NCL condemns Trump’s efforts to undermine CFPB’s ability to protect consumers 

Media Contact: Lisa McDonald, Vice President of Communications, 202-207-2829

Washington, DC — The National Consumers League (NCL) strongly condemns the Trump Administration’s reported plans to have the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) or the Department of Treasury supervise CFPB operations. Such steps would undermine critical consumer and small business protections, cost hardworking Americans their jobs, and leave millions of consumers more vulnerable to predatory financial practices.

The CFPB was established as an independent agency to protect consumers from deceptive practices in the financial marketplace, and it has been a vital safeguard for American consumers since its creation in 2011. Since that time, the agency has recovered $19.7 billion for consumers.

“We are deeply concerned about the potential consequences of these actions,” said John Breyault, Vice President of Public Policy. “It is crucial that we keep the CFPB strong, independent, and fully operational in order to protect consumers nationwide from financial harm.”

Congress explicitly designed the CFPB to be an independent agency within the Federal Reserve System. Executive actions to place the agency under OMB or Treasury supervision are likely illegal. NCL believes that undermining the CFPB’s independent structure would take the country backward, eroding the essential consumer protections that have helped combat abusive practices in the financial industry, such as payday lending, illegal credit card fees, deceptive loans,  and mortgages, and more.

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About the National Consumers League (NCL)

The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. For more information, visit www.nclnet.org.

NCL calls for immediate action on aviation safety following tragic Washington, DC plane crash

Media Contact: Lisa McDonald, Vice President of Communications, 202-207-2829

Washington, DC — National Consumers League (NCL) is heartbroken by the tragic crash of American Airlines Flight 5342 in Washington, DC. We extend our deepest condolences to the families and loved ones of the 64 passengers and crew members who perished, as well as the three service member aboard the Army Black Hawk helicopter. This tragedy is a stark reminder that safety must be the #1, #2, and #3 priority, above all else, in our nation’s aviation system.

This crash follows a long-standing and growing concern about the dangers of overcrowded airspace, particularly at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA), home to the busiest runway in the nation. The airspace around DCA, heavily congested with both passenger planes and military aircraft on security patrols, has seen a series of near-misses and incidents. Experts and lawmakers have repeatedly warned about the risks, citing a series of near-misses and incidents—including a recent incident where a catastrophic runway collision was narrowly avoided. Despite these red flags, Congress continues to push for increased flights in this already overburdened airspace.

This tragedy must serve as a wake-up call for the urgent action. It is critical to reevaluate flight patterns, air traffic control resources, and safety protocols. To restore passenger trust in air travel, we need a thorough, transparent investigation into this tragedy, along with a concrete plan to address the underlying issues of congestion and air traffic control shortages.

“While investigations will seek to determine the precise cause of this crash, one thing is clear: we must not wait for another catastrophe to make air travel safer,” says John Breyault, Vice President of Public Policy, which has been pushing for passenger safety and updated evacuation policies. Breyault served on the Aviation Consumer Protection Advisory Committee from 2021-2024.

When speaking to the media President Trump has recklessly blamed diversity, equity, and inclusion hires —along with the last two Democratic presidents —for the crash. This politically motivated finger-pointing isn’t just misleading; it’s a blatant attempt to distract from the real issues. NCL urges lawmakers, regulators, and the aviation industry to come together and take immediate steps to enhance safety in our nation’s airspace. It is time to prioritize reforms that protect the lives of passengers and restore confidence in air travel.

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About the National Consumers League (NCL)

The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. For more information, visit www.nclnet.org.

NCL’s lawsuit against Starbucks moves forward in DC superior court 

Media Contact: Lisa McDonald, Vice President of Communications, 202-207-2829

Washington, DC – The National Consumers League (NCL) is pleased to announce that its lawsuit against Starbucks will proceed in the DC Superior Court after a ruling yesterday by the Federal judge ordering that the case be remanded back to DC Superior Court from where it sits currently in federal court.

NCL’s lawsuit alleges that Starbucks misled consumers with deceptive claims about the ethical sourcing of its products. This decision comes after several months of delay caused by Starbucks’ improper removal of the case to federal court.    

