Entries by Lisa McDonald

Medicaid cuts deepen coordinated assault on women’s healthcare  

July 8, 2025 in , , /by

July 8, 2025: Washington, DC – The National Consumers League (NCL) is speaking out against the sweeping Medicaid cuts included in Trump’s reconciliation package, warning that they come amid a dangerous, coordinated assault on women’s access to essential healthcare services. The new law imposes deep, structural reductions to Medicaid funding and blocks people who use Medicaid from getting care at Planned Parenthood, threatening the health and well-being of millions of low-income Americans, especially women who rely on the program for critical reproductive and preventive care.  This follows a recent Supreme Court decision giving states the green light to block Planned Parenthood from receiving Medicaid funds for essential healthcare services. 

Statement from the National Consumers League on AI moratorium deal 

June 30, 2025 in , , /by

June 30, 2025: Washington, DC — The National Consumers League (NCL) today voiced strong opposition to the reported amendment to the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” imposing a five-year moratorium on state and local regulation of artificial intelligence systems. The deal, if enacted, would amount to a sweeping federal preemption of popular and long-standing consumer protection laws, ranging from robocall restrictions to children’s online safety, privacy rights, and protections from discriminatory AI applications. 

NCL calls on Congress to improve traffic safety 

June 26, 2025 in , , /by

June 26, 2025: Washington, DC — In advance of a subcommittee hearing on motor vehicle safety, the National Consumers League (NCL) sent a letter to the House Energy and Commerce Committee urging lawmakers to take decisive action to curb the unacceptable number of deaths and injuries that occur due to traffic crashes.  

NCL strongly opposes 10-year ban on tech regulations 

June 25, 2025 in , , /by

June 25, 2025: Washington, DC — The “One Big Beautiful Bill” budget reconciliation legislation includes language that would largely ban states from regulating tech companies for 10 years if the states accept federal money for building out high-speed internet infrastructure. Specifically, the language prevents states from enforcing laws that protect the public from artificial intelligence and “automated decision systems.” The legislation’s definition of “automated decision systems” is so broad it could impact several existing state laws, including safeguards for digital privacy and anti-discrimination.  

Want Lower Drug Prices? Transparency is The Answer. 

June 23, 2025 in , , /by

June 23, 2025: Pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) have become the uniquely American actors of behind-the-scenes drama in the healthcare system. They are the classic middleman in that they wield enormous power and get between patients and their prescribed medications. They control how much we pay for the medications and decide whether we can get access to the treatments our doctors prescribe.   

Public health sabotaged: RFK Jr. purges nation’s vaccine advisory committee

June 11, 2025 in , /by

June 11, 2025: Washington, DC – The National Consumers League (NCL)  is alarmed by Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary  Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s removal of all 17 members of the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP)—a body composed of independent public health experts who were vetted and appointed through a transparent, rigorous process during the previous administration.  ACIP plays a critical role in evaluating the safety, effectiveness, and public health need for vaccines. Its recommendations guide immunization practices for children, seniors, and the general public—including routine vaccines such as the annual flu shot.