Guest blog: Trump’s war on the CPSC is the most dangerous yet

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By Robert Adler and R. David Pittle, Ph.D.

If you think that President Trump’s legally dubious war on regulatory agencies like EEOC, NLRB, and FTC is outrageous, be prepared to recognize the tiny Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) as the hands-down winner for most savaged regulatory agency in this administration.

CPSC is the federal body whose sole mission is to reduce the estimated 49,000 deaths and 28 million medically treated injuries from using consumer products; these losses cost the country $1 trillion annually.

Not only has Trump just illegally fired the Democratic commissioners – and only the Democrats – at CPSC, he has also, according to a leaked OMB budget document, coupled this action with a proposed dismantling of the agency. If he gets his way, he will send CPSC’s substantially reduced staff and diminished authority into the bowels of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) never to be seen again.

This situation is so dire for consumers because unlike the independent agencies where Trump has fired commissioners but left their basic structures intact, his demolition of CPSC will prevent the agency from doing its core work or ever reconstituting itself. Once it has been torn apart, entombed in HHS, and its already minuscule budget skeletonized, the odds of restoring CPSC’s ability to function effectively to protect consumers will be virtually nil. The consequences for consumers will be increased deaths and injuries.

To say the least, parents throughout the country should be alarmed. For the past fifty years, CPSC has been the one agency most dedicated to protecting children from dangerous products. Worst of all, many of these hazards are not obvious to the naked or untrained eye.

Parents should particularly worry because not only is it likely that the new emasculated HHS safety division’s existing standards will be weakened but also future safety rules to protect their children will simply not be written. Behind the scenes, it will take only a wink-and-a-nod from the political idealogues overseeing the new division to stop safety actions in their tracks. And such inaction will go unnoticed given its newly imposed invisibility.

What makes CPSC so valuable to consumers and especially parents is its focus on hidden hazards, i.e., those risks to children that the most safety-conscious parents would not discover even after carefully inspecting a crib or a toy they’re about to purchase. For instance, determining whether a crib’s slats are too far apart—permitting a child’s body but not their head to slip through the slats too often resulting in the child’s strangulation – is not obvious. Nor can careful inspection reveal whether a doll has excessive amounts of toxic lead or contains small parts that could easily break free and choke a child.

CPSC can uncover these hazards because it meticulously and relentlessly surveys the market for injuries, illness, and deaths associated with consumer products. Once it has determined that a hazard needs to be addressed, CPSC can quickly mobilize manufacturers, consumers, voluntary standards groups, retailers, product designers, and the media to attack the problem.

Unfortunately, no one has yet found a way to eliminate products with design defects and manufacturing errors from creeping into the marketplace. The press of fierce competition has shown over the years that such mistakes are inevitable, and consumers pay a painful price. An effective CPSC to find and correct these mistakes is an essential guardrail for consumers.

One might ask why it’s so important that CPSC remain as an independent, highly visible agency. As former CPSC Commissioners who have worked at, monitored, and written about the agency for the past fifty years, we believe the answer is unambiguous: To be effective in protecting consumers from serous safety hazards, the agency needs to be free of improper control from political and commercial interests – concerns that led Congress in 1972 specifically to reject placing CPSC within what was then known as Health, Education & Welfare (HEW). And, it must have the ability to take swift action that gets the public’s attention without going through endless, time-consuming levels of review.

In short, were CPSC to be subsumed in a monolith like HHS and stripped of its independence and visibility, the likelihood of timely and effective safety action would be seriously compromised.

Consumers have benefited greatly from CPSC’s actions. Since the agency opened its doors in 1973, it has reduced the number of crib deaths by nearly 80 percent, childhood poisonings by over 80 percent, injuries from fire by 41 percent, injuries from baby walkers by almost 90 percent, and virtually eliminated childhood suffocations from playing in abandoned refrigerators. The complete list goes on and on, but the fact remains that CPSC provides one of the biggest bangs for the buck in government.

