Key Takeaways:

• President Donald Trump announced his intention to nominate Dr. Nancy Beck to fill the open position as chairman of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission

• If Dr. Beck is confirmed as chairman, she will take the place of Acting Chair Robert Adler, who is a Democratic commissioner

• This will also change the composition of the current commission from two Democratic commissioners and two Republican commissioners, to one in which a Republican majority as well as Republican leadership has been restored

On March 3, 2020, President Donald Trump announced his intention to nominate Dr. Nancy Beck to fill the open position as chairman of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).

After her nomination is submitted to the Senate, a confirmation hearing in the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation will take place. If the committee report is favorable, a vote on the Senate floor must take place before she can take office.

If Dr. Beck is confirmed as chairman, she will take the place of Acting Chair Robert Adler, who is a Democratic commissioner.  This will also change the commission from its current composition of two Democratic commissioners and two Republican commissioners, to one in which a Republican majority (3-2) as well as Republican leadership has been restored.

Dr. Beck is currently the principal deputy assistant administrator for the Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). She has served as a career employee under Presidents Clinton, Bush, and Obama. Prior to joining the federal government, she worked for the Washington State Department of Health, preparing health and exposure assessments for communities concerned about environmental exposures. She also has experience in the field of regulatory science policy while working with the American Chemistry Council. She holds a B.S. from Cornell University and an M.S. and Ph.D. in environmental health from the University of Washington.

We will provide updates as this process proceeds.

For more information, please contact:

• Cheryl A. Possenti
• Learn more about our Consumer Product Regulation practice