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Washington, D.C., Sep 13, 2007 - Congressman J. Randy Forbes (VA-04) applauded the progress that has been made by the Interagency Working Group on Import Safety after the announcement that Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt presented President George W. Bush with a Strategic Framework that outlines the focus of the Working Group.

“The safety of our imports is a critical national security issue in the United States, and the interagency cooperation that is evidenced by this Working Group is exactly the type of coordination we need in this country to tackle complex issues,” Forbes said. “The issue of import safety is not one that can be solved by one agency alone – taking meaningful steps forward to improve the safety and security of imports in this country will require a holistic approach to policymaking that hopefully can be expanded to other issue areas.”

The Interagency Working Group on Import Safety was called for by the President on July 18, 2007, and is chaired by Secretary Leavitt. The Working Group is designed to conduct a thorough review of all of the different types of products imported to the United States from around the world. Included in the Strategic Framework is an overview of the current import cycle in the United States and recommendations for increasing safety at different steps in the process.

Following the Strategic Framework, the Import Safety Working Group will solicit public comment and recommendations on the proposal and then develop an action plan with short and long-term steps for increasing import safety.

“With U.S. imports currently totaling $2 trillion every year and estimates predicting up to $6 trillion by 2015, we need to take steps immediately to improve import safety. As recent product recalls from China have showed us, and as I was reminded during a recent trip to China, the United States needs to take ownership of its own commitment to import safety. The serious safety concerns with products imported from China – including pet food, toothpaste, and toys – have given us a powerful example that we cannot automatically trust the safety of products imported to the United States. While Chinese leaders told me they are taking steps to improve product safety, we cannot rely on other countries alone to protect Americans,” said Forbes. “I urge the Federal Government to approach more policy decisions in this comprehensive manner.”

The Working Group is comprised of 12 federal agencies – the Departments of Health and Human Services, State, Treasury, Justice, Agriculture, Commerce, Transportation, Homeland Security as well as the Office of Management and Budget, the United States Trade Representative, the Consumer Product Safety Commission, and the Environmental Protection Agency.

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