WASHINGTON, D.C. – Representative Edward J. Markey (D-MA), a senior member of the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade, and Consumer Protection, which oversees federal consumer safety issues, released the following statement in reaction to toy recalls announced the past week:

Rep. Markey said, “While today’s recall announcement will pull millions of unsafe toys from store shelves, I am concerned that many more harmful children’s products may be proliferating in the marketplace without parents knowing the dangers. The Consumer Product Safety Commission is without a permanent chairman, after the Bush Administration – in a classic “fox guarding the henhouse” maneuver – nominated an executive of the association representing the nation’s biggest manufacturers to regulate many of these very same manufacturers. While this nomination has been withdrawn, the Commission still lacks the needed resources to perform its important mission. As a member of the committee with responsibility for oversight of the Commission, I look forward to probing the circumstances of this latest recall and working to provide the Commission with the authority and additional resources it needs to protect American consumers.”