Product safety is not a political issue. The battle against human losses from unreasonably dangerous products must go on without political interference. To do otherwise would be a major injustice against consumers and their families, prompting us to recall Reinhold Niebuhr’s famous observation:

“Man’s capacity for justice makes democracy possible, but man’s inclination to injustice makes democracy necessary.”

“Congress just put America last”— NCL slams Senate for undermining clean air, consumer rights

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

Washington, DC – Today, the United States Senate passed three Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolutions that restrict states’ rights to establish robust tailpipe emission standards.  Having passed the House of Representatives, these resolutions will now go to the President’s desk for signature.  

“In the midst of a global race to develop and manufacture clean, efficient vehicles, Congress just put America last,” said Daniel Greene, Senior Director of Consumer Protection & Product Safety Policy.  “This is a self-defeating attack on American manufacturing, affordability, health, and the environment.  The effect on consumers will be disastrous: pain at the pump, dirtier air, more extreme weather, and a less economically competitive nation.”   

Under the Clean Air Act, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) may issue a waiver to the State of California to exceed federal emission standards for motor vehicles.  Other states are permitted to adopt California’s standards.  In 2024, the EPA provided California waivers for the State’s Advanced Clean Cars II (ACC II), Advanced Clean Trucks, and Omnibus NOx rules.  These standards, which have been adopted in whole or in part by 17 states, have nationwide benefits: conserving energy, combating the climate crisis, improving health, and reducing pain at the pump.  

Please see this fact sheet detailing the CRAs and their effect on American competitiveness, affordability, health, and the environment. 

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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. 

Obesity medication misinformation crisis won’t end with FDA deadline

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By Sally Greenberg, NCL CEO

America is in the grip of a second obesity crisis—while the first one centers around sky-high rates of chronic disease and access to care, the second one ties to truth.  

As millions of Americans seek effective treatments for obesity, they are being targeted by a wave of misinformation and exploitation. Bad actors—med-spas, illegal online pharmacies, and others—are marketing non-FDA-approved GLP-1 drugs while making misleading or untrue claims about their safety and effectiveness.  

The World Health Organization calls this flood of disinformation an infodemic: a deluge of information, some accurate, most deceptive, designed to mislead, confuse, and exploit. It spreads online at lightning speed and puts patient safety at risk.  

As the nation’s oldest consumer organization—now in its 126th year—the National Consumers League (NCL) believes it is our duty to protect Americans from the rampant fraud infecting the weight loss drug market. That’s why we launched The Weight Truth, a national mobilization to combat the falsehoods circulating online about GLP-1s. 

The Wild West of the GLP-1 Market 

The FDA declared the GLP-1 medication shortage over in April 2025. When the shortage began in 2022, due to high demand and limited supply, the FDA permitted licensed compounding pharmacies to fill the gap by preparing so-called compounded versions of these drugs. This temporary fix, however, opened the door to a sprawling marketplace of both legitimate and illicit non-FDA approved versions of GLP-1s.  

While compounding outside of a shortage situation is appropriate for individual patients with unique medical needs such as allergies to specific ingredients in commercial medications, children who need special dosing, or those with difficulty swallowing pills, compounded drugs are not required to meet the high level of safety, efficacy, and good manufacturing processes standards for drugs that have received FDA approval. Simply put, they are not made using the same guardrails as FDA-approved versions and have not been tested in large populations, so they pose more potential risks to patients. They therefore should never be produced on a mass marketing basis except in very limited situations where the FDA has declared a shortage of drugs in high demand. 

Hundreds of millions of doses of both legitimate compounded products and illegitimate GLP-1s flooded the market, and many claimed – without any proof – the same or better benefits than FDA-approved versions.  

Data shows that consumer health has taken a hit. As of February 2025, the FDA received over 775 adverse event reports for compounded GLP-1 drugs, including reports of 17 deaths and over 100 hospitalizations. Moreover, poison control centers report nearly a 1,500 percent increase in calls since 2019 related to overdosing or side effects of injectable GLP1 usage. Because most compounding pharmacies are not required to report adverse events from compounded drugs, the FDA indicates it is “likely that adverse events from compounded versions of GLP-1 drugs are underreported.” 

