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Show FACT BOOK-1972 4 The Administration bill ocratic Adm1nls- n:: organiza- r:: • was weak and insufficient proposals. compared to Dem The Administration's bill (S 1791) would give the Secretary of new authority for setting safety standards and banning haz HEW requires long and complex rule-making procedures before new standards may be imposed or new products may be banned. Moreover, the Administration has attempted to head off fundamental reform of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), by increasing its budget request for that Agency by 70 per cent, from $110 million in FY 1972 to $188 million in FY 1973. ardous But the bill has been criticized because it the follow products. Secretary to Strong bills for consumer protection have been introduced by Demo crats, but the Nixon Administration has attempted to weaken them. Democrat proposes Consumer Protection Agency The "Consumer Protection Organization Act of 1972" (S 1177) by Senator Abraham Ribicoff (D Conn.) would establish an independent Consumer Protection Agency ( CPA) to serve, in Senator Ribicoff's words, as "the Lawyer for consumers". • introduced • The bill would authorize the CPA to intervene in formal adjudi rule-making proceedings in cases where such intervention is necessary to adequately represent the interests of consumers. In informal proceedings of federal agencies, the Administrator would catory or be authorized to present oral and written arguments to agency offi cials to the same extent and manner as persons outside the agency are permitted to participate. • The Administrator is authorized to seek judicial review and to intervene in any civil proceeding reviewable under law, if he was a party to the prior proceeding before the Federal agency, if he par ticipated in the activity out of which the appeal arose, or if the result would substantially affect the interests of consumers. Also, the bill would set up a Council of Consumer Advisors in the Executive Office of the President on consumer matters and authorize grants to states and local communities for consumer protection programs. Efforts to w proposal The Administration has sponsored 13 amendments which would severely curtail the power of the CPA Administrator to intervene in informal agency proceedings. Among the changes desired by the • White House - Withholding the right of the Administrator to go to court to authority to intervene in informal proceedings; Deleting the authority of the Administrator to obtain infor- enforce his - are: |
