[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – United States Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Mark Pryor (D-AR) criticized the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) in a letter today, after the Chicago Tribune reported that 200,000 Simplicity-made bassinets, carrying the brand name GRACO, were not included in the massive recall announced on August 27th. The Tribune reports that the CPSC has known for nearly two weeks that some GRACO brand bassinets were, in fact, the same product as the recalled Simplicity bassinets.

“We find it almost incomprehensible why the federal agency charged with protecting the health and safety of millions of American families has done nothing to notify consumers in that time,” the Senators wrote. “We have not been able to make sense of your agency’s action to advise consumers and retailers of dangers posed by the Simplicity bassinet on one hand, and its inaction and silence with regard to the very same bassinet under the GRACO brand on the other.”

On August 27th, the Commission announced that a design problem with Simplicity 3-in-1 and 4-in-1 bassinets had led to the death of at least two children. Following that announcement, a recall of nearly 900,000 bassinets was ordered.

The Senators called on Commission’s Acting Chairman, Nancy Nord, to explain the agency’s response to the Simplicity bassinet recall and why seemingly no action was taken after learning that additional dangerous bassinets were still on the market. Durbin and Pryor hope to meet with her in the next two weeks.

Senators Durbin and Pryor are leaders in the Senate on the issue of consumer safety. Both are Chairmen of subcommittees which oversee the Consumer Product Safety Commission and they worked together to pass the Consumer Product Safety Modernization Act in July of this year. The bill was seen as landmark consumer safety legislation designed to overhaul the CPSC, ban the use of lead in toys for young children, improve toy safety standards and beef up safety testing protocols.

A copy of the letter can be found below:

September 12, 2008

The Honorable Nancy Nord
Acting Chairman
U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
4330 East West Highway
Bethesda, Maryland 20814

Dear Chairman Nord:

We are writing in response to the continuing confusion surrounding the recall of Simplicity bassinets. We would appreciate the opportunity to meet with you as soon as possible to discuss the Consumer Product Safety Commission’s response to this situation.

On August 27th, the Commission announced that a design problem with Simplicity 3-in-1 and 4-in-1 bassinets, had led to the death of at least two children. Following that announcement, a recall of nearly 900,000 bassinets was ordered.

The Chicago Tribune reported this week that 200,000 Simplicity-made bassinets, carrying the brand name GRACO, were not included in that August 27th recall. Furthermore, the Tribune reports that the Commission has known for nearly two weeks that some GRACO brand bassinets were, in fact, the same product as the recalled Simplicity bassinets. We find it almost incomprehensible why the federal agency charged with protecting the health and safety of millions of American families has done nothing to notify consumers in that time.

We have not been able to make sense of your agency’s action to advise consumers and retailers of dangers posed by the Simplicity bassinet on one hand, and its inaction and silence with regard to the very same bassinet under the GRACO brand on the other.

CPSC’s August 27th response included important advisories, including a consumer alert, asking parents not to use Simplicity bassinets, and a directive to retailers to remove the product from shelves. Although SFCA, the current owner of the Simplicity brand, refused to cooperate, your agency exercised authority created by the recently enacted Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act to warn consumers and take the dangerous product off store shelves.

While we commend the Commission’s actions to advise consumers and recruit retailers in the initial recall of Simplicity products, we are mystified by the agency’s willingness to sit in silence while it knew GRACO products were just as dangerous. We would appreciate the opportunity to meet with you to discuss the Consumer Product Safety Commission’s response to information as it became available to the Commission.

Sincerely,

Richard J. Durbin
U.S. Senator

Mark Pryor
U.S. Senator