The National Consumers League Applauds the Reintroduction of the Treat and Reduce Obesity Act; Urges Swift Action

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

Washington, DC – Months after the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) determined in a proposed rule that Medicare Part D should cover anti-obesity medications as a “medically necessary” service for people with the disease of obesity, the National Consumers League today applauded the reintroduction of the Treat and Reduce Obesity Act (TROA) in the 119th Congress as a critical step towards realizing this goal.  

Introduced in the Senate by Senators Bill Cassidy (R-LA) and Ben Ray Lujan (D-NM), TROA aims to advance obesity care for older Americans by expanding access to intensive behavioral therapy (IBT) beyond the primary care setting and by allowing Medicare Part D to cover FDA approved anti-obesity medications (AOMs), including new injectable drugs called GLP-1s (glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists). As such, TROA’s passage would end discriminatory and out-of-date Medicare policies and remove one of the biggest obstacles impeding access to quality obesity care by ensuring Medicare beneficiaries with obesity will have the same access to GLP-1s as those prescribed these drugs for treatment of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.  

When TROA was first introduced during the 113th Congress in 2013, 37.7 percent of adult Americans, or one in three adults, were living with obesity, and the American Medical Association responded by officially recognizing obesity as a serious disease requiring treatment. Now, obesity affects 41.9 percent of US adults  – more than 100 million people – which makes obesity the most prevalent chronic disease affecting Americans, significantly eclipsing the other most prevalent chronic diseases: heart disease, diabetes, chronic kidney disease, cancer, chronic lung disease, Alzheimer’s Disease, and stroke. Even more significantly, more than 230 medical conditions are directly linked to overweight and obesity, meaning these diseases worsen as the degree of obesity increases. Thus, obesity today is responsible for an estimated 400,000 deaths a year and costs the US economy an estimated $1.72 trillion annually. 

Also of note, the science of obesity treatment has changed significantly since the Medicare Part D program went into effect in 2006, resulting in new therapeutic agents, such as GLP-1 drugs, that can help people lose up to 20 percent of their weight in 26 months. Calculating the potential savings resulting from better health outcomes when obesity is treated, studies are beginning to project the potential savings to the economy from covering obesity medications. One recent study published December 5, 2024, in JAMA Network Open, estimated that a 10 percent weight loss resulting from obesity treatment saved $2,430 in reduced medical expenditures, and for a 25 percent weight loss, the reduction in health expenditures is $5,444 per person.  

Besides these reasons, the National Consumers League welcomes the reintroduction of TROA as a way that Congress can drive nationwide adoption of the Obesity Bill of Rights, issued by NCL and the National Council on Aging (NCOA) in 2024. The Obesity Bill of Rights defines quality obesity care as the right of all adults and establishes eight essential rights, including the right for older adults to receive quality obesity care and the right to coverage for the full range of treatment options so Americans with obesity will get the care specified in medical guidelines.  

Accordingly, NCL looks forward to working with Senators Cassidy and Lujan to build support for TROA and to working with the sponsors of the companion House bill, which will be introduced soon. At a time when so much is at stake for the health of older adults, TROA can be a catalyst for Congress to help older adults realize these rights and improve the standard of care for millions of Americans with obesity.  

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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 calls on congress to reject CPSC’s budget request 

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

 Washington, DC – The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) proposes dramatic restructuring of the agency, reductions in staffing, and decreases in funding in its Fiscal Year 2026 Performance Budget Request to Congress.  The budget recommends that Congress pass legislation transferring the functions of the CPSC to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).  The budget also recommends a 10 percent funding cut and 14 percent reduction of staff. 

“The CPSC’s budget request puts partisanship before product safety,” said Daniel Greene, Senior Director of Consumer Protection & Product Safety. “Eliminating the independence and nonpartisanship of the CPSC could result in a lack of vigorous standard setting, oversight, and enforcement.  Coupled with deep cuts to resources and staff, this dangerous budget proposal could lead to more preventable injuries and deaths.  We call on Congress to reject this budget request and provide the CPSC with the funding, personnel, and authorities to carry out its lifesaving mission.”  

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.    

