Washington, D.C. -Today, Rep. Carolyn B. Maloney, the Chairwoman of the Committee on Oversight and Reform, issued this statement following the Consumer Product Safety Commission’s (CPSC) decision to issue recalls of Mattel’s Rock ‘n Glide Soother and Soothe ‘n Play Glider ahead of next week’s Committee hearing on the grave flaws in the U.S. consumer product safety system:
“I commend the Consumer Product Safety Commission for voting to recall the Rock ‘n Glide Soother and Soothe ‘n Play Glider, inclined infant products that Fisher-Price, a subsidiary of Mattel, marketed for sleep despite clear evidence that sleeping at an incline is unsafe for babies. The company never should have released these dangerous products to the public, and this appears to be part of a troubling pattern of Mattel selling products that pose serious risks to infants. The Oversight Committee has been investigating this issue for nearly two years, and next week the company’s CEO will testify before the Committee and explain why his company appears to have put profits over people. This news underscores that we must address the weaknesses in federal oversight of consumer product safety, so that companies don’t have the final say on whether their products are safe."
On Aug. 13, 2019, former Chairman Elijah E. Cummings launched an investigation into the recall of infant inclined sleep products that had been reportedly tied to dozens of infant deaths.
On June 2, 2021, Chairwoman Maloney issued a statement following CPSC’s decision to pass a rule banning infant inclined sleep products.
Next Monday, June 7, 2021, at 11:00 a.m. ET the Chairwoman Maloney will hold a hybrid hearing on the Committee’s investigation into infant deaths associated another Mattel product, the Fisher-Price Rock ‘n Play Sleeper, and grave flaws in the U.S. consumer product safety system.
The hearing will examine how the Rock ‘n Play was kept on the market for ten years even though dozens of infants died while using the product.
