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National Consumers League statement on multi-state outbreak of E. Coli linked to romaine lettuce – National Consumers League

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April 25, 2018

Contact: NCL Communications, Carol McKay, carolm@nclnet.org, (202) 207-2831

Washington, DC – Today the National Consumers League issued a statement on the rash of E. coli O157:H7 reports to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC)–53 total; 31 of which have resulted in hospitalization. Because officials at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration have been unable to identify a specific source – either a brand, supplier, distributer, or producer — no recalls have been issued, and the consumer group called on regulators to step up their investigation.

This statement is attributed to Sally Greenberg, NCL’s Executive Director:

“The National Consumers League urges federal regulators and public health agencies to continue working together to identify and invest in upgraded pathogen tracing systems. This outbreak spans a large geographical area, infecting consumers in at least 16 states, requiring local, state, and federal investigators to share data as quickly as possible. In fact, new food safety standards were supposed to be in place by now under federal law and regulations, but the progress has slowed to a halt. With innovative biotechnology firms and emerging surveillance technology, the means for preventing this kind of contamination should be firmly in place by now. We urge policy makers to work together more efficiently to protect consumers and ensure the safety of our food supply.”

In 2011, the CDC, FDA, and US Department of Agriculture (USDA) created the Interagency Food Safety Analytics Collaboration to pursue shared food safety goals.

NCL joins CDC and FDA in urging consumers to throw away any eaten or uneaten romaine lettuce products.

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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 https://nclnet.org.

Final Four determined at annual national consumer literacy championship in San Diego – National Consumers League

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April 23, 2018

Dallas, PA, Wichita, KS, Canaan, NH, Honolulu, HI represented at final LifeSmarts event

Contact: National Consumers League’s Carol McKay, carolm@nclnet.org, (724) 799-5392
For immediate release: Monday, April 24, 2018

San Diego, CA–Tomorrow in San Diego, the 2018 National LifeSmarts Championship will come to an end with four state champion teams heading to the final matches to vie for the national title. LifeSmarts (LifeSmarts.org) is a national consumer literacy educational program and competitive scholarship opportunity, run by the National Consumers League (NCL), the nation’s oldest consumer watchdog organization. LifeSmarts is celebrating its 24th season this year, and the 2018 National LifeSmarts Champions will be determined by noon tomorrow and crowned at an awards ceremony following the final match.

The four semi-finalists are:

Pennsylvania: Dallas High School, Coach Kevin West (returning 2017 national champions)
Kansas: Maize South High School, Coach: Jean Conkling
New Hampshire: Mascoma Valley Regional High School, Coach: Shawn Joyce
Hawaii: ‘Iolani School, Coach: James Rubasch

NCL hosts the National Championship each April during Financial Literacy Month. This year, NCL brought the LifeSmarts National Championship to San Diego, where 33 state champion teams from as far away as Maine and as nearby as Los Angeles traveled to compete in a variety of competitions focused on consumer literacy.

The event will come to an end tomorrow with NCL crowning the 2018 national champion team at 12 noon PDT. Starting at 9 am PDT, the returning champs from Pennsylvania will face off against Kansas in the first match of the morning. New Hampshire and Hawaii will compete in the second semi-final. 

LifeSmarts is a free program in which teams of students begin competition online. Top-scorers progress to their state competitions, and state champion teams convene each April to compete in the National LifeSmarts Championship. For a complete list of state champions, visit LifeSmarts.org.

The 2018 National LifeSmarts Champion and other winning teams will walk away with prizes and scholarships. In addition to placing as a team, individual students have the opportunity to compete for scholarships for demonstrating knowledge in specific program topic areas. The top eight placing teams and top five individuals are recognized.

NCL thanks the sponsors who make the program possible, including Johnson & Johnson, Comcast NBCUniversal, UL, Western Union, American Express, Experian, and Intuit.

Throughout the 2017-2018 program year, more than 100,000 teens competed online for a chance to represent their states at the 2018 National LifeSmarts Championship. Players answered more than 3 million consumer questions in the online competition.

Streaming live online from San Diego tomorrow, Tuesday, April 24.

Watch this year’s final and semi-final matches live at LifeSmarts.org!

9 am PDT – Pennsylvania vs. Kansas
9:45 am PDT – New Hampshire vs. Hawaii

The final match will begin immediately following the second semi-final match.

Follow the conversation on Instagram and Twitter at #LifeSmarts or Facebook.com/LifeSmarts

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About the National Consumers League and LifeSmarts

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.

