NCL, Former FCC Chairs File SCOTUS Brief To Defend Agency From Wireless Carriers 

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

Washington, DC – Today, the National Consumers League, two former chairs of the FCC, and five other public interest organizations filed an amicus brief at the U.S. Supreme Court in FCC v. AT&T. The case was brought after telecom carriers were found liable for privacy violations that harmed their customers. The companies responded by suing to nullify the Commission’s primary fining authority under the Communications Act of 1934.  

“As our personal data has become more insecure than ever, it is critical that we have strong regulators who are equipped to protect us from privacy violations,” said NCL Vice President of Public Policy, Telecommunications, and Fraud John Breyault. “Congress made it clear that the FCC’s job is to make sure that consumers’ sensitive telecommunications data is protected. The FCC, across bipartisan administrations, faithfully applied these mandates. The Court should ensure that the Commission continues to have every lever at its disposal to ensure America’s telecom carriers follow the law and to hold them accountable when they fail.” 

Democracy Forward Foundation provided pro bono counsel services for NCL in this filing. The full list of signatories to the brief are the Benton Institute for Broadband & Society, Consumer Reports, the Electronic Privacy Information Center, the National Consumer Law Center, the National Consumers League, Public Knowledge, former FCC Chair Reed Hundt, and former FCC Chair Tom Wheeler.  

You can sign up for NCL’s biweekly #DataInsecurity Digest to receive updates on data privacy news 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.   

Sen. Durbin Reintroduces NCL-Endorsed Protect Your Points Act 

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

Washington, DC – Yesterday, Senator Durbin reintroduced the Protect Your Points Act, legislation that would protect consumers’ airline rewards points. Key components include a prohibition on points devaluation without at least one year’s notice, a requirement for the non-expiration of accrued points, a ban on junk fees for the redemption of rewards, and greater transparency into the dollar value of rewards points.   

“Airlines have in many ways become banks that happen to fly planes on the side,” said NCL Vice President of Public Policy, Telecommunications, and Fraud John Breyault. “If the industry plans to continue with this model, consumers deserve protections around issues like point devaluations, at a minimum. NCL is grateful to Senator Durbin for his leadership and bringing sunlight to this often-opaque industry.”   

Under former Transportation Secretary Buttigieg and former CFPB Director Chopra, NCL successfully advocated for the agencies to take action on consumer’s airline rewards. These actions included a landmark DOT investigation into carriers’ business practices, and a CFPB warning that devaluation of points may violate consumer protection law.  

Recent estimates for the valuations of these programs have exceeded several billion dollars, including $24 billion for American Airlines’ rewards operation and $22 billion for United Airlines. Delta’s SkyMiles program was estimated to be worth $28 billion, more than half of Delta’s total $40 billion valuation at the time. 

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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 Consumers League and Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) Statement as States Rest Their Case in Landmark Antitrust Battle Against Live Nation

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Washington, DC – Today marks a significant milestone in the State’s Attorney General’s antitrust case against Live Nation Entertainment, the parent company of Ticketmaster, LLC, as more than 30 state plaintiffs conclude the presentation of their case to the jury.

“State attorneys general have built a strong, compelling case—and there is no justification for settling. They should see the case through, put the facts before a jury, and let justice run its course,” said John Breyault, Vice President of Public Policy, Telecommunications and Fraud at the National Consumers League. “Consumers have waited long enough; they deserve nothing less than a decisive outcome that breaks up this monopoly and restores real competition to the marketplace.”  Breyault has been a leading consumer advocate and spokesperson on this case since its inception in 2024.

The lawsuit, originally filed in 2024 alongside the U.S. Department of Justice, alleges that Live Nation Entertainment, Inc., the parent of Ticketmaster, abused its market dominance through excessive fees, restrictive venue agreements, and coercive practices that have harmed consumers, artists, and venues across the country. After the Department of Justice reached a settlement, most of the states chose to move forward, rejecting the deal in favor of pursuing a full and fair resolution in court. With the states now resting their case, the trial moves into its next phase as Live Nation prepares to present its defense.

This moment also underscores the growing concern among federal lawmakers about competition in the live entertainment marketplace. Members of Congress have long raised alarms about Live Nation’s market power and its impact on consumers, artists, and venues. Their perspectives highlight the national significance of this case and the urgency of delivering real relief to consumers.