May 22: A Turning Point for Consumer Safety? 

We should be at a turning point — the FDA has stated that as of May 22, companies should no longer mass-produce compounded GLP-1s. If they do, they will be in violation of the Food, Drug, and Cosmetics Act and may be subject to penalties, recalls, and other sanctions.  

This FDA-issued deadline should provide clarity for consumers who need GLP-1 medications, since as of that date, only products that are “FDA– approved” and are prescribed by a medical professional should be on the market.  

However, NCL is concerned that, as a result of this “infodemic,” the marketing of compounded and other nonlegal weight loss products will continue and will confuse and hide facts from consumers and patients who are trying very hard to manage chronic diseases like obesity. We must ensure compounders abide by these important regulatory rules.  

Our concerns are not unfounded. The recent NCL national survey of perceptions of compounded GLP-1 products sold online shows significant confusion about GLP-1 products amongst women. Key findings include: 

  • 85% believe the false claims made in online ads for compounded GLP-1s. 
  • 71% believe compounded GLP-1s must be tested and proven safe to be sold. 
  • 53% think compounded GLP-1s are FDA-approved. 
  • 49% believe they contain the same active ingredients as the real thing. 

None of these beliefs are true. 

A Blueprint for National Action 

Both the FDA and consumers have roles to play in addressing this infodemic. We urge the FDA to enforce federal law and its long-standing safety-guided standards for compounded products now that GLP-1 products are no longer in shortage. We also call on consumers to take specific steps to learn the truth about GLP-1s and understand what’s FDA-approved, fake, and what’s at risk. Here’s what consumers can do:  

  1. Know that the compounded versions of GLP-1s that were substitutes for the FDA-approved medicines are not permitted on the market after May 22, and if you see them, it’s a red flag. 
  2. Educate yourself by going to The Weight Truth website.
  3. Be aware that FDA-approved GLP-1s are not found in gummy, chewable, patch, nasal, or sublingual forms.  
  4. Ask the healthcare provider or company selling you the GLP-1 if it’s the brand product.  
  5. Report fake GLP-1s to us through The Weight Truth website.

Join us as we seek to spread the word about the weight truth and replace misinformation about GLP-1 medications with the truth. 

Let’s bring real reform to live events in Maine

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By John Breyault, NCL VP of Telecommunication and Fraud

For music and entertainment lovers in Maine—whether you are lining up for a concert at the State Theatre or a summer show at Thompson’s Point—the thrill of a live event often begins with a headache: buying the ticket.

Hidden fees, confusing pricing, shady scalpers, and limited options to transfer or resell tickets have become the norm. Recognizing this, Maine Senate President Matthea Daughtry introduced legislation earlier this year intended to bring long-overdue fairness and transparency to Maine’s ticketing market.

Unfortunately, as the bill has moved through Augusta, powerful industry lobbyists have been hard at work reshaping it to benefit the entertainment giants—at the expense of everyday Mainers.

As a consumer advocate who has spent over 15 years fighting monopolistic behavior in the live event industry, I have seen this pattern before. Companies like Live Nation-Ticketmaster, which control vast swaths of the event ecosystem, use their influence to preserve an unfair status quo. Maine should not let them write the rules.

Price Caps May Hurt More Than Help

A major element of the bill—a proposed 10% cap on ticket resale prices—could backfire. While well-intentioned, resale caps often drive fans toward risky, unregulated markets such as Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, or international resale websites.

The data backs this up. A recent U.K. study found that countries with capped resale prices, like Ireland and Australia, see ticket fraud rates nearly four times higher than in the U.K., where resale is unrestricted. If Maine pursues a cap, it must also fund enforcement. Otherwise, fans are on their own.

Transparency Should Help Fans, Not Confuse Them

Another of the bill’s central reforms is transparency in ticket pricing—an idea that is overdue. It aims to eliminate “junk fees” that often inflate ticket costs by 27% or more, usually without warning until the final screen. Fans deserve to know the total price they will pay upfront, and this part of the bill has widespread support.