LifeSmarts is a program of the National Consumers League. State coordinators run the programs on a volunteer basis. For more information, visit: LifeSmarts.org, email lifesmarts@nclnet.org, or call the National Consumers League’s communications department at 202-835-3323.

 

National Consumers League statement on Trumpeter recipient Mignon Clyburn’s resignation from the Federal Communications Commission – National Consumers League

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April 23, 2018

Contact: NCL Communications, Carol McKay, carolm@nclnet.org, (202) 207-2831

Washington, DC – Federal Communications Commission (FCC) commissioner Mignon Clyburn has announced her plans to step down from the FCC. The following statement is attributable to Sally Greenberg, executive director of the National Consumers League.

“NCL wishes to thank Commissioner Mignon Clyburn for an illustrious career as a telecom expert and advocate for consumers and the disenfranchised. Throughout her tenure at the FCC, Commissioner Clyburn challenged the unfair practice of charging inflated phone rates for the incarcerated who wish to call their families. She was a leader in the fight to protect the Internet for future generations by advocating for the passage and protection of net neutrality rules. As commissioner, Clyburn was known for her efforts to ensure that all Americans have equal opportunity and access to commerce through the expansion of the Lifeline program. In 2012, we were honored to be able to recognize Commissioner Clyburn’s advocacy with NCL’s Trumpeter Award and thank her for her service.”

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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 https://nclnet.org.

NCL statement on consumer champion Terrell McSweeny’s resignation from FTC – National Consumers League

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April 23, 2018

Contact: NCL Communications, Carol McKay, carolm@nclnet.org, (202) 207-2831

Washington DC – Last week, Federal Trade Commission Commissioner Terrell McSweeny announced her intention to resign from the FTC later this month. The following statement is attributable to Sally Greenberg, executive director of the National Consumers League (NCL).

“NCL thanks Commissioner Terrell McSweeny for her service. Commissioner McSweeny has always had an open door to hear from the public, working tirelessly to protect consumers from harmful practices, ranging from data breaches and identity theft to pyramid schemes. Commissioner McSweeny set the bar high in making consumer protection a key function for the FTC. We appreciated Commissioner McSweeeny speaking to an NCL panel in Los Angeles during her tenure at the FTC.”

Commissioner McSweeny’s departure will leave the Federal Trade Commission with one sole commissioner. In the coming months, we urge Congress to quickly review and confirm additional pro-consumer commissioners to the FTC.”

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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 https://nclnet.org.

San Diego to host 2018 National LifeSmarts Championship event April 21-24 – National Consumers League

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April 17, 2018

24th annual national teen consumer literacy competition will feature 33 state champion teams

For immediate release: April 17, 2018
Contact: Carol McKay, National Consumers League, carolm@nclnet.org, (724) 799-5392

Washington, DC — In celebration of Financial Literacy Month in April, the National Consumers League (NCL) has announced the 33 state champion teams that have earned a spot at the 2018 National LifeSmarts Championship, which will take place starting later this month in San Diego, California. The event will kick off Saturday, April 21, at 5 pm at the Hilton San Diego Resort and Spa.

LifeSmarts (LifeSmarts.org) is a national consumer literacy scholarship competition, celebrating its 24th season this year, hosted by NCL, the nation’s oldest consumer watchdog organization. The 2018 National LifeSmarts Champion team will be crowned on Tuesday, April 24.

Complete roster of state champions teams available here and listed below.

LifeSmarts is a competitive educational and scholarship program, in which teams of students begin online. Top-scorers progress to their state competitions, and then state champion teams meet each April to compete in the National LifeSmarts Championship. This year’s state champion teams hail from as far away as from Portland, Maine, and from as nearby as Los Angeles.

Consumer-savvy teens representing 30 states, the District of Columbia, and two wild card teams, will compete at this year’s national event. Throughout the 2017-2018 program year, more than 100,000 teens competed online for a chance to represent their states at the 2018 National LifeSmarts Championship. Players answered more than 3 million consumer questions in the online competition.

“We are so proud of this year’s state LifeSmarts champions, who have proven themselves to be the best and the brightest of the next generation of consumers,” said Sally Greenberg, NCL executive director. “LifeSmarts is fun, engaging, and the perfect vehicle for educating young consumers. Our program goes in-depth on the issues kids—and adults—are facing now: finances, health care, the environment, and technology.”

The 2018 National LifeSmarts Champion and other winning teams will walk away with prizes and scholarships. In addition to placing as a team, individual students have the opportunity to compete for scholarships by demonstrating knowledge in specific program topic areas. The top eight placing teams and top five individuals are recognized.

