Richard Trumka Jr. nominated to seat on consumer agency

President Biden has nominated Richard Trumka Jr. to sit on the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), the government’s consumer product agency.

Trumka currently serves as general counsel and staff director for the House Oversight Subcommittee on Economic and Consumer Policy.

Prior to this, he served in the Maryland Office of the Attorney General, where he was assistant attorney general in the Consumer Protection Division. He was also a litigation attorney in private practice.

Trumka’s father, Richard Trumka, is the president of the ALF-CIO. 

Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), who chairs the Senate Commerce Committee’s Subcommittee on Consumer Protection, Product Safety, and Data Security, hailed Trumka’s nomination in a statement.

“Americans deserve an expert slate of consumer advocates spearheading the CPSC to protect them from unsafe products and I applaud President Biden for nominating Richard Trumka Jr. to the CPSC,” Blumenthal said.

“Congress must swiftly approve his nomination, securing the critical third vote to enact a strong consumer agenda. Just as importantly, Congress must provide more resources for CPSC so it can robustly strengthen and enforce vital consumer and product safety laws to keep Americans safe,” he continued.

The five-member panel is split with two Democrats and two Republicans, with one vacancy.

Acting Chair Robert Adler, who was named to the role in 2019, has said he plans to retire when his term ends in October. He was first nominated by former President Obama in 2014.

Commissioner Elliot Kaye, who was also appointed by Obama in 2014 will also leave his post in October, Fox Business reports.

Earlier this month, Biden nominated Alexander Hoehn-Saric, who is the chief counsel for communications and consumer protection for the House Energy and Commerce Committee, to serve as a commissioner. The president also nominated Mary Boyle, who is currently CPSC’s executive director, to become a Commissioner.