Jim Tankersley, a White House correspondent for The New York Times, joins to discuss the Biden administration's battle against hidden fees charged by businesses like hotels and airlines. He highlights how these sneaky charges complicate consumer experiences and exacerbate public discontent ahead of the 2024 election. The conversation also touches on the challenges of enforcing transparency and the administration's strategy to regain voter trust amidst rising inflation concerns. Tune in for insights into this crucial economic issue!
Biden aims to increase fee transparency upfront to prevent hidden charges in various sectors.
Biden's crackdown on hidden fees addresses consumer frustrations, serves as a strategic move to tackle high consumer prices and inflation.
Deep dives
Biden Administration's Crackdown on Hidden Fees
The Biden administration has taken a stand against hidden fees that burden American consumers, particularly in the airline industry. Biden's initiative aims to increase fee transparency upfront, providing consumers with a clear breakdown of costs, preventing airlines from charging extra fees like seat selections and baggage fees, and prohibiting charges for parents to sit next to their children.
Political Strategy Behind Fee Crackdown
Biden's focus on combating junk fees not only addresses consumer frustrations but also serves as a strategic move to tackle high consumer prices and inflation. By targeting hidden fees in various sectors like banking, credit cards, concert tickets, and airlines, Biden aims to demonstrate his commitment to fighting corporate practices that harm consumers, despite the limited impact on broader economic issues like inflation.
Legal and Political Risks of Fee Crackdown
Despite facing legal challenges from industries like airlines and credit card companies, Biden's crackdown on fees poses potential risks. If hindered by legal obstacles, Biden's inability to deliver on fee regulations may undermine his efforts to alleviate public concerns about inflation. The political risk lies in the discrepancy between Biden's fee-oriented strategy and the larger economic challenge of reducing prices, leading to potential disillusionment among voters seeking substantial economic relief.
The Biden administration is trying to crack down on sneaky fees charged by hotels, rental cars, internet providers and more.
Jim Tankersley, a White House correspondent, explains why the effort is doubling as a war against something else that Biden is finding much harder to defeat.
Guest: Jim Tankersley, who covers economic policy at the White House for The New York Times
For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday.
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