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
Today, Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky, a Chief Deputy Whip and original cosponsor of the HOT CARS Act, released the following statement marking National Heatstroke Prevention Day:
“So far in 2018, twenty-nine young lives have been lost to heatstroke inside vehicles. That’s nearly one life lost every week. We cannot allow this quiet epidemic to continue, especially as these tragedies are preventable. By marking National Heatstroke Prevention Day, I hope we can raise awareness, and encourage Americans to stay vigilant by ‘looking before they lock’ as this blisteringly hot summer goes on.
Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky, a member of the Quiet Skies Caucus, released the following statement following her vote in favor of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Reauthorization Act:
“This vote was a step forward for residents around O’Hare Airport who are deal with airplane noise every day. The FAA bill includes an amendment that I cosponsored to improve measurement of airport noise and better address resident noise concerns. It also requires studies on the impacts of airport noise and strategies on noise mitigation.
Rep. Schakowsky's questioning of Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg during the Energy and Commerce Committee's hearing on Facebook's misuse of personal data.
Today, Digital Commerce and Consumer Protection (DCCP) Ranking Member Rep. Jan Schakowsky (IL) and Energy and Commerce Committee Ranking Member Rep. Frank Pallone (NJ) led the eight Democratic members of the DCCP subcommittee on a letter to Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Commissioner Terrell McSweeny and Acting Chairman Maureen Ohlhausen regarding the FTC’s investigation into whether Facebook failed to adequately protect the privacy of consumers.
Today, Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky, a Chief Deputy Whip and Ranking Member of the Digital Commerce and Consumer Protection subcommittee, released the following statement in response to the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals’ decision in FTC v. AT&T Mobility LLC, which rejected AT&T’s attempt to avoid consumer protections:
Today, Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky, a Chief Deputy Whip and Ranking Member of the House Subcommittee on Digital Commerce and Consumer Protection, and Congressman Ben Ray Lujan, member of the Subcommittee, sent a letter to the Chairman and Ranking Member of the Senate Subcommittee on Consumer Protection, Product Safety, Insurance, and Data Security regarding Uber’s concealment of its 2016 data breach from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) as it negotiated a consent agreement with the FTC for an earlier breach.
Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky, a Chief Deputy Whip and Ranking Member of the Energy and Commerce Committee’s Digital Commerce and Consumer Protection Subcommittee, issued the following statement after the Federal Communications Commission voted on partisan lines to dismantle net neutrality:
“FCC Chairman Ajit Pai’s attack on net neutrality cedes control of the Internet to powerful broadband providers at the expense of small businesses and consumers. It fits right in line with the Republican agenda to favor the wealthiest corporations while eliminating protections for the rest of us.
Today, Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky, Ranking Member of the Digital Commerce and Consumer Protection Subcommittee of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, sent a letter to Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Ajit Pai requesting Thursday’s scheduled vote to undo net neutrality protections be delayed. She specifically refuted Chairman Pai’s statements that the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) could step in to protect net neutrality if the FCC vote goes through. Her letter explains,
“Unlike the FCC, which is able to create rules of the road for broadband providers, the FTC’s hands are tied when it comes to rulemaking.”
Today, during a hearing in the Digital Commerce and Consumer Protection (DCCP) subcommittee titled "Algorithms: How Companies’ Decisions About Data and Content Impact Consumers," Rep. Jan Schakowsky delivered remarks in support of net neutrality and the Open Internet Order. A video of her remarks can be found below: