On August 7, 2026, the US Senate confirmed the nominations of Brien Lorenze and Karen Sessions to the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), restoring a quorum at CPSC. Congress established CPSC as an independent agency within the executive branch run by a commission of up to five commissioners, of which a quorum of at least three is required to transact business, except in limited circumstances. The CPSC has been without a quorum since October 2025, following the termination of three Democrat-appointed commissioners and the departure of one Republican-appointed commissioner, Douglas Dziak. Since that time, Acting Chair Peter Feldman, a Republican appointee, served as the lone CPSC commissioner, transacting business in accordance with a delegation of authority which purports to circumvent the congressionally mandated quorum requirements.
Link to Impact to CPSC operations Impact to CPSC operations
With the addition of Karen Sessions and Brien Lorenze to the CPSC, we see no reason to expect a change in CPSC’s focus on record breaking recalls, increased scrutiny at the border and the expanded use of technology to reduce risks. In an official statement, Acting Chair Feldman touted Commissioner Lorenze’s service as the CPSC Executive Director during Feldman’s tenure in office, and Commissioner Sessions’s experience in technology, infrastructure and regulatory policy. Feldman confirmed that their confirmation and the restoration of a quorum “position the Commission to build on the momentum it has achieved” during this term.
We expect this quorum to remain until at least April 2027. Though Acting Chair Feldman’s seven-year term expires in October 2026, CPSC may transact business under a quorum of two commissioners for up to six months when the larger quorum requirements cannot be met due to vacancy. 15 U.S.C. § 2053. It is to be seen whether the president will nominate and the Senate will approve additional commissioners between now and then to prevent questions as to the legitimacy of CPSC’s actions without a quorum, or if commissioners will again seek to delegate their authority. At least until then, we can expect a continuation of the status quo.