Consumer Protections
LOOKING OUT FOR WISCONSINITES
“Wisconsinites and Americans everywhere deserve a fair shake – whether they’re making a purchase, applying for a job, or trying to get access to lower-priced prescription drugs. I have consistently fought to protect and preserve consumers’ rights. From fighting mandatory arbitration clauses in contracts to pushing back when large companies try to unfairly crowd out small business, I’ll continue my efforts to level the playing field so that consumers and small business owners aren’t disadvantaged.”
- Senator Russ Feingold
Giving Small Business and Consumers a Fair Shake – If small business owners, consumers, or employees are unfairly treated by larger companies with which they have a contractual relationship– whether that be a contract of employment or one where goods and services are bought and sold – they should be able to exercise their constitutional right to use the civil justice system. However, all too often large corporations require employees, franchises, and consumers to sign contracts that include mandatory arbitration clauses that force them to give up their rights should a disagreement arise.
To address this problem, Russ has introduced the Arbitration Fairness Act. His legislation would end this practice by requiring that agreements to arbitrate employment, franchise, consumer, or civil rights disputes be made only after a disagreement has arisen. Russ’s bill doesn’t prohibit arbitration, it only stops a party with greater bargaining power from forcing consumers into relinquishing their rights. It allows the consumer instead to choose between arbitration, mediation, and the traditional civil court system. Organizations that back Russ’s bill include: the Consumers Union, the Consumer Federation of America, the National Consumer Coalition for Nursing Home Reform, the American Association for Justice, the National Employment Lawyers Association, Public Citizen, and the National Association of Consumer Advocates.
Russ was successful in getting legislation signed into law that stops this practice from occurring between automobile and truck dealer franchises and manufacturers. He has also cosponsored legislation to end this practice between nursing homes and their residents. That bill is called the Fairness in Nursing Home Arbitration Act.
Stopping Unfairness at the Pump – Russ has long supported efforts to protect consumers from getting taken for a ride by oil and gas companies. He cosponsored legislation, provisions of which were included in the most recent energy bill, which outlaws the practice of price gouging during national emergences and sets tough penalties for those who violate the law.
He has also supported the No Oil Producing and Exporting Cartels Act, known as NOPEC, that gives the government authority to sue foreign countries for fixing the price of oil.
Preventing the Next Enron – Nobody needs to be reminded of the national nightmare the energy company Enron created with its shifty accounting and market manipulation that ended up raising the price of energy for consumers, while also putting our country’s electrical grid at risk.
Russ has cosponsored the Electricity Needs Rules and Oversight Now Act (ENRON Act) that would prohibit the use of practices like those employed at Enron so that energy companies in the future are prevented from engaging in risky or manipulative trading deals that lead to soaring energy prices for all of us.
Airline Passenger Bill of Rights – In recent years we’ve seen and read about – and possibly experienced – situations where airline passengers are forced to sit on a plane for two, four, eight, ten, or more hours before departing for their destination. In these instances, passengers should at the very least be given adequate food, water, and access to restroom facilities. And if they’re stuck for three hours or more, they should be given the option to deplane and catch the next flight. Russ has cosponsored legislation titled the Airline Passenger Bill of Rights Act that would afford consumers these options and amenities should their plane be delayed for an extended period of time.
Do-Not Call List – In recent years, a Do-Not-Call Registry was created to help consumers ensure that they don’t receive unsolicited calls from telemarketers. However, that law automatically removed numbers from the registry after a few years, forcing people to re-register their number if they still did not want to receive unsolicited phone calls. Russ has sponsored the Do-Not-Call Improvement Act which prohibits the removing of numbers from the registry unless the number is invalid, disconnected, or reassigned.
Restoring Competition in Radio – Russ opposed the 1996 Telecommunications Act in part because of its massive deregulation of radio ownership rules and its impact on local radio stations and consumers. In Wisconsin and throughout the country, people turn to their local radio stations for weather updates, school closings, local news and emergency information – and if a huge conglomerate in another state owns all of the radio stations in your community, you no longer have access to possibly vital information. Feingold has authored the Competition in Radio and Concert Industries Act to help bring competition back into the industry and give consumers more choices and access to local information.
