[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 45 (Wednesday, March 8, 2023)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 14249-14250]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-04838]


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                         Presidential Documents 
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  Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 45 / Wednesday, March 8, 2023 / 
Presidential Documents  

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 Title 3--
 The President

[[Page 14249]]

                Proclamation 10529 of March 3, 2023

                
National Consumer Protection Week, 2023

                By the President of the United States of America

                A Proclamation

                Families deserve to be protected from the fraudsters 
                and scammers who often prey on the most vulnerable 
                among us, draining real money from the pockets of hard-
                working Americans. This National Consumer Protection 
                Week, we urge every American to learn about their legal 
                rights as consumers and the resources available to 
                defend those rights. Consumer protection is critical to 
                building a healthy economy from the bottom up and 
                middle out, and it is a question of basic fairness and 
                justice.

                After a few tough years, America is in the midst of a 
                historic economic recovery--growth is up, wages are up, 
                and unemployment is at a 50-year low. Manufacturing is 
                booming, and more than 10 million Americans have 
                applied to start their own businesses--the most in any 
                2 years on record. As people finally start to feel like 
                they have a little bit of breathing room, we cannot let 
                fraud, cybercrimes, or unfair business practices 
                interrupt the progress we have made.

                My Administration is taking historic action to make 
                sure that when American consumers enter the 
                marketplace, they get fair deals from honest brokers. 
                Shortly after I took office, I signed an Executive 
                Order to promote fair competition across our economy--
                because when companies have to compete on a fair, 
                transparent playing field, it lowers prices for 
                consumers, raises wages for workers, and makes our 
                whole country more innovative and productive. The 
                Department of Justice and Federal Trade Commission 
                (FTC) have undertaken efforts to address 
                anticompetitive conduct that hurts consumers and 
                workers, including preventing further consolidation in 
                the shipping and publishing industries and proposing a 
                ban on non-compete agreements. As I have long said: 
                Capitalism without competition is not capitalism; it is 
                exploitation.

                As I said in my State of the Union Address, we are 
                cracking down on those unfair, hidden ``junk fees'' 
                like bank overdraft charges, cell phone cancellation 
                fees, or surprise ticketing costs that sneak up on 
                consumers, hiding the full price of what they are 
                buying or making it much too hard to switch to a 
                cheaper product. For example, the Federal 
                Communications Commission (FCC) finalized rules that 
                would require cable and internet providers to list fees 
                and services up front, on clear, easy-to-read labels. 
                The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) is 
                pressing banks and credit card companies to get rid of 
                surprise overdraft charges, bounced-check charges, and 
                unfair late fees. The CFPB has also proposed new rules 
                to cut excessive credit card late fees from roughly $30 
                to $8. The Department of Transportation helped convince 
                major airlines to rebook trips for free if they cancel 
                a flight and issued a notice encouraging airlines to 
                seat children next to an accompanying adult at no 
                additional cost. And the FTC has pushed electronics 
                makers to let consumers choose where to get their 
                products fixed, saving on repair costs. These things 
                matter--they add up fast, and when we act together, 
                American consumers will save billions of dollars every 
                year.

                Meanwhile, the FTC is going after student loan scams, 
                mortgage scams, price gouging, and identity theft and 
                is working with law enforcement

[[Page 14250]]

                to crack down on other predatory practices. The FCC is 
                working to stop today's scourge of illegal robocalls by 
                sharing call-blocking tools and working to reduce 
                spoofing by requiring phone companies to implement 
                caller ID authentication.

                To protect online privacy, the FTC is considering new 
                rules that would limit how much personal data companies 
                can collect from consumers and sell to third parties. 
                The CFPB is also considering a rule to give consumers 
                more control over their personal financial data, which 
                in turn gives them more freedom over where they choose 
                to put their money.

                Every American has the power to stand up for their own 
                consumer rights and to help protect their communities 
                and loved ones. We urge everyone to visit 
                consumer.ftc.gov to learn more about today's risks and 
                the resources available for fighting them and to report 
                any suspected fraud. To report issues with a consumer 
                financial product, like aggressive debt collection, 
                inaccurate credit reporting, or unfair medical billing, 
                visit consumerfinance.gov/complaint.

                NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of 
                the United States of America, by virtue of the 
                authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws 
                of the United States, do hereby proclaim March 5, 2023, 
                through March 11, 2023, as National Consumer Protection 
                Week. I call upon government officials, industry 
                leaders, and advocates across the Nation to share 
                information about consumer protection and provide our 
                citizens with information about their rights as 
                consumers.

                IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this 
                third day of March, in the year of our Lord two 
                thousand twenty-three, and of the Independence of the 
                United States of America the two hundred and forty-
                seventh.
                
                
                    (Presidential Sig.)

[FR Doc. 2023-04838
Filed 3-7-23; 8:45 am]
Billing code 3395-F3-P