“The Justice Department’s decision to strike a deal with Live Nation-Ticketmaster, rather than take the case to trial, is a slap in the face to American concertgoers who are increasingly being priced out of seeing their favorite artists,” said Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ). “The Trump Administration had the opportunity to confront this monopoly but choose the side of corporate powers instead. At a time when families are already struggling in Trump’s disastrous economy, this agreement falls short of delivering the accountability the public deserves. I commend the bipartisan coalition of state attorneys general from across the country, including my home state of New Jersey, who have rejected this deal and chosen to press forward in addressing anticompetitive behavior that harms fans, artists, and venues alike. Attending concerts and live events with friends and family should not be a luxury reserved for the wealthiest Americans. I urge attorneys general in every state to stand firm as Live Nation begins their defense and enforce the nation’s antitrust laws this administration increasingly seems to abandon.”

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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.

Aggressive Medical Debt Collection Undermines the Promise of 340B

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By Lisa Bercu, J.D. – Senior Director of Health Policy at NCL
At a time when Americans are increasingly concerned about the cost of healthcare, a troubling contradiction is emerging within the hospital system meant to care for our most vulnerable patients. A new analysis from the National Consumers League reveals that hospitals participating in the federal 340B Drug Pricing Program— including many hospitals that treat high volumes of cancer patients — are more likely than non-340B hospitals to permit aggressive medical debt collection practices such as lawsuits, wage garnishment, liens, and credit reporting.
The upcoming House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health hearing, “Lowering Health Care Costs for All Americans: An Examination of the U.S. Provider Landscape,” plans to address the broader debate over healthcare affordability.  As lawmakers examine the role hospitals play in shaping the cost of care for Americans, they should also scrutinize the aggressive medical debt-collection practices at 340B hospitals.
The 340B program was created with a clear and compassionate purpose: to allow hospitals to purchase certain drugs at steep discounts to help low-income, uninsured, or otherwise vulnerable patients have access to affordable healthcare. In theory, those savings are supposed to help hospitals expand services, improve access to care, and ease financial burdens for patients.
But new data suggest that some hospitals are instead sending those patient bills to medical debt collection. The National Consumers League’s analysis reviewed more than 2,500 hospitals nationwide and found that 75 percent of hospitals participating in the 340B program may take legal action against patients. Among hospitals not participating in the 340B program, that number is just 62 percent.
The pattern is particularly concerning among hospitals that treat the highest volumes of cancer patients, where 340B hospitals continued to be more likely than non-340B hospitals to maintain policies permitting legal action.
For families facing a cancer diagnosis, the financial burden can be overwhelming. Treatment often requires expensive diagnostics, extended drug therapies, and repeated hospital visits for treatments. Even for insured patients, deductibles, coinsurance, and non-covered services can accumulate into staggering bills.
Medical debt is now one of the most widespread forms of financial distress in the United States. Nearly half of American adults report they have experienced medical debt.  For cancer patients, the stakes are even higher: research from the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network found that almost half of patients with cancer and cancer survivors incurred medical debt, and that those with debt were three times more likely to fall behind on recommended screenings.
Behind these statistics are real stories. Patients frequently exhaust their savings, tap retirement funds, or turn to crowdfunding to stay afloat during treatment.
This disconnect raises an important policy question: if hospitals are receiving substantial savings through the 340B program, are those savings truly reaching the patients the program was intended to protect?
Congress now has an opportunity—and a responsibility—to examine that question.
Ensuring that the 340B program works as intended does not require dismantling it. Rather, it calls for targeted reforms to ensure that patients benefit from the program and aren’t left facing medical debt as a result. Policymakers should strengthen charity care requirements for participating hospitals and prohibit aggressive debt collection practices against patients.  They should also exclude medical debt from credit decisions.
These and other reforms to improve program transparency and oversight would further protect patients navigating already difficult health journeys.
As Congress examines the role of providers in shaping healthcare costs, it must look not only at the prices hospitals charge, but also at how they treat the patients they serve. Programs designed to support vulnerable communities must deliver on their promise.

NCL, 55 Organizations Urge Lawmakers to Pass the Safety Is Not For Sale Act

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

Washington, DC – The National Consumers League (NCL) and 55 of the nation’s most prominent automobile safety and consumer protection organizations sent a letter to leaders of the House Energy and Commerce Committee in support of the Safety is Not For Sale Act. The legislation requires that optional automobile safety systems be made available as part of the base trim or be disclosed and offered for sale separately from non-safety-related equipment.