Fans urge changes to New York’s “Live Nation Welfare Bill”

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

New York, NY — The National Consumers League and Sports Fans Coalition (SFC) are calling on New York legislators to amend A8651/S822 warning that as currently written, it could further entrench monopolistic control over ticket sales in the Empire State and harm consumers.

While the proposed legislation includes many pro-consumer provisions supported by both organizations, it was unexpectedly changed prior to introduction to contain special interest handouts that will strengthen Live Nation/Ticketmaster’s control of the ticketing market in the state, potentially weakening the landmark monopoly case underway by New York Attorney General Tish James, 39 other state attorneys general, and the U.S. Department of Justice. The National Consumers League and Sports Fans Coalition intended to support the introduction of this legislation after many months working with the sponsoring legislators, though now oppose the legislation unless it is amended.

“We’re all in for more transparency and stronger refund rules. That’s solid work. But this bill, as written, also opens a backdoor that could let the monopoly cartel lock out fans from fair resale and deepen its grip on live events forcing safe, protected ticket sales offline where consumers will get scammed many times over,” said Brian Hess, Executive Director of Sports Fans Coalition.

As detailed in a letter sent to lawmakers on May 28, the groups’ chief concern is that under this legislation Ticketmaster, as the largest seller of tickets in New York, would be handed new and outsized control to dictate how and whether tickets already sold can be resold by the ticketholder who purchased them.

“Live Nation and its affiliated artists and venues are pitching ticket resale restrictions as a panacea for all of fans’ frustrations with the ticket marketplace. Unfortunately, the reality is that the proposed restrictions are a fast track to more fraud. Artificially limiting consumer access to ticket marketplaces pushes fans into the shadows of the internet—Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, and shady international sites—where scammers thrive. If New York moves forward with this bill, it must also boost enforcement resources for Attorney General Letitia James. Without it, fans will be left defenseless in a growing black market,” said John Breyault, vice-president of the National Consumers League. “

Fans are right to be frustrated when they are priced out of their favorite events. However, event organizers typically put their events on sale months ahead of an event. In the intervening time, life happens – kids get sick, jobs get moved, plans change. It is important that consumers have access to competitive ticket marketplaces where they can sell and buy unwanted tickets. This also gives fans access to discounted tickets. Indeed, the data bears this out. A recent study found that 55% of events offered tickets below the original price, resulting in in more than $440 million in savings nationally and $41.7 million in savings in New York State in 2023.

If passed, the legislation could restrict a ticketholder who cannot attend an event at the last minute from finding a legitimate secondary market source to sell their ticket. By comparison, Live Nation and the artists and venues it controls would be free to dynamically price tickets. The effect is that a ticket purchased in the same row for the same event can be priced dramatically differently from consumer to consumer based on the vast amounts of personal data Ticketmaster has about concertgoers.

Ticketmaster (which is owned by Live Nation) is already the second largest ticket resale marketplace in the nation. The likely effect of allowing Live Nation and the artists and venues it controls to dictate the terms of ticket resale is that Ticketmaster will gobble up even more of the resale market than it currently has. If the legislation passes, we also anticipate that Live Nation-controlled artists and venues will take steps to cut “preferred reseller” deals with Ticketmaster. This will allow Ticketmaster to double dip on fees for the same pair of tickets – during their initial sale, and again when they are resold on the Ticketmaster platform.

The bill does contain several pro-fan provisions. For example, the bill would require disclosure of some deceptive ticket holdbacks. Holdbacks (also known as allocations) are a nefarious practice where Ticketmaster, venues, artists and teams secretly create fake scarcity when tickets go on sale. Through deceptive holdbacks, so-called primary ticket sellers (Ticketmaster, venue box offices, artists) slowly drip tickets onto the market to create the illusion of a sold-out event. The legislation would make this longtime industry secret illegal for the largest events, requiring the disclosure of holdbacks and limiting the number of tickets that can be held back. An informed consumer, knowing how many tickets remain for an event for future sale, is more capable of making the smartest purchase decision, whether to buy their tickets immediately, wait for more to be released in the weeks or months ahead, or comparison shop form other sellers. Additionally, the bill proposes that if a postponed event isn’t rescheduled within three months, ticket sellers must issue refunds—a provision that advocates strongly support.

