Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Consumer Safety Panel In Charge Of Protecting Americans Is Too Deferential To Companies, Democrats Say
Reuters: Democrats Say Consumer Product Safety Commission Too Close To Companies
The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), whose job is to assure products Americans buy are safe, is inappropriately deferential to companies it investigates, according to a report done for Democrats on the Senate Commerce Committee released on Thursday. Settlements reached by the Trump CPSC "are at odds with traditional recall agreements negotiated by the CPSC," the report said. (12/19)
CBS News: Lawmaker Says Safety Panel Flubbed Recalls, Endangering Consumers
The federal agency in charge of protecting Americans from dangerous and defective products showed an inappropriate deference to industry in its actions involving the Britax B.O.B jogging stroller, the Fisher-Price Rock 'n' Play inclined infant sleeper and the safety of residential elevator systems, contends the report released by Cantwell and the Democratic-minority staff of the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation. Although the Consumer Product Safety Commission approved recalls, it sometimes did so in a way that generated more business for affected companies, according to the examination of documents involved in three recent investigations by the safety panel. That's because rather than getting new, safe products or refunds following a recall, consumers are often offered discount coupons for new products. (Gibson, 12/19)
In other news from Capitol Hill —
The Washington Post: Senate Republicans Seek Probe Of Organ Transplant System
Members of the Senate Finance Committee Thursday requested an in-depth examination of the nation’s organ recovery and transplant system, raising questions about suspected financial fraud and criticizing the system for its “poor performance.” The request to the Office of the Inspector General comes one day after the Trump administration announced a sweeping proposal to boost the number of organs collected for transplant by dozens of underperforming organ collection agencies and increasing federal payments to living kidney donors. (Kindy and Bernstein, 12/19)
The Hill: Senate Democrats Slam HHS Reversal On Non-Discrimination Protections
Every Senate Democrat wants the Department of Health and Human Services to rescind a plan that would allow recipients of HHS grants and contracts to discriminate on the basis of religion and sex. The entire caucus, led by Sens. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), signed onto the letter to HHS Secretary Alex Azar. According to the senators, HHS annually awards more than $500 billion in taxpayer-funded grants and contracts. (Weixel, 12/19)