“Regrettably, many lifesaving safety features are solely available on luxury trims or sold as part of expensive add-on packages with non-safety-related features, such as sophisticated infotainment systems, advanced sound systems, and lavish seats,” the letter states. “As such, consumers may be forced to purchase expensive luxury features they do not want or need in order to equip their vehicle with the safety features of their choosing. These practices make vital safety technologies less affordable and accessible, as consumers frequently must pay thousands of dollars more for luxury trims and optional packages. The Safety is Not For Sale Act is vital to ensuring that consumers have more affordable access to lifesaving automobile safety features.”

In February, the Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade reported the Safety is Not For Sale Act to the Energy and Commerce Committee.

A copy of the letter can be found HERE.

Letter cosigners:

National Consumers League

Access Ready Inc.

Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety

America Walks

Bicycle Alliance of Minnesota

Bike Cleveland

Bike-Walk Alliance of New Hampshire

BikeLA

BikeWalkNC

BioInjury LLC

California Bicycle Coalition

Center for Auto Safety

Consumer Federation of America

Consumers for Auto Reliability and Safety

Consumer Reports

Detroit Greenways Coalition

Disability Rights Education & Defense Fund

Earth Ethics, Inc.

Families for Safe Streets National

Homestretch Nonprofit Housing Corp.

Impact Teen Drivers

Jacob Bikes

Just Strategy

Kids and Car Safety

League of American Bicyclists

Living Streets Alliance

Local Motion, Inc.

Marin County Bicycle Coalition

Move Redmond

Napa County Bicycle Coalition

National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners

National Carbon Monoxide Awareness Association

National Center for Health Research

National Coalition for Safer Roads

National Safety Council

New Jersey Bike & Walk Coalition

Oregon Consumer Justice

Oregon Consumer League

Parents for Window Blind Safety

Pennsylvania Downtown Center

Ready Set Bike

Reese’s Purpose

Ride Illinois

Safe Infant Sleep

Safe Kids Worldwide

Safety Research & Strategies

Science Corps

Spark Access

Stopdistractions.org

The Wisconsin Bike Fed

ThinkFirst Foundation

Truck Safety Coalition

US Swim School Association

Vision 20/20 Project

Vision Zero Network

Washington Area Bicyclist Association

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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. 

Nancy Glick

Dr. Casey Means is no Dr. C. Everett Koop

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By Nancy Glick Director of Food and Health Policy

“You’re no Jack Kennedy,” is the immortal remark made by Senator Lloyd Bentsen to VP hopeful Senator Dan Quayle during their 1988 debate. It wasn’t a compliment. Now, these words are appropriate for the proposed candidacy of Dr. Casey Means for the critically important role of Surgeon General of the United States.

I had the pleasure of working for Dr. C. Everett Koop, perhaps the most influential Surgeon General in U.S. history, after he left office and launched his anti-obesity campaign, Shape Up America!, in 1994. What I learned from this towering individual (he was 6 feet, 2 inches tall with a robust build and grey beard) about being a relentless advocate for public health underscores why Dr. Casey Means is no Dr. Koop.

Like Dr. Means, Dr. Koop came to the Office of the Surgeon General with deep-seated beliefs. An evangelical Presbyterian, Dr. Koop rose to national prominence as a pioneer in pediatric surgery who spent 35 years at the Children’s Hospital in Philadelphia performing thousands of operations to correct until-then fatal birth defects in newborns; he was the first to separate cojoined twins. His faith and his life-saving work helped to shape his conviction that abortion and infanticide are wrong. In fact, Dr. Koop published the book The Right to Live; the Right to Die which caught the attention of newly elected President Ronald Reagan, leading to his appointment as US Surgeon General.

But President Reagan did not know that when Dr. Koop was confirmed that he would become “the nation’s doctor” and set aside his personal beliefs for the greater good. Dr. Koop began to study smoking as a public health crisis, became appalled by the deceptive advertising, and his first official act was to issue the 1982  Surgeon General’s Report on the Health Consequences of Smoking: Cancer, the most authoritative statement to date on the connections between smoking and cancer.

