Former heads of Consumer Product Safety Commission urge its strengthening

Ann Brown and Pamela Gilbert, the former chairman and executive director of the beleaguered Consumer Product Safety Commission, wrote an Op-Ed piece in Sunday's Washington Post that says what parents already know:

Parents across America are wondering if they can trust the toys on store shelves not to injure their children, or worse. They are asking who's in charge and what are they doing to keep dangerous toys from being sold....

What's the problem?

The commission has no chairman and has lacked a quorum for months. Without a quorum, it cannot bring a lawsuit, assess a penalty or enact new regulations to address hazards in the marketplace. Congress recently passed legislation to give it a quorum for six months, but after that, if no chairman has been approved, the commission will again be effectively unable to act.

What are they waiting for, since we now have weekly lead paint recalls?

Read the whole thing here.