The U.S. Department of Education’s role is critical for consumers

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December 9, 2024

Media contact: National Consumers League – Lisa McDonald, lisam@nclnet.org, 202-207-2829

Washington, DC – The National Consumers League (NCL) rejects proposals to abolish the U.S. Department of Education (ED) and urges Members of Congress to strengthen the agency and its critically important role for consumers.

ED provides irreplaceable services for our public schools, alongside programs administered by other agencies like Head Start at the Department of Health and Human Services and the National School Lunch program at the Department of Agriculture. Despite making up only 3% of the federal budget, ED plays an outsized role in supporting K-12 and college education. Many underserved schools across the nation rely on ED’s Title I funding to continue operating a full range of educational and care services.

The US has long recognized a need for a limited but important federal role ineducation. Indeed, the original Department of Education was created in 1867 to collect information on schools and teaching that would help the States establish effective school systems. ED has evolved and changed with the times, but this early emphasis on getting vital information to teachers and education policymakers continues into the present.

Moreover, ED supports the essential role played by our public schools across America, schools that teach reading, writing, math and science, and are free to all students. The public school system represents the best of American democracy, fostering civic engagement and opportunity for all.

ED also pursues its twin goals of access and excellence through programs that cover every area of education and range from preschool education through postdoctoral research: including civil rights protections, Title IX rights, and  over $150 billion in new and consolidated loans annually. Without these loans, millions of students would not have access to higher education, so ED plays a truly essential consumer support role.

Finally, while ED’s programs and responsibilities have grown substantially over the years, the Department has the smallest staff of the 15 Cabinet agencies and has suffered funding cuts from Congress.

NCL calls on leaders across the political spectrum to reject proposals that would jeopardize the future of our nation’s children and instead focus on improving, refining, and supporting ED’s many positive contributions. NCL continues to advocate for policies to minimize the costs associated with seeking higher education, including legislation to bring the US in line with other developed nations by making college affordable for all.

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 applauds DOT advancement of delay compensation rules

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December 5, 2024

Media contact: National Consumers League – Lisa McDonald, lisam@nclnet.org, 202-207-2829

Washington, DC – Today, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) issued an advanced notice of proposed rulemaking (ANPR) on compensating travelers for significant flight delays and cancellations. The Department is exploring remedies for passengers who are affected by disruptions that occur due to reasons within an airline’s control. Should DOT finalize a rule requiring cash compensation alongside food, lodging, and ground transportation when necessary, the U.S. would join other jurisdictions that have had similar regulations for decades, like the European Union and Canada.  

“Passengers shouldn’t bear the costs of poor business performance. Especially if you’re traveling with a family, expenses add up quickly for last-minute rebooking and accommodations when an airline has a meltdown,” said NCL Vice President of Public Policy, Telecommunications, and Fraud John Breyault. “In taking this step, the Department is continuing its important work to protect airline travelers. We look forward to supporting DOT’s rulemaking effort.” 

NCL has supported a delay compensation mandate for years. In recent airline meltdowns, it has become commonplace for families to lose significant sums of money in out-of-pocket expenses, with reports highlighting losses of $2,000 to $7,500 in costs associated with rebooking flights, finding lodging, and contending with price gouging. U.S.-based air carriers already pay compensation for significant delays and cancellations when servicing certain overseas routes, like those in Europe, but do not provide those same protections when flying domestically.  

Additional reading: 

Consumer groups file amicus brief supporting DOT’s airline fee transparency rule 

NCL urges Congress to strengthen consumer protections against aviation cyber incidents, including delay compensation 

Advocates call on Biden Administration to act on airline passenger protection mandates 

NCL applauds Congress’s passage of aviation consumer protection improvements 

Full list of advocates’ legislative priorities for aviation consumer protection 

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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 stands firm against threats to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau

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December 3, 2024

Media contact: National Consumers League – Lisa McDonald, lisam@nclnet.org, 202-207-2829

Washington, DC – As the nation’s oldest consumer advocacy organization, the National Consumers League (NCL) is outraged by recent calls to eliminate the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), a vital agency safeguarding Americans from corporate exploitation, fraud, and abuse. The reckless suggestion to “cancel” the CFPB by Elon Musk, is a direct attack on consumer protections.

“Eliminating the CFPB would leave U.S. consumers defenseless against predatory practices, corporate greed, and fraudsters,” says National Consumer League’s John Breyault, VP of Public Policy, Telecommunications, and Fraud. “Without a strong CFPB, deception in the marketplace will flourish, harming not just consumers, but also honest businesses striving to treat their customers with fairness and respect.”

The CFPB, created in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis through the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, is a lifeline for millions of Americans. Under the leadership of Director Rohit Chopra, the CFPB has delivered $20 billion in consumer relief. The watchdog agency has proven indispensable, delivering multiple wins for everyday Americans, including:

  • Wells Fargo Settlement: A historic $1 billion resolution following fraudulent account-opening practices.
  • Medical Debt Protections: Proposed measures to eliminate medical debt from credit reports, potentially impacting $49 billion in reported debt.
  • Reducing Fraud on Payment Apps: Implemented protections to reduce fraud on Digital Payment App platforms like Apple Pay and Venmo.

The NCL unequivocally opposes any effort to dismantle the CFPB, as doing so would expose Americans to fraudsters, discriminatory lending, and exploitative financial practices. Eliminating the bureau would not only reverse years of progress but would also send a dangerous message to those likely to break the law that corporate profits matter more than consumer protections.

The National Consumers League stands firm: We will not let consumer protections be sacrificed. Americans deserve fairness, transparency, and accountability. We call on all policymakers to stand with consumers and defend the CFPB.

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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.

Millions would benefit as Biden Administration expands coverage for anti-obesity medications under Medicare and Medicaid

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November 26, 2024

Media contact: National Consumers League – Lisa McDonald, lisam@nclnet.org, 202-207-2829

Washington, DC – The National Consumers League (NCL) applauds the action by President Joe Biden to allow millions of Americans on Medicare and Medicaid to have coverage for new and very effective anti-obesity medicines (AOMs), thereby removing one of the biggest obstacles impeding access to quality obesity care in the country.

At a time when obesity has become the nation’s most widespread chronic disease, it worsens the outcomes of more than 230 other chronic diseases, and is responsible for an estimated 400,000 premature deathsannually, the proposed rule issued by the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services (CMS) has the potential to save lives and improve the health outcomes of 7.4 million Americans. This includes approximately four million adult Medicaid enrollees who would gain new access to anti-obesity medicines and an estimated 3.4 million Medicare beneficiaries whose treatment with AOMS would be covered, reducing their out-of-pocket costs by as much as 95 percent.

The cost of new anti-obesity medicines is an obvious concern to organizations like NCL, the public health community, and policymakers. However, CMS’s proposed expansion of Medicare and Medicaid coverage for a new class of injectable GPL-1 (glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor) agonists that can achieve a substantial weight loss (up to 20 percent) represents an important investment in the improved health of Americans.

“Today’s proposed action is a major step forward in ensuring that adults with obesity get the same quality care and access to treatments as those with the 230 chronic conditions where obesity is a significant factor,” says Nancy Glick, National Consumers League Director of Food and Nutrition Policy. “Today, only 10 percent of people with obesity get help from medical professionals, meaning the disease remains largely undiagnosed and undertreated. If CMS’s proposed rule is implemented, it will go a long way towards closing this obesity treatment gap, especially since health insurance companies closely align coverage decisions with Medicare policy.”

In January 2024, NCL worked with the National Council on Aging and leading obesity experts to issue the first Obesity Bill of Rights for the nation, which establishes eight essential rights so people with obesity will be screened, diagnosed, counseled, and treated according to medical guidelines. The Right to Coverage for Treatment is one of these essential rights and will become a reality for millions of Americans on Medicare and Medicaid if CMS’s proposal goes into effect.

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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.

Sally Greenberg: Fluoridated water is essential for public health, not a danger

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Sally Greenberg: Fluoridated Water is Essential for Public Health, Not a Danger

Media contact: National Consumers League – Lisa McDonald, lisam@nclnet.org, 202-207-2829

Washington, DC— In response to recent media coverage about Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Florida Surgeon General Joseph A. Ladapo campaigning against water fluoridation, Sally Greenberg, CEO of the National Consumers League (NCL), issued the following statement:

“Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s statements on fluoride could jeopardize a proven public health measure. Consumers are best served by reliable, evidence-based health information, not alarmist misinformation.”

The comments made by Kennedy and Ladapo echo similar claims from the 1960s, when groups like the John Birch Society suggested that fluoridation of drinking water was a “communist plot.” Today’s anti-fluoride activists point to a 2019 Canadian study that found that pregnant mothers exposed to higher fluoride levels during pregnancy, gave birth to baby boys with slightly lower IQ’s, as measured at ages 3-4. In this study, mothers were asked to self-recall beverage consumption per day and did not take into account the children’s fluoride exposure in early childhood.

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) calls fluoridated drinking water one of the most successful public health interventions in U.S. history, with its origins dating back to 1945 in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Since then, water fluoridation has been proven to significantly reduce rates of tooth decay, especially in economically disadvantaged and vulnerable populations. The CDC estimates that fluoridated drinking water reduces tooth decay by approximately 25% in children and adults. Health authorities, including the American Dental Association and World Health Organization, affirm that fluoride is safe at the levels currently used in the U.S.

