UPDATE: JUNE 25: Congress Says "No" to Expanded FTC Authority

Washington, D.C.—Last month, WholeFoods reported on some pending legislation that would expand the Federal Trade Commission (FTC)’s authority. Since the writing of that article, the Senate passed its   Financial Services Reform Bill (H.R. 4173/S. 3217) without the provision that would inflate the FTC’s power. Since the House version of the bill does contain the controversial provision, a conference committee will now negotiate the bills and iron out the differences between the two.

Given the provision is still on the table, the Natural Products Association (NPA) has asked its members to tell their Congressional representatives to “to focus on strengthening the stability of our economy, not regulating industries that had nothing to do with the financial crisis,” said John Gay, NPA’s CEO and executive director. The group feels the provision would create an unfair burden on businesses.

Information about how to contact members of Congress is available at www.NPAinfo.org.

Published in WholeFoods Magazine, July 2010 (published ahead of print on May 27, 2010)