Bipartisan PBM Reforms Mark Progress Toward Lower Drug Costs for Patients 

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

Washington, DC – Today, the National Consumers League applauds the passage of the bipartisan Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2026 (CAA), which includes meaningful reforms to hold pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) accountable and bring greater transparency to the prescription drug marketplace. These reforms are an important step toward ensuring that patients, employers, and plan sponsors benefit from lower drug costs—not entities who profit from opaque pricing practices. 

“PBMs often work behind closed doors, raising costs for patients while diverting savings from those who need them most,” said Sally Greenberg, CEO of the National Consumers League. “By increasing transparency and prioritizing patients Congress has taken a positive step toward a fairer, more accountable prescription drug marketplace.”  

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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.   

Strong Vehicle Safety and Fuel Standards Save Families Thousands Without Harming Affordability, Finds the National Consumers League

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

Washington, DC — A new analysis from the National Consumers League (NCL) finds that federal vehicle safety and fuel economy standards account for only a small share of vehicle prices while delivering thousands of dollars in savings per vehicle and trillions of dollars in societal benefits. The full report is available here: Sticker Shock: Uncovering the Real Drivers of Rising Vehicle Prices. 

 “Families don’t have to choose between safety, fuel efficiency, and vehicle affordability, and the data proves it,” said Daniel Greene, Senior Director of Consumer Protection and Product Safety at NCL.“Federal safety and fuel economy standards save households thousands of dollars over the life of their vehicle while having a marginal effect on vehicle prices. Our findings reveal the true culprit of sticker shock: production of more luxurious models, more expensive vehicle mix, and showroom markups.” 

“While automakers discontinue their smaller, cheaper, more efficient vehicles, dealers charge higher and higher fees and inflation across the entire economy gets worse – but somehow we’re supposed to buy the industry’s arguments that safety and fuel economy standards are responsible for the high cost of cars,” said Senator Markey (D- Mass). “The National Consumer League’s report shows us definitively that fuel economy and safety standards save lives, clean our air, and make travel more affordable, while carmakers drive up costs on their own.”

“Americans deserve cars that are safe and affordable. The latest report from the National Consumers League shows that safety technology represents just a small fraction of what consumers pay for a car. We don’t need to trade away safety to talk about price. Instead, we should be looking at corporate pricing practices and gouging across the supply chain for why car prices have gone up, while continuing to promote safety standards that protect families and prevent tragedies,” said Jan Schakowsky (IL-09) 

Since 2002, average expenditures per new vehicle have increased $23,349.83. Improvements in fuel economy and safety standards account for only a modest share of this increase, as follows:    

  • Safety standards (2002-2019):$628.98, or 2.7 percent.  
  • Equipment upgrades: $3,040.20, or 13 percent. Equipment upgrades include fuel economy improvements, safety standards requiring compliance between 2020 and 2025, and improvements in durability, performance, horsepower, comfort, and convenience. 
  • Trimflation: $5,863.32, or 25.1 percent. Trimflation is the sale of more profitable, high-quality models. 
  • Vehicle mix: $3,998.54, or 17.1 percent, of the increase. Vehicle mix is the sale of more profitable light trucks than cars. 
  • Dealer markups and margins: $1,810.78, or 7.8 percent. 
  • Automaker margins and production costs: $8,008.03, or 34.3 percent.  

Vehicle affordability has stayed strong over time. Adjusting for inflation, the average price of new cars has actually fallen since 2002, while the real price of light trucks has risen modestly. Household spending on new and used vehicles has grown more slowly than on essential household costs such as housing, healthcare, education, and groceries, easing pressure on budgets.  

 “The relatively modest rise in household spending on new and used vehicles is actually easing household budgetary pressures, which are mounting due to skyrocketing healthcare, education, housing, and grocery costs,” Greene said. “Weakening safety and fuel economy standards would actually exacerbate the affordability crisis, leading to more unnecessary deaths, injuries, illnesses, property damage, and gasoline consumption. Families can ill afford the associated loss of wages and increase in healthcare, repair, and fuel costs.”  

Today’s vehicles are safer and more fuel-efficient than ever. The real–world fuel economy has risen by more than 60% for cars and nearly 50% for light trucks since 2002, saving owners of 2024 vehicles roughly $9,000–$10,000 in fuel costs over their lifetimes. Federal safety standards from 1968 to 2019 have generated an estimated $12.8 trillion in benefits, including $5,164.51 per household in 2025 alone.  

 The full report 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.   

