The NY Times reported in Dangerous Sealer Stayed on Shelves After Recall that a company responded to a recall request by the Consumer Product Safety Commission by reformulating a product in a way that didn't fix the problem.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission didn't have the resources to test the company's reformulated product. Thus, a dangerous product, apparently responsible for sickening at least 80 and killing two, remained on the shelves for an additional 18 months.
Frankly, I don't know who is responsible for the failure to provide the resources the CPSC needs to do its job adequately. I do know that all of us rely on it to help keep ourselves and our loved ones safe in an increasingly complex world.
What the CPSC does is not sexy, but it is essential. Not adequately funding the unsexy but essential arms of government (especially when they might inconvenience some businesses) seems to be a particular failing of the Republicans. I don't know for sure that the Dems would fund this agency adequately, but I think its a lot more likely.
One other point: our society and government have limited resources. If we fund some things, we can't fund others.
Those billions spent on Iraq have real opportunity costs.
This may be one of them.