National Consumers League Calls Out Flawed Science in MAHA Second Health Report

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

Washington, DC — The National Consumers League (NCL) is deeply concerned about the Trump Administration’s latest Make America Healthy Again Commission (MAHA) report, led by HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. While framed as a blueprint for addressing childhood chronic disease and other public health issues, the Make Our Children Healthy Again Strategy Report lacks in policy specificity and leaves parents and consumers with more questions than answers. 

“Parents deserve health policies grounded in science, not politics dressed up as evidence,” said Lisa Bercu, Senior Director of Health Policy at NCL. “The steps and campaigns proposed in the Strategy Report will not only further erode the public’s trust in science and public health, by reevaluating well-established, safe, and effective standards such as the childhood vaccine schedule, but when considered alongside this administration’s cuts to public health agencies and critical science, really make us question whether the goal is to improve public health. Ignoring decades of scientific progress and undermining vaccines won’t make children healthier—it will set public health back by decades.” 

NCL released a statement in June 2025 in response to the first MAHA report, condemning RFK Jr. for releasing a misleading and dangerous document that relies on outdated and misrepresented data to undermine vaccines, food safety, and decades of consumer protections. 

The second report repeats this pattern—questioning established vaccine schedules and raising doubts about lifesaving immunizations. 

As an organization committed to protecting consumers, NCL supports evidence-based policies. But we reject attempts to use selective science to justify undermining vaccines, weakening environmental safeguards, or shifting responsibility for chronic disease onto families without addressing systemic drivers like access to affordable healthcare, healthy foods, and safe environments. 

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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. 

Trump-Vance DOT Tees Up Abandonment of Airline Consumer Protection Law   

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

Washington, DC –   In its recently released regulatory agenda, the Trump-Vance Administration announced plans to abandon significant pieces of consumer protection law in air travel. The document previewed initiatives that include allowing airlines to use deceptive pricing and leave passengers stranded without mandatory care requirements, like food or lodging.    

While DOT has not released the full details of its proposals, many of the plans appear to violate legal mandates Congress charged DOT with executing. For example, longstanding law prohibits deceptive practices in air travel. Yet Transportation Secretary Duffy plans to remove basic price-transparency protections that enable fair marketplace competition.   

“This is the clearest signal so far that this DOT plans to ignore its public interest mission” said NCL Vice President of Public Policy, Telecommunications, and Fraud John Breyault. “Not only is this administration failing to implement long delayed protections, like those for families traveling with young children, it is preparing to claw back protections already in place for the flying public.”   

The agenda announced adverse actions to the following consumer protections:  

  • The Full Fare Advertising Rule, which requires airlines to include all mandatory charges in advertised prices.  
  • The Ancillary Fee Transparency Rule, which requires airlines to disclose common add-on fees at the beginning of the purchasing process.  
  •  The Automatic Refund Rule, which requires airlines to automatically refund consumers’ airfare in the event of a flight cancellation or the spread of serious communicable diseases.  
  • The Airline Passenger Rights Rulemaking, which would have required airlines to provide care (food and lodging) to stranded passengers and cash compensation for controllable flight disruptions.  

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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.    

Fraud, Counterfeits, and Unsafe Doses: NCL Sounds Alarm on Compounded GLP-1 Market

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

Washington, DC –  On behalf of the millions of consumers who have been lulled into believing that compounded GLP-1s are safe and effective for weight loss, the National Consumers League (NCL) appreciates the Food and Drug Administration’s updated policy statement warning that these drugs can carry significant health risks and should only be taken by patients who cannot tolerate the widely available FDA-approved GLP-1 medicines. 

Specifically, the FDA’s statement makes clear that: 

Compounded GLP-1s are unapproved products that do not undergo the FDA’s review for safety, effectiveness, and quality before they are marketed.  

Compounded GLP-1s carry significant safety risks and may cause serious adverse events, hospitalizations, and in some cases death. These adverse events are directly linked to dosing errors when patients measure and self-administer incorrect doses of the drug, and in some cases, when health care professionals miscalculate doses of the drug.  