Senate Hearing on Ticketing Should Push TICKET Act Forward 

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

Washington, DC — In advance of a Senate Commerce subcommittee hearing on reform in the live event industry, the National Consumers League urged leaders in the U.S. Senate to prioritize passing the bipartisan TICKET Act (S. 281/H.R. 1402), which has already overwhelmingly passed the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate Commerce Committee.  

“Consumers do not need another round of blame-shifting. They need Congress to act and to finally fix a live event ticketing system that has been broken by design, not by accident,” said NCL Vice President of Public Policy, Telecommunications, and Fraud John Breyault in a letter to Consumer Protection, Technology, and Data Privacy Subcommittee chairman Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and ranking member Senator John Hickenlooper (D-CO). “Passing the TICKET Act and strengthening it through legislation like the MAIN EVENT Act would finally begin to rebalance a marketplace that has been tilted against fans for far too long.” 

NCL continues to advocate for passage of the TICKET Act, which would ban hidden fees, prohibit speculative tickets, crack down on deceptive resale tactics, and guarantee refunds for event cancellations and postponements. NCL also supports the MAIN EVENT Act, which would implement much-needed improvements to the decade-old BOTS Act—an underused law that allows federal regulators to go after predatory scalpers.  

NCL’s full letter can be found here. 

Additional reading: 

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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 the Proposed Netflix–Warner Brothers Merger

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

Washington, DC – The National Consumers League is deeply concerned about the proposed merger between Netflix and Warner Bros. Discovery, and its potential impacts on competition, consumer choice, and subscription prices. 

By combining the nation’s largest streaming service with one of its most significant competitors — including HBO Max — this transaction would substantially reduce competition in the digital entertainment marketplace. The long history of consolidation in the media industry shows that mergers of this scale tend to diminish competitive pressure and give dominant firms greater leverage to raise prices rather than pass savings on to consumers. A Netflix-Warner combination, or an alternative merger between Paramount and Warner, could mean that consumers’ monthly subscription bills — already on the rise — are likely to increase again without meaningful improvements in choice or content quality. 

The following statement is attributable to Sally Greenberg, CEO of the National Consumers League: 

“Today’s streaming environment benefits from significant competition among multiple platforms. Losing HBO Max as a standalone competitor risks narrowing consumer options and weakening incentives for innovation in programming and pricing. Rather than delivering better value to households, this merger could lead to higher costs for viewers who already pay multiple streaming subscriptions. We urge antitrust enforcers and lawmakers to carefully scrutinize this deal to protect consumers, preserve competitive choice, and prevent undue price increases in the streaming market.” 

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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. 

The National Consumers League Welcomes Four New Board Members to Advance Fairness, Safety, and Equity

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

Washington, DC – The National Consumers League (NCL) today announced the appointment of Cynthia Bauerly, Amy L. Hinojosa, Josh Hurvitz, and Brian Young to its Board of Directors. The new members bring deep expertise in public policy, consumer advocacy, law, and organizational leadership, strengthening NCL’s work to advance fairness, safety, and equity for consumers nationwide. 

“These leaders bring an exceptional breadth of experience and a shared commitment to protecting consumers,” said NCL’s CEO Sally Greenberg. “Their insight and leadership will help NCL confront emerging challenges in the marketplace while continuing our longstanding fight for fairness and accountability.” 

Cynthia Bauerly, Founder of Bauerly Consulting, is a longtime American civil servant, serving in senior roles in law, government, and policy at both the state and federal levels. She served as Commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Revenue from 2015 through 2020. She previously served as a Commissioner, Vice Chair, and Chair of the Federal Election Commission, and as Legislative Director and Counsel for United States Senator Charles E. Schumer of New York. Bauerly has also worked in private practice in Minnesota and Washington, D.C., specializing in complex litigation and appellate law, with a focus on intellectual property. 

 

Amy L. Hinojosa, President and CEO of MANA, A National Latina Organization, where she leads national efforts to strengthen Latina leadership through mentoring, education, and advocacy. She is a nationally recognized voice on equity and inclusion and serves in leadership roles across multiple national coalitions. 

 

Josh Hurvitz, a Partner at NVG, leads the firm’s technology, media, and entertainment practice. A former Vice President for Public Policy at Time Warner Inc., he brings extensive experience in intellectual property advocacy, corporate merger review, and congressional policymaking.

 

 

Brian Young, Vice President of I Street Advocates, brings a strong background in public policy and consumer advocacy, with a career focused on advancing effective governance and consumer protections across complex regulatory environments. 