A8651/S822 is a bill that our organizations would very much like to support. Unfortunately, special interests have allowed it to become a vehicle for Live Nation’s monopoly ambitions in New York. We urge Senator Skoufis to work with us to ensure that fans – not Live Nation and the artists and venues it controls – are the real winners from this bill.

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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 just put America last”— NCL slams Senate for undermining clean air, consumer rights

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

Washington, DC – Today, the United States Senate passed three Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolutions that restrict states’ rights to establish robust tailpipe emission standards.  Having passed the House of Representatives, these resolutions will now go to the President’s desk for signature.  

“In the midst of a global race to develop and manufacture clean, efficient vehicles, Congress just put America last,” said Daniel Greene, Senior Director of Consumer Protection & Product Safety Policy.  “This is a self-defeating attack on American manufacturing, affordability, health, and the environment.  The effect on consumers will be disastrous: pain at the pump, dirtier air, more extreme weather, and a less economically competitive nation.”   

Under the Clean Air Act, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) may issue a waiver to the State of California to exceed federal emission standards for motor vehicles.  Other states are permitted to adopt California’s standards.  In 2024, the EPA provided California waivers for the State’s Advanced Clean Cars II (ACC II), Advanced Clean Trucks, and Omnibus NOx rules.  These standards, which have been adopted in whole or in part by 17 states, have nationwide benefits: conserving energy, combating the climate crisis, improving health, and reducing pain at the pump.  

Please see this fact sheet detailing the CRAs and their effect on American competitiveness, affordability, health, and the environment. 

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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 urges FDA and consumers to take action as GLP-1 shortage ends, but “infodemic” continues

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

May 22 Conclusion of Mass Compounded GLP-1s Should Bring Clarity but Confusion Reigns

Washington, DC — Despite the end of the GLP-1 shortage and May 22 FDA-issued deadline for companies to stop mass compounding of the products, the National Consumers League (NCL) is concerned that the epidemic of GLP-1 misinformation will continue to confuse consumers with fake products that can put their health at risk. Both the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and consumers have roles to play in responding to the “infodemic.”

According to the FDA, as of today, companies should no longer mass-produce compounded GLP-1s. If they do, they will be in violation of the Food, Drug, and Cosmetics Act and may be subject to penalties, recalls, and other sanctions. While NCL understands the role of compounded drugs as customized medications created by pharmacists or physicians in individualized cases that combine, mix, or alter ingredients to meet a specific patient’s needs, like a swallowing disorder, they are not appropriate for mass production and distribution. They also pose more potential risks to patients.

Because compounded drugs do not have the guardrails, nor have they been tested in large populations, there are risks associated with them, and they therefore should never be produced on a mass marketing basis except in very limited situations where the FDA has declared a shortage of drugs in high demand. That was the case with shortages of GLP1 drugs from 2022 to several months ago, to meet the high demand.

The May 22 deadline should provide clarity for consumers who need GLP-1 medications. After this date, only products that are “FDA-approved” or have been through the FDA process and are proven safe and effective in large populations and prescribed by a medical professional should be on the market. We must ensure compounders abide by the FDA’s rules. However, NCL is concerned that the marketing of compounded and other nonlegal weight loss products will continue beyond the deadline and continue to confuse consumers and patients who are managing chronic diseases like obesity.

Our concerns are not unfounded: We recently released a national survey of perceptions of compounded GLP-1 products sold online, showing that there is significant confusion about GLP-1 products amongst women. Key findings include that more than 70% believe compounded GLP-1s are only on the market if they have been tested and proven safe, and more than half (53%) think compounded GLP-1s have received FDA-approval. Neither of these claims is true.

For the sake of consumers across the country, we urge the FDA to enforce federal law and its long-standing safety-guided standards for compounded products now that GLP-1 products are no longer in shortage. We also call on consumers to take the following steps to learn the facts about GLP-1s and understand what’s FDA-approved, what’s fake, and what might put their health at risk:

  1. If a product says, “Doctor Approved,” and not “FDA-Approved,” it is likely a compounded versions of GLP-1s that are not permitted after May 22: if you see them, it’s a red flag.
  2. Educate yourself by going to The Weight Truth website (https://nclnet.org/weight-truth/),
  3. Be aware that FDA-approved GLP-1s are not available in gummy, chewable, patch, nasal, or sublingual forms.
  4. Ask the healthcare provider or company selling you the GLP-1 if it’s the FDA-approved brand product. You can also reach out to the FDA-approved manufacturers to determine whether you have authentic medicine.
  5. Report fake GLP-1s to us through The Weight Truth website (https://nclnet.org/weight-truth/

In addition to raising awareness amongst consumers about the misinformation surrounding compounded GLP-1s, NCL is also reiterating its appeal to Congress to pass the Treat and Reduce Obesity Act (TROA), a critical piece of legislation that will allow more older Americans to be treated with FDA-approved anti-obesity medications under the Medicare program.

