McCaskill Challenges Top Safety Regulator on Whether Agency is Functioning as an Effective ‘cop on the beat’
Federal Information & News Dispatch, Inc. |
Contact:
McCaskill Challenges Top Safety Regulator on
Senator examines 'serious deficiencies' in oversight of vehicle and highway safety at Consumer Protection hearing;
McCaskill: 'why you cannot take a measure of responsibility... has frankly got us scratching our heads'
McCaskill used a hearing of her Consumer Protection panel to examine implementation and enforcement of highway and vehicle safety laws and explore possible reforms as
"[W]e're frustrated with you," said McCaskill, a former prosecutor. "Nobody on this subcommittee believes that there aren't people [at the agency] trying to do the right thing... but it's hard to sit here and listen to you... Why you cannot take a measure of responsibility for that at this hearing has frankly got us scratching our heads... You want to obfuscate responsibility rather than take responsibility."
"How is the cause of an accident an optional question," McCaskill continued, pointing out that a key question on causes of defects was optional. "You understand that reflects on a culture that's frightening, frankly. You understand I come from prosecutor background, and if you make the questions optional, that's never going to work."
McCaskill and her colleagues also touched on examples highlighted by the recent recalls at
Witnesses at Tuesday's hearing also included:
* Mr. Joseph Come, Deputy Principal Inspector General for Audits and Evaluations,
* Ms.
* Mr.
* Mr.
This hearing also examined NHTSA's implementation of highway and vehicle safety provisions of the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21), which included a number of reforms to safety programs--as well as McCaskill's bipartisan legislation that would ban car rental companies from allowing consumers to rent or sell vehicles that are under manufacturer recall. McCaskill challenged Strassburger on his group's refusal to support the legislation, telling him she expects him to submit his own recommended language in short order if his group cannot find a way to support the bill.
McCaskill is Chairman of the
Read more about McCaskill's fight to protect American consumers, at mccaskill.senate.gov/consumershttp://www.mccaskill.senate.gov/consumers.
Copyright: | (c) 2010 Federal Information & News Dispatch, Inc. |
Wordcount: | 572 |
Advisor News
Annuity News
Health/Employee Benefits News
Life Insurance News