Alexander Hoehn-Saric is Chair of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). He was nominated by President Joseph R. Biden on July 13, 2021. He was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on October 7, 2021 for a term that expires on October 27, 2027.
Among the priorities Chair Hoehn-Saric has advanced during his tenure are: expanding outreach to consumers on product safety issues; addressing emergent safety issues, particularly around ecommerce; and directing greater focus to the agency’s compliance and enforcement activities.
Under his leadership, the Commission has moved forward essential mandatory safety standards aimed at addressing long-standing and developing hazards. The Commission has assessed more than $100 million in civil penalties, far more than in any other period in the agency’s history. And, the agency has expanded outreach to consumers, including issuing direct warnings about dangerous products, using injury data to target education efforts towards communities at greater risk, and leveraging digital platforms to amplify safety messaging.
Prior to joining the Commission, Mr. Hoehn-Saric was Chief Counsel for Communications and Consumer Protection with the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Energy & Commerce. In this role, he served as the chief legal advisor to Chairman Pallone on the Committee on consumer product safety, auto safety, consumer protection, privacy, broadband, and other communications issues. During his tenure, Mr. Hoehn-Saric was instrumental in oversight of consumer product safety matters and drafting legislation to increase the authority and resources for the CPSC.
Mr. Hoehn-Saric also worked on the U.S. Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee for Chairmen Rockefeller and Inouye. While at the Commerce Committee, Mr. Hoehn-Saric worked on the subcommittees responsible for oversight of the Consumer Product Safety Commission and was integral in the drafting of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act and the Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act.
Mr. Hoehn-Saric clerked for the Honorable Benson E. Legg, U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland. He received an A.B. from the University of Chicago and a juris doctor degree from UCLA Law School.