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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. 

DOT’s abandonment of Southwest litigation will leave passengers worse off 

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

Washington, DC — Last week, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) quietly dropped its historic lawsuit against Southwest Airlines, which had originally been filed over the carrier’s unrealistic scheduling. The litigation would have been the first time an airline attempted to defend its chronic delays in court.   

“DOT’s decision to drop its lawsuit against Southwest will leave passengers worse off,” said NCL CEO Sally Greenberg. “Ignoring law violations just because the offender is a corporation is not a healthy or sustainable policy. The Department’s abandonment of the litigation sends a message to travelers around the globe that our government is more interested in protecting powerful airlines than the flying public.”   

DOT’s original complaint cited Southwest’s own data submitted to the agency, highlighting nearly 150 flights that violated federal law prohibiting unrealistically scheduled routes. For example, in one of the months listed in the complaint, Southwest’s statistics showed that 22 out of 26 trips made by Flight 1614 between Baltimore, Maryland, and Cleveland, Ohio, did not arrive on time, with an average delay of 66 minutes.   

The now-withdrawn lawsuit appropriately stated that “[h]olding out these chronically delayed flights disregarded consumers’ need to have reliable information about the real arrival time of a flight and harmed thousands of passengers traveling on these Southwest flights by causing disruptions to travel plans or other plans.”  

The federal prohibition on unrealistic scheduling has been on the books since 1957. Yet, airlines had not been held accountable for violations until Transportation Secretary Buttigieg, who brought fines against JetBlue and Frontier, and the now-abandoned lawsuit against Southwest.   

Further 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.    

NCL Denounces Illegal Attempt to Fire CPSC Commissioners

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Media Contact: Maggie Oliverio, Communications Associate, 202-207-2831

Washington, DC – The National Consumers League calls on the Trump administration to rescind the illegal attempt to fire Democratic Commissioners on the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).

“This unprecedented assault on our nation’s regulator of household product safety is in direct contravention of the spirit and letter of the law, runs afoul of decades of Supreme Court precedent, and threatens to cripple the CPSC’s ability to carry out its lifesaving mission,” said Daniel Greene, the Senior Director of Consumer Protection & Product Safety at the National Consumers League. “Diverse opinions improve safety. 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.”

Last night, Commissioners Richard Trumka and Commissioner Mary T. Boyle of the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) received an email from the White House purporting to fire them.  Commissioner Alexander Hoehn-Saric did not receive such an email but is being prevented from executing his duties by the Acting Chair.

Commissioner Richard Trumka’s statement is available HERE

Commissioner Alexander Hoehn-Saric statement is available HERE

Commissioner Mary T. Boyle’s statement is available HERE 

A letter from 159 advocates opposing plans to eliminate the CPSC can be found HERE

A video of victims’ parents advocating to protect the CPSC 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.org.    

158 Advocates Send Letter Opposing Plan to Eliminate the CPSC

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

Washington, DC – Today, the National Consumers League, Consumer Federation of America, Consumer Reports, and 156 other product safety advocates sent a letter to Russell Vought, the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, expressing their strong opposition to any attempt to eliminate, defund, or weaken the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).

The CPSC is an independent federal agency commissioned by Congress to protect the public from unreasonable risks of injury or death from consumer products through education, safety standards, regulation, and enforcement.  According to a draft budget document, the Trump administration is finalizing a proposal to eliminate the CPSC and transfer the agency’s functions to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

“If implemented, this proposal would eradicate – not reorganize – our nation’s governance of product safety,” the product safety advocates write. “Congress deliberately established an independent agency exclusively charged with the safety of consumer products.  Such independence ensures that product safety issues are treated like the public safety imperative they so clearly are.  We urge you to preserve an independent, bipartisan CPSC and ensure the agency has the appropriate tools, resources, and personnel to carry out its lifesaving mission.”

