Public Citizen | Congress Watch

Congress Watch champions consumer interests before the U.S. Congress. We seek to preserve citizen access to the courts to redress corporate harm and negligence. We also work to ensure that Congress represents citizens by exposing the harmful impact of money in politics and fighting for an improved democracy.

Put Voters First at the 2008 Conventions
Corporations and lobbyists are buying undo influence at the 2008 national party conventions, donating millions to convention host committees and gaining privileged access to our elected officials in return. It’s time to put voters first!

When courageous people risk their careers to bring about a more honest and accountable government, they should be protected. We are closer than ever to extending protection to brave government employees. Both the House and the Senate have passed bills to protect the rights of government whistleblowers. Now, these two bills need to be reconciled and passed into law. The bill must not be weakened in the process! Get the latest news and take action!

As it stands now, it takes weeks for the public to obtain the Senate’s “analog” paper campaign disclosure forms. This means that in the final, critical weeks of a campaign, well-heeled donors can anonymously provide funding for last minute negative attack ads for candidates. This is unfair to voters and taxpayers who support a cumbersome system. Take action!

Yesterday Congress finally passed strong product safety reform that would overhaul the Consumer Product Safety Commission after months of negotiations and advocacy by Public Citizen and allies. This landmark reform will make consumer products safer by requiring that toys and infant products be tested before they are sold, banning lead and phthalates in toys, and creating a public database of products reported to be hazardous. Now President Bush must waste no time signing these protections into law! READ the release and learn more at toyingwithsafety.org.

Over the past seven years, the Bush administration has abused the state secrets privilege by going to extremes to keep the administration's work in the shadows. Lawmakers must protect Americans' right to an open and accountable government and curb government corruption by supporting the State Secrets Protection Act of 2008. Read the press release and our letter of support for the the State Secrets Protection Act of 2008.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has painted a grossly inaccurate picture of the empirical evidence on binding mandatory arbitration, a comprehensive study issued today by Public Citizen reveals. In this type of arbitration, consumers lose their right to settle disputes in court and instead are routed to a private, secretive system that favors the company. Learn more here.

Despite industry promises to solve the problems that made 2007 the "year of the recall," the number of recalls of toys and children's products is up 22% over the first half of last year. Public Citizen and five other leading consumer groups released a report detailing the reforms needed to ensure consumers' safety. Go to toyingwithsafety.org to get the report and the latest on toy and product safety. Key reforms are being decided now in Congress - contact Congress today!

More than half a million people live in the capital of the United States without voting representation in Congress. Without senators of their own to call, citizens in the District of Columbia need our support to win their voting rights. Last week, over forty organizations signed a letter to Senator Reid, urging him to move the DC Voting Rights Act (S. 1257) before the elections in November. Read the letter here then take action now!

Voters First Pledge 2008
Congressional candidates should sign the Voters First Pledge to make elections fair by creating an alternative to the money chase in congressional elections. You can learn more about the pledge and take action today!

We helped improve the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), the first legislative update in more than a decade. But new legislation would go even further to ensure that exemptions to the law cannot be passed without notice and public debate. Read our group letter in support of the OPEN FOIA Act. Also, get the latest updates on the Watchdog Blog.

U.S. Senators Barack Obama (D-IL) and Tom Coburn (R-OK) have introduced the Strengthening Transparency and Accountability in Federal Spending Act of 2008, which would expand the information available on USASpending.gov and make the data more accessible and readable. Read the summary of the bill and our letter of support.

We trust nursing homes to make sure our loved ones are in a safe environment, but many elderly residents are neglected. Instead of focusing on providing the best care to their residents, nursing homes are busy immunizing themselves from accountability by inserting binding mandatory arbitration clauses into the fine print of their admission papers. Take action!

The National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) lost their attempt to overturn the part of last year's landmark lobbying reform law which requires it to reveal who funds the goliath business lobbying organization. Public Citizen and other reform groups issued an amicus brief explaining how the disclosure requirement is constitutional, and should be kept intact. U.S. District Judge Kollar-Kotelly agreed with us. Consumers should know who's behind NAM's lobbying to weaken toy and product safety improvements being considered by Congress now.

Court cases can reveal dangerous activities and deadly products that corporations otherwise try to keep secret, but sometimes the public never learns these facts. Sen. Herb Kohl's (D-Wisc.) Sunshine in Litigation Act will help ensure that judges consider the public's health and safety when deciding whether to keep court procedings secret. Tell your senators to support the public's right to know. In addition, Public Citizen and 33 other groups urged the White House to let the public review and comment the rules governing the designation of Sensitive But Unclassified (or Controlled Unclassified Information -- CUI).

More than ever, our elections are about which candidate can raise the most money from corporate interests. Under this flawed arrangement, candidates find themselves beholden to special interests, and those without access to wealthy donors cannot afford to run for public office. It's time to change the system. It's time to bring full public financing to our elections. You can help reform the system by supporting the Fair Elections Now Act.

Presidential Records Act

In 2001, Bush signed Executive Order 13233 which allows presidents to withhold documents and records without explanation INDEFINITELY. What’s more, the order extends the authority to control the records to presidential family members and vice presidents. Public Citizen took it to court and won a partial victory. Now Congress must pass the Presidential Records Act Amendments to fully nullify the Bush Order and return the presidential records to the people. Get the latest updates on our Watchdog Blog. Take action!

Lobbyists Playing Bigger Role in Presidential Fundraising

The number of lobbyists raising money for the 2008 presidential candidates already has eclipsed the total for the entire 2004 campaign. A new Public Citizen study shows that so far, candidates still in the race have recruited 142 federal lobbyists to raise money for their campaigns, compared to 136 lobbyist fundraisers in 2004. It underscores the need to update the presidential public financing system so that presidential candidates wont rely on influence peddlers to fuel their campaigns.