LULAC Praises the Appointment of Edith Ramirez as Chairwoman of the Federal Trade Commission

February 28, 2013

Contact: Paloma Zuleta, 202-833-6130, PZuleta (at) LULAC . org

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, President Obama appointed Edith Ramirez as the chairwoman of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), making her the top Latina with oversight over matters such as consumer protection, fraud prevention, deceptive and unfair business practices, and online privacy protection. Since 2010, Ms. Ramirez has served as a commissioner at the FTC where she has been a driving force in maintaining robust competition and innovation in the high-tech marketplace.

“We are happy to see President Obama appoint such an outstanding individual whose prestigious background in the private sector and whose current work as a commissioner of the FTC makes her the perfect candidate for chairwoman of the agency,” said LULAC Executive Director Brent Wilkes. “We look forward to working with Edith Ramirez to ensure that the minority community receives the necessary protections in today’s technology-driven marketplace.”

LULAC will strongly encourage the FTC to bring critical safeguards that protect consumers against the growing problem of online identity theft. In addition, we hope that the agency, with Edith Ramirez at the helm, will take a more serious approach in protecting consumers online by working in concert with the software providers and Internet architects against malware attacks.

“The primary role of the FTC is to protect our nation’s consumers against unscrupulous practices that primarily impact vulnerable communities,” said LULAC National President Margaret Moran. “We hope that with the appointment of Edith Ramirez, the agency will take a more effective leadership role.”

Edith Ramirez will replace Jon Leibowitz as chief of the FTC and her new role leaves an opening for a third Democratic member on the five member commission. LULAC has been a strong advocate in support of Hispanic appointments in leadership positions such as the appointment of Edith Ramirez.

###

About LULAC
The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) is the nation’s largest and oldest civil rights volunteer-based organization that empowers Hispanic Americans and builds strong Latino communities. Headquartered in Washington, DC, with 900 councils around the United States and Puerto Rico, LULAC’s programs, services and advocacy address the most important issues for Latinos, meeting critical needs of today and the future. For more information, visit www.LULAC.org