 

 

“These appointments significantly enhance NCL’s ability to meet today’s consumer challenges,” said Jon Leibowitz, President of NCL’s Board of Directors. “Their collective experience will help guide our work as we push for a fairer, safer, and more equitable marketplace.” 

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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.  

Holding Corporations Accountable for Child Labor: NCL Endorses New Bipartisan Bill 

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

Washington, DC – Today, the National Consumers League’s (NCL) Child Labor Coalition (CLC) is proud to support Congresswoman Hillary Scholten’s reintroduction of her bipartisan Justice for Exploited Children Act alongside Congressman Ryan Mackenzie (PA-07). This legislation would increase both civil and criminal penalties for companies that violate child labor standards established in the Fair Labor Standards Act. Under current law, penalties for child labor violations are as low as $10,000 in some cases – and the maximum prison sentence is 6 months, even if violations result in the death or serious injury of a child.  

“The Child Labor Coalition and the National Consumers League both welcome—and endorse—Rep. Scholten’s and Rep. Mackenzie’s Justice for Exploited Children Act, with its significantly increased child labor fines,” said Reid Maki, director of child labor advocacy for the National Consumers League and coordinator of the Child Labor Coalition. “Just three years ago, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division cited low fine levels as an obstacle to its efforts to root out hazardous child labor in meatpacking factories. It has been clear that current child labor fine levels are not sufficient to elicit the compliance of large corporations, with annual revenues of hundreds of millions of dollars or more. Fines must be significantly higher if we are to protect our children from dangerous workplaces.” 

The Justice for Exploited Children Act would update these penalties, incentivizing companies to monitor the quality of their supply chains. By instituting a wider range of penalties and doubling certain fines upon repeated or willful violation, this bill allows for nuance in each instance of violation, acknowledging that many businesses are initially unaware of the presence of child laborers in their workforce and supply chains. 

Endorsing organizations include the Campaign to End US Child Labor, Human Rights Watch, National Education Association, American Federation of Teachers, Economic Policy Institute, First Focus Campaign for Children, Global March Against Child Labor, Green America, National Advocacy Center of the Sisters of the Good Shepherd, National Consumers League, and the National Council for Occupational Safety and Health. 

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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.  

New Dietary Guidelines Take on Ultra-processed Foods but Abandon Longstanding Advice on Red Meat, Full-Fat Dairy Products and Alcohol

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

Washington, DC – The National Consumers League (NCL) values recommendations in the newly released Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2025–2030, that encourage consumers to eat more fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. That said, we have significant concerns that the guidelines abandon science-based recommendations limiting daily consumption of red meat, full-fat dairy products, and alcoholic beverages.

“The new Dietary Guidelines offers a jumble of some good and some bad advice that we worry will confuse consumers and lacks the clarity we should expect from federal food and nutrition agencies like the USDA and the FDA,” says NCL CEO Sally Greenberg.

On the positive side, NCL congratulates the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Department of Agriculture (USDA) for urging consumers to cut back on highly processed foods and sugar-sweetened beverages that are major factors contributing to obesity and chronic disease. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Americans consume over half their daily calories from ultra-processed foods, , which is why health experts from around the world are calling for government policies aimed at limiting consumption of added sugars, refined grains, highly processed foods, saturated fats, and sugary drinks.

At the same time, NCL joins with other consumer, public health, and medical societies that are concerned that ending what the Trump Administration calls “the war on protein” and bringing back an inverted food pyramid highlighting red meat and full-fat dairy products will cause consumers to exceed recommended limits for sodium and saturated fats. According to nutrition experts, the recommendation to consume 1.2 to 1.6 grams per kilogram of body weight of protein each day – meaning eating protein at every meal – will result in consuming twice the recommended daily allowance of 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight.

The new dietary guidelines also abandon longstanding advice on drinking alcohol, which until now recommended limiting daily consumption to one or two standard drinks a day, with an explanation of what this means when drinking beer, wine, or a distilled spirits product. Instead, the latest version only states that people should consume less alcohol “for better overall health” and “limit alcohol beverages.” Accordingly, the estimated 62 percent of adult Americans who consume alcoholic beverages will now be flying blind when attempting to make responsible drinking decisions.

