Consumer Protection Committee National Association of Attorneys General

Under current budget rules, these savings cannot be used to offset new tax cuts or spending and cannot be part of a reconciliation bill, but they can be used to improve Social Security solvency and to reduce projected deficits (which assume full benefit payments continue beyond trust fund exhaustion). Over the same period, dedicated payroll tax and other revenue sources are projected to be $2.6 trillion short of costs, exhausting the old-age trust fund by 2033, according to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO). On a combined basis, the Social Security Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance (OASDI) trust fund is projected to spend $21 trillion over the next decade, with outlays rising to 6 percent of GDP by 2035.

Investment in and adoption of artificial intelligence may be contributing to the high productivity growth rates that the U.S. economy saw in 2Q25 and 3Q25. Increasing the recency of work requirements from five of the last ten years to four of the last six years for the Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits would save $70 billion over a decade. Immediately adopting a flat benefit at 150 percent over the poverty level would save $400 billion over a decade and close 115 percent of the solvency gap, while setting the benefits at 125 percent of poverty would save $820 billion and close 150 percent of the solvency gap. Policymakers could go even further in increasing Social Security's progressivity by gradually replacing the current formula with a flat benefit – thus lowering benefits for higher earners while increasing benefits for lower earners. With trust fund exhaustion looming, policymakers should consider CBO’s options to avoid cuts to benefits, improve the nation's economic and fiscal outlook, and preserve the program for future generations.

In 2025, the FTC received 3 million fraud reports from consumers, who reported $15.9 billion in losses—a substantial increase from the previous year when consumers submitted 2.6 million fraud reports and reported fraud losses of over $12 billion, according to the testimony. The FTC issues numerous consumer blogs, alerts, videos, social media posts, webinars, and more to alert consumers to emerging fraud trends. The FTC receives those reports via its Consumer Sentinel Network, which collects reports directly from consumers and from data contributors. Our Social Security Reformer tool gives users many more options and iterations, including changes to the payroll tax rate and how average wages are calculated and used to compute benefits. CBO's recently published Options for Reducing the Deficit, including 11 policies that could meaningfully reduce the cost of or increase revenue collection for the Social Security program, improving the solvency of the Social Security trust funds.

Preliminary monthly data suggests growth continues to be driven by strong private final domestic demand. Owing to the government shutdown last autumn and subsequent delays in the reporting of source data, estimates for GDP in the latter half of 2025 were delayed. Overall, the U.S. economy appears Consumer committee to be entering the new year on a firm footing. Monthly core goods prices were flat on average, and inflation for rent of housing slowed further.

Committees Provide Scientific, Medical Advice

The main reasons for these fee increases are operational and staffing expenses, including costs related to LATC's business modernization efforts to update IT platforms to make it easier for candidates to apply for an exam and for licensees to apply and renew. The bill also prohibits discrimination against consumers on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex (including on the basis of pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), marital status, or age. The preliminary Opinions in this section have been developed by the SCCS on the basis of specific sets of data (dossiers) submitted by specific applicants (for example, industry, Member State authorities, etc.) to satisfy specific regulatory requirements.

• The Federal Trade Commission testified today before the Joint Economic Committee about the agency’s ongoing work to combat fraud and protect consumers from scammers and other bad actors.
• Bringing together policymakers, businesses, and civil society representatives, the discussion focused on how to make the EU market stronger, fairer, and more competitive while delivering practical benefits for citizens and companies.
• 40 attorneys general urge continued funding for Legal Services Corporation, citing nationwide legal aid services, impact data, and access to…
• The Higher Education Opportunity Act requires universities participating in federal student aid programs to make certain information readily available to consumers and employees.

The committees review and evaluate data about the safety, effectiveness, and appropriate use of products that are intended for use in the prevention, treatment, mitigation, or diagnosis of human diseases and conditions – and any other products the FDA regulates. As the House considers whether to move forward on a new reconciliation package, there is talk of using reconciliation to significantly reduce government waste, fraud, errors, and abuse (WFEA) – as we… For a million-dollar mortgage, the same change in rates would increase monthly payments by $350 and lifetime costs by nearly $130,000. As an example, a 55 basis point increase in mortgage rates would increase monthly payments on a $500, year mortgage by almost $200 and would increase the lifetime cost of the mortgage by $64,000. If interest rates remain 55 basis points above projections, net interest costs per household would exceed $11,000 by FY 2030 and $17,000 by 2036.

Since high energy prices can lead to inflation for other consumer goods and services – such as food (through fertilizer and fuel for farming equipment) and airfares – they increase uncertainty for the outlook. Current data on labor supply and labor demand suggest both softened similarly in 2025, leading to soft hiring without a sharp rise in unemployment. According to The Wall Street Journal’s quarterly survey of economists, the average probability of a recession in the next twelve months was just 27%, down from a 33% average probability in the October survey and the lowest probability since January 2025.

The LATC is self-funded by licensing fees and has been diligent to decrease operational and staffing expenses; however, costs imposed that are outside of our control have made it impossible to keep the budget in balance. CFI monitors, chronicles, and analyzes news and legal issues impacting the consumer finance industry. The bill also protects consumer privacy by imposing upon earned wage access providers the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act’s privacy standards, which are already applicable to banks and other financial institutions. For example, it would grant consumers service cancellation rights and would require providers to reimburse consumers’ overdraft and NSF fees in certain situations. The extent consumers choose to incur fees for optional services or to pay voluntary tips, providers would be required to provide transaction-specific disclosures and ongoing tabulations. The bill also requires providers that offer EWA services for a fee to also offer consumers the option to obtain the same amount of earned wages at no cost to the consumer, along a clear and conspicuous description of how to obtain the no-cost services.