Protecting Democracy [1]

American democracy is in jeopardy, from the disastrous Citizens United ruling that flooded our politics with corporate cash to the immoral assault on voting rights and the corporate authoritarian in the White House. We work every day to defend against these threats and advance bold reforms.

Overturn Citizens United

Take Action Now

New Hampshire Is 20th State to Call for Overturning Citizens United

House Passes Historic Democracy Reform and Corruption Overhaul Legislation
Making Government Work [2]

The U.S. government should work for the public, not corporations or industry. It should safeguard consumers, workers and the environment, and be funded well enough to do so. The budget process must not be obstructed by partisanship.

Lost Safeguards: Popular Public Protections Repealed in the Trump Era

Stronger Summertime Safeguards Are Needed
Consumer & Worker Safeguards [3]

Every day, big banks, big polluters and big tech companies are threatening our economy, our environment and our democracy – sacrificing Main Street Americans and our families on the altar of corporate profits. Public Citizen advocates for ordinary people by taking on corporate interests and their cronies in government.

Act Now to Avoid Another Financial Crash

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Forced Arbitration Clauses Are Everywhere

CPSC Should Be Allowed to Name Deadly Products Without the Corporate Maker’s Permission
Safe & Affordable Drugs & Devices [4]

Prescription drugs are unaffordable and new drugs and devices often are approved without being proven safe and effective. Public Citizen challenges Big Pharma, device manufacturers and federal regulators to make drugs and medical devices safe, effective and accessible to all.

Fight Pharma Greed

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Health Care [5]

Health care in the U.S. leaves too many people out, costs too much and doesn’t meet acceptable standards of quality. Much of the care that we get is unaffordable, unnecessary or harmful. Public Citizen advocates Medicare for All, stronger oversight of dangerous doctors and safe clinical trials.

Help Win Medicare for All

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The Case for Medicare-for-All

Crossing the Line: Sexual Misconduct by Nurses Reported to the National Practitioner Data Bank
Globalization & Trade [6]

Global Trade Watch’s mission is to ensure that in this era of globalization, a majority have the opportunity to enjoy economic security, a clean environment, safe food, medicines and products, access to quality affordable services such as health care and the exercise of democratic decision-making about the matters that affect our lives. Global Trade Watch has led the fight against corporate-rigged “trade” agreements that provide special powers for Big Pharma to raise medicine prices, promote the outsourcing of jobs to low-wage countries and undermine the food safety and other safeguards on which our families rely. For decades, we have fought for progressive alternatives that benefit people and the planet.

Call Congress: No Vote on NAFTA 2.0 Until It’s Fixed!
Climate & Energy [7]

The climate crisis is the challenge of our time. We can fix it with solutions that will make us healthier and more economically secure. We must act quickly to make our economy run on renewable power—and ensure that disadvantaged families and displaced workers share equitably in the new economy. We also must fight the corrupting power of fossil fuel companies and ensure that energy regulators are effective and publicly accountable.

Tell TV Networks to Call Climate Change a Crisis

Sign the Petition

The Amazon Fires Get the Full Climate Treatment by the Media

NRC Denies Public Citizen’s Application to Intervene in Nuclear Case
Justice & the Courts [8]

Litigation can remedy or deter wrongdoing, impact policy and meaningfully slow abuses of power. Whether suing on behalf of our members to ensure the honest functioning of government, or representing individual consumers seeking redress in court, our litigation draws on our expertise in administrative law, constitutional law, and government transparency.

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Exposing unproven or unnecessary treatments and procedures

What you should know

Unproven or unnecessary medical treatments and procedures not only can fail to help patients, but also can expose them to avoidable serious harm. Public Citizen protects patients by monitoring drugs, devices, dietary supplements and other areas in which patients may be subject to potentially harmful treatments or procedures.

Our Work

We expose unnecessary or unproven drugs, devices and dietary supplements on the market, and other treatments and procedures in which the potential risks outweigh the benefits.

Unproven or Unnecessary Treatments or Procedures - Baby Teething

Petition to Ban Benzocaine Products for Teething in Infants

We successfully petitioned the FDA to ban benzocaine products for treating teething in infants because they can kill infants and are ineffective.

Unproven or Unnecessary Treatments or Procedures - Florida

Florida Clinic Deceived Patients About Cancer Treatment

Public Citizen exposed a medical center that deceived patients about the safety and benefits of an illegal heart-toxic drug, called cesium chloride, for treating cancer.

Quality of Care - Life Line Screening letters

Urging 73 Hospitals to End Life Line Screening Partnerships

Public Citizen called out 73 hospitals for partnering with Life Line Screening, which peddles a potentially harmful cardiovascular disease screening package.

Stay Updated on Unproven or Unnecessary Treatments & Procedures

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Overturn Citizens United

New Hampshire Is 20th State to Call for Overturning Citizens United

House Passes Historic Democracy Reform and Corruption Overhaul Legislation

Lost Safeguards: Popular Public Protections Repealed in the Trump Era

Stronger Summertime Safeguards Are Needed

Act Now to Avoid Another Financial Crash

Forced Arbitration Clauses Are Everywhere

CPSC Should Be Allowed to Name Deadly Products Without the Corporate Maker’s Permission

Fight Pharma Greed

Help Win Medicare for All

The Case for Medicare-for-All

Crossing the Line: Sexual Misconduct by Nurses Reported to the National Practitioner Data Bank

Call Congress: No Vote on NAFTA 2.0 Until It’s Fixed!

Tell TV Networks to Call Climate Change a Crisis

The Amazon Fires Get the Full Climate Treatment by the Media

NRC Denies Public Citizen’s Application to Intervene in Nuclear Case

Subscribe to the Supreme Court Conference Preview

Exposing unproven or unnecessary treatments and procedures

What you should know

Our Work

Petition to Ban Benzocaine Products for Teething in Infants

Florida Clinic Deceived Patients About Cancer Treatment

Urging 73 Hospitals to End Life Line Screening Partnerships

When Your Doctor is Selling Something: Curbing Corporate Influence in the Physician-Patient Relationship

Press Statement: FDA Bans Dangerous Surgical Mesh for Pelvic Repair, Following Public Citizen Urging

Permanent Implantable Devices Require More Pre-Approval Testing

Press Statement: Good Riddance to FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb

FDA Should Ban the Dangerous Female Sterilization Device Essure Immediately!

USPSTF Recommends Against Hormone Therapy to Prevent Chronic Conditions in Postmenopausal Women

U.S. Expert Panel Recommends Against Ovarian Cancer Screening in Women Without a High Genetic Risk of Cancer

Outrage of the Month: Dietary Supplements Purported to Boost Women’s Sex Drive Found to be Tainted With a Dangerous Drug

Guide to Avoiding Unnecessary Cesarean Sections in New York State

Stay Updated on Unproven or Unnecessary Treatments & Procedures

Follow Public Citizen

Support Our Work