Consumer Safety Chief Says She Won't Quit

Acting CPSC Head Nancy Nord Under Fire For Handling Of Toy Recalls

(CBS/AP)  The head of the Consumer Product Safety Commission said Wednesday she won't heed Democratic lawmakers' calls for her resignation.

"At this point I have no intention of resigning," said acting Chairwoman Nancy Nord. "I'm doing my job, and part of my job is to talk with Congress about the tools and resources we need."

Nord rejected criticism that she is controlled by the White House and too cozy with manufacturers.

"I'm dedicated to the mission of this agency. We work every day to make sure the marketplace is safe for consumers," she said in an interview with CBS' The Early Show co-anchor Julie Chen.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has called for Nord's resignation, saying that even after the recalls of millions of Chinese-made toys Nord has failed to see the gravity of the situation.

"I think she's an employee of the Bush administration and toy safety and product safety is not a priority for them," Pelosi said.

Pelosi's chief gripe is that Nord actually opposes a bill that would double the agency's budget over the next seven years to more than $141 million a year, reported CBS News correspondent Chip Reid.

"Any commission chair who (says) ... we don't need any more authority or any more resources to do our job, does not understand the gravity of the situation," Pelosi said Tuesday. "I call on the president of the United States to ask for the resignation."

Nord says she would "absolutely welcome" more resources, but wants to make sure she has "the right tools and the right people."

"I want to be hiring more safety inspectors and scientists and compliance officers, I don't want to be hiring lawyers," she said.

Pelosi has been joined in her call for Nord's resignation by other Democrats in the House and Senate, including Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, and representatives like Bobby Rush, D-Ill., and Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn.

Nord, in an Oct. 24 letter to the Senate Commerce Committee, said the Democratic bill doubling the agency's funding and giving it greater authority to inspect and recall products "could have the unintended consequence of hampering, rather than furthering, consumer product safety." She specifically complained that the additional responsibilities the bill adds will make it more difficult for the agency to do its job.

The White House also opposes the legislation, citing the same reasons as Nord, reported Reid.

"We have serious concerns with a number of provisions in the legislation,” said Allan Hubbard, director of the National Economic Council and assistant to the president for economic policy.

Despite the opposition, the committee sent legislation to the full Senate that would increase the number of workers at the agency to at least 500 by 2013, modernize its testing facilities and increase the number of safety inspectors at U.S. ports.

The Consumer Products Safety Commission was founded in 1973 with a staff of about 800. It now employs about half that number, while the importation of products from other countries has vastly increased.

Democrats say the limited resources given to the CPSC have made products used by Americans less safe.

Under the bill, the agency's budget would go to $80 million in 2009 and increase 10 percent each year after that.

"It is very clear to me, as well as millions of moms and dads around the country, that the CPSC is failing to keep dangerous toys and products out of the marketplace," said Sen. Mark Pryor, D-Ark., who co-sponsored the legislation with Sen. Daniel Inouye, D-Hawaii.

More than 21 million toys made in China - from Baby Einstein Discover & Play Color Blocks from Kids II Inc., to Thomas & Friends Wooden Railway by RC2 Corp. - have been recalled because of excessive levels of lead paint, tiny magnets that could be swallowed or other potentially serious problems.

Lead is toxic if ingested by young children.

[danstoned]

Wont quit? Then fire this worthless ***!

[lochlan-2009]

It is quite clear this woman is a typical self obsessed republican. Her Chinese equivelant was shot by firing squad. But she, and her GOP morals, feels that she shouldn''t have to resign after poisoning an entire nations children with lead, never mind the economic impact on these companies and their shareholders.

"Lead is toxic if ingested by young children." - Notice all the republicans asking for her resignation.

[terrapin78]

Acting Director, just another BS Bu$h appointment that was to avoid Congressional approval. These people need to go.

IMPEACH!!!!!!

[trillion1]

Why should she quit. She''s a bush lacky just like j@rkoff at DHS and would never be fired. Her open distain for ethics and morals is all she needs to keep her job.

[pepperp1]

"I''m dedicated to the mission of this agency. We work every day to make sure the marketplace is safe for consumers," she said in an interview with CBS'' The Early Show co-anchor Julie Chen.


Pity, she should resign while she may dedicated her wordsm she has failed consumers and retailer%u2019s parents will not buy this poison, period. But no big surprise there for this Adminstartion. Wonder if Mattel is a big GOP donor also?

