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News Release | U.S. PIRG | Public Health

House Farm Bill Is Bad For Public Health

Today, Congress is considering a bill that would allow large agrichemical companies to dump toxic pesticides and chemicals into our rivers, lakes, and drinking water. It would undermine efforts by farmers who want to use better farming practices to produce healthier food with less chemicals. We are calling on Congress to vote against this bill that would be bad for public health.

News Release | U.S. PIRG | Consumer Protection

U.S. PIRG Statement In Support of Wednesday’s Senate Vote To Reinstate Net Neutrality

On Wednesday, May 16, the Senate will vote on an issue that affects every Internet-using American: net neutrality. Sen. Ed Markey (MA) has proposed a Resolution of Disapproval, SJR52, under the Congressional Review Act, to repeal the current Federal Communications Commission’s February 2018 action rescinding the 2015 Open Internet Order.

News Release | U.S. PIRG | Consumer Protection

Closing the Consumer Bureau’s Office of Students will Harm Students

Here is our statement about yesterday’s news that the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s Office of Students will be closed.

News Post | Public Health

L’Oreal: This Mother’s Day, make it toxic-free because moms are worth it! | Dev Gowda

With Mother’s Day coming up on May 13, picking the perfect gift for Mom is on the minds of millions of Americans. Many of us will be giving our moms perfumes, bath bombs and beauty products as gifts this Mother’s Day. But we are probably not thinking about whether the perfume we buy Mom is potentially dangerous.

News Post | Democracy

Happy Birthday Citizens United; May It Be Your Last | Joe Ready

This month, the Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision turns eight. With all that’s going on in politics, it’s easy to focus on the latest scandal or hot take. But we should take the opportunity on this anniversary to focus on what I would argue is at the root of our political quagmire.

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News Release | U.S. PIRG | Financial Reform

Bank Deregulation Bill's Free Credit Freeze Section Tweaked, But Still Preempts Better State Laws

Here's our statement on modest changes to the free credit freeze provision of S2155, the massive bank regulation deregulation package on the Senate floor. The changes aren't good enough because the states would still be preempted from better protecting their consumers and some existing state laws would be rolled back.

News Release | U.S. PIRG | Financial Reform

Three Bills in Congress this Week Would Let Equifax Off the Hook

Remember Equifax? It's one of the nation's Big 3 credit bureaus. It's based in Atlanta. Still not sure? Oh, maybe you'll remember this: Equifax finally admitted in September that months earlier it had lost 145 million consumer records, including Social Security Numbers, to hackers. Here's our latest release explaining that instead of holding Equifax accountable, this week Congress is busy trying to help Equifax.

News Release | U.S. PIRG | Financial Reform

After New Reports of Stolen Data, U.S. PIRG To Congress: Stop Letting Equifax off the Hook

Today Equifax admitted to losing information for over 2 million more Americans. Here's our release explaining why it's time for Congress to follow the lead of several states and hold Equifax accountable, insead of letting it off the hook.

News Release | U.S. PIRG | Financial Reform

U.S. Supreme Court Hears Argument in Case Affecting Consumers Nationwide

U.S. PIRG experts comment on a case heard before the Supreme Court Monday concerning whether American Express rules preventing merchants from steering customers to alternative lower-cost cards violate the antitrust laws. Hint: We agree with and supported several states that brought the case on behalf of their citizens. We also make the point that unless the states prevail, the practices of dominant tech platforms like Google and Amazon and Facebook will also be immunized from action.

News Release | Consumer Protection

Consumer Wins Landmark Safety Recall Case Against CarMax

Tammy Gutierrez of Bakersfield, Calif., has won an important victory against CarMax, arguing successfully that she had alleged valid claims that CarMax acted illegally when the auto giant sold her a car with an unrepaired safety recall. The modified ruling issued by the Fifth District Court of Appeal in Fresno on Thursday, Feb. 22, is widely considered to be the first decision challenging the legality of car dealers selling unrepaired recalled used cars that led to a state appellate court ruling

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Report | U.S. PIRG and Citizens for Tax Justice | Tax

Offshore Shell Games 2015

U.S.-based multinational corporations are allowed to play by a different set of rules than small and domestic businesses or individuals when it comes to the tax code. Rather than paying their full share, many multinational corporations use accounting tricks to pretend for tax purposes that a substantial portion of their profits are generated in offshore tax havens, countries with minimal or no taxes where a company’s presence may be as little as a mailbox. Multinational corporations’ use of tax havens allows them to avoid an estimated $90 billion in federal income taxes each year.

Report | U.S. PIRG | Democracy

Fighting Big Money, Empowering People

Like every generation before us, Americans are coming together to preserve a democracy of the people, by the people, and for the people. American democracy is premised on the consent of the governed, and on the idea that we all deserve a say in the government decisions that affect our families. We stand united supporting commonsense protections that recognize the people as the ultimate check on the corrosive influence of money in politics, which is eroding the very foundation of self-government.

