February 6, 2025: On this episode of NCL’s “We Can Do this” podcast, National Consumers League CEO Sally Greenberg speaks with Democratic pollster Anna Greenberg, PhD, a senior partner at the polling firm GQR. Sally and Anna discuss polling techniques and polling results leading up to the election of President Donald Trump in 2024.
January 6, 2025: On this episode of NCL’s “We Can Do this” podcast, National Consumers League CEO Sally Greenberg speaks with Amy Hinojosa, President and CEO of Mana, a National Latina Organization, and Dr. Ge Bai, an expert on health care accounting, finance, and policy at Johns Hopkins University, regarding a shocking lack of transparency for a program that has more than doubled in cost reaching more than $120 Billion in 2022.
January 1, 2025
The National Consumers League (NCL) extends condolences to the family, friends, and community of former President Jimmy Carter upon his death this week. In addition to being an honest and effective Commander in Chief and humanitarian who expanded access to housing for low-income families through his work on Habitat for Humanity, President Carter should also be remembered as a great consumer champion.
During his presidency, Mr. Carter championed consumer protection in a variety of ways. He appointed labor and consumer champion Esther Peterson, who also served as president of the National Consumers League, to head the White Office of Consumer Affairs. Like President Lyndon Johnson (LBJ) before him, who first named Peterson to the post of Special Adviser to the President Jimmy Carter understood that consumer rights permeate citizens’ experiences with companies and with government.
Unlike his processor, Mr. Carter gave Mrs. Peterson a staff and access to him personally in the Oval Office. As such, Mr. Carter elevated consumer protection far beyond LBJ’s decree. Along with re-appointing Esther Peterson, Carter issued a historic decree in April of 1978, “Memorandum from the President on Consumer Affairs,” the first of its kind, directing the heads of every government agency to take a series of steps to prioritize consumer protection.
Notably, Mr. Carter stated that “the Agency for Consumer Advocacy is mainly designed for participation in very large administrative proceedings; it is only one of a number of steps which will better protect the consumer.”
On a personal note, I had the honor of meeting President Carter in 1978, when he appointed my aunt, Geri Joseph, to serve as Ambassador to the Netherlands. I was lucky to be able to attend her swearing-in ceremony in the Oval Office. I found him to be kind and charming; despite a number of pressing matters, he took the time to introduce himself to every member of our family who was gathered for the occasion.
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October 31, 2024
Contact: Reid Maki (202) 207-2820, reidm@nclnet.org
WASHINGTON, DC – The Child Labor Coalition (CLC) is proud to announce the 25 recipients of the 2024 Congressional Champions of Child Labor Protections who have taken a stand against the troubling rise of child labor exploitation during the 118th Congress. During a period in which child workers were increasingly found working illegally in factory settings across the U.S., these legislators responded by strengthening child labor protections – either by introducing new legislation or cosponsoring child labor bills endorsed by the Child Labor Coalition.
“Over the last two years, child labor protections have faced unprecedented threats as over 30 states sought to weaken regulations on the hours children can work and the types of hazardous work children can perform,” says Reid Maki, Director of Child Labor Advocacy at the Child Labor Coalition.
“We are fortunate these stalwart lawmakers worked to strengthen child labor protections and enforcement,” says CLC chair Sally Greenberg, who is also the CEO of the National Consumers League. “These bills provide creative and much-needed solutions to our widespread child labor problem.”
Recent Department of Labor data show child labor violations have soared by 472% between 2015 and 2023, highlighting cases where minors are subjected to grueling hours, hazardous work environments, and, in some tragic cases, loss of limbs and fatalities. Against this backdrop, these 25 Congressional Champions have supported legislation aimed at protecting child laborers and ensuring compliance with federal child labor laws.
Congress responded robustly with at least eight pieces of legislation addressing child labor that the CLC has endorsed. “Much of this legislation would significantly increase civil monetary fines for child labor violations – not just by a little, but often by a factor of 10,” says CLC’s Maki. “We saw several innovative and comprehensive responses in bills like “Children Harmed in Life-Threatening or Dangerous (CHILD) Labor Act of 2023, by Senator Casey (D-PA) and Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT). Similarly, H.R. 4440, the “Protecting Children Act” by Rep. Bobby Scott (D-VA), called for innovative and sweeping strategies against child labor.
