Sucking the air from the whistle
The House is considering leaving protections for whistle-blowers out of a bill to further empower the Consumer Products Safety Commission. Steve Henn reports this comes while two commissioners face scandal.
U.S. Capitol Building (Getty Images)
More on Crime - Law, Politics
TEXT OF STORY
Lisa Napoli: Meanwhile, Senate Democrats are pushing hard to beef-up the power of the Consumer Product Safety Commission. But another bill in the House would ditch whistle-blower protections. Marketplace's Steve Henn reports.
Steve Henn: Industry groups hate the proposed whistle-blower protections and lobbied against them.
But Danielle Brian at the Project on Government Oversight says she was still surprised when House leaders left those protections out of their bill.
Danielle Brian: The Consumer Products Safety Commission has become such a hobbled agency. That's why you need whistle-blowers coming forward.
The Commission has been under fire for lead in Chinese toys and dragging its feet on recalls.
And today, the Washington Post reported that two commissioners accepted nearly $60,000 in free trips -- many paid for by the business groups they regulate. One $11,000 jaunt to China was paid for by a fireworks testing organization that's now asking the Commission for a rules change.
Brian: You can't have people with a financial interest funding these trips.
Federal rules forbid commissioners from accepting free trips if they raise questions about the agency's integrity.
In Washington, I'm Steve Henn for Marketplace.