“The National Consumers League is pleased that the case we filed against Starbucks can finally move forward on the merits in the DC Superior Court, where it was originally brought, after months of delay caused by the defendant’s improper removal of the action to federal court,” said NCL CEO Sally Greenberg. “This is especially important because the case was brought under DC law, the Consumer Protection Procedures Act (CPPA), and the DC courts are best equipped to hear this case.”   

The decision to keep the case in DC court ensures that the legal process will be handled under the applicable local laws, particularly the Consumer Protection Procedures Act, which is designed to protect District residents from unfair or deceptive business practices.  

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About the National Consumers League (NCL)   

The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. For more information, visit www.nclnet.org. 

NCL statement on court siding with airlines against price transparency 

Media Contact: Lisa McDonald, Vice President of Communications, (202)- 207-2829

Washington, DC – Late last night, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit chose to block a pro-consumer DOT rule that would have required the disclosure of baggage, change, and cancellation fees at the start of the purchasing process for airfares. The court cited a procedural reason related to a regulatory impact analysis in allowing airlines to continue overcharging consumers $543 million in hidden fees each year.  

“It’s disappointing that the 5th Circuit sided with airline profits over consumers. Price transparency is overwhelmingly popular and should not be a litigated issue,” said NCL VP of Public Policy, Telecommunications, and Fraud John Breyault. “While this is a temporary loss for passengers, we are pleased that the court appears to have rejected the airline industry’s efforts to get a free pass from DOT oversight entirely.” 

In the decision, the court did reject the airlines’ reckless argument that DOT lacks the authority to issue regulations prohibiting predatory business practices, a claim that threatened decades of consumer protection law. 

Further reading: 

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About the National Consumers League (NCL)

The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. For more information, visit nclnet.org.

NCL statement on confirmation of DOT Secretary Sean Duffy 

Media Contact: Lisa McDonald, Vice President of Communications, (202)- 207-2829

Washington, DC – Today, the Senate confirmed Sean Duffy as secretary of the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT). Secretary Duffy will lead the Department as a number of critical aviation passenger protection issues remain unresolved or unaddressed, including: 

·                  Acting on an unfulfilled Congressional mandate to require airlines to seat families together, without incurring extra charges 

·                  Acting on multiple unfulfilled Congressional mandates to establish minimum seat sizes 

·                  Acting on an unfulfilled Congressional mandate to update emergency evacuation standards that are decades out of date 

·                  Defending the Department’s authority to require transparent pricing of airfares against a lawsuit brought by air carriers 

·                  Bringing U.S. regulations in line with international standards to promote market competition and provide cash compensation to passengers affected by significant flight disruptions and cancellations 

Secretary Duffy will also be charged with curbing the unacceptably high number of automobile fatalities and injuries on our nation’s roads, which accounted for approximately 42,000 deaths and over 5.2 million injuries in 2022. 

“Secretary Duffy inherits the mantle of one of the most pro-consumer DOT’s we’ve ever seen,” said John Breyault, NCL Vice President of Public Policy, Telecommunications, and Fraud. “We look forward working with the new leadership at DOT to complete these outstanding airline passenger protection to-do’s and take additional steps to promote the public interest and competition in our nation’s transportation industries more broadly.” 

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About the National Consumers League (NCL)

The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. For more information, visit nclnet.org.

NCL blasts NHTSA’s delay and reconsideration of automatic emergency braking standard

Biden-era standard was projected to save hundreds of lives and prevent thousands of injuries each year

Media Contact: Lisa McDonald, Vice President of Communications, (202)- 207-2829

Washington, DC – Today, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) delayed the implementation of a Biden-era rule that would require all passenger cars and light trucks to be equipped with automatic emergency brakes (AEB), which are automobile safety systems that automatically detect when a frontal collision with a vehicle or pedestrian is imminent and automatically applies the brakes to prevent or mitigate impact. The final rule was projected to save at least 362 lives and mitigate 24,321 injuries each year. Manufacturers would have to come into compliance with the rule by 2029.

