DMA Joins Association Letter to Senate Commerce Committee Highlighting Concerns with Proposed Expansion of FTC Authority

Washington, DC, January 20, 2010 — The Direct Marketing Association (DMA) today joined 28 other trade associations and business coalitions in sending a letter to members of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science & Transportation.

The letter expressed significant concerns about the provisions of H.R. 4173, the Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2009, that would remove existing procedural safeguards on the rulemaking and enforcement capabilities of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). While these provisions were not included in the Wall Street reform package introduced in the Senate Banking Committee, it is expected that the Senate Commerce Committee will take up these provisions as part of its work on FTC reauthorization.

Congress imposed these procedural protections on the FTC decades ago after determining that the Commission had repeatedly overstepped its regulatory authority. The associations believe that it is vital for affected industries to have the opportunity to appear at a hearing to present their concerns about the potential effect of these provisions on the business community at large.

Signatories to the letter included:

American Association of Advertising Agencies

American Advertising Federation

American Business Media

American Financial Services Association

Association of National Advertisers

Consumer Data Industry Association

Consumer Electronics Association

Consumer Healthcare Products Association

Direct Marketing Association

Direct Selling Association

Electronic Retailing Association

Financial Services Institute, Inc.

Interactive Advertising Bureau

International Franchise Association

The Marketing Research Association

National Association of Manufacturers

National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies

National Association of Professional Background Screeners

National Association of Realtors

National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors

National Automobile Dealers Association

National Business Coalition on E-Commerce and Privacy

Natural Products Association

National Retail Federation

Online Publishers Association

Shop.org

Software & Information Industry Association

U.S. Chamber of Commerce

United States Organizations for Bankruptcy Alternatives

About Direct Marketing Association (DMA)

The Direct Marketing Association (www.the-dma.org) is the leading global trade association of businesses and nonprofit organizations using and supporting multichannel direct marketing tools and techniques. DMA advocates standards for responsible marketing, promotes relevance as the key to reaching consumers with desirable offers, and provides cutting-edge research, education, and networking opportunities to improve results throughout the end-to-end direct marketing process. Founded in 1917, DMA today represents more than 3,100 companies from dozens of vertical industries in the US and 48 other nations, including nearly half of the Fortune 100 companies, as well as nonprofit organizations.

In 2009, marketers – commercial and nonprofit – spent $149.3 billion on direct marketing, which accounts for 54.3% of all ad expenditures in the United States. Measured against total US sales, these advertising expenditures will generate approximately $1.783 trillion in incremental sales. In 2009, direct marketing accounted for 8.3% of total US gross domestic product. Also in 2009, there were 1.4 million direct marketing employees in the US. Their collective sales efforts directly support 8.4 million other jobs, accounting for a total of 9.9 million US jobs.

The Power of Direct: Relevance. Responsibility. Results.

# # #

RSS Subscription