NCL statement on the passing of Beau Biden – National Consumers League
June 1, 2015
Contact: Carol McKay, NCL, 412-945-3242, carolm@nclnet.org
Washington, DC—The National Consumers League staff and Board of Directors are mourning the untimely death of former Attorney General Beau Biden. Advocates at the nation’s pioneering consumer advocacy organization are today remembering Biden for his military career as a member of the Delaware Army National Guard and in the Judge Advocate General Corps, including active duty in Iraq during his father’s Vice Presidential campaign.
In 2012, then Delaware Attorney General Biden addressed the high school students who had traveled to Philadelphia to compete for the National LifeSmarts Championship, NCL’s flagship youth consumer literacy program. On the final day of competition, he spoke to the state champion teenagers from across the country and helped crown the team from Maryland as that year’s National LifeSmarts Champions.
Biden applauded the state champion teams for being actively engaged, interested, and educated about finance and “how to be a good consumer and how to teach your brothers and sisters and classmates and sometimes your parents.” Biden passionately conveyed stories about the citizens of Delaware seeking help from his office, those who weren’t fortunate to have a LifeSmarts background, and who struggle with common consumer challenges in the marketplace. “You have to know what your rights are, and what you’re entitled to. We deal with people all the time who don’t feel empowered to question the negative answer or nonresponse. Behind the 10,000 or so complaints my office receives are, I’m confident, many times more citizens who don’t know what their rights are. That’s why what we do here is so critical, not just for young people but for old people.”
The following statement may be attributed to NCL Executive Director Sally Greenberg:
“The passing of Beau Biden is tragic, for consumer advocates and all Americans. We were honored to have him address our LifeSmarts participants in Philadelphia in 2012. Biden was a strong advocate who fought scammers and crooks seeking to take advantage of the vulnerable. He was an exemplary public servant who dedicated his career to making a difference for his country. We will remember him with fondness and admiration.”
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About the National Consumers League
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.