But the current draft goes a step too far: it mandates that every individual fee be broken out and listed next to the total price. This may sound like transparency, but in reality, it creates more confusion. Most people do not care how the ticket price is sliced up—they care what it costs to get in the door.

Worse, there is no standardized way sellers itemize fees. That means consumers will struggle to compare offers across platforms, undermining competition and informed choice. It is also inconsistent with new federal rules that promote simple, upfront pricing.

So why insist on a detailed fee breakdown? Because it helps venues and promoters in their negotiations with ticketing companies—not because it improves the fan experience.

Refund Rules Shouldn’t Be One-Sided

Finally, the bill also creates a refund gap. If an event is canceled, it only requires ticket resellers to refund consumers—not original sellers like Ticketmaster or venue box offices. That is not just unfair—it is outrageous.

Under this proposal, an event organizer could postpone a show and keep your money until the event is rescheduled. Mainers should not be forced to give interest-free loans to billion-dollar corporations just because a concert did not happen.

Let’s Get This Right

The arts and music scene is a treasured part of life in Maine. Whether you are seeing a nationally touring act or a local band on the rise, fans deserve a fair ticketing system that puts their needs first—not those of the entertainment industry’s biggest players.

Senator Daughtry’s bill began with the right goals. But as currently written, it risks making things worse. With a few smart changes, the Maine Legislature can deliver true reform—ensuring transparency, fairness, and consumer protection in a market that desperately needs it.

Let’s finish the job—and put fans first.

NCL urges FDA and consumers to take action as GLP-1 shortage ends, but “infodemic” continues

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

May 22 Conclusion of Mass Compounded GLP-1s Should Bring Clarity but Confusion Reigns

Washington, DC — Despite the end of the GLP-1 shortage and May 22 FDA-issued deadline for companies to stop mass compounding of the products, the National Consumers League (NCL) is concerned that the epidemic of GLP-1 misinformation will continue to confuse consumers with fake products that can put their health at risk. Both the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and consumers have roles to play in responding to the “infodemic.”

According to the FDA, as of today, companies should no longer mass-produce compounded GLP-1s. If they do, they will be in violation of the Food, Drug, and Cosmetics Act and may be subject to penalties, recalls, and other sanctions. While NCL understands the role of compounded drugs as customized medications created by pharmacists or physicians in individualized cases that combine, mix, or alter ingredients to meet a specific patient’s needs, like a swallowing disorder, they are not appropriate for mass production and distribution. They also pose more potential risks to patients.

Because compounded drugs do not have the guardrails, nor have they been tested in large populations, there are risks associated with them, and they therefore should never be produced on a mass marketing basis except in very limited situations where the FDA has declared a shortage of drugs in high demand. That was the case with shortages of GLP1 drugs from 2022 to several months ago, to meet the high demand.

The May 22 deadline should provide clarity for consumers who need GLP-1 medications. After this date, only products that are “FDA-approved” or have been through the FDA process and are proven safe and effective in large populations and prescribed by a medical professional should be on the market. We must ensure compounders abide by the FDA’s rules. However, NCL is concerned that the marketing of compounded and other nonlegal weight loss products will continue beyond the deadline and continue to confuse consumers and patients who are managing chronic diseases like obesity.

Our concerns are not unfounded: We recently released a national survey of perceptions of compounded GLP-1 products sold online, showing that there is significant confusion about GLP-1 products amongst women. Key findings include that more than 70% believe compounded GLP-1s are only on the market if they have been tested and proven safe, and more than half (53%) think compounded GLP-1s have received FDA-approval. Neither of these claims is true.

