Public interest battle vs. Wall Street rages on
The House financial reform battle has been nothing if not brutal. Can you join the fight for the Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2009 (H.R. 4173)? The bill goes to a vote on the House floor tomorrow, and we need you to turn up the pressure on your representatives.
Here is an update on amendments that your representative needs to know you support, and those that need to be defeated.
- SUPPORT the Stupak/DeLauro/Larson/Van Hollen amendment on derivatives. Regulators must have the authority to ban abusive derivatives instruments rather than simply reporting them to Congress, and transactions which violate the law should be considered invalid.
- OPPOSE the Minnick amendment to eliminate a new Consumer Financial Protection Agency (CFPA) from the bill. It would leave enforcement of consumer protection and civil rights laws in the hands of the same existing regulatory bodies that resoundingly failed to use them.
- OPPOSE the Marshall amendment, which would deny financial whistleblowers the right to hold their employer accountable in court when they are retaliated against.
Call or email your representative today. You can also show your support by signing the petition at Change.org . With enough signatures, the message about the need for a Consumer Financial Protection agency will be blasted to thousands more activists. We need to stand firm against predatory banking practices and prevent financial crises from crippling our economy ever again.