FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 8, 2001
Release # 01-215
CPSC Consumer Hotline: (800) 638-2772
CPSC Media Contact: Ken Giles, (301) 504-7052
CPSC Chairman Ann Brown Announces Resignation
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Ann Brown, Chairman of the U.S. Consumer Product
Safety Commission (CPSC), announced today her intention to resign as
Chairman and as a Commissioner on November 1, 2001, unless another
Chairman is nominated and confirmed by the Senate before that date.
Chairman Brown expressed the hope that the President would appoint a new
Chairman who shares his philosophy, and also believes in the mission of
the Consumer Product Safety Commission. As Chairman, Ms. Brown's goal
has been to keep families - and especially children - safe.
She also outlined a number of areas for action before her term is over.
They include: redesigning baby bath seats to prevent children from
drowning; a major recall of (or lawsuit regarding) a very dangerous
product that kills and maims children; a standard for mattresses to
protect against deaths from fires; a standard for bed rails to prevent
children from suffocating when their heads get entrapped between the
rail and the bed; and child resistant packaging for baby oil and other
similar products to prevent aspiration deaths and injuries to children.
Chairman Brown stated: "I plan to devote the coming months to working
on these very important matters and others. What we do at the CPSC is
keep people safe and protect lives. As you can see, I plan to continue
to help doing that for the next few months. As long as I am Chairman, I
will work with CPSC's staff to pursue our mission with all our
collective energy. It is the noblest of missions. I feel privileged to
have been able to work here for almost 8 years and look forward to what
we will achieve in the coming months."
Chairman Brown also unveiled plans to found a non-profit foundation
called SAFE - a Safer America for Everyone - that will engage business,
consumers and others in this critical mission.
"When I leave the agency, I am going to continue working to keep
families and children safe," Brown said.
Ann Brown was sworn in as Chairman of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety
Commission on March 10, 1994. She was nominated by President Clinton
and confirmed by the U.S. Senate as a Commissioner and the seventh
Chairman of the CPSC. On June 10, 1999, the President nominated
Chairman Brown for a second term and on July 1, 1999, the Senate
confirmed her for a seven-year term.
Official statement attached.
STATEMENT BY CHAIRMAN ANN BROWN
ANNOUNCING DEPARTURE DATE
August 8, 2001
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has received a great
deal of attention in the last few weeks. I am very gratified by the
recognition we have received for the work we do here and its importance
to the American public.
There has been considerable speculation about my plans. I want to end
that speculation. President Bush is entitled to appoint his own
Chairman of the CPSC. I plan to give him that opportunity. I will
resign as Chairman and as a Commissioner on November 1, 2001, unless
another Chairman is nominated and confirmed by the Senate before then.
Nobody would be more pleased than I would if President Bush uses this
opportunity to appoint a new Chairman who shares his philosophy, and
also believes in the mission of this agency and will build on our work
to protect the American public. I am hopeful that this announcement
will provide time for another nominee to go through the confirmation
process.
We have unfinished business here at the Commission. There are a number
of areas where we need to take action to save children's lives before I
leave. These include:
redesigning baby bath seats to prevent children from drowning;
a major recall of (or lawsuit regarding) a very dangerous product that
kills and maims children;
a standard for mattresses to protect against deaths from fires;
a standard for bed rails to prevent children from suffocating when
their heads get entrapped between the rail and the bed; and
child resistant packaging for baby oil and other similar products to
prevent aspiration deaths and injuries to children.
I plan to devote the coming months to working on these very important
matters and others. What we do at the CPSC is keep families and
children safe. As you can see, I plan to continue to help doing that
for the next few months. And when I leave the agency, I am going to
continue working to keep families and children safe. I plan to found a
non-profit foundation called SAFE - a Safer America for Everyone - that
will engage business, consumers and others in this critical mission.
As long as I am Chairman, I will work with CPSC's staff to pursue our
mission with all our collective energy. It is the noblest of missions.
I feel privileged to have been able to work here for almost 8 years and
look forward to what we will achieve in the coming months.