For the sake of consumers across the country, we urge the FDA to enforce federal law and its long-standing safety-guided standards for compounded products now that GLP-1 products are no longer in shortage. We also call on consumers to take the following steps to learn the facts about GLP-1s and understand what’s FDA-approved, what’s fake, and what might put their health at risk:

  1. If a product says, “Doctor Approved,” and not “FDA-Approved,” it is likely a compounded versions of GLP-1s that are not permitted after May 22: if you see them, it’s a red flag.
  2. Educate yourself by going to The Weight Truth website (https://nclnet.org/weight-truth/),
  3. Be aware that FDA-approved GLP-1s are not available in gummy, chewable, patch, nasal, or sublingual forms.
  4. Ask the healthcare provider or company selling you the GLP-1 if it’s the FDA-approved brand product. You can also reach out to the FDA-approved manufacturers to determine whether you have authentic medicine.
  5. Report fake GLP-1s to us through The Weight Truth website (https://nclnet.org/weight-truth/

In addition to raising awareness amongst consumers about the misinformation surrounding compounded GLP-1s, NCL is also reiterating its appeal to Congress to pass the Treat and Reduce Obesity Act (TROA), a critical piece of legislation that will allow more older Americans to be treated with FDA-approved anti-obesity medications under the Medicare program.

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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. 

DOT’s abandonment of Southwest litigation will leave passengers worse off 

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

Washington, DC — Last week, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) quietly dropped its historic lawsuit against Southwest Airlines, which had originally been filed over the carrier’s unrealistic scheduling. The litigation would have been the first time an airline attempted to defend its chronic delays in court.   

“DOT’s decision to drop its lawsuit against Southwest will leave passengers worse off,” said NCL CEO Sally Greenberg. “Ignoring law violations just because the offender is a corporation is not a healthy or sustainable policy. The Department’s abandonment of the litigation sends a message to travelers around the globe that our government is more interested in protecting powerful airlines than the flying public.”   

DOT’s original complaint cited Southwest’s own data submitted to the agency, highlighting nearly 150 flights that violated federal law prohibiting unrealistically scheduled routes. For example, in one of the months listed in the complaint, Southwest’s statistics showed that 22 out of 26 trips made by Flight 1614 between Baltimore, Maryland, and Cleveland, Ohio, did not arrive on time, with an average delay of 66 minutes.   

The now-withdrawn lawsuit appropriately stated that “[h]olding out these chronically delayed flights disregarded consumers’ need to have reliable information about the real arrival time of a flight and harmed thousands of passengers traveling on these Southwest flights by causing disruptions to travel plans or other plans.”  

The federal prohibition on unrealistic scheduling has been on the books since 1957. Yet, airlines had not been held accountable for violations until Transportation Secretary Buttigieg, who brought fines against JetBlue and Frontier, and the now-abandoned lawsuit against Southwest.   

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 www.nclnet.org.    

NCL Denounces Illegal Attempt to Fire CPSC Commissioners

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Media Contact: Maggie Oliverio, Communications Associate, 202-207-2831

Washington, DC – The National Consumers League calls on the Trump administration to rescind the illegal attempt to fire Democratic Commissioners on the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).

“This unprecedented assault on our nation’s regulator of household product safety is in direct contravention of the spirit and letter of the law, runs afoul of decades of Supreme Court precedent, and threatens to cripple the CPSC’s ability to carry out its lifesaving mission,” said Daniel Greene, the Senior Director of Consumer Protection & Product Safety at the National Consumers League. “Diverse opinions improve safety. Silencing the voices of subject matter experts with whom you politically disagree does not improve government efficiency. It just leads to more unnecessary deaths and more unnecessary injuries.”

Last night, Commissioners Richard Trumka and Commissioner Mary T. Boyle of the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) received an email from the White House purporting to fire them.  Commissioner Alexander Hoehn-Saric did not receive such an email but is being prevented from executing his duties by the Acting Chair.

Commissioner Richard Trumka’s statement is available HERE

Commissioner Alexander Hoehn-Saric statement is available HERE

Commissioner Mary T. Boyle’s statement is available HERE 

A letter from 159 advocates opposing plans to eliminate the CPSC can be found HERE

A video of victims’ parents advocating to protect the CPSC can be found HERE

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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.    