This season, LifeSmarts celebrated “The Year of Health and Safety,” focusing on health-related resources, learning activities, and special competitive opportunities, underwritten by a grant from Johnson & Johnson. This season, LifeSmarts unveiled the LifeSmarts OTC Medicine Safety Mentoring Project as a community service opportunity for its high school student participants to become mentors for middle school students on the wise use and safe storage of over-the- counter medicines. At the national event, NCL will award scholarships to winning participants from the Mentoring Project.

NCL thanks the sponsors who make the program possible including Johnson & Johnson, Comcast NBCUniversal, UL, Western Union, American Express, Experian, and Intuit.

MEDIA AVAILABILITY

Event kickoff + weekend activities
When: Saturday, April 21, 2018 at 5 pm through Monday, April 23
Where: Hilton San Diego Resort and Spa, 1775 East Mission Bay Drive, San Diego, 92109

Final competitions

When: Tuesday, April 24, 2018
Matches begin: 9 am Pacific
Awards Ceremony: 11:30 am – 1:00 pm Pacific
Where: Hilton San Diego Resort and Spa, 1775 East Mission Bay Drive, San Diego, 92109

Follow the competition online

Parents and teachers can follow the action at Facebook.com/LifeSmarts and via Twitter: #LifeSmarts
The semi-final and final competition matches will be streamed live at LifeSmarts.org onTuesday, April 24, 2018 starting at 9 am Pacific Time

2018 LifeSmarts State Champions

Alabama (Tuscaloosa): Central High School, Coach: Roslyn Evans
Arizona (Flagstaff): Flagstaff Home Educators, Coach: Christina Blanchard
California (Los Angeles): Lincoln High School, Coach: Wendy Estrada
Colorado (Colorado Springs): Vista Ridge High School, Coach: Sahvanna Mease
Connecticut (Waterbury): Crosby High School, Coach: Kelly Donohue
Delaware (Wilmington): Salesianum School, Coach: George Horn
District of Columbia: McKinley Technology High School, Coach: Sarah Elwell
Florida (Jacksonville): Paxon School for Advanced Studies, Coach: Melissa Decker
Georgia (Douglasville): Douglas County 4-H, Coach: Rose Smith
Hawaii (Honolulu): Iolani School, Coach: James Rubasch
Illinois (West Chicago): West Chicago High School, Coach: Don Zabelin
Indiana (Brookville): Franklin County High School, Coach: Diana Slaven
Kansas (Wichita): Maize South High School, Coach: Jean Conkling
Louisiana (Lafayette): Acadiana High School, Coach: Stephanie Bennett
Maine (Portland): Wayneflete School, Coach: Steve Withers
Massachusetts (Milton): Milton High School, Coach: Paul Arenburg
Michigan (Fenton): Fenton High School, Coach: Bruce Burwitz
Minnesota (Lake Crystal): Lake Crystal Wellcome Memorial Secondary School, Coach: Michelle Missling
Missouri (Jefferson City): Blair Oaks High School, Coach: Linda Cumpton
New Hampshire (Canaan): Mascoma Valley Regional High School, Coach: Shawn Joyce
North Carolina (Morehead City): West Carteret High School, Coach: Mark Thompson
North Dakota (Jamestown): Jamestown High School, Coach: Marchel Krieger
Oklahoma (Pryor): Pryor High School, Coach: Sharon Rash
Pennsylvania (Dallas): Dallas High School, Coach: Kevin West
Rhode Island (Barrington): Barrington High School, Coach: Samuel Schachter
Texas (Mesquite): John Horn High School, Coach: Brenda Breedlove
Virginia (Fredericksburg): Massaponax High School, Coach: Ginger Walters
Washington (Olympia): Capital High School, Coach: Katie Turcotte
West Virginia (Ellenboro): Ritchie County High School, Coach: Sonya Haught
Wisconsin (Oconto): Oconto High School, Coach: Scot Neu
Wyoming (Buffalo): Buffalo High School, Coach: Kami Kennedy 

Qualified for the LifeSmarts National Championship through the Automatic Bid process:

Wild Card #1: Liberty County 4-H, Hinesville, Georgia, Coach: Gypsy Tart
Wild Card #2: Walker County 4-H, LaFayette, Georgia, Coach: Casey Hobbs

 

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About the National Consumers League and LifeSmarts

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.

LifeSmarts is a program of the National Consumers League. State coordinators run the programs on a volunteer basis. For more information, visit: www.LifeSmarts.org, email LifeSmarts@nclnet.org, or call the National Consumers League’s communications department at (202) 835-3323.

