!
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