WASHINGTON — The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and other federal agencies aren’t doing enough to protect American consumers from price gougers and scam artists who are profiting off the pandemic, several senators said at a hearing Tuesday.
“There is a glaring lack of enforcement at the federal level,” said Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), chair of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Subcommittee on Consumer Protection, Product Safety, and Data Security. “The federal government, including the Federal Trade Commission and the Department of Justice, have few legal tools to hold price gougers accountable.”
Blumenthal told the story of a constituent, Julius Hull, who said that after waiting in vain to get a COVID test at two different walk-in clinics, he and his son “were told the only tests left were rapid tests available to purchase for $60,” an “unconscionable” outcome.
“I am deeply frustrated and disappointed that federal enforcers have failed to do more,” he added. “And a large part of the problem is almost certainly lack of sufficient authority and that’s why I will be proposing a measure that will fill that gap …We need to impose steep financial penalties and absolutely bring criminal charges.”
Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), the committee’s ranking member, agreed, adding that “it’s absolutely essential that the federal government work with our state…