Dr. Koop then confronted the AIDS crisis at a time when the disease was new and terrifying, declaring that “if ever there was a disease made for a Surgeon General, it was AIDS.” Dr. Koop’s response was to follow the Hippocratic oath taken by all doctors, “First, Do No Harm,” by treating every sick person as someone needing the care of a dispassionate medical professional. Accordingly, in 1986 , he issued the Surgeon General’s Report on Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome with explicit, non-judgmental, accurate information about a disease no one had heard of just a few years earlier. He was also responsible for the largest public health mailing ever done, when he wrote and disseminated “Understanding AIDS,” a brochure sent to 107 million households in the US, in which he said, “Who you are has nothing to do with whether you are in danger of being infected with the AIDS virus. What matters is what you do.”

By taking these actions, Dr. Koop put medicine above moralizing and applied a science-based public health approach to threats such as obesity, drunk driving, lack of health insurance, and even an issue of great concern to the National Consumers League – the need for mandatory labeling on all alcoholic beverages. He is also credited with revitalizing the Commissioned Corps of the US Public Health Service during his tenure as Surgeon General, wearing the navy jacket and gold braid of the corps to be the face of public health.

In contrast to Dr. Koop, a recognized medical authority, Dr. Means is an author and wellness influencer who does not meet the requirements to be Surgeon General. Although she graduated from Stanford Medical School, Dr. Means has never practiced medicine; her medical license is inactive, and her general distrust of conventional medicine is alarming. Unlike Dr. Koop, who was a strong advocate for immunizing babies and children against highly infectious diseases like measles, Dr. Means has been noncommittal and has made numerous public statements discouraging or questioning vaccines. Moreover, while Dr. Koop promoted the importance of funding biomedical research, Dr. Means is more interested in questioning established science on hormonal birth control and championing raw milk (which has sickened many adults and as recently as last month, killed an infant in New Mexico), natural foods, exercise, and lifestyle changes to achieve strong health.

At a time when trust in major federal health agencies is declining because the purveyors of junk science have sowed doubt among the American public, we need a “nation’s doctor” who is a relentless advocate for public health and is aligned with – and not an opponent of – established medical treatment guidelines. Dr. Koop showed America what a great Surgeon General can accomplish. Unfortunately, the confirmation of Dr. Casey Means will raise the ante on questioning longstanding science and medicine without evidence and further jeopardize the health of all Americans.

Fuel Economy Features Save Car Owners Over $9,000 a Year Says National Consumers League 

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

Washington, DC – The National Consumers League (NCL) today sent a letter to the Senate Environment & Public Works Committee in advance of the hearing on S. 3135, the Cold Weather Diesel Reliability Act.  The legislation would grant the Environmental Protection Agency the authority to permit vehicle manufacturers to suspend engine shutdown features on diesel vehicles in extreme cold. 

“As families across the country reel from the ongoing affordability crisis, we encourage lawmakers to consider the substantial effect fuel economy features have on alleviating household budgetary pressure, as detailed in our report titled Sticker Shock,” wrote Daniel Greene, the Senior Director of Consumer Protection & Product Safety at NCL. “Compliance with federal fuel economy and safety standards accounts for a small fraction of vehicle expenditures, but it generates thousands of dollars in benefits per household and trillions of dollars in societal benefits.” 

The letter notes that equipment upgrades—which include changes in fuel economy, comfort, convenience, durability, nonmandatory safety improvements, and safety standards that first require compliance after 2019—account for only $3,040.20, or 13 percent, of the increase in average expenditures per new passenger vehicle since 2002.  Adoption of these fuel economy features has dramatically improved the efficiency of the fleet.  Between 2002 and 2024, the real-world miles per gallon (mpg) of new cars rose from 22.8 mpg to 36.6 mpg, a 60.5 percent improvement. Over the same period, the real-world mpg of light trucks increased from 16.5 mpg to 24.6 mpg, a 49.3 percent increase. 

“Because of fuel-economy improvements, owners of model year 2024 cars save, on average, $9,099.75 in avoided gasoline expenditures,” the letter continues. “Owners of model year 2024 light trucks save, on average, $9,920.23 in avoided gasoline expenditures.” 

A copy of the letter can be found HERE. 

In February, NCL released a report on vehicle affordability, finding that federal safety and fuel economy standards save consumers thousands while having a marginal effect on affordability. The full report is available here: Sticker Shock: Uncovering the Real Drivers of Rising Vehicle Prices. 

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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 Consumers League Applauds Progress on Responsible GLP-1 Marketing  

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

Washington, DC – As an organization focused on the safety of GLP-1 weight-loss drugs, the National Consumers League welcomes the agreement between Novo Nordisk and the telehealth platform Hims & Hers as an important step that could turn the tide away from consumers opting for unapproved GLP-1 weight-loss products. 