Even more problematic, the guidelines do not distinguish between men and women, who metabolize alcohol differently, and fail to caution against underage drinking. Because alcohol is the most widely used substance among Americans aged 12 and older, contributing to about 178,000 deaths annually and causing various cancers, heart and liver diseases, and other chronic conditions, excessive alcohol use costs the U.S. economy approximately $249 billion each year. Thus, the vague focus on alcohol recommendations in the guidelines is not in the public interest and runs counter to the goals of the MAHA movement to reduce chronic disease in the US.

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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.

Weakened Vaccine Guidance Threatens Decades of Public Health Progress 

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

Washington, DC – The National Consumers League strongly opposes the decision to reduce the CDC’s recommended childhood immunization schedule without scientific justification or public review. 

“By cutting recommended childhood vaccines without evidence-based rationale or expert input, this action recklessly discards decades of peer-reviewed research demonstrating vaccines are safe, effective, and essential to preventing serious childhood illness,” said NCL CEO Sally Greenberg. 

“The U.S. faces distinct disease risks and health system challenges that demand a strong immunization schedule,” Greenberg continued. “Weakening these recommendations will further erode trust in the CDC, lower vaccination rates, and lead to avoidable outbreaks that expose children to preventable disease.” 

Childhood vaccines have prevented millions of cases of disease, tens of thousands of deaths, and billions in health care costs in the United States. NCL urges federal health officials to restore science-driven, transparent decision-making and reaffirm the CDC’s commitment to protecting children and families. 

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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. 

Putting Consumers First in New York City

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

Washington, DC – The National Consumers League applauds Mayor Mamdani and the New York City Department of Consumer and Worker Protection for taking bold executive action to combat hidden junk fees, subscription tricks, and traps. 

“As families face rising costs and increasingly opaque pricing practices, these orders represent a critical step toward transparency and fairness in the marketplace,” said NCL VP of Public Policy, John Breyault. “NCL has long supported stronger consumer protections that ensure companies cannot hide fees and pad prices with unnecessary charges.”

“We also commend the City’s commitment to eliminating subscription traps that make it harder for consumers to cancel services than to sign up for them. NCL has championed ‘click-to-cancel’ protections at the federal and state levels, arguing that the right to cancel should be as simple as the right to enroll and that consumers deserve clear consent and easy exits from automatic renewals,” Breyault continued. “By targeting junk fees and unfair auto-renewal practices, New York City is leading the way in protecting everyday New Yorkers from deceptive practices that drain household budgets and undermine trust in our economy,” Breyault concluded.

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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.   

Broad Coalition Opposes Politicization of DC Attorney General 

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Legislation Would Endanger Consumers, Nonprofits, and Civil Society Nationwide 

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

Washington, DC – The National Consumers League (NCL), joined by 29 nonprofit, consumer, civil rights, faith-based, and civic organizations, urged congressional leaders to reject H.R. 5179, the District of Columbia Attorney General Appointment Reform Act, today. The organizations warn that the bill would dangerously undermine the independence of the District’s chief law enforcement office and expose nonprofits and consumers to politicized enforcement. 

In a letter sent to Congressional leaders, the coalition stressed that replacing DC’s independently elected Attorney General with a presidential appointee would concentrate sweeping legal and regulatory power in the Executive Branch. 

“The DC Attorney General plays a critical role in protecting consumers, overseeing nonprofits, and enforcing civil and charitable laws,” said NCL CEO Sally Greenberg. “Stripping that office of its independence would create a clear pathway for political retaliation and selective enforcement—regardless of which party controls the White House.” 

The DC Office of the Attorney General (DCOAG) has broad authority over consumer protection, civil enforcement, and the oversight of nonprofits and charitable assets. Because many national 501(c)(3) and 501(c)(4) organizations are headquartered in the District, the impact of H.R. 5179 would be felt far beyond Washington, DC. 

The coalition warned that a President-appointed Attorney General could be used to launch ideologically motivated investigations, retaliatory audits, or harassing enforcement actions against organizations whose views diverge from an administration’s agenda. Such powers could chill free speech, suppress lawful advocacy, and deter donors—weakening civil society as a whole. 

“These are not abstract or hypothetical risks,” the organizations wrote. “They are the predictable consequences of placing an unaccountable enforcement authority under direct political control.” 

NCL and its partners also cautioned that politicizing the DCOAG could undermine consumer protection by shielding political allies from scrutiny while targeting perceived opponents. 

“The current system ensures accountability to DC residents, not loyalty to a single national political figure,” said Greenberg. “Congress should reject H.R. 5179 and preserve the independence that allows the DC Attorney General to protect consumers, nonprofits, and fundamental democratic freedoms.”  

To read the full letter, click 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.