from The New York Times
By HELENE COOPER
WASHINGTON — President Obama will nominate Inez Moore Tenenbaum, South Carolina’s former school superintendent, to head the Consumer Product Safety Commission, the White House announced on Tuesday.
Mr. Obama also is asking that the troubled agency, which has been criticized as being too close to corporate America, receive $107 million — a 71 percent increase since fiscal 2007, the statement said.
Mr. Obama pledged during the campaign that he would double the agency’s financing; the budget request, the White House said, would get him three quarters of the way there if Congress approves it.
He is also nominating Robert S. Adler, a lawyer and former adviser to the panel, to fill one of two new seats being added to the three-member commission.
“We must do more to protect the American public—especially our nation’s children—from being harmed by unsafe products,” Mr. Obama said in a statement.
If confirmed by the Senate, Ms. Tenenbaum would replace Nancy Nord, who was sharply criticized by Democrats for what they characterized as her opposition to adding new resources to the agency. Ms. Nord also came under attack for accepting trips from industry. She said the trips were legal and complained that the criticism was politically motivated.