[antoniof123]

Acting Director, just another BS Bu$h appointment that was to avoid Congressional approval. These people need to go.

IMPEACH!!!!!!

Posted by Terrapin78 at 10:01 AM : Oct 31, 2007

IMPEACH is the wrong thing we need to kill the cancer. That my friend comes in 2008 when first we elect a Democrat President and then a full Democrat congress. Neocons I hope that you lock step this time because you are going to find out what happens when America really finds out who the enemy is they remove the cancer.

[toolmangler-2009]

Pity, she should resign while she may dedicated her wordsm she has failed consumers and retailer%u2019s parents will not buy this poison, period. But no big surprise there for this Adminstartion. Wonder if Mattel is a big GOP donor also?

Posted by pepperp1 at 10:34 AM : Oct 31, 2007


I say this without rancor, Pelosi is on a ''witch hunt'' any body that can make it seem as if she is "not letting the GOP get by with anything'' is fair game. This woman (Acting CPSC Head Nancy Nord) asked for more funds to be made available so she could make her agency more effective. She didn''t ask for anyone to run it for her. I am running out of Dems to vote for because of stupid partisanship.

[oscarez]

"I''''m dedicated to the mission of this agency. We work every day to make sure the marketplace is safe for consumers."

Right, how much can one toy tester do.

[liberalme]

Slthough I believe she is, in part, responsible--the primary fault lies in the corporations outsourcing work to these countries for minimal wages and no oversight on what they''re doing!

The corporations should know these sweat shops are using less than standard materials at less than liveable wages so they can raise the prices 150% once the products get to the US!

It starts with the corporations and ends up with US and anyone in between that''s not doing their jobs needs to be fired!

[toolmangler-2009]

"I think she''s an employee of the Bush administration and toy safety and product safety is not a priority for them."

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi


If that means that saving the lives of our people fighting in the ME is more important, then I agree 100%.

[slim1h2o]

"I want to be hiring more safety inspectors and scientists and compliance officers, said Nord:

You should have hired them when you had the chance, instead of turning the money down. Hell I''ll take a job as safty inspector, plus all those sweet perks, like cheap health ins, etc, etc, sign me up.

[twylacrat]

Why are these pampered, spoiled, rich little Bush appointees not responsible for anything. The rest of us are working 60 hours a week, expected to actually monitor our vendors and do our job. Even then, our pensions are stolen, our health insurance taken away and our jobs are on the line. Is anyone listening out there? If you''re not angry, you''re not paying attention!

[twylacrat]

What is that wild-eyed bimbo taking anyway? Is she sharing Limbaugh''s oxycontin?

[creeper00]

"This woman (Acting CPSC Head Nancy Nord) asked for more funds to be made available so she could make her agency more effective."

Please cite a source for this statement. The woman is TURNING DOWN money, not asking for more.

[realpatriot1]

Toolmangler,

She isn''t trying to make her department more effective.
She''s talking trash. There''s no need for the CPSC to hire lawyers and she knows it. Who''s going to be sueing the government for enforcing the law?

What she was doing is producing a soundbite to make it known that she doesn''t want to enforce the product safety regulations established by Congress; in other words, she wants to keep her paycheck but she doesn''t want to perform the duties of her job.

It''s the job of Congress to establish the regulations and set the budget constraints for government agencies. It''s the job of those agencies to fulfill the mission, not complain about it.

[walt1944-2009]

It has been learned that the head of the CPSC will not quit because of evil Democrats comlaining of her doing a lousy job protecting the subjects of the USSA from garbage from China and elsewhere.

This, of course, has been heard before, VERY FREQUENTLY from other "Bushies" in the Emperor''s court who ended up in deep "do-do". Everyone will no doubt remember how steadfastly the Emperor stood by his Secretary of "The Fence", Donald (Rummy) Rumsfeld, and more recently his AG, Alberto (the Great Gonzo) Gonzales.

It was last heard that The Great Gonzo is keeping an extremely "low" profile and busy hiring dozens of lawyers (obviously he is incapable of defending himself) to defend him from anything he did from the moment of his birth to date! Rummy, on the other hand, is reportedly "on the run" in Europe as the Europeans want to arrest him for crimes against humanity!

It is expected the same fate awaits CPSC chief Nord, with the Emperor making "arrangements" for her to move on to a comfortable life style in rural Tibet!

SIG HEIL, BUSH!!!