158 Advocates Send Letter Opposing Plan to Eliminate the CPSC

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

Washington, DC – Today, the National Consumers League, Consumer Federation of America, Consumer Reports, and 156 other product safety advocates sent a letter to Russell Vought, the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, expressing their strong opposition to any attempt to eliminate, defund, or weaken the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).

The CPSC is an independent federal agency commissioned by Congress to protect the public from unreasonable risks of injury or death from consumer products through education, safety standards, regulation, and enforcement.  According to a draft budget document, the Trump administration is finalizing a proposal to eliminate the CPSC and transfer the agency’s functions to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

“If implemented, this proposal would eradicate – not reorganize – our nation’s governance of product safety,” the product safety advocates write. “Congress deliberately established an independent agency exclusively charged with the safety of consumer products.  Such independence ensures that product safety issues are treated like the public safety imperative they so clearly are.  We urge you to preserve an independent, bipartisan CPSC and ensure the agency has the appropriate tools, resources, and personnel to carry out its lifesaving mission.”

A copy of the letter can be found HERE  

A video of victims’ parents advocating to protect the CPSC can be found HERE

Letter cosigners:

National Consumers League

Consumer Federation of America

Consumer Reports

Access Ready Inc.

Action on Smoking and Health

Aden Lamps Foundation

Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety

Aging Life Care Association

America Walks

American Academy of Pediatrics

American Apparel & Footwear Association

Appliance Standards Awareness Project

Association of Pedestrian & Bicycle Professionals (APBP)

Autistic Self Advocacy Network

Bicycle Alliance of Minnesota

Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia

Bicycle Colorado

Bike Cleveland

Bike Jeffco

Bike LA

Bike Oven

Bike Pittsburgh

Bike Walk Savannah

BikeWalkKC

BikeWalkNC

BioInjury

Breast Cancer Prevention Partners

California Bicycle Coalition

Center for Auto Safety

Center for Economic Integrity

Center for Economic Justice

Center for Medicare Advocacy

Center for Pet Safety

Charlie’s House

Child Care Aware of Virginia

ChildSavers

Citizens Action Coalition of IN

Claire Bear Foundation

CommunicationFIRST

Consumer Action

Consumers for Auto Reliability and Safety

Cribs for Kids

Derrick Stone Safe Sleep

Detroit Greenways Coalition

Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund (DREDF)

Diversity In Aquatics

Earth Ethics, Inc.

East Coast Greenway Alliance

Economic Action Maryland Fund

Epilepsy Foundation of America

Families for Safe Streets

First Candle

Florida Bicycle Association

Florida Silver Haired Legislature Inc

Food Empowerment Project

Friends of the Concord-Lake Sunapee Rail Trail

Funeral Consumers Alliance of South Carolina

Georgia Watch

Government Information Watch

Green America

Haddie’s Calling

Hawai’i Bicycling League

Healthy Babies Bright Futures

HealthyWomen

Homestretch Nonprofit Housing Corp.

Human Powered Solutions LLC

Impact Teen Drivers

Jacob Bikes

Joseph A Sanzari Children’s Hospital

Just Strategy

Keeping Babies Safe

Kids and Car Safety

La Isla Network

Lead on Solutions, LLC

League of American Bicyclists

Living Streets Alliance

Local Motion

Madison Bikes, Inc.

Marin County Bicycle Coalition

MassBike

Missourians for Responsible Transportation

Move Redmond

Muscular Dystrophy Association

Napa County Bicycle Coalition

National Association of Consumer Advocates

National Bicycle Dealers Association

National Carbon Monoxide Awareness Association

National Center for Healthy Housing

National Coalition for Safer Roads

National Drowning Prevention Alliance

New Jersey Bike & Walk Coalition

Oregon Consumer Justice

Oregon Consumer League

Parents Against Tip-Overs

Parents for Window Blind Safety

Paterson Task Force for Community Action, Inc.

