DeSantis’s anti-vax claims are wrong and dangerous, says NCL

/in Featured Home - Health, Health, Health policy, Uncategorized/by

December 22, 2022

Media contact: National Consumers League – Melody Merin, melodym@nclnet.org, 703-298-2614

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The National Consumers League was very disappointed to learn that Florida Governor Ron DeSantis recently announced that he is requesting a statewide grand jury investigation into alleged “crimes and wrongdoings” relating to the COVID-19 vaccine. He is forming a public health policy committee whose charge is to review public health recommendations and guidance made by federal health experts and agencies like the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The committee will be overseen by the state’s Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo, who himself has repeatedly made anti-vaccination claims.

“For a public official of Governor DeSantis’s stature to make these baseless anti-vaccination claims is wrong and dangerous,” says NCL Chief Executive Officer Sally Greenberg. “The governor has reversed course from supporting the roll out of the COVID vaccine and now is raising questions, against all scientific evidence, about the efficacy and safety of these critically important medicines. COVID vaccinations have been found overwhelmingly effective in reducing the risk of infection from the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which has killed more than 1 million Americans, most of whom were unvaccinated.”

In a study of  4,000 healthcare personnel, police, firefighters, and other essential workers, the CDC found that the vaccines reduced the risk of infection by 80 percent after one shot. Protection increased to 90 percent following the second dose. The findings are consistent with clinical trial results and studies showing strong effectiveness in Israel and the United Kingdom, and in initial studies of healthcare workers at the UT Southwestern Medical Center and in Southern California.

Protecting public health remains one of NCL’s focus, and vaccinations are one of the most effective public health prevention tools available to keep consumers and workers safe from severe and potentially deadly diseases.

We call upon all officials – including Governor DeSantis – who hold positions of responsibility and visibility, to rely on evidence-based medicine and science before making unfounded claims.

###

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 https://nclnet.org.

NCL Executive Director testifies before the DC Council in support of the Sunshine in Litigation Act

/in Consumer Education, Consumer Protection, Corporate social responsibility, Featured Home - Consumer Education, Safety/by

December 9, 2022

Media contact: National Consumers League – Melody Merin, melodym@nclnet.org, 703-298-2614

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Sally Greenberg, NCL’s Executive Director, testified before the D.C. Council Committee on Judiciary & Public Safety yesterday to express support for the “Sunshine in Litigation Act of 2022.

Read her full testimony here.

Court decision jeopardizes CFPB and threatens critical government programs, says NCL

/in Press release/by

October 24, 2022

Media contact: National Consumers League – Katie Brown, katie@nclnet.org, (202) 207-2832

Washington D.C.— Last week, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s (CFPB) funding structure is unconstitutional due to its non-reliance on annual Congressional appropriations. This ruling sets a dangerous precedent that could cause irreparable harm to consumers by undoing critical regulations against predatory fees and practices among financial servicers. Additionally, the Fifth Circuit’s logic, if extended across the federal government, would upend numerous federal entities that are also self-funded or otherwise receive revenue without regular Congressional appropriation, including Social Security and Medicare. 

The following statement is attributable to NCL Executive Director Sally Greenberg: 

“For more than 11 years, the CFPB has served as a dedicated champion for consumers in the federal government, preventing abusive, discriminatory, and predatory practices in the finance sector. The Fifth Circuit’s decision against the CFPB’s funding structure not only jeopardizes the CFPB’s invaluable work but also puts other key regulators at structural risk, such as the Federal Reserve System, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC). The Fifth Circuit’s ahistorical logic threatens other critical government programs as well, such as Social Security and Medicare. I hope upon further appeal, the American judicial system will not choose to side with payday lenders again.” 

###

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 https://nclnet.org.