“Mistakes should not cost lives, and with modern automobile safety technologies, they no longer have to,” said Daniel Greene, Senior Director, Consumer Protection & Product Safety Policy. “The Biden Administration took bold action to address the automobile safety crisis by requiring automatic emergency brakes to be standard safety features, not luxury items, on all new cars and light trucks. The Biden-era rule balanced the need to support safety innovation and compliance while addressing unacceptable carnage on our nation’s roads. Delaying or weakening these standards simply makes our streets more dangerous.”

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About the National Consumers League (NCL)

The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. For more information, visit nclnet.org.

Congress should reject proposals to make school more expensive

By Eden Iscil, Senior Public Policy Manager

A list of policy proposals currently under consideration by Republican majorities in Congress has become public. The 50-page document covers a range of programs and issue areas, looking for ways to pay for the new government’s “big, beautiful” swath of initiatives. Unfortunately, there are a bunch of policies thrown in that would make things worse for consumers. These three bad ideas related to education caught my eye. 

Taxing college scholarships. If you or your kid win a scholarship to help pay for college, the new Congress might want a piece of it. Under the proposal, they would take $5.4 billion each year from scholarship winners. This is especially harmful given a significant portion of scholarships are awarded to students who demonstrate financial need.

Making it harder for low-income children to eat breakfast or lunch at school. A plan to eliminate $900 million yearly in school breakfasts and lunches hinges on requiring children to “submit income verification documentation.” Time and time again, we have found that adding more bureaucracy to government programs reduces the number of people who enroll, even when they are eligible to benefit from the program. In this case, that means kids going hungry, which unsurprisingly is associated with worse academic performance. 

Forcing students to pay their loans while still in school. The answer to the $1.7 trillion student debt problem is not to force students to pay their loans “while actively studying.” Costs for college students are already sky-high; Congress doesn’t need to make them higher. 

Why are these ideas even on the table? Apparently, to give $522 billion to corporations by lowering the corporate tax rate. And, to cover the defunding of tax enforcement for the wealthy, a proposal the leaked memo estimates will allow high-earners and corporations to evade a total of $47 billion in taxes. 

Call your member of Congress and let them know they shouldn’t make students worse off just to pay for more corporate tax cuts.  

References (page number indicates page of Republicans’ memo where the proposal is located): 

Page 11, “Eliminate Exclusion of Scholarship and Fellowship Income” 

Page 34, “Require Income Verification for School Breakfast Program (SBP) and National School Lunch Program (NSLP)” 

Page 30, “End in-school interest subsidy” 

Pages 14 and 15, “Lower the Corporate Rate to 15 Percent” and “Repeal IRA’s IRS Enforcement Funding” 

NCL urges swift passage of the TAKE IT DOWN Act

Media Contact: Lisa McDonald, Vice President of Communications, (202)- 207-2829

Washington, D.C. – Last week, U.S. Senators Cruz and Klobuchar reintroduced the TAKE IT DOWN Act, a bill that would make it illegal to post non-consensual intimate imagery (NCII) and require platforms to remove such content within 48 hours of notice. NCL strongly supports the TAKE IT DOWN Act and calls on the new Congress to prioritize swift passage of the measure. Last year, the legislation passed the Senate and was set to clear the House of Representatives, until Elon Musk intervened in end-of-year negotiations. 

“The TAKE IT DOWN Act has overwhelming bipartisan support. There’s no reason this can’t pass within the first 100 days.” said NCL Senior Public Policy Manager Eden Iscil. “Victims of NCII shouldn’t face pushback from digital platforms when they ask for the images of themselves to be removed. This bill would make that request a federal right.” 

The legislation also covers AI-generated NCII (i.e. deepfakes), a growing issue that can be just as damaging as in-person photography. 

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About the National Consumers League (NCL)

The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization.  Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad.  For more information, visit nclnet.org.

A win for human rights: DC mayor’s signature is a major step in banning child marriage

Media Contact: Lisa McDonald, Vice President of Communications, 202- 207-2829

Washington, DC – The National Consumers League (NCL) applauds Washington, DC Mayor Muriel Bowser for signing the Child Marriage Prohibition Amendment Act of 2024 into law. This important legislation prohibits child marriages in the District of Columbia, ensuring the protection of minors from this harmful practice. The bill will now undergo 30 days of congressional review. If approved by Congress, the District of Columbia will join the 13 U.S. states and two U.S. territories that have already banned child marriage.

As a longstanding advocate for the basic human rights of girls and women worldwide, NCL expresses deep gratitude to Mayor Bowser and Councilmember Pinto for their leadership in addressing this critical issue.

“We’re delighted that Washington, DC is taking a significant stand against child marriage,” said Reid Maki, Director of Child Labor Advocacy at the National Consumers League and Coordinator of the Child Labor Coalition. “This legislation, in a city that has unfortunately seen an increase in child marriages, sets a powerful example for other cities, states, and nations to follow. Ending this practice will protect young girls from the many negative health and social consequences that early marriage brings.”

The decision to protect children from the harmful practice of early marriage is not just a local victory but a beacon of hope for girls around the world. Recent global developments, such as Iraq’s troubling decision to reduce the legal marriage age to just 9, emphasize the urgency of upholding basic human rights for girls and women everywhere.

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About the National Consumers League (NCL)
Founded in 1899, the National Consumers League (NCL) is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. For more information, visit nclnet.org.

Additional Resources

Forced Marriage Still a Reality in the U.S. (Blog)

Child Marriage Survivors Share Their Stories (Podcast)

Child and Forced Marriage Put the “Lock” in Wedlock (Podcast)

A Look Back on 100+ Years of Advocacy

“To live means to buy, to buy means to have power, to have power means to have responsibility.”

–Florence Kelley, first General Secretary, National Consumers League

For more than 100 years, the National Consumers League has followed these founding principles: That the working conditions we accept for our fellow citizens should be reflected by our purchases, and that consumers should demand safety and reliability from the goods and services they buy.

Promoting a fair marketplace for workers and consumers was the reason for the League’s founding in 1899 and still guides us into our second century.

NCL’s Early Years

During the late 19th century’s Progressive Era, social justice movements emerged to protect the interests and promote justice for working people. As part of that movement, the National Consumers League was chartered in 1899 by two of America’s leading social reformers Jane Addams and Josephine Lowell. These two women were pioneers in achieving many social reforms in communities and workplaces across the country. Under the direction of its first general secretary, Florence Kelley, the National Consumer’s league exposed child labor and other scandalous working conditions. Kelley was to become one of the most influential and effective social reformers of the 20th century. During the early 1900s, she led the League in its efforts to:

  • protect in-home workers, often including whole families, from terrible exploitation by employers
  • promote the Meat Inspection Act of 1906 and the Pure Food and Drugs Act of 1906
  • write and then champion state minimum wage laws for women
  • defend and ultimately convince the US Supreme Court to uphold a 10-hour work day law in the landmark Muller v. Oregon case of 1908
  • advocate for creation of a federal Children’s Bureau and federal child labor restrictions

Along with New Jersey Consumers League Director Katherine Wiley and Louis Brandeis (who later became a Supreme Court justice), Kelley achieved a lifetime’s worth of accomplishments in her 33 years as leader of the League. She worked alongside many other reform-minded women and men to achieve her goals and served as inspiration and mentor to FDR’s Secretary of Labor Frances Perkins, the first woman ever to serve in as a cabinet member and a close confidant and influential advisor to the FDR.

Mid-Century Challenges

The leadership of the National Consumers League struggled to contend with Kelley’s death in 1932, facing the burden of maintaining the group’s vigor after losing its long-time leader. Lucy Randolph Mason directed the League for the next five years, and Mary Dublin (Keyserling) directed from 1938-1940. In 1939 Dr. Caroline Ware began advising Dublin regarding activities in Washington, D.C. under the administration of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt.

