Edwards Statement On Most Recent Mattel Toy Recall

Chapel Hill, North Carolina – Following news of another major toy recall because of dangerous levels of lead paint, Mattel's third in less than a month, Sen. John Edwards released the following statement:

"We can no longer rely on the toy industry to initiate voluntary recalls – safety must be our highest priority. With the news of another toy recall from the Mattel Corporation, it's clear our nation's children remain at serious risk. With more than 100 different products now subject to recalls, Mattel has lost control of the quality of the millions of toys it has manufactured in China every year. If the company can't ensure the safety of the children's toys it is selling to families, our government must do it for them.

"Mattel's willful flaunting of its obligation to alert the Consumer Product Safety Commission of product dangers in a timely fashion demonstrates that this company and our safety system of voluntary inspections can no longer be trusted.

"Rather than wait for a broken Washington system to act, the president must end his silence, stand up, and lead. President Bush must order Consumer Product Safety Commission inspectors to Mattel's warehouses and collect samples of its full product lines and test each and every one of them for lead paint. If necessary, the president should call on testing resources from the FDA and other agencies to manage this crisis that is threatening the very health of our children.

"Given the growing scope of this crisis, we clearly can no longer rely on corporations to initiate recall after recall while our government sits on the sidelines. America's families and our children deserve better than a broken system that is rigged to protect big corporations and profits, at the expense of our children's health."