The FDA has received 1,150 reports of adverse events related to compounded versions of semaglutide and tirzepatide as of July 31, 2025. Because federal law does not require all compounders to submit adverse reaction reports, these numbers are the tip of the iceberg in terms of harm to consumers. 

The FDA is aware of fraudulent compounded semaglutide and tirzepatide marketed in the U.S. that contain false information on the product label.  

The FDA is also aware that counterfeit GLP-1s are widely available online and may contain the wrong ingredients, contain too little, too much, or no active ingredient at all, or other harmful ingredients, and are illegal.  

Similarly, the agency is warning the public that bad actors are illegally selling directly to consumers unapproved ingredients falsely labeled “for research purposes” or “not for human consumption,” which are extremely dangerous. 

Making these concerns known is necessary to protect the public, but the National Consumers League calls on the FDA to take the next step by issuing regulations that will actually solve these problems and keep Americans safe. 

Unless the FDA acts forcefully, the tide of misleading online marketing of compounded GLP-1 drugs will continue, and the public will be faced with a “caveat emptor” approach that requires patients to fend for themselves. As a consequence, consumers will continue to choose treatments that may increase their health risks or opt for fraudulent and counterfeit drugs, including dangerous products that are falsely labeled “for research purposes” or “not for human consumption.” 

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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.    

Children Will Pay the Price for Florida’s Reckless Vaccine Decision

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

Washington, DC — The National Consumers League (NCL) strongly opposes Florida’s decision to weaken vaccine mandate protections, a move that endangers children and families. Vaccines are one of the most effective public health tools in history, eradicating or nearly eliminating diseases that once devastated communities. By removing mandates, Florida risks the return of preventable outbreaks—especially threatening children who are too young to be vaccinated or those who cannot receive vaccines for medical reasons. 

“Vaccines are one of the most effective public health tools in history, eradicating or nearly eliminating diseases like polio and measles that once devastated communities,” said Lisa Bercu, NCL’s Senior Director of Health Policy. “Removing vaccine mandates erodes critical protections for children, leaving them vulnerable to dangerous but preventable illnesses.  Without these safeguards, we risk seeing the return of diseases we thought were behind us.  The government has a responsibility to uphold vaccines as an essential public health safeguard.”

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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.    

Congress, Public Interest Advocates File Amicus Fighting for the Independence of the CPSC

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

Washington, DC — Senator Amy Klobuchar led 25 other members of Congress in filing an amicus brief urging the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals to preserve the independence and effectiveness of the Consumer Safety Product Commission (CSPC).  In May, the Trump Administration attempted to illegally fire Commissioners Alexander Hoehn-Saric, Richard Trumka, and Mary T. Boyle.

“The National Consumers League applauds Senator Klobuchar and her fellow amici for defending the spirit and letter of the law, decades of Supreme Court precedent, and the CPSC’s ability to carry out its lifesaving mission,” said Daniel Greene, Senior Director of Consumer Protection & Product Safety at the National Consumers League.  

The National Consumers League, Consumer Federation of America, and other leading consumer protection advocates also filed an amicus brief.

“The CPSC’s independence ensures that the agency is mission-driven, guided by experts and science, and insulated from changing political tides.  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.”

In July, the National Consumers League led a letter signed by 100 stakeholders, calling on the administration to cease its attempt to fire the three Democratic CPSC Commissioners illegally. A copy of the letter 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

CDC Guts Food Safety Net: A Dangerous Gamble with American Lives

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

Washington, DC – In 1736, Benjamin Franklin advised the people of Philadelphia that “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” Our famous forefather was talking about fire prevention but his words should now be directed to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which recently cut its Food Diseases Active Surveillance Network (FoodNet) to track only infections from two foodborne pathogens, Salmonella and Shiga toxin–producing Escherichia coli (STEC).  

