WASHINGTON -- Members and staffers of the Consumer Federation of America are mourning the loss of its former chairman, retired Senator Howard M. Metzenbaum.
Upon retiring from the Senate, Metzenbaum accepted the newly created position of CFA chairman and worked out of CFA's Washington offices from 1995 to 2005, when he moved to Florida.
"No one in the U.S. Senate ever fought so fearlessly and effectively for the interests of ordinary consumers," said CFA Executive Director Stephen Brobeck. "And he continued this energetic and influential consumer advocacy after joining CFA."
During two decades in the U.S. Senate, Metzenbaum championed the consumer interest. Most importantly, he blocked or weakened numerous anti-consumer bills, such as efforts to weaken the Federal Trade Commission. As chairman of the Senate Antitrust Subcommittee, he relentlessly sought to curb anti-competitive practices in industries ranging from energy to insurance.
After joining CFA as a nonprofit consumer advocate, Metzenbaum continued working on many of the same issues. He frequently testified before Congress, communicated personally with Congressional members, was interviewed by press and mobilized support within the consumer advocacy community.
"Senator Metzenbaum was one of the most progressive forces in American society in the latter half of the 20th century and into the 21st," said Brobeck. "We at CFA were greatly privileged to have worked with him and to have called him colleague and friend."
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