Congress also sought to protect exploited child farmworkers with “The Children’s Act for Responsible Employment and Farm Safety,” introduced by Raul Ruiz (D-CA) in the House and Ben Ray Luján (D-NM) in the Senate. “This was the first Senate bill to protect vulnerable child farmworkers in two decades,” said Maki.
Child labor on U.S. tobacco farms would be banned by the “Children Don’t Belong on Tobacco Farms Act,” from Senator Durbin and Rep. DeLauro. “Child tobacco workers are subjected to toxic nicotine levels while they work. We’re so grateful that Senator Durbin (D-IL) and Rep. DeLauro (D-CT) are trying to tackle this long-standing problem,” said Greenberg.
The CLC, representing 36 dedicated organizations, including Human Rights Watch and America’s largest union, the National Education Association, has named seven Senators and 18 members of the House Representatives as the 2024 Congressional Champions of Child Labor Protections.
We are recognizing five members of the Senate for introducing legislation to improve child labor enforcement efforts or increase child labor protections:
Two senators are recognized for cosponsoring at least three bills endorsed by the CLC:
In the House, the CLC recognizes six members for introducing child labor legislation endorsed by the coalition:
The coalition also recognizes 12 members for each cosponsoring five child labor five bills. These members are:
The CLC’s endorsed child labor legislation in the 118th Congress can be found here. The congressional session also saw the creation of the Child Labor Prevention Task Force, under the leadership of Rep. Dan Kildee (D-MI) and Hillary Scholten (D-MI). “We very much hope to see this important legislative unit continue its work in the 119th Congress,” said Maki. “We encourage other members to join the Task Force and to lend their support to child labor legislation.”
The CLC looks forward to working with many of these congressional child labor heroes in the 119th Congress.
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About The Child Labor Coalition (CLC)
In its 35th year, The Child Labor Coalition strives to reduce exploitative child labor in the United States and abroad, bringing together 36 groups to create a powerful voice that promotes public education, research, and advocacy to end child labor, child marriage, and child trafficking.
A member list can be found here.
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.
October 21, 2024: On this episode of NCL’s “We Can Do this” podcast, we are going to be talking to three remarkable women who have survived child marriage and are now leading the fight against it as advocates with Unchained At Last. [Warning advisory: This podcast contains discussion of traumatic events that include sexual assault.]
October 15, 2024
Media contact: National Consumers League – Lisa McDonald, lisam@nclnet.org, 202-207-2829
Washington, DC—The National Consumers League (NCL), the nation’s pioneering consumer and worker advocacy organization since 1899, has announced it will honor U.S. Department of Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg and Anna Werner, Senior Consumer Investigative Correspondent, CBS News with its highest honor, the Trumpeter Award, on Tuesday, October 15 in Washington, DC.
This year also marks the 125th anniversary of the National Consumers League. The League has advocated for the rights and protections of consumers and workers in the U.S. since it was founded in 1899. From improving the wages and working conditions of laborers to expanding the access to healthcare for all Americans, NCL has achieved significant progress and meaningful changes to the lives of everyday consumers.
“For 125 years, NCL has been the unwavering voice for consumers and workers,” said NCL CEO Sally Greenberg. “Our legacy is a testament to the power of collective action—from the early work of our founders to the accomplishments of our colleagues, allies, and partner organizations. I am deeply proud of what we have been able to accomplish all these years.”
In addition to the Trumpeter Award, NCL will honor One Fair Wage Founder and President Saru Jayaraman with the 2024 Florence Kelley Consumer Leadership Award, named for NCL’s first general secretary and one of the most influential figures in 20th century American history. Saru has advocated for fair wages for restaurant workers and other service workers.
MEDIA ADVISORY
What: National Consumers League’s 2024 Trumpeter Awards
When: Tuesday, October 15, 2024, 7 pm Presentation of Awards
Where: Mayflower Hotel DC, 1127 Connecticut Ave, NW, Washington, DC 20036
The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, has been honoring visionaries in consumer and worker protection with its annual Trumpeter Award since 1973. Past honorees include Senator Ted Kennedy, the award’s inaugural recipient; as well as organized labor leaders Cecil E. Roberts and Richard L. Trumka; Senators Tammy Duckworth and Jon Corzine; journalists Jane Bryant Quinn and Michelle Singletary; U.S. Representative John Lewis; and other honored consumer and labor leaders.
