It’s a good thing for American consumers that Pres. Barack
Obama was reelected Tuesday.
Although the Obama administration doesn’t always do what it
could or should for consumers, such as in the regulation of toxic chemicals and
prescription drugs, what it is willing to do beats the Republican agenda
substantially. For example, repealing the Affordable Health Care Act, slashing
financial consumer protections, and voucherizing Medicare aren’t in the best
interest of the nation’s families.
Other positive election results
The election of Elizabeth Warren to the U.S. Senate. I’ll
never forget when Warren was passed over to head the U.S. Consumer Financial
Protection Bureau because Republicans said they wouldn’t confirm her appointment.
A friend said Republicans might have made a mistake because she could run for
Congress in Massachusetts and win. He was right.
Warren envisioned the bureau and was its acting director. As
a consumer champion, she will fight against the big banks and Wall Street and
work to strengthen Dodd-Frank and other financial reform legislation.
Retaining a Democratically controlled Senate. The League of
Conservation Voters is among the organizations that worked on this effort.
California tax increase to ease state budget woes.
California voters approved Proposition 30, which raises more than $6 billion in
annual tax increases for education, parks, and disability and other programs.
Election disappointments
Genetically engineered food labeling. In California,
Proposition 37, which would have required the labeling of genetically
engineered food, was voted down. Opponents of the measure spent about $45
million to defeat it.
Renewable energy. Proposition 3, a measure that would have
increased Michigan’s renewable electricity target to require that 25 percent of
power come from clean sources by 2025, was defeated.
Challenges ahead
While there are many challenges facing the country, here are
some important ones for consumers:
Reform of the Federal Toxic Substances Control Act. Although
a Senate committee passed a bill earlier this year, action on reforming the
regulation of toxic chemicals has stalled. See a statement by the Environmental
Working Group for information on this legislation.
Increasing the effectiveness of programs to help prevent
mortgage foreclosure. While a number of programs are in place, more needs to be
done to help millions of consumers facing foreclosure. See the National
Foundation for Credit Counseling’s Homeowner Crisis Resource Center webpage for
resources on avoiding foreclosure.
Jobs and the economy. While Wall Street and the auto
industry got their bailout, I think more needs to be done to help Main Street.
Also, President Obama needs to address poverty and create and strengthen
programs to help lift people out of poverty.
Climate change and environmental issues. Hurricane Sandy
shows communities need to be protected from extreme weather disasters, droughts,
heat waves, and other dangerous consequences of global warming. See a statement
by the Environmental Defense Fund on this issue.