NCL disappointed in rollback of vehicle emissions, fuel efficiency standards – National Consumers League

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April 5, 2018

Contact: NCL Communications, Carol McKay, carolm@nclnet.org, (202) 207-2831

Washington, DC–The National Consumers League (NCL) today expressed “profound disappointment” in response to the announcement by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that it will roll back automobile fuel-efficiency standards.

“The NCL is profoundly disappointed with the EPA’s decision to renege on the Obama-era administration fuel efficiency standards: this irresponsible decision is detrimental to consumers and harmful to the environment,” said NCL Executive Director Sally Greenberg.

According to a Consumer Reports survey, 53 percent of all American vehicle owners expect better fuel economy with their next car purchase. Consumers want more fuel-efficient vehicles that will save them money by reducing the cost of gas. In addition, a Consumer Federation of America (CFA) poll compared sales figures for 2016 SUVs and light duty trucks with the 2011 models and found that vehicles with a 10 percent increase in mileage sold nearly 20 percent more than vehicles with a less than 10 percent mileage improvement.  

“Not only will these rollbacks cost hardworking Americans financially, but they will compromise air quality across America,” said Greenberg.

Fully implemented, the 2012 fuel efficiency and emissions standards would have reduced carbon dioxide pollution by about six billion tons over the lifetime of all the cars affected by the regulations, according to EPA projections. As transportation is the leading source of carbon dioxide emissions in the United States, reducing or scrapping these standards will also make it impossible for the nation to meet its obligations under the Paris agreement and stay on track to hold global warming to 2 degrees Celsius.

Interestingly, the perceived winners from the lowered standards–the automakers–are apparently not pushing for these rollbacks. In fact, the New York Times stated in an April 3, 2018 editorial, “Bill Ford, the chairman of Ford Motor Company, and Jim Hackett, the company’s chief executive, wrote in a blog last week that while they would like more ‘flexibility’ on meeting the rule, ‘we support increasing clean car standards through 2025 and are not asking for a rollback.’”

“Weakening these fuel efficiency and emissions standards is indefensible; the industry isn’t even demanding it. These actions threaten the health and welfare of every American. The NCL urges the EPA to reconsider this reckless and unnecessary decision,” said Greenberg.

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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 https://nclnet.org.

National Consumers League commends tipped worker protections in omnibus – National Consumers League

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March 27, 2018

Contact: NCL Communications, Carol McKay, carolm@nclnet.org, (202) 207-2831

Washington, DC—The National Consumers League (NCL) is hailing a provision in the omnibus spending bill—signed into law this past weekend—that protects the tips workers receive and bans employers from claiming them. Restaurant workers suffer some of the lowest wages in America and depend on tips to keep their incomes at least at minimum wage. Secretary of Labor Alexander Acosta had previously proposed a new rule that would permit restaurant owners to pocket the tips of millions of restaurant and service workers—a shocking example of a legal form of wage theft.

Saru Jayaraman, co-founder and president of Restaurant Opportunities Centers (ROC) — an NCL ally and friend who is speaking at the 80th Anniversary of the Fair Labor Standards Act conference this Wednesday at Georgetown Law Center—led the charge, working with partners and submitting more than 350,000 comments in opposition to the proposed rule. ROC and National Employment Law Project helped to organize testimony on Capitol Hill and rallies at local Department of Labor and National Restaurant Association offices across the country. Facing bipartisan pressure and overwhelming public disapproval, Acosta eventually agreed to work with both sides of the aisle to support the TIP Act.

“These victories are the result of intense organizing, advocacy, and—in this case—shaming those who were ready to hand over tips to employers,” said Sally Greenberg, NCL’s executive director. “Without this organizing and leadership from these heroic groups and key allies in the House and Senate, the Labor Secretary likely would not have changed course.”

Greenberg noted that members of the Democratic minority in the House Appropriations Subcommittee hearing March 6 grilled Acosta about DOL’s intentions on tipped wages. Representatives Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) and Katherine Clark (D-MA) introduced legislation after the Secretary said he would support a ban on employers keeping worker tips. That led to the introduction of the TIP Act of 2018.

At least $5.8 billion in workers’ tips, according to a recent study done by the Economic Policy Institute, would have been at risk. NCL thanks these members of the House and Senators Patty Murray (D-WA) and Chuck Schumer (D-NY) for their work to get these protections in the Omnibus spending bill. 

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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 https://nclnet.org.