Report | US PIRG Education Fund | Consumer Protection

Mortgages and Mortgage Complaints

Our sixth report analyzing complaints in the CFPB's Public Consumer Complaint Database evaluates mortgage complaints, the number one source of complaints to the CFPB, totaling 38% of nearly 500,000 complaints posted since 2011.

Report | U.S. PIRG Education Fund. | Transportation

Who Pays For Roads?

Many Americans believe that drivers pay the full cost of the roads they use through gas taxes and other user fees. That has never been true, and it is less true now than at any other point in modern times. Today, general taxes paid byall tax- payers cover nearly as much of the cost of building and maintaining highways as the gas tax and other fees paid by drivers.

Report | U.S. PIRG Education Fund | Budget, Tax

Picking Up The Tab 2015: Small Businesses Pay the Price for Offshore Tax Havens

Every year, corporations and wealthy individuals use complicated gimmicks to shift U.S. earnings to subsidiaries in offshore tax havens – countries with minimal or no taxes – in order to reduce their federal and state income tax liabilities by billions of dollars. While tax haven abusers benefit from America’s markets, public infrastructure, educated workforce, security and rule of law – all supported in one way or another by tax dollars – they continue to avoid paying for these benefits.

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News Post | Public Health

A Year In Review: Progress Getting Toxic Chemicals out of Personal Care Products | Dev Gowda

In the past year, we’ve seen a lot of progress to get toxic chemicals out of personal care products and to convince companies to disclose fragrance ingredients. Consumers are at the forefront of making that happen, and I’m proud that we’ve been able to harness consumer preferences and push several companies to do better.

News Post | Financial Reform

The End for "Rent-A-Tribe" Payday Lending Schemes? | Ed Mierzwinski

This month, Scott Tucker, a payday lender who used his proceeds to fund a LeMans racing team, was sentenced to 16 years in jail on federal racketeering and other charges. Last fall, his former business partner Charles Hallinan, known as the Philadelphia Main Line "godfather" of payday lending, was also convicted of federal racketeering charges. Tucker and Hallinan's main business model? Their claim that their payday loan enterprises were for the benefit of Native American tribal partners and therefore subject to tribal immunity. The authoritative public interest law firm Public Justice speculates: "Tribal Immunity" may no longer be a Get-Out-of-Jail Free Card for payday lenders." It's about time.

News Post | Public Health

Personal Care Product "Trade Secrets" Are Hurting Consumers | Dev Gowda

The new shampoos, hand creams, soaps and body washes we unwrapped this holiday season smell like roses, chamomile, lavender, springtime.

But the fragrances that fill many of our bottles and bars are far from natural, and because of a lack of transparency in labeling, we could be “cleaning” our bodies with chemicals that can disrupt our hormones, cause developmental issues and even lead to cancer.

News Post | Public Health

Shareholders call on food industry heavyweights to do their part in saving antibiotics | Matt Wellington

When it comes to our food, most of us want to know how it’s produced, and where it comes from. Buzzwords such as all natural, free-range, superfood often leave us wondering what to focus in on and what food fads to simply tune out. But as trends have come and gone, antibiotic use on farms has remained a looming threat for decades. That’s why the Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility, a coalition of investors, recently filed shareholder resolutions on McDonald’s, along with Denny’s and Sanderson Farms, to restrict the use of medically important antibiotics in their meat supply chains.

News Post | Financial Reform

We Oppose S2155, Senate Banking Bill Is Not A Consumer Protection Bill | Ed Mierzwinski

We've sent a letter up to the Senate Banking Committee urging opposition to a bi-partisan proposal to roll back certain protections for consumers seeking mortgages and also certain safety-and-soundness protections enacted to give prudential regulators more authority to prevent large -- but not the largest -- banks from taking on too much risk. The bill will likely be voted on Tuesday.

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TELL MCDONALD’S: HOLD THE ANTIBIOTICS

It’s time the country’s most iconic burger chain stopped serving beef and pork raised on our life-saving medicines.
TELL CONGRESS: DON’T WEAKEN THE CONSUMER BUREAU

Some proposals hidden in the budget would weaken the Consumer Bureau and remove critical consumer protections. Make your voice heard.
Tell L’Oréal: Make It Toxic-Free

Products we use on our bodies shouldn’t contain toxic ingredients that put our health at risk. Tell L’Oréal: It’s time to make toxic-free products.
JOIN THE CALL FOR CLEANER BUSES

All-electric buses are here, and they’re cleaner, healthier and often cheaper in the long run. Tell your governor to invest in clean, all-electric buses.

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