Pennsylvania Downtown Center

People Power United

Pool and Hot Tub Alliance

Propel ATL

Public Citizen

Reconnect Rochester

Responsible Sourcing Network

Ride Illinois

Ride of Silence

Safe Infant Sleep

Safety Research & Strategies

Sciencecorps

Shane’s Foundation, NFP

Shepard’s Watch Foundation

Sonoma County Bicycle Coalition

South Carolina Appleseed Legal Justice Center

Stop Drowning Now

StopDistractions.org

SwimJim

Tempe Bicycle Action Group

The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSP)

The National Carbon Monoxide Awareness Association

Transportation Alternatives

Travel Goods Association (TGA)

Truck Safety Coalition

United States Swim School Association

Unleaded Kids

Virginia Citizens Consumer Council

Vision 2020 Project

Walk ‘n Rollers

Washington Area Bicyclist Association

Whirlwind Wheelchair International

Wisconsin Bike Fed

Yakima Bikes and Walks!

Alissa K. Sandler, Product Safety Advocate

Angela Williams, Product Safety Advocate

Ashley Haugen, That Water Bead Lady

Cindy Mense, Product Safety Advocate

Dr. Free N. Hess, Product Safety Advocate

Elizabeth Hemmerlin, Product Safety Advocate

Ernest Bach, Product Safety Advocate

Garrett Kellermab, Product Safety Advocate

Heather Stephens, Product Safety Advocate

Heidi Perry, Product Safety Advocate

Janet McGee, Parent Product Safety Advocate

Jayshree Kumta, Product Safety Advocate

Judith Solomon, Product Safety Advocate

Kelley Ladick, Product Safety Advocate

Lori Winkler, MSN, RN, TNS, CPEN, Product Safety Advocate

Marjon Manitius, Product Safety Advocate

Marjorie Murray, Product Safety Advocate

Mary Jagim, Product Safety Advocate

Michael Haggard, Product Safety Advocate

Pamela Gilbert, National Consumers League Board Member

Paul Susca, Product Safety Advocate

Robert W Browne, Product Safety Advocate

Sandeep Khatua, Product Safety Advocate

Sarah Sorscher, Product Safety Advocate

Sara Thompson, Parent Safety Advocate

Shayna Raphael, Product Safety Advocate

Stephen W Hargarten, Product Safety Advocate

Taylor Bethard, That Water Bead Lady & Esther’s Mom

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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.    

National Survey Shows a Vast Majority of Americans Want Comprehensive Reform of the 340B Drug Pricing Program

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

National Poll Demonstrates Strong Support for Policies That Ensure Qualifying Patients Benefit Directly From 340B Drug Discounts, Hold 340B Hospitals & Covered Entities Accountable

Washington, DC – Today, the National Consumers League (NCL) released results from a new Morning Consult national poll of more than 20,000 American adults, revealing overwhelming concern about the burden of medical debt and strong public demand for comprehensive reforms of the 340B Drug Pricing Program. Nearly four in five surveyed adults (78%) support establishing requirements to ensure that qualifying patients directly benefit from 340B drug discounts through reduced out-of-pocket prescription drug costs. More than three in four surveyed adults (77%) believe hospitals should be required to pass 340B savings directly onto patients.

The national poll also found that:

  • 54% of surveyed adults currently have or previously had medical debt, with those in rural areas and the South disproportionately affected. Among adults who have experienced medical debt, more than half (54%) reported skipping additional needed medical care due to cost.
  • Three in four surveyed adults (76%) expressed concern that hospitals benefiting from 340B drug discounts often pursue aggressive debt collection practices against patients.
  • A majority of polled adults strongly supported proposed reforms of the 340B program, including policies to ensure qualifying patients benefit directly from 340B through reduced out-of-pocket costs, allow audits on how hospitals and pharmacies are using the 340B program, and add a requirement that 340B hospitals share a portion of the savings they generate with qualifying 340B patients.