“Fluoridated water is a vital measure to protect public health and reduce health disparities in dental care,” says Greenberg. Recent examples of removing fluoride from water, such as Calgary, Canada (2011) and Juneau, Alaska (2007), resulted in an explosion of dental decay. In both cities, the absence of fluoride in the drinking water corresponded with an increase in cavities and dental surgeries, particularly among children. For more information, visit CDC’s resources on fluoride.

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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 welcomes CFPB final rule enabling supervision of payment apps

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Media contact: National Consumers League – Lisa McDonald, lisam@nclnet.org, 202-207-2829

WASHINGTON, DC–Today, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau finalized its larger participant rulemaking, allowing the Bureau to better ensure that payment app companies are complying with federal consumer protection law. As the use of payment apps has exploded over the past decade, CFPB oversight is critical to ensuring that consumers using these apps are receiving the full care and protections they are legally entitled to, including safeguards around payment errors, peer-to-peer fraud, and corporate surveillance.  

“As our financial system evolves, it’s important that regulators keep up. Director Chopra and CFPB staff have done invaluable work over the past three years to ensure that payment facilitators follow the law, even as the technology advances,” said NCL Vice President of Public Policy, Telecommunications, and Fraud John Breyault. “The final rule announced today will help better protect the millions of consumers who use digital wallets and payment apps every day.” 

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.

NCL issues statement on New York Times health article on Alzheimer’s trials

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October 29, 2024

Media contact: National Consumers League – Melody Merin, melodym@nclnet.org, 202-207-2831

WASHINGTON, DC – NCL’s Health Director, Robin Strongin, released the following statement regarding Walt Bogdanich and Carson Kessler’s October 23 article, Health Section, New York Times, “What Drugmakers Did Not Tell Volunteers in Alzheimer’s Trials,” which reported that pharmaceutical companies withheld genetic testing information from volunteers in Alzheimer’s trials putting them at risk for brain bleeds.

“Medical research is complex and by its very nature involves risk. For a devastating disease like Alzheimer’s, consumers may be willing to take more of a risk in the hope of finding a treatment or a cure – if not for themselves, then for future generations.

We appreciate that researchers don’t know the full risk of a drug until tested, we are aware that genetic information can lead to certain types of discrimination, and we also understand that standards of care to disclose and not disclose information depend on multi-faceted decision points. Consumers have an absolute right to know what risks they face, including what information may be withheld, so they can make an informed decision before participating in a clinical trial—including when to opt out.

The scientific advances we witness today bring hope. Along with that hope comes the responsibility to be vigilant and assess and reassess what these advances mean for those willing to participate in clinical trials. It is imperative that we balance the integrity of clinical trials with the safety and protection of research participants.

NCL is increasingly concerned about the outsized role private equity plays in the sacred trust relationship between the research subject and the researcher. Institutional Review Boards must strive to regularly revisit their practices to reassure consumers that they, and the institutions in which research is conducted, are ethical and safe and provide all the information necessary to make truly informed decisions. It is never acceptable to put profits before safety. Clinical trials require numerous parties to come together and tackle the most vexing research challenges.

NCL calls upon all of those involved, including journalists, to provide balanced information that genuinely educate, and not terrify, the public. The last thing we want to happen is to further erode the public’s trust in science. We must all work together to safely, and ethically, find cures to dreaded diseases.”

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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.

Consumer groups file amicus brief supporting DOT’s airline fee transparency rule

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October 17, 2024

Media contact: National Consumers League – Melody Merin, melodym@nclnet.org, 202-207-2831

WASHINGTON, DC – This week, the National Consumers League and three other public interest advocacy organizations filed a brief of amici curiae in Airlines for America, et. al v. Department of Transportation. The airline industry filed the lawsuit, claiming that the Department of Transportation (“DOT”) lacks the authority to protect passengers, after DOT finalized its rule requiring air carriers to disclose upfront the fees they charge for baggage and reservation changes or cancellations.

“DOT has put in place common-sense price transparency rules,” said NCL Vice President of Public Policy, Telecommunications, and Fraud John Breyault. “Travelers deserve to know up front how much it will cost to bring a bag on a plane or cancel or change their reservation. Unfortunately, the industry’s litigation goes much further than disputing a single rule they do not like. It strikes at the heart of DOT’s ability to issue consumer protection regulations across the board.”

If the industry’s litigation is successful, it could jeopardize decades of basic—yet critical—consumer protections implemented by DOT. In addition to threatening the ancillary fee transparency rule, a ruling by the 5th Circuit in favor of the airlines could jeopardize the Full Fare Advertising Rule requiring air carriers to include all mandatory charges within their advertised prices. The lawsuit comes just four years after the same airlines received more than $50 billion in taxpayer bailouts from the federal government during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The American Economic Liberties Project, Consumer Federation of America, NCL, and the US Public Interest Research Group filed the brief supporting the fee transparency rule.