Last year’s Trumpeter recipients were Former Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and California Attorney General Rob Bonta. Fraidy Reiss, child marriage survivor and activist, was recipient of the Florence Kelley Consumer Leadership Award.
This year’s Trumpeter Awards will feature a reception, dinner, and speaking appearances by NCL leadership, honorees, as well as:
To learn more, visit NCL Trumpeter Awards.
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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.
September 26, 2024
Media contact: National Consumers League – Melody Merin, melodym@nclnet.org, 202-207-2831
WASHINGTON, DC – National Consumers League CEO Sally Greenberg was awarded the prestigious HerMANA award by MANA at the AT&T Forum on September 26 in Washington, DC. MANA is a national Latina grassroots membership organization founded in 1974 with a mission to strengthen Latinas through mentoring, education, and advocacy. It is one of the leading Latina voices on many of the key issues in the public sphere, with a focus on education, health and well-being, financial literacy, equal and civil rights, and immigration reform.
Greenberg was honored in recognition of her commitment to inclusivity and advocacy on behalf of consumers. NCL has been in a long-term partnership with MANA particularly in the areas of health equity and financial health.
Past HerMANA awardees include FCC Chairwoman, The Honorable Jessica Rosenworcel; Rosa Rosales, former National President of the League of the United Latin American Citizens; Congresswoman Nanette Barragan, Chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus; Bonnie Erbe of PBS’ To the Contrary; Maria Cardona of the Dewey Square Group, and many others.
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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.
September 24, 2024
Media contact: National Consumers League – Lisa McDonald, lisam@nclnet.org, 202-207-2829
WASHINGTON, DC – The National Consumers League (NCL), founder of LifeSmarts, one of the premier youth consumer education programs in the country, is sounding the alarm on the urgent need for better financial education. Recent findings of an independent survey by The Harris Poll, recently commissioned by FICO, revealed a starling reality: over 74% of Americans think their current financial situation would improve if they had access to more personal finance resources and education, and 79% percent of Americans believe high schools should offer financial education. See the FICO study here.
“We are deeply concerned that one out of four younger Americans do not consider themselves to be financially literate,” says Sally Greenberg, NCL’s CEO. “We can guarantee any student who experiences the LifeSmarts curriculum and competes at our state and national championships will be better equipped to navigate financial decision-making throughout their adulthood.”
NCL has seen firsthand how concerns about financial stability can be addressed directly through creative programming offered through schools and community organizations, and the private and public sectors can do more to address the financial literacy gap. We literally can’t afford, as a nation, to wait until children become adults to start teaching them how to manage their finances,” says Greenberg. “They need to build their knowledge base, which will give them the power to control and take charge of the many financial decisions they will be called upon to make in adulthood. Our LifeSmarts stands ready to help in any way we can.”
NCL commends FICO for conducting this important research and for its leadership on financial literacy via its Score a Better Future and Score a Better Future Fundamentals program. Key components of the Fundamentals curriculum have been incorporated into the LifeSmarts program, which serves more than 125,000 students and 3,000 educators around the country each year.
This October, NCL’s LifeSmarts curriculum will focus on credit education, which is one of the most critical components of financial literacy. The new research finds that while nearly two-thirds of Gen Z adults (61%) believe their credit score is a fair representation of their overall financial health, fewer than half (46%) of young adults have checked their credit score in the past year. Nearly one in four (24%) are not sure where to find this information. A similar percentage (28%) say they lack the tools or knowledge to improve their credit score.
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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.
About LifeSmarts
The National Consumers League’s (NCL) youth consumer education program, LifeSmarts, was established in 1993 and today serves more than 125,000 middle and high school students and 3,000 educators across the country. Through LifeSmarts, students learn about real-life consumer issues in five topic areas: Health & Safety, Consumer Rights & Responsibilities, Personal Finance, Technology & Workforce Preparation, and the Environment. They compete to win prizes and scholarships at the Varsity National LifeSmarts Championships in April each year and the Junior Varsity National LifeSmarts Championship in May. NCL LifeSmarts is active in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.
About the FICO survey
This survey was conducted online within the United States by The Harris Poll on behalf of FICO from August 27-29, 2024, among 2,092 U.S. adults ages 18 and older. Gen Z respondents were 18-27 years old; Millennials were 28-43 years old; Gen Xers were 44-59 years old; and Baby Boomers were 60-78 years old. The sampling precision of Harris online polls is measured by using a Bayesian credible interval. For this study, the sample data is accurate to within +/- 2.5 percentage points using a 95% confidence level. For complete survey methodology, including weighting variables and subgroup sample sizes, please contact press@fico.com.
