Richard Louis Trumka Jr. (born 1984 or 1985)[1] is an American lawyer and government official. He is currently a member of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, serving since December 2021.
Rich Trumka | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Commissioner of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission | |
| Assumed office December 2, 2021 | |
| President | Joe Biden |
| Preceded by | Robert S. Adler |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Richard Louis Trumka Jr. 1984 or 1985 (age 39–40) |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Relatives | Richard Trumka (father) |
| Education | Cornell University (BS) Georgetown University (JD) |
Early life, education and career
editTrumka was born c. 1984 as the only child of prominent labor leader Richard Trumka and his wife, Barbara Vidovich Trumka.[1][2] He received his undergraduate degree from Cornell University and his Juris Doctor degree from Georgetown University Law Center.[3]
Early in his career, Trumka worked as an assistant attorney general in the consumer protection division of the Office of the Maryland Attorney General.[1] In 2019, he became general counsel and staff director of the Economic and Consumer Policy Subcommittee of the House Committee on Oversight and Reform, where he led investigations into teenage use of e-cigarettes and the presence of toxic heavy metals in baby food.[3]
Consumer Product Safety Commission
editTrumka was nominated to a seven-year term on the CPSC by President Joe Biden in July 2021.[4] His nomination was unanimously confirmed by the Senate in November of that year and he took office on December 2, 2021.[5] On the commission, Trumka worked to pass child safety rule, including rules related to pull cords of window coverings and the prevention of swallowing magnets.[3]
Gas stove controversy
editIn December 2022, Trumka triggered a political controversy over the use and regulation of gas stoves.[3] During a virtual event, Trumka said that the CPSC would issue a request for information on hazards, particularly related to indoor air quality, of the appliances. "This public request for information is the first step in what could be a long journey toward regulating gas stoves," Trumka said, according to The Hill, adding that "We could get a regulation on the books before this time next year." According to The Hill, Trumka also said that an "outright ban" on new gas stoves was "a real possibility."[6] In a January 2023 interview with Bloomberg, Trumka described gas stoves as "a hidden hazard," adding that "[a]ny option is on the table. Products that can’t be made safe can be banned."[7]
Many political people and institutions on the right and center—including Senator Joe Manchin (D-West Virginia);[8] Reps. Ronny Jackson (R-Texas),[9] Jim Jordan,[10] and Gary Palmer (R-Alabama);[8] Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis;[10] Fox News personalities Sean Hannity[10] and Tucker Carlson;[3] and the Heritage Foundation[11]—as well as the American Gas Association[8] took issue with Trumka's comments and the proposal that the CPSC take action up and including a ban on gas stoves. On Twitter, Manchin described it as "a recipe for disaster. The federal government has no business telling American families how to cook their dinner. I can tell you the last thing that would ever leave my house is the gas stove that we cook on."[8] Natural gas analyst Steve Everley published an analysis challenging the design of the study most commonly cited about the dangers of gas stoves.[12]
To quell the controversy, CPSC Chairman Alexander Hoehn-Saric issued a statement that "I am not looking to ban gas stoves and the CPSC has no proceeding to do so," and the White House issued a statement that President Biden "does not support banning gas stoves – and the Consumer Product Safety Commission, which is independent, is not banning gas stoves."[8] Subsequent news reports indicated that the CPSC might pursue so-called compromises, including requiring hoods for all gas stoves, setting performance standards for hoods or requiring that gas stoves have sensors for certain pollutant concentrations.[13] Later in 2023, the House Energy and Commerce Committee advanced legislation (H.R. 1615) that would bar the CPSC from using taxpayer funds for a gas stove ban; the bill cleared the committee with bipartisan support.[14]
Personal life
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Trumka is married and has two young children.[1] In July 2022, he accepted the Presidential Medal of Freedom that Biden conferred posthumously on his late father.[15] His hobbies include woodworking.[3]
References
edit- ^ a b c d Cote, Neil (March 10, 2021). "Richard Trumka Jr. – U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Reform, Economic and Consumer Policy Subcommittee". Vanguard Magazine. Retrieved 1 April 2024.
- ^ Scheiber, Noam (August 5, 2021). "Richard Trumka, A.F.L.-C.I.O. Chief, Dies at 72". New York Times. Retrieved 1 April 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f Joselow, Maxine (January 26, 2023). "Meet the man who unwittingly triggered the war over gas stoves". Washington Post. Retrieved 1 April 2024.
- ^ Frankel, Todd (July 14, 2021). "Biden nominates Rich Trumka Jr. to fill safety regulator seat". Washington Post. Retrieved 1 April 2024.
- ^ "Richard Trumka". United States Consumer Product Safety Commission. Retrieved 1 April 2024.
- ^ Frazin, Rachel (December 14, 2022). "Consumer safety board to weigh regulations on gas stoves". The Hill. Retrieved 1 April 2024.
- ^ Natter, Ari (January 9, 2023). "US Safety Agency to Consider Ban on Gas Stoves Amid Health Fears". Bloomberg. Retrieved 1 April 2024.
- ^ a b c d e Egan, Matt (January 12, 2023). "We're not taking away your gas stove, regulator tells CNN". CNN. Retrieved 1 April 2024.
- ^ Phillips, Aleks (January 11, 2023). "Is Joe Biden Banning Gas Stoves? What We Know, What We Don't". Newsweek. Retrieved 1 April 2024.
- ^ a b c Hagen, Lisa; Jeff Brady (January 21, 2023). "Gas stoves became part of the culture war in less than a week. Here's why". NPR. Retrieved 1 April 2024.
- ^ Canaparo, GianCarlo; Jack Fitzhenry (January 13, 2023). "Nanny State Throws Kitchen Sink, Aiming for Stove". Daily Signal. Retrieved 1 April 2024.
- ^ Everley, Steve (January 18, 2023). "Debunking the Research Behind the Gas-Stove Hysteria". National Review. Retrieved 1 April 2024.
- ^ Leber, Rebecca (January 11, 2023). "The gas stove regulation uproar, explained". Vox. Retrieved 1 April 2024.
- ^ Tamborrino, Kelsey (May 24, 2023). "House panel advances GOP gas stove bills". Politico. Retrieved 1 April 2024.
- ^ "Remarks by President Biden at Presentation of the Presidential Medal of Freedom". The White House. July 7, 2022. Retrieved 1 April 2024.