Consumer issues

May 26, 2009 -- CHICAGO, IL – The ability of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to protect the safety of the nation’s food supply for American families will dramatically improve if Congress passes the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) said today. Durbin’s legislation would give the FDA new authorities, tools and resources to comprehensively reform the nation’s food safety systems.    » read more »

(May 21, 2009 - Newark, NJ) - Summer is nearly here, which will likely mean higher electric bills as people turn on fans and air conditioners to help keep cool. Demand for electricity can also increase if you have house guests or children home for the summer. The following tips can help you plan ahead and control energy costs:

• Use ceiling fans in the counter-clockwise direction to create a wind-chill effect, making you feel cooler. In addition, whole-house fans that bring in cooler night-time air can pre-cool a house and reduce energy use in the daytime if heat is kept out by closing windows and shades.    » read more »

Hybrid System, Aerodynamic Advances Achieve World's Best Fuel Efficiency

May 26, 2009 -- Tokyo — TOYOTA MOTOR CORPORATION (TMC) announced the launch in Japan last week of the third-generation "Prius".

Like its predecessors, the new Prius remains worthy of its name—Latin for "to go before"—by being equipped with the latest in TMC hybrid and other environmentally friendly technology. Its Toyota Hybrid System II (THS II) has been more-than-90-percent designed anew and synergizes with one of the best aerodynamic performances in the world. This synergy combines with other advances to achieve a world-leading1 fuel efficiency of 38.0km/l2, while providing driving performance on par with that offered by a vehicle with a larger 2.4-liter engine.    » read more »

Landrieu participates in Commerce Committee hearing on imported drywall; releases updated "Help Guide."

05/21/2009 -- WASHINGTON -- At the request of United States Senators Mary Landrieu, D-La., and Bill Nelson, D-Fla., the Senate Commerce Committee today held a public hearing to learn more about problems caused by tainted Chinese drywall and federal agencies' proposed response to protect consumers. Because thousands of Louisiana homes may contain the defective product, the Commerce Committee allowed Sen. Landrieu to attend and discuss the impact on Louisiana homeowners.    » read more »

May 22, 2009 -- In an effort to help Americans better protect themselves from the sun’s harmful rays, U.S. Senators Chris Dodd (D-CT) and Jack Reed (D-RI) are teaming up with dermatologists and consumer rights advocates to introduce legislation requiring the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to strengthen labeling and testing standards for sunscreen products.

The FDA has not updated its sunscreen labeling standards to include UVA protection, despite working on it for over 30 years. The current standards only require testing and labeling for UVB rays, known for causing sunburns and increasing the chance of skin cancer. However, they do not require standards for UVA rays, which are a major cause of skin cancer and premature aging.    » read more »

President Obama signs Credit Card Accountability, Responsibility, and Disclosure Act

May 22, 2009 --
WASHINGTON – Today, President Obama signs the Credit Card Accountability, Responsibility, and Disclosure (CARD) Act of 2009, marking a turning point for American consumers and ending the days of unfair rate hikes and hidden fees.    » read more »

Washington, DC - 05/20/2009 - A full 82 percent of credit cards allow penalty interest rate hikes that could last indefinitely, giving responsible cardholders no right to return to the originally agreed upon interest rate, according to a new issue brief from The Pew Charitable Trusts’ Safe Credit Cards Project. A unique Senate proposal known as a “cure period” will help curb penalty interest charges that add billions to Americans’ credit card debt. Pew’s analysis also found:

* Americans are on track to pay credit card penalty interest charges of more than $7 billion annually.
* The median allowable penalty rate was 28 percent (double the average non-penalty rate), adding $500 in penalties per year to a typical cardholder’s account.    » read more »

Taxpayers Bail Out Detroit While Companies Resist Safety Improvements: Consumer Advocates Testify on Need for Safety Improvements, Importance of Preserving Civil Justice Protections for Victims of Defective Chrysler Vehicles

May 21, 2009 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. — A successful hotel manager, Jeremy Warriner from Indianapolis, Ind., was heading home after a long day at work. Another motorist sped through a stop sign, smashing into Warriner’s 2005 Jeep Wrangler. The poor design of the brake fluid reservoir ignited a fire that trapped him in the driver’s seat for five minutes, severely burning his legs. Ultimately, Warriner’s legs had to be amputated.    » read more »

Consumer Group Concludes Americans Will Pay More Without Robust Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy Standards in Climate Change Policy

May 21, 2009 -- Energy efficiency and renewable energy standards must play a key role in national energy policy, a report released by the Consumer Federation of America today concluded, especially if Congress enacts climate change legislation as currently contained in the American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009.

The report demonstrates that stronger standards for energy efficiency and renewable energy, as originally included in the draft legislation, would lead to substantial consumer savings – savings that will not be realized under the current version of the bill.    » read more »

Springtime Transitions

May is a time of transition as days get warmer, swimming pools open, and new graduates get ready to head out into the world. It is also a time of transition for U.S. fuel markets, as gasoline suppliers prepare for summer driving. This year, May has already brought back the traditional—but lapsed—spring transition in which the average price of regular gasoline in the United States rises above the price of diesel fuel.

U.S. Retail Gasoline and Diesel Fuel Prices    » read more »

Member of Banking Committee crafted provision in bill that would protect consumers under 21, and require credit card companies to verify consumer's financial situation before approval

May 22, 2009 -- Hoboken, NJ – U.S. Senator Robert Menendez, a member of the Senate Banking Committee, today visited Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken to discuss credit card reform legislation currently being debated in the Senate.    » read more »

May 22, 2009 -- WASHINGTON – In a White House ceremony this afternoon, President Obama will sign the Credit Card Accountability, Responsibility and Disclosure Act or Credit CARD Act of 2009, which offers a comprehensive approach to protecting consumers from unfair credit card practices. The bill builds on groundwork laid by Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., in hearings and legislation over the past four years.

“Credit card companies have crossed line after line with outrageous practices that hurt American families and businesses,” Levin said. “They underestimated the ability of Congress to turn public outcry into public policy. We faced powerful forces against this effort, but we prevailed.    » read more »

New Legislation Would Increase Demand for Cars and Auto Parts

May 22, 2009 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) joined Sens. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) and Sam Brownback (R-KS) to introduce the Drive America Forward Act (S. 1135). Brown is an original cosponsor of this legislation that would create jobs and increase demand for cars and auto parts by providing consumers with a voucher worth up to $4,500 for the purchase or lease of a more fuel-efficient vehicle.    » read more »

May 22, 2009 -- New York Governor David A. Paterson and New York State Consumer Protection Board Chairperson and Executive Director Mindy A. Bockstein today issued the following statements in support of the federal Credit Card Accountability, Responsibility, and Disclosure Act of 2009:

Statement from Governor David A. Paterson:    » read more »

Washington, DC - 05/19/2009 - Statement of Nick Bourke, manager of the Safe Credit Cards Project at the Pew Health Group:

“The Senate today joined the House in coming together to pass smart, strong, bipartisan legislation that puts an end to many unfair and deceptive credit card practices. This is a tremendous victory for the millions of credit card carrying consumers, many of whom will be able to avoid hundreds, even thousands of dollars in unfair fees and interest rate hikes.    » read more »