[gkc99]

"You''re doing a heck of a job, Nordie!"--George W. Bushit.

[eggy1620]

Congress does not write regulations. That%u2019s the job of regulatory agencies. And they don%u2019t answer to Congress. They answer to the president. The White House is the source of all the discord. The CPSC would love to enforce the regulations is writes, but Bush%u2019s grand plan for all executive branch agencies is to make them look incompetent so that the public rejects their existence and government gets smaller.

[jetranger7]

Okie-Dokie Miss Nord, evidently you don''t get the picture, so here I''ll Paint One for you-"YOUR-FIRED"! I''m Firing your Azz, as a Tax Paying Citizen, do you get that ?? Your History, effective Immediately, now do you get it ?? Effective Immediately ! Fired ! Gonnaer, Bye,Bye, see Ya, so-long, Your-History, No-more,good ridence ,,, WoW, I hope she gets the point now ! To think they actually hire people that Stupid in Washington, just Amazing !!!!

[jetranger7]

Well Mrs. Nord is just the Typical-Deadbeat,Arrogrant-Repulsive-Republican like the rest of them, who could actually careless about toy saftey or your KIDS !!! She and the Republicans have another Agenda to thin out the population of the world so they have more control, they think, and if a few of your kiddies get sick and croak, so what, not their problem, their pockets are lined $$$$ !!!!! Just So Typical, look at our food saftey problems under this Adminstration, , pathetic !

[bookwerm314]

The real point of this is that the role is to protect the public NOT be the patsy of industry. And she is failing in that role. And recognizing that failure is due to a lack of resources, she she have been screaming and pushing to get the resources necessary to do her job. She has not. That is the failure. A secondary matter is how the inspections are funded. For US based manufacturers, it is a reasonable expectation that the taxes a local US plant pays is supporting inspection. For overseas imports, that is not the case. The importation of items should have sufficient fees and costs related to SELF SUPPORT the necessary safety inspections! This is not rocket science. You use a service, you pay. You import goods, you pay to have them inspected. Having appropriate fees for inspection for ALL imports means that the American Public will STOP subsidizing big business and their "cheap imports" workaround to costs, as while they do save some cost, many others get shifted to US, the US taxpayer. Think about it. Why should YOU pay, so some toy company can import from China or elsewhere? Makes no sense. Those fees could go right to the right agency, be a scaleable/self supporting entity, and NOT a tax based support.

[tnichlsn]

tie her down and pour a gallon of lead paint down her throat...

[jetranger7]

OK,OK, AFTER WATCHING THE CBS VIDEO I CAN TELL, SHE IS NOT THE ONE FOR THE JOB, YOU CAN TELL BY THE WAY SHE TALKS AND HER BODY ACTIONS, SHES NOTHING MORE THAN A WASHINGTON AZZ SITTER, DO NOTHING, LISTEN TO ME TALK EVER SO SLOWLY, I''M SO EDUCATED AND HIGH AND MIGHTY, YOU REALLY THINK I''M GOING TO JUMP UP AND DOWN AND WAVE MY ARMS, WHO ME, YOU KIDDING, THATS NOT WHAT THEY TAUGHT ME IN HARVARD, I''M SO FORTUNATE,,, TIME TO SHIP HER AZZ- NOW FIRE HER !!

[finewoven]

". . .additional responsibilities the bill adds will make it more difficult for the agency to do its job."

Isn''t this the case with every Conservative evangelical''s situation. It is so tough to take responsibility. The devil is in the details you know, and they cannot be the agent of ignorance or evil, no matter how many lead-laced toys our children get for Christmas. NO CHILD WILL BE LEFT BEHIND.

[finewoven]

The real point of this is that the role is to protect the public NOT be the patsy of industry. Posted by bookwerm314 at 12:51 PM : Oct 31, 2007

The patsy of a the Republican Holier than thou base. Cut taxes, cut oversight, cut funding for healthcare for poor children, cut off their nose despite their face.

[condumism]

Nancy Nord is the epitome of the Republicon used car salesman (girl) personality. All Cons have this type of character. They all smile and lie at the same time. Ever met on Con that was not this type of person? I have not, ever.

[ringading3]

Thank You Nancy Nord for not bloating the Federal Government with more lawyers! This whole bogus issue is the DemonCraps trying to appease the UNION THUGS who oppose the cheap imports from overseas. This is why John Edwards does not have a chance because down deep people hate rich lawyers with $400 haircuts and 28,000 sq ft homes that are for "the poor".

