Who is Nancy Beck?
WASHINGTON D.C. - Nancy Beck’s career, spanning both government and industry, has been marked by repeated efforts to weaken safety standards that protect the public from toxic chemicals. Her record raises serious concerns about public health, the environment, and the future of consumer protection.
Recently nominated to chair the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Beck would oversee the federal agency charged with protecting Americans from unsafe consumer products, from children’s toys to power tools and cleaning supplies. But her history shows a consistent pattern: siding with corporate interests over public safety.
Beck previously served as a top lobbyist for the chemical industry and later as a political appointee at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). While leading the EPA’s Office of Chemical Safety, she downplayed risks associated with some of the most dangerous pollutants threatening Florida and the nation: trichloroethylene (TCE), per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), and other toxic chemicals that contaminate drinking water. Despite growing scientific evidence of harm, Beck failed to take meaningful action to address PFAS contamination and actively worked against stronger protections.
Her record extends beyond PFAS. Beck has opposed safeguards against chemicals linked to cancer and neurological damage, repeatedly undermining efforts designed to protect children and vulnerable populations. This track record makes her an especially troubling choice to lead an agency entrusted with safeguarding families.
More recently, Beck was tied to the weakening and suppression of a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report on reopening the country safely during the COVID-19 pandemic, a report intended to guide states, local governments, and small businesses.
For families across the country, the stakes are high. With toxic contamination already threatening communities, the leadership of the CPSC must be grounded in protecting public health, not advancing industry interests. Nancy Beck’s record makes clear she is the wrong person for the job.
