In February 2022, the U.S. National Debt surpassed $30 trillion, dwarfing the $19 trillion debt in 2016. While Republicans and Democrats will point the finger at each other for ballooning the national debt, the reality remains that wasteful spending has become entrenched in Washington, and has now left government debt higher than annual economic output […]
Issues
Statement on Reauthorizing the FCC’s Auction Authority
Earlier this month, the House Committee on Energy & Commerce Subcommittee on Communications and Technology marked up H.R. 7783, the Extending America’s Auction Leadership Act. The bill would grant the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) the ability to conduct spectrum auctions for an additional 18 months. The agency’s auction authority expires on September 30th and must […]
The Economic Standard: Congress is Considering a Federal Data Standard, What Consumers Need to Know
Throughout 2022, analysts have been closely monitoring the almost 200 data privacy bills being considered by state legislatures. Despite the significant number of bills being considered by states, only two- Connecticut and Utah– were able to enact bills into law this year. While the passage of data privacy bills in Connecticut and Utah have provided […]
ICYMI: Why Higher US Postal Service Rates Are Here to Stay
In case you missed it: President and CEO of the American Consumer Institute (ACI) Steve Pociask recently examined in the Federal Times that the recent price increases by the United States Postal Service could be in place for years to come, forcing consumers to continue to empty their wallets. Pociask notes that because of the […]
Do Food Trucks Threaten Brick and Mortar Restaurants?
Over the last 10+ years, and especially since the outbreak of Covid-19 and required outdoor dining, the pop-up restaurant phenomenon known as “food trucks” have provided Americans a new and unique alternative to traditional brick and mortar restaurants. Offering a diverse range of gourmet cuisines at convenient outdoor locations such as urban lots and beer […]
ACI Joins Letter in Support of the Middle-Class Savings and Investment Act
Today, a coalition of groups, including ACI, sent a letter to members of Congress applauding their introduction of the Middle-Class Savings and Investment Act, legislation that is pro-growth and provides a necessary tax cut without increasing debt on the American economy.You can find a copy of the coalition letter here.
ACI Files Re FCC Rulemaking to Prevent Digital Discrimination
ACI filed comments with FCC regarding requirements encompassed in section 60506 of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, with the intent of informing a forthcoming Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on preventing and eliminating digital discrimination. ACI comments are available here.
Study Links PBMs to Medicine Overpayments
Much has been written about the role Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs) play in driving up the cost of prescription brand named drugs. However, far less has been written about how PBMs current business practices lead U.S. consumers, employers, and the government to pay too much for what should be low-cost drugs. Now a new paper, […]
How to Report Unwanted Spam Texts
With spam text messages on the rise and scammers increasing utilizing them for elaborate schemes, consumers should know how to report them. Unwanted text messages have increased in recent years, but Americans don’t know there has been a simple-to-use service available to report messages. Most major carriers, including AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon, each allow consumers […]
Federal Times: Why US Postal Service Rates Keep Going Up
Consumers nationwide are struggling in new, alarming ways to manage the economic challenges of price inflation and shortages of necessary goods. Rapid increases in the cost of gasoline, groceries, and other household items have a particularly harsh impact on those with the least wiggle room in their budgets, namely everyday citizens and small businesses. While the federal […]