[lochlan-2009]

Can''t see the comments.

[ringading3]

President Bush (my President) you made a great appointment in Nancy Nord. Tell Pelosi and the DumboCraps to go shove it!

[finewoven]

If that means that saving the lives of our people fighting in the ME is more important, then I agree 100%.
Posted by ToolMangler at 11:27 AM : Oct 31, 2007

Good point. No need to be concerned about the next generation of chilren here in America, nor even veterans at Walter Reed MC, or FEMA, or any of the other agencies left without proper leadership. Preoccupation with the prize over there seems to translate into ignoring the situation here at home.

[condumism]

Posted by RingADing3
President Bush (my President) you made a great appointment in Nancy Nord. Tell Pelosi and the DumboCraps to go shove it!

As I said, ever met a Republicon that did not have the character of a used car salesman? YOu know the type, they all smile and lie to your face all at the same time, as the poster above.

[one_american]

Typical incompetent Democrat, to think they can run the entire show just by shooting their mouth off.

Nancy Pelosi should make like a Teddy Bear and get stuffed.

[condumism]

Posted by One_American
Typical incompetent Democrat

Soon One_American may have to change her name to The_Only_American (still in love with and who would never form a contrary opinion to Neocon Bush)

[missingamerica]

Of course she''s not going to quit; she''s a Republican. They don''t quit even when they get caught lying or playing footsie in the bathroom.

[toolmangler-2009]

You should have hired them when you had the chance, instead of turning the money down. Hell I''''ll take a job as safty inspector, plus all those sweet perks, like cheap health ins, etc, etc, sign me up.

Posted by slim1h2o at 11:28 AM : Oct 31, 2007


Bush stripped the dept down before she got there if memory serves me right

[hawksprings]

What drives Nancy Peloozy the craziest is the suggestion that the government actually REDUCE spending on ANYTHING.

Democrats don''t know what that means.

[liberalme]

What drives Nancy Peloozy the craziest is the suggestion that the government actually REDUCE spending on ANYTHING.

Democrats don''''t know what that means.
Posted by hawksprings

And we have spent how much on Iraq?
And this idiot running the ocuntry WANTS how much more for "bullets"?

Do we really believe he wants bullets? hahahaha that much money for bullets?
More like more money for his "special interests" and them ain''t our troops pal!

Toolmangler is right--we had most of the current debt before Pelozi joined forces with Bush--she hasn''t done anything that has been expected of the Dems as yet, so I figure she''s one of them now--along with Kennedy etc.

[condumism]

Posted by hawksprings
What drives Nancy Peloozy the craziest is the suggestion that the government actually REDUCE spending on ANYTHING. Democrats don''''t know what that means.

Ever met a Con that did not have the personality of a used car salesman? You know them; tell ya anything that they think you want to hear, smiling and lying all at the same time. This is the real character of every Republicon in the USA.

[usaprophet]

In Congress, Paul is not only known for his lack of ego (a rare quality in Washington), he''s widely admired for his resistance to the influence of special interest groups. They don''t call him "Dr. No" for no reason. He consistanly votes against pork-barrel spending. In a rice-growing, cattle-ranching district, Dr. Paul consistently votes against farm subsidies. In the very district where, on the night of Sept. 8, 1900, a storm destroyed the city of Galveston, leaving mor than 6,000 dead, and where repairs from Hurricane Rita and refugees from Hurricane Katrina continue to exact their toll, he votes against FEMA and flood aid. In a district that is home to thousands of employees of the Johnson Space Center, he votes against financing NASA. I don''t know this for sure, but my bet is that he''d consider the Consumer Product Safety Commission an unnecessay waste of taxpayer dollars as well. So do I. Ron Paul is a man with Presidential-like integrity and frugal spending principles when it comes to taxpayer money. He has my vote.

[finewoven]

or playing footsie in the bathroom.
Posted by ibsteve2u at 01:49 PM : Oct 31, 2007

Don''t quit even then.

[hawksprings]

Condumism
Sounds like you''re describing Bill Clinton, the Icon of the Democrat party.

[condumism]

hawksprings
Actually I was describing every Republicon that I have ever met in my life, and I repeat:

Ever met a Con that did not have the personality of a used car salesman? You know them; tell ya anything that they think you want to hear, smiling and lying all at the same time. This is the real character of every Republicon in the USA.

