Buerkle's Two Nominations Are Back in the Senate

As expected, the Senate January 16 received two nominations for CPSC Acting Chairman Ann Marie Buerkle. The resubmissions were necessary because her previous nominations occurred in the previous Congress (PSL, 1/14/19). This is the second time resubmission was needed.

The White House initially sent them in July 2017 (PSL, 7/31/17), and although they advanced out of committee a few months later (PSL, 10/9/17), the Senate did not act on them by the beginning of 2018, meaning they needed to be resubmitted for the second session of the 115th Congress (PSL, 1/15/18).

The nominations cover her officially becoming chairman– a job she has done on an acting basis since February 2017 (PSL, 2/13/17) – and to get another seven-year term to 2025. She currently is serving the allowed extra year of her first term, which technically ended last October. She must leave the commission if the Senate does not act on her nominations by October 2019, nine months from now.

Under CPSC rules, commissioners can stay a year beyond the ends of their terms if no replacements are seated. The reason is to minimize vacancies. Commissioner slots are in staggered, seven-year terms, and they run regardless of being filled. Thus, Buerkle's second term – if she gets it – began last October.