September 20, 2024
Media contact: National Consumers League – Melody Merin, melodym@nclnet.org, 202-207-2831
WASHINGTON, DC – The National Consumers League (NCL), America’s pioneering consumer advocacy organization, today applauds the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) for bringing action against the three largest prescription drug benefit managers (PBMs) and affiliated group purchasing organizations (GPOs). The FTC’s administrative complaint states that PBMs have engaged in anticompetitive and unfair rebate practices, inflating the list prices of insulin, lining their pockets, and transferring the costs to patients.
The following statement is attributable to NCL’s Chief Executive Officer Sally Greenberg:
“We applaud the FTC for its continued actions and investigation into PBMs. This latest action reinforces the role PBMs play in creating consumers high out-of-pocket costs of medicines consumers face. Caremark Rx, Express Scripts, and OptumRX administer four-fifths of all prescriptions within the states, and prioritizing their profits over the patients’ wellbeing directly impact why 25 percent of insulin patients are unable to afford their medication.”
The FTC’s press release about the administrative complaint can be read 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.
By Sally Greenberg, CEO of the National Consumers League
Each year, I look forward to the end of summer because I take an annual pilgrimage to the U.S. Open tennis tournament in Queens, NY. What I don’t look forward to is the process of trying to get a ticket to this event. Like millions of other fans, it always feels to me like I’m playing a rigged game designed to wring every dime of profit out of me.
In the olden days, I could stand in line at the window of the tennis center an hour before the gates opened and buy a face-value ticket with no fees attached. In those halcyon days of yore, the tickets were typically priced around $120 – 160, getting me a grounds pass and entry into the show courts, where the best matches are played.
So much for the good old days; today, there are no face-value tickets to be had. The business of selling and scalping tickets has become a corporate enterprise, with private equity firms getting in on the game as tickets get sold for sky-high prices with exorbitant junk fees tacked on for good measure.
In sum, my chances of getting a face-value ticket to the U.S. Open are about the same as my chances of seeing a dodo bird.
My effort to get tickets to the U.S. Open was as frustrating as it is familiar for millions of fans. On August 15, I searched the Ticketmaster site to see about getting a ticket to the Open on Friday, August 30. Being a good consumer, I comparison shopped by googling “U.S. Open Tickets” and up came results from SeatGeek, StubHub, and Vivid. On the official Ticketmaster site for the tournament, I could find no face-value tickets for games on the Arthur Ashe court during an in-demand weekend, just “Verified Resale” tickets.
Why were there no tickets available? This is where the lack of transparency in the ticket marketplace comes into play. Were those tickets scooped up by ticket brokers looking to turn a quick buck? Did they have special “deals” with corporate sponsors, the U.S. Open itself, or other connected insiders? Or did the brokers get their tickets with the help of illegal ticket-buying “bot” software? No one knows though FTC enforcement against several brokers in 2021 suggests this may be the case more often than not.
In the end, I knuckled under and bought two tickets from a resale site—$249.00 + $47.67 in fees each, for two tickets in the top row of a huge stadium. Even then, my ordeal was not over. I received a confusing “Good News” email telling me that the seller had transferred the tickets to me and to check the U.S. Tennis Association app, which I did. No tickets.
I checked the U.S. Open app. No tickets.
I checked the Ticketmaster app. No tickets.
I continued to check all week to no avail.
I tried reaching out to the reseller via their customer service email address and received no response. I looked for a customer service phone number to call to no avail. The event was getting close, and I began to panic.
While my story did end happily (I got my tickets), it required me to move heaven and earth (and get in touch with the company’s lobbyist) to find a resolution. This is not an option for most consumers who too often have to put up with lousy customer service to get simple problems resolved.
There are no angels in this industry. Whether buying from a reseller, Ticketmaster, or directly from the box office, consumers find themselves feeling gouged, forced to pay junk fees thanks to drip pricing, and having to put up with bad customer service operations. Just ask the millions of Oasis fans who suddenly learned what “dynamic pricing” can do to the price of a ticket.
It does not have to be this way.