It is true that Salmonella and STET are among the top contributors to foodborne illnesses in the U.S. Yet, another six major pathogens – Campylobacter, Cyclospora, Listeria, Shigella, Vibrio, and Yersinia –also contribute to the estimated 48 million cases of foodborne illness in the US every year. And now, CDC has decided that it will be up to the states participating in FoodNet to determine if and how they will track and report illnesses from these pathogens.

It is worth remembering that the CDC created FoodNet in 1995 as a response to the 1992–1993 Jack in the Box E. coli outbreak, when over 700 people were badly sickened and four children died from eating hamburgers containing the deadly strain of Escherichia coli O157:H7 bacterium. It was a national scandal the country vowed not to repeat. “Sadly, the CDC has decided to play Russian Roulette with the health of Americans because states simply do not have the ability to coordinate information and data beyond their borders,” says Nancy Glick, Director of Food and Nutrition Policy at the National Consumers League. Therefore, the detection and information-sharing about major food pathogens will become more difficult and the spread of foodborne disease outbreaks will be more likely.

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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 postponement of CPSC priorities hearing

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

Washington, DC — Yesterday, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) postponed its previously scheduled priorities hearing to August 27, 2025. Priorities hearings lay the foundation for the CPSC’s annual agenda, providing a crucial forum in which experts, victims, and industry players provide the CPSC with information necessary to identify, assess, and determine how to mitigate the risk of product safety hazards.

“Safety delayed is safety denied,” said Daniel Greene, Senior Director of Consumer Protection & Product Safety at the National Consumers League. “With 49,000 deaths, 34 million injuries, and $1 trillion in societal costs attributed to product hazards each year, the American people can ill afford such delays. The CPSC must operate more efficiently and effectively. Vital proceedings on button batteries, water beads, neck floats, bassinets and cradles, and other product safety hazards hang in the balance.”

In May, NCL led a letter of 158 advocates opposing plans to eliminate the CPSC and transfer the agency’s functions to HHS.

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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. 

Medicaid cuts deepen coordinated assault on women’s healthcare  

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

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. 

“These cuts to Medicaid and attacks on women’s health are unconscionable,” said NCL Senior Director of Health Policy Lisa Bercu. “They aren’t just numbers in a budget; they translate to fewer prenatal visits, canceled pap smears, and lost access to birth control. These attacks are not about abortion, as federal funds cannot be used for abortion services. Women who depend on Medicaid are being targeted from every angle, and it’s putting their health and lives at risk.”  

When the dust settles from these preposterous cuts, the reality is that 16 million people will be left uninsured—11.8 million due to the bill itself and another 4.2 million because of the failure to renew Affordable Care Act subsidies. The bottom line is that the right to affordable, accessible healthcare should not depend on your income, gender, or zip code.  

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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. 

Statement from the National Consumers League on AI moratorium deal 

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

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. 

“This amendment is a gift to Big Tech at the expense of everyday consumers,” said John Breyault, Vice President of Public Policy, Telecommunications, and Fraud at NCL. “By preempting vital state laws—many of which have protected consumers from robocalls, deceptive marketing, and data misuse for decades—Congress would be tying the hands of state lawmakers and attorneys general just as AI technologies are becoming more embedded in our daily lives. It won’t just block new consumer protections—it will gut existing ones.” 

Despite language that purports to preserve “generally applicable” laws, the moratorium’s vague exemptions could preempt nearly any regulation applicable to automated decision-making systems—including those widely used in telemarketing, online platforms, and political advertising. 

NCL urges lawmakers to reject this overbroad provision and stand with consumers, not tech monopolies. 

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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 strongly opposes 10-year ban on tech regulations 

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

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.  

“Congress shouldn’t force states to choose between building out high-speed internet or protecting their citizens from digital harms,” said NCL Vice President John Breyault. “Several states have enacted critical, non-partisan policies on issues like protecting the public from deceptive deepfakes. Throwing out these protections will not benefit a single constituent.” 

The National Consumers League opposes the inclusion of a ban on tech regulations within Congress’s budget reconciliation bill. The League strongly urges members of Congress to remove the provision. 

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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.