By allowing Hims & Hers to sell Novo Nordisk’s injectable semaglutide drugs and the new pill form at the self-pay prices offered on other telehealth platforms, the agreement will give more consumers access to FDA-approved GLP-1 medicines whose safety is established by large clinical trials. Under the agreement, Hims will also offer to transition patients now taking a compounded GLP-1 to an FDA-approved alternative in consultation with a health professional. 

But what NCL views as especially noteworthy is that Hims & Hers will stop advertising compounded GLP-1s as safe alternatives to the FDA-approved medicines. As one of the largest advertisers of compounded GLP-1 weight-loss products, including glitzy ads during the 2025 and 2026 Super Bowls, Hims & Hers has played an outsized role in promoting compounded versions through tactics that violate the Federal Trade Commission’s prohibition on false and deceptive advertising. NCL has repeatedly called out the company for deceptive advertising practices, such as unsubstantiated claims and the omission of information on side effects and risks, which mislead consumers into believing that untested, unapproved compounded GLP-1s are essentially the same in safety and efficacy as FDA-approved medicines. 

“This could be the breakthrough that consumer advocates and patient safety organizations have hoped for. Not only will more consumers have affordable access to FDA-approved GLP-1 weight loss products, but there is the potential to blunt the impact of the voluminous, misleading television and online advertising that only promotes the benefits of compounded GLP-1s without disclosing the risks. It is a win-win that will lead to better obesity care while reducing the harm when consumers opt for unapproved drugs, and some pay the price with serious health problems,” said NCL’s Director of Food and Nutrition Policy, Nancy Glick.” 

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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.   

States Must Step Up if DOJ Sells Out to Live Nation

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

Washington, DC – Reports of a pending settlement between the Department of Justice (DOJ) and Live Nation Entertainment, the parent company of Ticketmaster, should be deeply concerning to all Americans, including live event fans, legislators, and competitors of the live event monopoly. The following statement is attributable to John Breyault, National Consumers League Vice President of Public Policy, Telecommunications, and Fraud:

“Reports that the U.S. Department of Justice has reached a settlement with Live Nation Entertainment that allows the company to keep its Ticketmaster empire are deeply disappointing for the millions of consumers who have endured years of sky-high fees, botched ticket sales, and a marketplace tilted against fans.

Live Nation has long been the poster child for monopoly power in the live entertainment industry. Through its ownership of Ticketmaster and its dominance in concert promotion and venue management, the company has amassed extraordinary control over the live music ecosystem. This has left fans, artists, and independent venues with nowhere else to turn.

If reports are accurate, the roughly $200 million penalty included in the settlement amounts to little more than a slap on the wrist. For a company of Live Nation’s size, that figure is less than a third of a year’s profits. That is the cost of doing business, not a meaningful penalty. Consumers who have been forced to pay inflated ticket prices and junk fees deserve far more.

Equally troubling are reports that Live Nation hired Trump-connected lobbyists while the case was pending and that senior antitrust officials, including antitrust chief Gail Slater, were pushed out of the DOJ during the litigation. That sequence of events raises fundamental questions about whether the outcome of this case was driven by the public interest or by political influence.

When a company accused of monopoly abuses hires well-connected lobbyists, and suddenly the government’s case collapses into a modest fine, consumers have every right to ask whether justice was truly served.

Allowing Live Nation to keep Ticketmaster without meaningful structural remedies would squander a rare opportunity to restore competition to the live entertainment marketplace. For years, fans have watched ticket prices soar while service fees multiply — a system that advocates say reflects a market where competition has been stifled.

The fight, however, is not over. The states that joined this case did so because they recognized the harm that Live Nation’s conduct has inflicted on fans, artists, and independent venues. If the federal government is unwilling to finish the job, state attorneys general must step up and hold Live Nation accountable for years of anti-competitive and anti-consumer conduct.

The company’s credibility with regulators is already in doubt. In a separate case brought by the Federal Trade Commission, regulators allege that Live Nation Entertainment and its Ticketmaster subsidiary misled consumers and enabled practices that undermined the Better Online Ticket Sales (BOTS) Act, reinforcing concerns that the company has been willing to bend the rules and the truth when dealing with regulators.

Concertgoers deserve a marketplace where competition — not monopoly power — determines the price of a ticket.”

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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.