“The 340B program is supposed to help vulnerable patients access and afford life-saving medicines and care, but the evidence shows some hospitals, the pharmacies they contract with, and middlemen are abusing 340B for profit at the expense of low-income and uninsured patients,” said National Consumers League (NCL) CEO Sally Greenberg, JD. “Americans have said loud and clear: They want a 340B program that puts patients first, not profits. Congress must act now to institute comprehensive reforms that restore integrity and accountability to 340B before more patients are left behind.”

The 340B Drug Pricing Program allows hospitals and other covered healthcare entities to access medications at discounted prices from manufacturers with the intent that they pass savings onto patients. However, over time, some hospitals, the pharmacies they contract with, and pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) have manipulated the program into a major profit-generating enterprise. In many cases, 340B hospitals charge patients full price for discounted drugs, keep the difference as profit, provide minimal levels of charity care, and pursue aggressive debt collection practices against the very patients the program was meant to protect.

This April, Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), the Chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, released a report detailing finds from a multi-year investigation of how covered entities abuse the 340B program. In the report, Sen. Cassidy outlined reforms meant to bring greater transparency to the 340B program, including requiring annual reporting on how 340B revenue is used to ensure direct savings for patients and providing clear guidelines to ensure that drug discounts actually benefit 340B-eligible patients.

By the Numbers: 340B Program Abuses Harm American Patients

  • Massive Price Markups. Medicine price markups are 6.6 times higher at 340B hospitals than at independent clinics, and research shows participation in 340B does not improve health outcomes for uninsured and low-income patients.
  • Declining Charity Care. 340B has grown exponentially to become the second largest federal prescription drug program after Medicare Part D. However, only $1 is invested in charity care for every $10 in profit collected by profitable 340B hospitals.
  • Lack of Transparency. Discounted purchases under 340B totaled a massive $66.3 billion in 2023. However, hospitals are not required to disclose their 340B profits or even whether their revenue is used to lower patient costs.

To learn more about the 340B Drug Pricing Program and the need for federal reforms of the program, visit: https://nclnet.org/340b-program/.

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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 mourns the death of former US Secretary of Labor Alexis Herman

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

The National Consumers League mourns the death of Alexis Herman, whom we honored in 1999 with our Trumpeter Award for her service as US Secretary of Labor from 1997 to 2001 under President Bill Clinton. 

Secretary Herman was raised in Mobile, Alabama, and joined the administration of Jimmy Carter, working as director of the Labor Department’s Women’s Bureau. Herman became active in the Democratic Party and joined the cabinet of President Bill Clinton in 1997. 

Herman championed apprenticeships for women in nontraditional jobs.  After Jimmy Carter became president in 1977, he asked Herman to be director of the Labor Department’s Women’s Bureau. At age 29, she was the youngest person to hold the position.  

After President Bill Clinton was elected President in 1992, he appointed her director of the White House Office of Public Liaison, then appointed her in 1996 to serve as Secretary of Labor. On April 30, 1997, the Senate voted to confirm by a vote of 85–13. Herman was sworn in on May 9, 1997.  Herman was the first Black-American and the fifth woman to serve in the position.  

As Secretary of Labor, Herman earned praise from peers for handling the 1997 United Parcel Service (UPS) workers’ strike.

As secretary, Herman supported the 1996 and 1997 raises to the minimum wage, increasing it by $0.90 to $5.15 per hour by September 1997. She argued the wage hike increased the buying power of workers and later opposed a 1999 Republican-supported plan to raise the minimum wage over three years, instead supporting a two-year timetable for an increase.   

Among Herman’s responsibilities as secretary was the enforcement of child labor laws, including finding Toys R Us $200,000 for violating laws restricting the type of work that may be done, and the number of hours that underage employees may work.  The DOL found that more than 300 teenage employees were working more and longer hours than permitted, and Toys “R” Us agreed to stop the practices.  

Herman supported the United States’ participation in the International Labor Organization’s Child Labor Convention.  

NCL celebrates the many contributions of Secretary Herman during her distinguished career and appreciates the opportunity she provided to NCL to pay tribute to her with our Trumpeter Award in 1999. 

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.