President Joe Biden speaks in the South Court Auditorium on the White House complex in Washington, Thursday, June 15, 2023, to highlight his administration's push to end so-called junk fees that surprise customers. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)
President Joe Biden highlighted progress in chipping away at so-called junk fees as a “win for consumers” Thursday, as he met at the White House with executives from Live Nation, Airbnb and other companies that have taken steps to embrace more transparent pricing.
Biden prioritized the effort to combat surprise or undisclosed fees in his State of the Union address and has called for legislation, regulation and private sector action to end them. The president, at Thursday's event, praised actions by companies that have eliminated or plan to eliminate those surprise fees.
The consumer advocacy push is part of Biden's pitch to voters ahead of his 2024 reelection bid that government can help improve their lives in big and small ways.
At the White House, Live Nation, which is based in Beverly Hills, California, announced that it will provide customers with upfront all-in pricing — meaning the actual purchase price including service charges and any other fees — for its owned venues by September and that Ticketmaster will give consumers the option to view all-in pricing up front for other venues on the live-entertainment tickets platform. SeatGeek, based in New York, will also unveil features to make it easier to browse for tickets with the true cost displayed.
San Francisco-based Airbnb rolled out its all-in pricing tool in December, after Biden first called on companies to stop hiding fees.
“These are just the latest private sector leaders who are responding to my call to action," Biden said, saying junk fees "can add hundreds of dollars a month and make it harder for families to pay their bills.”
“I’m asking their competitors to follow suit and adopt an all-in pricing as well," Biden said. “These actions matter and it’s inspiring companies to change their practices."
National Economic Council director Lael Brainard said in a statement that the president “has been working to lower costs for hardworking families by bringing down inflation, capping insulin prices for seniors, and eliminating hidden junk fees.”
"More companies are heeding the President’s call so that Americans know what they’re paying for up front and can save money as a result.”
As the Omicron variant continues to sweep across the country. The US Supreme Court is expected to hear arguments at the end of this week on whether or not the Biden administration can force private companies to vaccinate or test millions of their employees. In addition, the National Nurses United has spearheaded legal action to protect nurses and health care workers, patients, and the public while on the job. President of the National Nurses Union, Zenei Cortez, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
Far too often, Americans are forced to navigate a tangled web of outdated government websites, offices way out of their reach, and hours of time 'on hold' to access the simple government services they depend on. A recent executive order, signed by President Biden, is intended to improve, streamline and modernize the 'customer' experience when accessing government services. Mina Hsiang, the administrator of the United States Digital Service, joins Cheddar News to discuss how the tech workforce is impacted by this executive order.
Today marks one year since the January 6 Attack on the United States Capitol. The Country watched as supporters of then-President Trump stormed what was assumed to be the most secure building in the country in an attempt to stop the certification of the 2020 Election. Several lawmakers, including the Vice President, could be seen ducking down as they feared for their lives. Democratic Michigan Representative Dan Kildee, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
Stocks closed lower on Friday as investors continue to worry over rate hikes. John Lynch, CIO of Comerica Wealth Management, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell, where he says value is back in play with investors. Lynch also believes the market has overreacted to the latest Fed minutes, suggesting a bounce-back at some point.
Ben Armstrong, founder of Bitboy Crypto, joins Cheddar News to discuss Bitcoin's downward trend and what's next for crypto after protests in Kazakhstan cause crypto miners to shut down.
Washington, D.C. Attorney General Karl Racine joins Cheddar Politics to discuss his lawsuit against the extremist groups Proud Boys and Oath Keepers over their role in the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol.
Josh Pasek, a professor at the University of Michigan and expert on political communication and misinformation, joins Cheddar News to discuss how political radicalization happens and how America got to this point.
Kyle Kondik, managing editor at Sabato's Crystal Ball at the University of Virginia Center for Politics, joins Cheddar News to discuss what to expect at the 2022 midterm elections.
Katie Barlow, media editor at SCOTUSblog, joins Cheddar Politics to reflect on what happened at the Supreme Court in 2021 and what may be in store for 2022.
Gerren Keith Gaynor, managing editor of politics and Washington correspondent at The Grio, joins Cheddar Politics to discuss the progress President Biden made on his policy agenda in 2021, and what remains to be done in 2022.