With first lady Eleanor Roosevelt serving as vice president of the League and testifying on behalf of the organization on numerous occasions, during this time the League focused on passage of the 1938 federal Fair Labor Standards Act. This comprehensive, landmark legislation addressed issues the NCL had raised since its inception including child labor, minimum wage, restrictions on hours worked, and industrial homework. Taking advantage of the expanding definition of social welfare as seen through the ideas of the Roosevelt administration, the League also advocated for:

  • national health insurance
  • improved food and drug safety laws
  • federal pesticide monitoring
  • social security legislation especially for the elderly or disabled
  • unemployment insurance

From 1943-1958 Elizabeth Magee directed the NCL, transferring the group’s office to Cleveland, Ohio, her home. Magee placed new emphasis on:

  • health assistance for migratory workers
  • Medicare and Medicaid
  • wholesome meat and poultry
  • Truth-in-Packaging legislation
  • food additive and color testing
  • worker safety in atomic industries

During the 1970s and 80s, NCL Executive Director Sandra Willett (Jackson) increased attention to consumer education through the “Assertive Consumer” project. The League also promoted consumer participation in government decision-making, which helped open the doors of federal agencies to consumers and their views. During this period, such national figures as Esther Peterson served as vice president of the League. Peterson, a renowned labor and consumer leader, regularly testified on behalf of the League. Peterson became head of the White House Office of Consumer Affairs under President Jimmy Carter and had served as consumer advisor to Presidents Kennedy and Johnson before that.

The 1980s saw significant changes develop in the nation’s health care system. Responding to the need to provide consumers with useful information about these changes, the League, under Barbara Warden’s leadership, organized a major Consumer Health Care Conference, launched a series of consumer health care guides, and established a Medicare education program. The League also:

  • supported enhanced enforcement powers for the Federal Trade Commission
  • opposed the revival of industrial homework sweatshops
  • defended Social Security and Medicare

Under the direction of Linda Golodner (1985 – 2007), the League expanded significantly, continuing to develop its consumer education programs and increase its activism in opposing exploitative child and sweatshop labor. In the late 80s, the group established both the Alliance Against Fraud in Telemarketing and the Child Labor Coalition. The Alliance led to the League’s long-term program, the National Fraud Information Center (later called NCL’s Fraud Center, now simply www.Fraud.org), established in 1992 to assist consumers directly with telemarketing fraud inquiries. Under Golodner, NCL took over the LifeSmarts program, the Ultimate Consumer Challenge, a fast, fun, gameshow-style Internet based consumer education competition for teens and tweens. (Complete information can be found at www.LifeSmarts.org.)

The 21st Century and Beyond

Under the leadership of Sally Greenberg, Executive Director (2007 – present), NCL is focused on four key priority areas: fraud, child labor, LifeSmarts, and health care reform, while continuing to promote a range of additional general protections for consumers and workers. NCL has been instrumental in uniting consumer and labor groups on issues of common interest and in leading the call on Congress and the President to adopt pro-consumer policies, including reinstating the Office of Consumer Affairs in the White House.

Today, the NCL:

  • spearheads efforts to promote the safe use of medication, including convening a multi-faceted, multi-stakeholder campaign to promote better medication adherence (ensuring that patients adhere to their medication regimen) in conjunction and with the support of a federal agency
  • comments frequently on matters of concern to consumers and workers before the Department of Agriculture, Federal Communications Commission, Federal Trade Commission, Food and Drug Administration, and Department of Labor
  • promotes better working conditions for migrant farmworker families and teen workers, both internationally and at home through the Child Labor Coalition
  • is fighting to improve product safety, as well as misleading or confusing labeling on food and beverage products
  • maintains several consumer-friendly Web sites, where consumers may download current publications and alerts on current issues ranging from avoiding fraud to maintaining one’s mortgage, to understanding bloodthinners.
  • participates in the Safe Food Coalition, which promotes effective meat and poultry inspection
  • distributes tens of thousands of publications annually, on topics including food and drug interaction, safe over-the-counter medication use, budgeting and credit, and telephone service
  • convenes a consumer-labor coalition that meets regularly, bringing union and consumer groups together for discussions and joint activities of concern to workers and consumers.

As the League enters its second century, it faces many of the same questions of social justice and consumer protection that Florence Kelley confronted in 1899, except now the marketplace is global in a way that neither Kelley nor her colleagues could have imagined. How do we eliminate child labor? How do we ensure food safety? What is a decent minimum wage for workers? How can privacy be effectively protected?

These questions and the new ones that will inevitably arise will challenge the National Consumers League in its next 100 years. We look forward to building the organization and meeting the challenges facing consumers and workers today.