Washington, D.C.- This week, Republican Energy and Commerce Committee Leader Cathy McMorris Rodgers and Republican Leader for the Consumer Protection and Commerce Subcommittee Gus Bilirakis released the following statement on House passage of five bills to better protect Americans from scams, fraud, and other undetectable harms.
“The Energy and Commerce Committee has historically been committed to protecting Americans, their families, and communities, in a bipartisan fashion. We continued that tradition today with the passage of these five bills. Bad actors continue to develop new tools for a malicious and deceptive purpose - to scam vulnerable Americans, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Scammers are promising everything from fake medications to stimulus checks and now false vaccine identification cards. The consequences are devastating and can extend far beyond just the immediate victim, harming family members, friends, and communities. That is why we are proud to work with our Democratic colleagues to pass these five bills, which will expand protections for millions of Americans, including a bill led by Rep. Markwayne Mullin that will help to track better scams that target Native American tribes. Other bills build on H.R. 6435, the Combating Pandemic Scams Act by Rep. Buddy Carter, enacted earlier this year by expanding protections for senior citizens, helping retail employees better identify and prevent fraudulent activity, and ensuring the safety and authenticity of consumer products. We thank our colleagues and look forward to moving these bills to the Senate and the President’s desk."
The House passed the following bills:
* FTC Collaboration Act of 2021 (H.R. 1766)
* Protecting Indian Tribes from Scams Act (H.R. 1762)
* Protecting Seniors from Emergency Scams (H.R. 446)
* Nicholas and Zachary Burt Memorial Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Prevention Act of 2021 (H.R. 1460)
* Fraud and Scam Reduction Act (H.R. 1215)
