Published: October 2017

Do not let government agencies weaken consumer protections

Advocates joined together in urging Congress to oppose H.R. 469 the “Delaying Public Protections Act," which moves to end consent decrees and settlements that force federal agencies like the Environmental Protection Agency to comply with the law and protect public health and clean air and water. The directive is aimed at limiting people, communities, and organizations from taking the government agencies to court when they're not complying with the law or fail to enact or enforce regulations on the books.

Consumer Action joined advocates in writing Congress to oppose H.R. 469 the “Delaying Public Protections Act.” The bill would force parties into protracted litigation, even when a federal government agency openly acknowledges that it has broken the law. The bill would impede the rights of the public by undermining various consumer protection, anti-discrimination, environmental, and public health cases currently before our federal courts. Currently, when a member of the public files a claim against the government for not complying with some clear legal requirement, the government is able engage in settlement discussions with the party that brought the suit and take responsibility for its unlawful conduct by agreeing to take the action already required by law by a certain date.

Lead Organization

Earthjustice

Other Organizations

AFL-CIO | AFSCME | Alaska Wilderness League | Alliance for Justice | Altamaha Riverkeeper | American Association for Justice | American Rivers | Anacostia Riverkeeper | Atchafalaya Basinkeeper | Bayou City Waterkeeper | Black Warrior Riverkeeper | Blue Water Baltimore | Boulder Creek, A Waterkeeper Alliance Affiliate | California Coastkeeper Alliance | Center for Biological Diversity | Center for Justice & Democracy | Center for Science in the Public Interest | Center for Science in the Public Interest | Chattahoochee Riverkeeper | Clean Water Action | Consumer Action | Consumer Federation of America| AFL-CIO | AFSCME | Alaska Wilderness League | Alliance for Justice | Altamaha Riverkeeper | American Association for Justice | American Rivers | Anacostia Riverkeeper | Atchafalaya Basinkeeper | Bayou City Waterkeeper | Black Warrior Riverkeeper | Blue Water Baltimore | Boulder Creek, A Waterkeeper Alliance Affiliate | California Coastkeeper Alliance | Center for Biological Diversity | Center for Justice & Democracy | Center for Science in the Public Interest | Center for Science in the Public Interest | Chattahoochee Riverkeeper | Clean Water Action | Harpeth Conservancy | Hip Hop Caucus | Humboldt Baykeeper | Hurricane Creekkeeper | Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy | Iowa Environmental Council | League of Conservation Voters | Lower Mississippi River Foundation | Lower Susquehanna Riverkeeper Association | Matanzas Rivekeeper | Milwaukee Riverkeeper | Mobile Baykeeper | National Association of Consumer Advocates | National Consumer Law Center | National Consumers League | National Employment Law Project | National Parks Conservation Association | Natural Resources Defense Council | North Sound Baykeeper | NY/NJ Baykeeper | Oceana | People For the American Way | Potomac Riverkeeper Network | Prairie Rivers Network | Progressive Congress Action Fund | Public Citizen | Quad Cities Waterkeeper Inc. | Riverkeeper, Inc. | San Luis Obispo Coastkeeper | Save EPA | Save EPA Ann Arbor | Sierra Club | Southern Environmental Law Center | State Innovation Exchange (SIX) | Suncoast Waterkeeper | Tennessee Clean Water Network | Tennessee Riverkeeper | Texas Watch | The Impact Fund | The Wilderness Society | Tualatin Riverkeepers | U.S. PIRG | Waterkeeper Alliance | White Oak-New Riverkeeper Alliance | WildEarth Guardians

More Information

For more information, please visit Earthjustice's website.

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Do not let government agencies weaken consumer protections   (Please_Oppose_H.R._469_Group_Letter.pdf)