Search:

Sign Up

To receive regular updates on our campaigns for government accountability.

Recent Reports

Aug. 7, 2012 - The Price of Inaction
June 26, 2012 - Public Safeguards Past Due
March 29, 2012 - Contract Killers
Feb. 12, 2012 - Substantially Unsafe
Oct. 5, 2011 - OSHA Inaction
More - See More Government Reform Reports

Effective Regulation: The Case for Public Protections

Federal agencies protect everything from our economy and elections to our air, water and food. Effective regulation is critical to making markets work for people and promoting health, safety and fairness.

Big businesses and their political allies are constantly fighting to block or repeal important public protections. Right now, they are mounting a concerted effort to weaken regulations that would do everything from ensure that our food is safe to prevent another economic collapse.

Public Citizen works with the Congress and federal agencies to reduce preventable harm caused by corporate malfeasance, market failures and the influence of money in politics. We also educate the public and policymakers about the need for effective public protections.

Resources on Effective Regulations

Letter: Urging OSHA to Issue Hazard Alert for Workers Exposed to Silica, June 22, 2012
Written Testimony of Robert Weissman President, Public Citizen on H.R. 4078, the Regulatory Freeze for Jobs Act of 2012, February 27, 2012
Press Release: OSHA Should Use Its Authority to Enforce Work Hours for Doctors-in-Training, November 3, 2011
Press Release: New Report Shows That OSHA Has Been Prevented From Issuing Lifesaving Rules, October 5, 2011
Press Release: Regulatory Process Is Broken, Public Citizen Tells Congress, September 14 2011
Report: Regulation: The Unsung Hero in American Innovation (PDF), September 13, 2011
Press Release: Regulations Spur Reluctant Industries to Innovate, September 13, 2011
Petition: Heat Standard Safety (PDF), September 1, 2011
Press Release: OSHA Must Adopt Standard to Protect Workers from Dangerous Heat Exposure, September 1, 2011
Press Release: White House Order on Regulations Imperils Mine Workers, August 31, 2011
Press Release: Five Worker Safety Rules Have Saved Thousands of Lives, August 15, 2011
Press Release: Teen Agricultural Workers Killed, While Administration Delays Proposed Remedy, Aug. 12, 2011
Press Release: REINS Act Is Priority for Energy Industry, Lobbying Records Show , August 11, 2011
Press Release: Sen. Coburn is Dead Wrong on Worker Safety, August 1, 2011
Report: Decoding the Bill: Electric Utility Industry Dominates Push for 'REINS' Act (PDF), August 2011
Press Release: Attack on Consumer Product Safety Legislation In House Subcommittee Hearing, July 7, 2011
Report: Regulations at Work: Five Rules that Save Workers' Lives and Protect their Health (PDF), July 2011
Press Release: Streamlining Regulatory Process Is Fine, but Administration Should Look Forward, May 26, 2011
Press Release: Another Lopsided Hearing Ignores Societal Benefits of Regulation, May 25, 2011
Press Release: Regulations Save Lives, Contribute to Job Growth, Groups Tell Lawmakers, May 16, 2011
Press Release: Committee Holds Hearing on Regulation, Report Shows Rulemakings Are Too Slow, April 14, 2011
Report: Cranes & Derricks: The Prolonged Creation of a Key Public Safety Rule (PDF), April 2011
Flowchart of the Federal Rulemaking Process (PDF), March 29, 2011
Coalition for Sensible Safeguards Fact Sheets on Dangerous Anti-Regulation Amendments to S. 493 (PDF), March 29, 2011
Industry Opposition to Sensible Safeguards After 1911 Triangle Fire Mirrors Today's Anti-Regulatory Fervor (PDF), March 23, 2011
Coalition Letter to the House Opposing the REINS Act (PDF), February 11, 2011
Fact Sheet: REINS Act (H.R. 10), February 4, 2011
Press Release: Obama’s New Approach to Regulation Is Misguided; We Need Stronger Controls Over Big Business, January 18, 2011
Letter to Chair of House Oversight Committee on Corporate Influence on Regulatory Agenda (PDF), January 5, 2011
Corporate Junk Economics Comes to Capitol Hill, January 4, 2011

Drug, Device and Supplement Safety

Environmental protection and energy independence

Ensuring Safe Consumer Products

Letter Praising CPSC for its Decision to Implement a Consumer Product Safety Information Database (PDF), November 24, 2010
Fact Sheet About the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (PDF), March 2009

Fair Elections and Campaign Finance Enforcement

Watchdogs to FEC: American Future Fund Appears to Be Violating Campaign Finance Law, October 20, 2010
FEC Should Investigate Crossroads GPS for Campaign Finance Law Violations, October 13, 2010
Regulatory Comments: The Rules after Citizens United v. FEC (PDF), February 24, 2010
FEC Allows Corporate Gift-giving to Senate Candidates, Flouts Federal Election Law, November 20, 2009
Lessons from EMILY's List: Defending the Nation's Campaign Finance Laws Requires Fixing the Agency That Is Supposed to Be in Charge, November 2, 2009
Open Letter to President Obama: Fix the FEC Deadlock (PDF), April 30, 2009

Worker Health and Safety

Copyright © 2012 Public Citizen. All rights reserved. This Web site is shared by Public Citizen Inc. and Public Citizen Foundation.
Learn More about the distinction between these two components of Public Citizen.

Public Citizen, Inc. and Public Citizen Foundation

Together, two separate corporate entities called Public Citizen, Inc. and Public Citizen Foundation, Inc., form Public Citizen. Both entities are part of the same overall organization, and this Web site refers to the two organizations collectively as Public Citizen.

Although the work of the two components overlaps, some activities are done by one component and not the other. The primary distinction is with respect to lobbying activity. Public Citizen, Inc., an IRS § 501(c)(4) entity, lobbies Congress to advance Public Citizen’s mission of protecting public health and safety, advancing government transparency, and urging corporate accountability. Public Citizen Foundation, however, is an IRS § 501(c)(3) organization. Accordingly, its ability to engage in lobbying is limited by federal law, but it may receive donations that are tax-deductible by the contributor. Public Citizen Inc. does most of the lobbying activity discussed on the Public Citizen Web site. Public Citizen Foundation performs most of the litigation and education activities discussed on the Web site.

You may make a contribution to Public Citizen, Inc., Public Citizen Foundation, or both. Contributions to both organizations are used to support our public interest work. However, each Public Citizen component will use only the funds contributed directly to it to carry out the activities it conducts as part of Public Citizen’s mission. Only gifts to the Foundation are tax-deductible. Individuals who want to join Public Citizen should make a contribution to Public Citizen, Inc., which will not be tax deductible.

To become a member of Public Citizen, click here.
To become a member and make an additional tax-deductible donation to Public Citizen Foundation, click here.