NCL statement on forced arbitration and autonomous vehicles – National Consumers League

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March 23, 2018

Washington, DC–The National Consumers League applauds the Senators who signed a letter requesting information from Uber on its policy on forced arbitration clauses. This statement was attributable to Sally Greenberg, NCL executive director:

“The National Consumers League opposes the use of forced arbitration in both consumer and employment contracts. These clauses have the effect of protecting and even encouraging toxic corporate conduct by shielding companies from accountability in the event of reckless behavior or bad acts. We support legislation that bans these odious clauses and thank the Senators who have written to Uber asking for additional information on whether they intend to include such classes as they roll out autonomous vehicle technology.”
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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 https://nclnet.org, contact: Carol McKay, carolm@nclnet.org.

MEDIA ADVISORY: Unfinished Business: The Fair Labor Standards Act 80 Years Later

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March 21, 2018

CONTACT: Carol McKay, carolm@nclnet.org, or Katherine Shek, kshek@acslaw.org;

WHAT: The American Constitution Society and the National Consumers League will co-host a symposium at Georgetown University Law Center on the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) on Wednesday, March 28, 2018. Leading scholars, advocates, and current and former federal and state officials will celebrate the history and success of the FLSA while also building a positive agenda for how we can improve our laws to meet the needs of our 21st century workforce. More details on the agenda here.

Imagine these scenarios: children working with toxic chemicals, Americans expected to work 80 hours a week, seven days a week, workers making as little as $1 a day. This is what America looked like in the 1930s until President Roosevelt passed the FLSA. Enacted at the height of the Great Depression, the FLSA fundamentally changed the American economy by outlawing most forms of child labor, instituting a 40-hour workweek, and guaranteeing a minimum wage. Today’s advocates argue that the FLSA needs to be updated to fight back against the current assault on working Americans. Our panels of experts will discuss what these reforms should look like.

WHO:

Fatima Goss Graves, President and CEO, National Women’s Law Center, author of 50 Years and Counting: The Unfinished Business of Achieving Fair Pay

Mary Kay Henry, President, Service Employees International Union (SEIU)

Saru Jayaraman, Co-Founder and President, Restaurant Opportunities Center (ROC) United

David Weil, Dean, Heller School for Social Policy and Management, Brandeis University

More on the speakers here 

WHEN:

Wednesday, March 28, 2018 at 9:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. ET

WHERE:

Georgetown University Law Center, 600 New Jersey Ave NW, Washington, DC 20001

Gewirz Student Center, 12th Floor

RSVP please email Katherine Shek at kshek@acslaw.org

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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 https://nclnet.org, contact: Carol McKay, carolm@nclnet.org.

The American Constitution Society (ACS), founded in 2001 and one of the nation’s leading progressive legal organizations, is a rapidly growing network of lawyers, law students, scholars, judges, policymakers and other concerned individuals dedicated to making the law a force to improve lives of all people. For more information about the organization or to locate one of the more than 200 lawyer and law student chapters in 48 states, please visit www.acslaw.org.

National Consumers League statement on on Appeals Court vacating DOL’s fiduciary rule – National Consumers League

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March 16, 2018

Contact: NCL Communications, Carol McKay, carolm@nclnet.org, (202) 207-2831

Washington, DC–In response to the news that the U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) fiduciary rule was struck down, in a 2-1 decision by two judges on the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals, Sally Greenberg, executive director of the National Consumers League, has issued the following statement: 

“The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, in a 2-1 vote with Chief Justice Carl Stewart offering a spirited dissent,[1] has issued a legally flawed decision that undoes a critically important Labor Department rule intended to protect the financial interests of retirees and other investors. Simply put, the DOL rule requires financial advisors to put the interests of their clients first. This seems pretty straightforward, but the Chamber of Commerce and other industry interests have consistently opposed this common sense requirement.

The majority misapplied the law, issued an opinion that conflicts with the decisions of every other court that has considered the rule, and discounted the dramatic changes in the retirement landscape over the last 40 years. The results could potentially cost retirement savers as much as $17 billion annually.

The Fifth Circuit’s decision is a setback for all investors, especially those planning for or currently in retirement. It also threatens the Labor Department’s ability to protect investors now and in the future. We urge the Justice Department to appeal this decision, put retirement savers’ interests first, and defend DOL’s authority to impose reasonable standards on those who make a living investing other people’s money.”

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[1] Judge Stewart notes, “That the DOL has extended its regulatory reach to cover more investment-advice fiduciaries and to impose additional conditions on conflicted transactions neither requires nor lends to the panel majority’s conclusion that it has acted contrary to Congress’s directive.”

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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 https://nclnet.org.