US safety commissioners blast Trump appointee’s delay of ruling on water beads

Water beads have long been criticized for being dangerous, even fatal, for kids. Now two members of a government watchdog are tearing into a decision by the acting chair of the body to delay a final ruling on the toys.

Water beads have long been criticized for being dangerous, even fatal, for kids. Now two members of a government watchdog are tearing into a decision by the acting chair of the body to delay a final ruling on the toys. For years, the Consumer Product Safety Commission, which is responsible for issuing safety requirements and recalls of consumer products, has been stressing the danger of water beads. The agency said it is aware of a 10-month-old girl who died in 2023 related to swallowing water beads. The CPSC was scheduled to issue a final rule on water beads Wednesday, but two members of the commission say that it’s been blocked without explanation. “Yesterday, July 16, 2025, we were supposed to see a final rule that would have protected children from life-threatening hazards tied to water beads,” Consumer Product Safety Commission member Richard Trumka, Jr. said in a scathing statement Thursday. Instead acting chair Peter Feldman, who was nominated by President Donald Trump, “blocked the agency from delivering on that promise, without even bothering to explain why,” Trumka, Jr. wrote. Trumka also accused Feldman of canceling this year’s priorities hearing, in which consumers would share their testimonies about the dangers of water beads. “Children’s lives are too important for inaction. Acting Chair Feldman, it’s time to get off the sidelines and start working for consumer safety,” Trumka wrote.