Congressman Gus Bilirakis, Chairman of the Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade, led a hearing titled Legislative Proposals to Strengthen Consumer Protection in a Changing Marketplace on July 22 in Washington, D.C. The hearing focused on legislative efforts to equip federal agencies with tools to protect American consumers.
“For decades, the FTC has served as our nation’s primary consumer protection agency. Since its creation in 1914, the FTC has worked to combat unfair and deceptive practices and promote competition without unduly burdening legitimate business activity,” said Bilirakis. “Today’s proposals represent Congress’s continued effort to keep the FTC and CPSC equipped to protect American consumers.”
During the hearing, Congressman Randy Weber thanked AMERIPEN and other organizations for supporting the PACK Act. “Finally, I would like to thank AMERIPEN and the larger coalition of food manufacturers, packaging associations, and consumer advocacy organizations for their continued support of the PACK Act and its goal to create a consistent and voluntary federal framework for environmental claims on various products. Suffice it to say, we might be able to actually package a better life for our kids and our grandkids and a safer future for them.”
Congresswoman Erin Houchin addressed fraud losses: “The FTC estimates that once underreporting is accounted for, Americans have lost roughly $196 billion to fraud in 2024 alone. And the problem is not that nobody is working on this at the federal level. The problem is that everyone is working on a different piece of it. There’s no single agency that is seeing the whole picture. Our bill [the Strategic Task Force on Scam Prevention Act] directs the FTC, in conjunction with the Department of Justice, to convene an interagency task force to develop a national strategy to address these scams; one that puts consumer complaint databases to work, invests in public education, coordinates with industry, sharpens enforcement, and works with our international partners.”
Congressman Tom Kean raised concerns about foreign propaganda influencing Americans through media formats. Mr. Castro responded: “I think right now you have, of course, advertisements across all sorts of different platforms, and consumers benefit when they know who it is that’s actually speaking to them. Transparency in this information is critical so that they can be informed consumers and understand what information they’re receiving and whether or not it’s trustworthy.”
The House Energy and Commerce Committee focuses on legislation concerning energy policy innovation—including broadband deployment—environmental protection measures such as pharmaceutical pricing reforms—and telecommunications issues; it stands as one of Congress’s oldest standing committees tracing its origins back to 1795, as reported by the official website.