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.

NCL welcomes FTC’s click-to-cancel rule

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October 16, 2024

Media contact: National Consumers League – Melody Merin, melodym@nclnet.org, 202-207-2831

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced its final rule requiring the cancellation of subscriptions to be as easy as signing up. Slated to go into effect next year, subscription-based businesses will have to offer a simple cancellation mechanism and will be prohibited from lying about the goods and services they offer.

The following statement is attributable to NCL Vice President of Public Policy, Telecommunications, and Fraud John Breyault:

“Rather than trapping consumers with confusing cancellation processes, sellers should earn our dollars by competing to offer better products. The FTC is sticking up for everyday Americans and making clear that businesses cannot rely on deception to make a profit. NCL has long supported the Commission’s work to make subscriptions easier to manage for consumers, this rule will make those efforts even easier.”

Additional reading:

  • Public comments of NCL and five other organizations supporting the click-to-cancel rule, filed in response to the Commission’s 2023 notice of proposed rulemaking
  • Letter from NCL, Consumer Federation of America, and the National Consumer Law Center supporting the rule in a 2024 administrative law proceeding
  • Public comments of NCL on the harms of current negative-option business practices, filed in response to the Commission’s 2019 advanced notice of proposed rulemaking

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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.

Harris Poll sounds alarm on financial literacy gap

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September 24, 2024

Media contact: National Consumers League – Lisa McDonald, lisam@nclnet.org, 202-207-2829

WASHINGTON, DC – The National Consumers League (NCL), founder of LifeSmarts, one of the premier youth consumer education programs in the country, is sounding the alarm on the urgent need for better financial education. Recent findings of an independent survey by The Harris Poll, recently commissioned by FICO, revealed a starling reality: over 74% of Americans think their current financial situation would improve if they had access to more personal finance resources and education, and 79% percent of Americans believe high schools should offer financial education. See the FICO study here.

“We are deeply concerned that one out of four younger Americans do not consider themselves to be financially literate,” says Sally Greenberg, NCL’s CEO. “We can guarantee any student who experiences the LifeSmarts curriculum and competes at our state and national championships will be better equipped to navigate financial decision-making throughout their adulthood.”

NCL has seen firsthand how concerns about financial stability can be addressed directly through creative programming offered through schools and community organizations, and the private and public sectors can do more to address the financial literacy gap. We literally can’t afford, as a nation, to wait until children become adults to start teaching them how to manage their finances,” says Greenberg. “They need to build their knowledge base, which will give them the power to control and take charge of the many financial decisions they will be called upon to make in adulthood. Our LifeSmarts stands ready to help in any way we can.”

NCL commends FICO for conducting this important research and for its leadership on financial literacy via its Score a Better Future and Score a Better Future Fundamentals program.  Key components of the Fundamentals curriculum have been incorporated into the LifeSmarts program, which serves more than 125,000 students and 3,000 educators around the country each year.

This October, NCL’s LifeSmarts curriculum will focus on credit education, which is one of the most  critical components of financial literacy. The new research finds that while nearly two-thirds of Gen Z adults (61%) believe their credit score is a fair representation of their overall financial health, fewer than half (46%) of young adults have checked their credit score in the past year. Nearly one in four (24%) are not sure where to find this information. A similar percentage (28%) say they lack the tools or knowledge to improve their credit score.

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 About the National Consumers League (NCL) 

The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. For more information, visit www.nclnet.org.

About LifeSmarts
The National Consumers League’s (NCL) youth consumer education program, LifeSmarts, was established in 1993 and today serves more than 125,000 middle and high school students and 3,000 educators across the country. Through LifeSmarts, students learn about real-life consumer issues in five topic areas: Health & Safety, Consumer Rights & Responsibilities, Personal Finance, Technology & Workforce Preparation, and the Environment. They compete to win prizes and scholarships at the Varsity National LifeSmarts Championships in April each year and the Junior Varsity National LifeSmarts Championship in May. NCL LifeSmarts is active in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

About the FICO survey

This survey was conducted online within the United States by The Harris Poll on behalf of FICO from August 27-29, 2024, among 2,092 U.S. adults ages 18 and older. Gen Z respondents were 18-27 years old; Millennials were 28-43 years old; Gen Xers were 44-59 years old; and Baby Boomers were 60-78 years old. The sampling precision of Harris online polls is measured by using a Bayesian credible interval. For this study, the sample data is accurate to within +/- 2.5 percentage points using a 95% confidence level. For complete survey methodology, including weighting variables and subgroup sample sizes, please contact press@fico.com.