National Consumers League Urges Congress — Stronger Protections for Consumers, Ticketing Reform, and Anti-Fraud Collaboration

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

Washington, DC – Today, John D. Breyault, Vice President of Public Policy, Telecommunications, and Fraud at the National Consumers League (NCL), testified before the U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade. The hearing, titled “Legislative Proposals to Strengthen Consumer Protection in a Changing Marketplace,” addressed key legislation impacting consumer agency authority, marketplace transparency, and fraud prevention.  

In his testimony, Breyault highlighted the urgent necessity of maintaining independent, fully empowered consumer protection regulators like the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). Pointing to recent judicial rulings—specifically Trump v. Slaughter—he warned against dismantling the structural autonomy of federal watchdogs.  

“Consumers do not need milquetoast enforcers, weighed down by political considerations. We need robust, independent agencies empowered to follow the law and hold corporate wrongdoers accountable,” said John Breyault, Vice President at NCL. “Regardless of which party occupies the White House or controls Congress, when the independence of the FTC or CPSC is compromised, the ultimate casualties are everyday consumers and fair marketplace competition.”  

NCL urged Congress to exercise its constitutional authority to insulate federal enforcers from political interference, preserve regulatory independence, and restore vital enforcement tools.  

NCL also expressed firm support for two key pieces of ticketing legislation aimed at overhauling an industry long plagued by hidden fees, artificial scarcity, and predatory software:  

  • The BOSS and SWIFT Act of 2026 – Championed by Ranking Member Frank Pallone (D-NJ6) and building on the legacy of the late Congressman Bill Pascrell, this bill sets comprehensive federal standards across both primary and secondary ticketing markets. Key provisions supported by NCL include mandatory upfront “all-in” pricing, mandatory public disclosures of ticket holdbacks, cracking down on deceptive speculative ticket sales, protecting ticket transfer rights, and prohibiting connected insiders from scalping tickets. 
  • The MAIN Event Ticketing Act (H.R. 2713) – Introduced by Reps. Harshbarger (R-TN1) and Carter (D-LA2), this bill modernizes the 2016 BOTS Act. Breyault detailed how dominant ticketing platforms have historically profited from scalper bots via multi-stage fee collection. The MAIN Event Ticketing Act closes operational loopholes by enhancing reporting requirements for bot attacks, establishing a consumer complaint database, and strengthening enforcement coordination between the FTC, state attorneys general, and law enforcement.  

Addressing the unprecedented rise in deceptive schemes, NCL endorsed H.R. 5967, the Strategic Task Force on Scam Prevention Act, introduced by Reps. Menendez (D-NJ8) and Houchin (R-IN9). With Americans losing an estimated $195.9 billion to fraud in 2024 alone, NCL underscored the importance of establishing an interagency task force combining resources from the FTC, Department of Justice, Department of the Treasury, and other federal partners.  

NCL also cautioned lawmakers against measures that weaken consumer safeguards, specifically raising objections to: 

  • The PACK Act of 2025 (H.R. 6832) – Opposed for preempting strong state-level labeling standards—such as California’s Truth in Labeling Law—without setting strong federal baselines to prevent corporate greenwashing. 
  • The Recycled Materials Attribution Act (H.R. 7502) – Opposed for legitimizing “mass balance accounting,” a deceptive framework that allows manufacturers to market products as containing recycled content regardless of the physical composition of individual store items.  

Breyault’s full testimony is available 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.