Washington - Congressman Christopher Carney (D-10) has called for legislation that would change the allowable amount of lead in children’s toys, after toy manufacturer Mattel announced it would recall several hundred thousand toys because of excessive amounts of lead paint. “This is unacceptable,” said Congressman Carney. “I have been working with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission to keep recalled toys off store shelves, but what we are seeing is that more continue to be imported into our country. Our children cannot be exposed to unsafe toys, either at home or in a store. That is why I am working to introduce legislation to change the allowable amount of lead in children’s toys,” said Carney.

According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, lead poisoning in children is associated with behavioral problems, learning disabilities and growth retardation.  Currently, paint containing more than .06% lead is banned from toys intended for use by children and furniture. Furniture such as beds, bookcases, chairs, chests and tables are covered under the ban, but refrigerators, doors and windows are not.  In addition, products can receive an exemption if labeled with a specific lead warning.

Congressman Carney is working to introduce legislation that would reduce the amount of allowable lead paint in children’s toys. “As a parent, I know we want to keep our children safe and their toys should not contain unknown hazards. The United States should not keep toys on the shelf that can cause such potentially devastating harm to children. I applaud Mattel for taking an aggressive approach to recalling unsafe toys and I look forward to working with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission to ensure the safety of toys across the nation.”

Congressman Carney has taken previous action by contacting the Consumer Product Safety Commission to express concern that recalled items may still be on discount store shelves or available through internet based companies.