Consumer Protection
My political career began as a consumer advocate when I led the successful campaign in 1969 to put freshness dates on products sold in the supermarket. I am a member of the Energy and Commerce Committee, where I serve as the Chairwoman of the Consumer Protection subcommittee. On the Committee, I have continued my efforts to protect consumers from unfair business practices, unsafe products, insurance abuses, and harmful chemicals in products, and to improve the safety of children's products, vehicles, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals.
Legislation I've Introduced
Safe Cosmetics Act – The Safe Cosmetics Act would phase out the use of dangerous chemicals, including carcinogens and reproductive toxins, from use in personal care products. Visit Cosmetic Safety for more information.
More on Consumer Protection
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky, Chair of the Consumer Protection and Commerce Subcommittee, and Senator Richard Blumenthal, Ranking Member of the Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Manufacturing, Trade, and Consumer Protection, subcommittees with oversight over the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), urged that action be taken to protect consumers turning to Google for answers concerning their Economic Impact Payments from the IRS, following the release of a report from the Tech Transparency Project.
"Any diversion of resources to advance the President's political agenda would erode the independence of the FTC, sabotage future antitrust and privacy cases against Big Tech, and harm the American people as fraudulent activity would go unchecked."
EVANSTON, IL – Today, Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky (IL-09), a Senior Chief Deputy Whip and Chair of the Consumer Protection and Commerce Subcommittee of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, is introducing the COVID Justice and Accountability Act to ensure everyone has a private right of action for a violation of COVID-19 federal laws. Schakowsky is joined by Congressmen Mark Takano (CA-41) and Jesús "Chuy" García(IL-04).
WASHINGTON, DC - Today, Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky (IL-09), a Senior Chief Deputy Whip and Chair of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce Consumer Protection and Commerce Subcommittee, and Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), Vice Chair of the House Committee on Oversight and Reform Subcommittee on Economic and Consumer Policy, released a statement after Johnson & Johnson announced they would permanently discontinue talc-based Johnson's Baby Powder in the U.S. and Canada after facing thousands of lawsuits from patients who developed cancer after use.
WASHINGTON, DC – As tech companies and public health agencies deploy contact tracing apps and digital monitoring tools to fight the spread of COVID-19, U.S. Representatives Anna G. Eshoo (D-CA), Jan Schakowsky (D-IL), and Tony Cardenas (D-CA), G.K. Butterfield (D-NC), and Yvette D. Clarke (D-NY) along with U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Mark Warner (D-VA), introduced the Public Health Emergency Privacy Act to set strong and enforceable privacy and data security rights for health information.
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky (IL-09), a Senior Chief Deputy Whip and Energy & Commerce Consumer Protection and Commerce Subcommittee Chair, Congressman Tony Cardenas (CA-29) Vice Chair of Consumer Protection and Commerce Subcommittee, and Senator Richard Blumenthal (CT), Ranking Member of the Commerce Manufacturing, Trade and Consumer Protection Subcommittee sent letters to both Facebook and Craigslist to protect Americans from the sale of products that have been deemed unsafe and deadly to infants.
EVANSTON, IL –With the widespread reports of serious outbreaks of COVID-19 in poultry and meat plants nationwide, Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky, a Senior Chief Deputy Whip and Chair of the Consumer Protection and Commerce Subcommittee, joined Congressmen Mark Pocan (D-WI) and David Price (D-NC) in sending the following letter to President Donald Trump, Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue, Labor Secretary Eugene Scalia, and Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar demanding they protect workers in these plants with real workplace standards.
Washington, D.C. – Today, House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Consumer Protection and Commerce Chair Jan Schakowsky (D-IL), Judiciary Subcommittee on Antitrust, Commercial and Administrative Law Chairman David N. Cicilline (D-RI), Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) and Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) introduced the COVID-19 Price Gouging Prevention Act to protect American consumers from price gouging during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Andrew Love from Specialized Bicycles demonstrates, with the help of Congressman Ben Ray Lujan, how ineffective a knock-off helmet of one of Specialized's products would be. Congressman Lujan shared he had recently had a tumble while mountain biking and his helmet did protect him.
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky, a Senior Chief Deputy Whip and Chair of the Consumer Protection and Commerce Subcommittee of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, issued the following statement:
"I am deeply disappointed, though not surprised, that once again the Trump White House has chosen to put corporate power and politics over people by nominating Dr. Nancy Beck to chair the Consumer Product Safety Commission.