[ioweign]

They have 100,000 private blackwater types in Iraq protecting 50-100 diplomats and military at what cost ?

And we have 300 million people here being exposed to the garbage these American companies are importing from China and Nord thinks she is protecting us and is on top of it ??

[sissy_8]

For those who have posted negatively to the democrats so-called competance or lack thereof, I would like these same "posters" who are obviously republican minded, to name one single, solitary competant thing this administration has accomplished. Just one, anywhere, that''s all I want. It can be an agency, a policy, a person named to head a department, ANYTHING OR ANYBODY. Simply YOU CAN''T. Total, complete abject failures everywhere and YOU have the unmetigated gall to say democrats want to "control everything"....PLEASE, when can they?

[bluesky2you]

Pelosi, like Hillary, is just another governmental buffoon the American people can do without.

[usaprophet]

To those who don''t vote: Voter disenfranchisement and apathy infects the heart of our Republic. Get off your couch, put your remote control down, and become active in your nation''s political process. The pathetically few people that do vote in this country, a.k.a., "the ruling class", who currently get to decide under what kind of conditions (and Laws) you and your family will live, are certainly involved. I can assure you of that. In fact, the ruling class would be much happier if you would just continue to stay home and watch TV in your pleasantly distracted and brainwashed, stupor. That way they can continue to elect their political ****** to office, and continue to maintain their grip on 100% of the political power they currently own in this country. If you voted (God Forbid), it would cancel-out their vote, and they would lose control. They can''t have that. Can they? If you don''t vote, my friends, you''re nothing but an unwashed "Pleb" to those that do, and the ruling class should rightfully consider themselves superior to you in every way. They do, after all, have all the power, while you have none. If you''re too apathetic and powerless to do anything for yourself more time-consuming than driving down to Mickey D''s to buy a milk shake in order to sieze control of your life, and your country''s destiny, then perhaps you deserve to be ruled over like the "Pleb" that you then are. The time to act is now. The time for political revolution has come. The time for Ron Paul is NOW!

[realpatriot1]

bluesky2you,

Nancy Pelosi is currently the only governmental buffoon who is looking out for the safety of our children and our ports.

It''s clowns like Nord we can do without. She needs to join Mike Brown and Don Rumsfeld in the private sector.

[sharncedar]

To those who don''''t vote: Voter disenfranchisement and apathy infects the heart of our Republic. Get off your couch, put your remote control down, and become active in your nation''''s political process.

Posted by USAProphet at 04:57 PM : Oct 31, 2007

Change doesn''t work like that. Replacing one clown for another doesn''t create change. It''s still a damm circus. What creates change is putting some fear and respect into the clowns we got.

Ron Pual even if he were elected would be another crook in 40 days of taking office. Just like everyone who says they are going to Washington to clean up. We need to get the guys there now to listen, we need to get them to listen real good. That way they stay in power but do a better job and learn to serve the people of the nation, not the sick freaks who are rich and selfish.

[usaprophet]

You get the sense that the country is desperate for someone to show us the way. Not the old way. Not the same way, but a NEW WAY. Think about this for a minute. What if we pulled all of our troops out of South Korea? They''ve been there for 50 years. Tens of thousands of them. What if we quit worrying about Iran, but instead, realized that its having a nuclear weapon will not mean the end of the world? What if we pulled all of our troops out of Iraq, and brought them all home? What if we realistically addressed the National Debt, and paid attention to REALLY DOING SOMETHING about stopping illegal immigration? These are the ideas Republican Presidential candidate, Dr. Ron Paul. He''s a ten term Congressman and a physician who has delivered over 4,000 babies. Ron Paul has been married to the same woman for more than 50 years, which means he doesn''t come to the race with the sort of baggage some of the other candidates for the White House do. Paul is given to mulling things over morally. He was once a pious Lutheran, but now attends a Baptist church. He never travels alone with women, and once even dressed-down an aide for using the expression "red-light district" in front of a female colleague. I support the 2008 candidacy of Congressman, Ron Paul for President of The United States. Candidates with the high level of personal integrity and track record of adherance to The Constitution Ron Paul always demonstrates only come around once in a lifetime, if we''re lucky. Go Ron!

[formrusmcsgt]

Nord, in an Oct. 24 letter to the Senate Commerce Committee, said the Democratic bill doubling the agency''s funding and giving it greater authority to inspect and recall products "could have the unintended consequence of hampering, rather than furthering, consumer product safety."

Typical neocon doublespeak.