The National Consumers League has long been a voice for consumers fed up with having to navigate what feels like a Rube Goldberg-esque scheme simply to get a simple ticket to a concert, theater, or sporting event.
So, what are our policy recommendations?
All of the stakeholders in the success of live events should get behind these recommendations. If fans continue to be mistreated by the industry, they’ll stop going to events, and that will be a loss for more than just this tennis fan.
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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 nclnet.org.
The work of the National Consumers League is making a difference in people’s lives across the country. Meet some of the consumers touched by our programs.
Read about NCL’s impact
Paige, 55, a Nashville wife and mother of two, answered an employment ad for secret shoppers. Before sending payment to the scammers, she reached out to NCL.
Read about NCL’s impact
A grease fire flared up in Decklan’s kitchen. As his family scrambled and panicked, fearing that the whole house might erupt in flames, Decklan remained calm. He hurried over to the pantry, grabbed some baking soda, and dumped it on the fire quickly extinguishing the blaze.
Read about NCL’s impact
Cincinnati resident Charles, 45, lost his computer business — and health insurance— during a time of economic downturn. A diabetic, Charles was now unable to afford his medication. He stopped taking it which made him seriously ill and put his life at risk.
Read about NCL’s impact
Jeremy is a fast-food worker who has been employed at a number of Chipotle restaurants in New York City. When he was just 20 years old, he took part in an NCL research project that revealed that management practices within the fast food chain were putting workers—and food safety for customers—at risk.
Read about NCL’s impact
By Sally Greenberg, NCL Executive Director
While the COVID-19 pandemic has led to hardship for all Americans, it is clear that people of color have been disproportionately burdened. Across the health care continuum, addressing this disparity has become part of the broader conversation about the history of systemic racism and the underlying social determinants of health that negatively affect the mental, physical, and economic health of individuals and entire communities.
The pandemic has underscored persistent health disparities, and there is growing recognition that representation in research and clinical trials can have a profound impact on health outcomes. A lack of representation from racially and ethnically diverse groups in research and clinical trials have typically led to gaps in data, missing the opportunity to assess the full impact of various treatments and drugs across a range of populations. The collection and use of real-world research and data to inform the potential use, risks, and benefits of medical products and treatments can ultimately lead to better health outcomes, particularly for those who have been underrepresented in the past.
Existing efforts to improve inclusion
Efforts to expand diversity and representation in medical research are underway in Congress. Policymakers are encouraging the incorporation of Real World Evidence (RWE) in drug development through the recent Cures 2.0 draft legislation released by Reps. Diana Degette (D-CO-1) and Fred Upton (D-MI-6). While the status quo limits us from effectively reaching underserved populations, the proposed legislation would allow studies that include RWE for some drugs after they have been approved. At the heart of this issue is a growing appreciation that the same therapy can affect different populations in different ways, which is why Cures 2.0 supports collecting data that more accurately reflects the unique experiences and needs of patients across diverse populations.
Recognizing the potential for RWE in maternal health
The lack of representative research in the field of maternal health is undeniable, and its implications are staggering. The dismal state of maternal care in the United States reflects how our health care system has failed women of color, including by not adequately studying treatment options to prevent maternal morbidity and mortality. The need for RWE is clear when you consider the persistent disparities in health outcomes that plague minority communities.
Preterm birth and its disproportionate impact on women of color is a stark illustration of the need to make progress on representative research in maternal health. Preterm birth is the second-largest contributor to infant death in America today. Despite the tremendous physical, emotional, and financial toll that preterm birth continues to take on our country — disproportionately so on women and families of color — not enough therapeutic tools currently exist to prevent it.
Today, “17P,” the only FDA-approved treatment to help reduce the likelihood of spontaneous, recurrent preterm birth in the United States is at-risk of being withdrawn from the market in all its forms, including the branded product and five generic versions. Unfortunately there is conflicting evidence from two different clinical trials, one representative of a diverse U.S. population and another studied in a largely white population in Europe. It’s not a straightforward comparison. If 17P is withdrawn, the women most affected by preterm birth, predominantly women of color, would be left without an FDA-approved treatment option.
The FDA is considering the path forward, including additional data collection through leveraging RWE from past patient use. The success of the first (approval) trial for 17P in the impacted communities signals the importance of RWE. Continued access to 17P is, at its core, a matter of health equity. Black women must not yet again be left vulnerable to a system that historically has overlooked them.