With cases on the rise, Congress should pass the Medical Supply Transparency and Delivery Act, which would establish a system for distributing critical medical supplies to impacted areas.
With cases on the rise, Congress should pass the Medical Supply Transparency and Delivery Act, which would establish a system for distributing critical medical supplies to impacted areas.
Public Health
Responding to the COVID crisis
In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, now more than ever, we need to work together to ensure that our government has a coordinated, strategic response to safeguard the public’s health, protect consumers from emerging dangers and ensure people can still participate fully in our democracy.
Public Health
EPA fails to regulate drinking water contaminant
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has announced that it is rolling back regulations of perchlorate, a harmful chemical found in rocket fuel. Perchlorate is linked to thyroid damage and can impact the health of newborns and children.
Democracy
States should start preparing for November voting now
You shouldn't have to choose between casting your ballot and risking your health. U.S. PIRG is calling on states to start preparing for the November election now by expanding their vote-by-mail options, and by planning for sanitized and socially distant polling places.
Consumer Protection
PIRG joins litigation challenging the CFPB's Taskforce on Federal Consumer Financial Law
Created to "harmonize and modernize federal consumer financial laws," the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's task force has failed to provide adequate transparency, and is comprised of industry-aligned members to the exclusion of consumer advocates.
We can't do it without you.
U.S. PIRG is your advocate for the public interest, speaking out for healthier, safer, more secure lives for all of us.
News & Research
Blog Post
As states reopen across the country and Americans begin traveling again, it's important to know which precautions airlines are taking to keep passengers safe.
News Release | U.S. PIRG Education Fundn
Proprietary medical device repair harms hospitals, could threaten patients, during COVID-19 pandemic
The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic is putting incredible stress on the U.S. medical system, including the equipment that is essential to diagnose and treat patients, such as ventilators. As that equipment is pressed into round-the-clock use, biomedical repair technicians face increasing pressure to maintain and repair all that equipment. However, in too many cases, manufacturers limit access to the essential tools and information these repair experts need. A new report by the U.S. PIRG Education Fund, Hospital Repair Restrictions, details the challenges that medical professionals face as a result of device manufacturers setting up barriers to repair, and outlines steps to take to help hospitals.
Report | U.S. PIRG Education Fund
Our report on how manufacturers restrict repair for devices in hospitals, and how that impacts patient care. The report includes a survey of 222 medical device repair professionals, which highlights how widespread these issues are in hospitals, even during the pandemic.
News Release | U.S. PIRG
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) finalized a rule Tuesday that guts critical payday lending protections. These protections, including the requirement that lenders check if a customer can repay the high interest rates of payday loans before borrowing, were set to go into effect last year. But the Bureau’s new leadership delayed implementation of the protections and pursued rollbacks of their core provisions.
Blog Post
Many plans for building new highways are absurd. But do we miss something important by limiting our conversation about “highway boondoggles” to new highway capacity?
RESOURCE
Coronavirus update
In the midst of the coronavirus outbreak, we’ve taken steps for all of our staff to work remotely for safety reasons. But rest assured, we’ll keep advocating for you as we work for a healthier, safer world.
Learn more about how we can work together to address the COVID-19 pandemic.