A copy of the letter can be found HERE  

A video of victims’ parents advocating to protect the CPSC can be found HERE

Letter cosigners:

National Consumers League

Consumer Federation of America

Consumer Reports

Access Ready Inc.

Action on Smoking and Health

Aden Lamps Foundation

Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety

Aging Life Care Association

America Walks

American Academy of Pediatrics

American Apparel & Footwear Association

Appliance Standards Awareness Project

Association of Pedestrian & Bicycle Professionals (APBP)

Autistic Self Advocacy Network

Bicycle Alliance of Minnesota

Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia

Bicycle Colorado

Bike Cleveland

Bike Jeffco

Bike LA

Bike Oven

Bike Pittsburgh

Bike Walk Savannah

BikeWalkKC

BikeWalkNC

BioInjury

Breast Cancer Prevention Partners

California Bicycle Coalition

Center for Auto Safety

Center for Economic Integrity

Center for Economic Justice

Center for Medicare Advocacy

Center for Pet Safety

Charlie’s House

Child Care Aware of Virginia

ChildSavers

Citizens Action Coalition of IN

Claire Bear Foundation

CommunicationFIRST

Consumer Action

Consumers for Auto Reliability and Safety

Cribs for Kids

Derrick Stone Safe Sleep

Detroit Greenways Coalition

Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund (DREDF)

Diversity In Aquatics

Earth Ethics, Inc.

East Coast Greenway Alliance

Economic Action Maryland Fund

Epilepsy Foundation of America

Families for Safe Streets

First Candle

Florida Bicycle Association

Florida Silver Haired Legislature Inc

Food Empowerment Project

Friends of the Concord-Lake Sunapee Rail Trail

Funeral Consumers Alliance of South Carolina

Georgia Watch

Government Information Watch

Green America

Haddie’s Calling

Hawai’i Bicycling League

Healthy Babies Bright Futures

HealthyWomen

Homestretch Nonprofit Housing Corp.

Human Powered Solutions LLC

Impact Teen Drivers

Jacob Bikes

Joseph A Sanzari Children’s Hospital

Just Strategy

Keeping Babies Safe

Kids and Car Safety

La Isla Network

Lead on Solutions, LLC

League of American Bicyclists

Living Streets Alliance

Local Motion

Madison Bikes, Inc.

Marin County Bicycle Coalition

MassBike

Missourians for Responsible Transportation

Move Redmond

Muscular Dystrophy Association

Napa County Bicycle Coalition

National Association of Consumer Advocates

National Bicycle Dealers Association

National Carbon Monoxide Awareness Association

National Center for Healthy Housing

National Coalition for Safer Roads

National Drowning Prevention Alliance

New Jersey Bike & Walk Coalition

Oregon Consumer Justice

Oregon Consumer League

Parents Against Tip-Overs

Parents for Window Blind Safety

Paterson Task Force for Community Action, Inc.

Pennsylvania Downtown Center

People Power United

Pool and Hot Tub Alliance

Propel ATL

Public Citizen

Reconnect Rochester

Responsible Sourcing Network

Ride Illinois

Ride of Silence

Safe Infant Sleep

Safety Research & Strategies

Sciencecorps

Shane’s Foundation, NFP

Shepard’s Watch Foundation

Sonoma County Bicycle Coalition

South Carolina Appleseed Legal Justice Center

Stop Drowning Now

StopDistractions.org

SwimJim

Tempe Bicycle Action Group

The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSP)

The National Carbon Monoxide Awareness Association

Transportation Alternatives

Travel Goods Association (TGA)

Truck Safety Coalition

United States Swim School Association

Unleaded Kids

Virginia Citizens Consumer Council

Vision 2020 Project

Walk ‘n Rollers

Washington Area Bicyclist Association

Whirlwind Wheelchair International

Wisconsin Bike Fed

Yakima Bikes and Walks!

Alissa K. Sandler, Product Safety Advocate

Angela Williams, Product Safety Advocate

Ashley Haugen, That Water Bead Lady

Cindy Mense, Product Safety Advocate

Dr. Free N. Hess, Product Safety Advocate

Elizabeth Hemmerlin, Product Safety Advocate

Ernest Bach, Product Safety Advocate

Garrett Kellermab, Product Safety Advocate

Heather Stephens, Product Safety Advocate

Heidi Perry, Product Safety Advocate

Janet McGee, Parent Product Safety Advocate

Jayshree Kumta, Product Safety Advocate

Judith Solomon, Product Safety Advocate

Kelley Ladick, Product Safety Advocate

Lori Winkler, MSN, RN, TNS, CPEN, Product Safety Advocate

Marjon Manitius, Product Safety Advocate

Marjorie Murray, Product Safety Advocate

Mary Jagim, Product Safety Advocate

Michael Haggard, Product Safety Advocate

Pamela Gilbert, National Consumers League Board Member

Paul Susca, Product Safety Advocate

Robert W Browne, Product Safety Advocate

Sandeep Khatua, Product Safety Advocate

Sarah Sorscher, Product Safety Advocate

Sara Thompson, Parent Safety Advocate

Shayna Raphael, Product Safety Advocate

Stephen W Hargarten, Product Safety Advocate

Taylor Bethard, That Water Bead Lady & Esther’s Mom

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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 CEO Sally Greenberg mourns the passing of Pope Francis

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By NCL CEO Sally Greenberg

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

Washington, DC – Having just returned from a trip to Argentina, I am especially saddened by the death of Pope Francis, whose cathedral I visited in Buenos Aires. I have admired how Pope Francis radiated love and echoed messages of humility, humanity, kindness, mercy, and decency—qualities that have become all too rare among world leaders.

Francis was a tireless advocate for the poor and the marginalized, and his papacy stood as a beacon of hope and moral courage.

In December 2023, he formally approved allowing Catholic priests to bless same-sex couples. In a declaration released by the Vatican, he affirmed, “When people ask for a blessing, an exhaustive moral analysis should not be placed as a precondition for conferring it. For those seeking a blessing should not be required to have prior moral perfection.

On the issue of immigration, Pope Francis reminded us that “Jesus, Mary, and Joseph were emigrants in Egypt, refugees escaping the wrath of an ungodly king.” He called for the consolation of emigrants and pilgrims of every age and country, “of all refugees of every condition who, beset by persecution or necessity, are forced to leave their homeland, beloved family and dear friends to foreign lands.”

The National Consumers League joins millions of admirers around the world in mourning the loss of His Holiness Pope Francis—a man of faith, conviction, and compassion, and a friend to people of all faiths.

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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 urges ACIP to expand RSV vaccine recommendations at April 2025 meeting

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

Washington, DC — This week, the National Consumers League this week strongly recommended expanding respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccines for high-risk adults 50-59 years old to protect against a condition that can become severe for infants and older adults. NCL was selected to make remarks before the critically important Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices ( ACIP)  Additionally, NCL encouraged the Committee to continue its work in support of increasing vaccine confidence and transparency for the public.  On April 11, 2025, the National Consumers League submitted comments in response to a request for comments at the April 15 and 16 in Atlanta, Georgia.

ACIP also discussed the COVID-19, flu, RSV, and meningococcal vaccines. At the meeting, additional discussion and updates were provided on the ongoing and growing measles outbreaks and cases across the nation. The Committee voted on recommendations for three vaccines, including RSV.

Samantha Sears, NCL’s Health Policy Associate, told the ACIP committee to expand access to RSV and other vaccines and advised that a middle ground, called shared clinical decision-making, has proven too often to result in patients not choosing to get vaccinated, which runs counter to NCL’s support for broader vaccine adoption given the vast data to support the overwhelming safety and efficacy of vaccines in preventing infection disease.

Originally, ACIP was scheduled to meet in February, but the meeting was indefinitely postponed after the confirmation of the Secretary of the US Department of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. NCL is pleased that the Secretary rescheduled this meeting and hopes that the remaining two meetings of ACIP in 2025 will continue as scheduled.

The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), comprising fifteen medical and public health experts, is charged with advising the CDC Director on the use of vaccines and the immunization schedules for adults and children. ACIP meets regularly to review data, studies, and proposals for vaccines and, as needed, for emergency cases. Meetings are open to the public and, since COVID, streamed online. The recordings of the livestream of the April 15 and April 16 meetings are available online.

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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.