Reflections on 2016: The fight for consumer protection and what lies ahead

 

What a year 2016 has been in the fight for consumer and worker protections! NCL has been a dedicated beacon of hope to these ideas and has always worked in a bipartisan way, championing the interests of consumers and America’s working families through 20 administrations. NCL will continue to do so in 2017.

In 2017, we will continue to lead the charge to protect Americans’ health, security, and pocketbooks on many important issues:

Preserving our nation’s health
NCL supports full access to healthcare for all Americans, regardless of legislation that may be enacted or repealed. Safe food and medicine, we believe, are the result of a properly funded FDA.

A living wage
Voters across the country supported increases in state minimum wages, and NCL will continue to push for increases in states and in Congress. 

Protecting the watchdogs
Capitalism works–but only when there is oversight by government entities and the public. We are committed to supporting the work of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau as well as  the Federal Trade Commission, Food & Drug Administration, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Department of Labor, and U.S. Department of Agriculture—all are essential for protecting our citizens. NCL supports financial protections offered by Dodd–Frank that shield consumers from the excesses that led to the Great Recession.

Investing in our future
Through NCL’s signature LifeSmarts program, we educate the next generation to be savvy consumers and more, and to become advocates for themselves, their families, and their communities. Every year, LifeSmarts helps prepare hundreds of thousands of middle- and high-school students to enter the marketplace and workplace with the preparation needed to be successful.

Data insecurity
Finally, in the face of the ongoing data breach epidemic, NCL will continue to advocate for better protections for Americans against global and domestic cyberattacks. We will continue to raise awareness of data breaches and offer policy solutions to better protect consumers through newsletters and Fraud.org. Protecting sensitive data must be a priority for policymakers.

Help NCL amplify our voice so we can continue to speak for American consumers and workers. With your support, we will continue to lead the charge to protect Americans’ health, security, and pocketbooks.

Please consider making a year-end gift to the National Consumers League.