Congressman Dingell has long been an advocate for the rights and safety of consumers. As an original author of the Consumer Product Safety Act in 1972, he helped create the Consumer Product Safety Commission, a federal agency charged with protecting U.S. consumers from unsafe products. Mr. Dingell’s career has also been characterized by a great interest in providing consumers with greater choice in the marketplace. For example, Mr. Dingell is an original co-sponsor of H.R. 1706, the “Protecting Consumer Access to Generic Drugs Act of 2009,” which would increase the availability of generic pharmaceuticals, thereby decreasing drug prices for consumers.
Mr. Dingell played a key role in passage of H.R. 4173, the Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act. Signed into law by President Obama on July 21, 2010, this legislation will re-regulate the financial services industry and end the abuses by the financial services industry that plunged the U.S. economy into the gravest economic crisis since the Great Depression. Congressman Dingell recognizes the impact of the current financial crisis on ordinary people and has been a leading voice in the House of Representatives for a thorough investigation of the causes, which have led to a recession whose scope is exceeded only by that of the Great Depression. Mr. Dingell has introduced H.Res 345, a resolution to establish a bi-partisan select committee of House members to examine deficiencies in U.S. regulation of the financial services industry.
Similarly, Congressman Dingell has always sought to protect consumers from unfair and predatory practices, particularly by lenders. In the 111th Congress, Mr. Dingell was an original co-sponsor of H.R. 627, the “Credit Card Accountability Responsibility and Disclosure Act of 2009.” H.R. 627, which was signed into law by President Obama on May 22, 2009, imposes strict requirements on credit card companies for raising a cardholder’s APR, as well as mandates that certain, very stringent conditions be met before a credit card company may alter finance charges or fees assessed to a cardholder.
The current recession has touched every part of the economy, not the least of which is the housing market. Michigan currently has the sixth-highest foreclosure rate in the Nation, and Congressman Dingell has worked with his colleagues in Washington to pass meaningful legislation to keep hard-working families in their homes. Mr. Dingell was an original co-sponsor of the Helping Families Save Their Homes Act of 2009, which was signed into law by President Obama on May 20, 2009. This important law allows the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to implement a national program to make it easier for lenders to modify home loans for eligible delinquent mortgages. Under this program, such mortgages may be modified to include terms more favorable to homeowners struggling to make ends meet. For more information about this and other federally sponsored homeowner programs, please visit the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s website, or for Michigan-specific information, visit the website of the Michigan State Housing Development Authority.
H.R. 111 – Community Choice in Real Estate Act
H.R. 225 – Emergency Homeownership and Equity Protection Act
H.R. 230 – Housing Opportunity and Mortgage Equity Act of 2009
H.R. 1543 – To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to impose a tax on bonuses received from companies receiving TARP funds
H.R. 1586 – To impose an additional tax on bonuses received from certain TARP recipients
H.R. 1761 – Responsible Use of Taxpayer Help Act
H.Res. 345 – Establishing a select committee to make a thorough and complete investigation of the causes of the current financial crisis and other matters
November 19, 2010
Dingell Questions FCC Authority in Data Roaming Rulemaking but Praises Agency’s Dedication to Protecting Consumers
November 18, 2010
Dingell Questions TSA on Advanced Imaging Technology Units
October 5, 2010
Dingell Calls on International Trade Commission to Protect Domestic Furniture Makers
September 29, 2010
Dingell on Currency Reform
September 22, 2010
Eggs Farmers Face Investigators After Latest Salmonella Outbreak
September 20, 2010
Waxman, Dingell, Pallone & Stupak Open Discussion on Potentially Historic Changes in Drug Safety Laws
August 12, 2010
Dingell Works to Help Homeowners
July 29, 2010
One Year After House Passes Food Safety Bill, Dingell Calls on Senate for Action
June 30, 2010
Dingell on House Passage Wall Street Reform & New Consumer Protections
June 30, 2010
Dingell Applauds Subcommittee Approval of Bills to Protect Consumers and Promote Domestic Manufacturing
June 9, 2010
Dingell: Scary New Food Safety Report Indicates Again – The Senate Must Act and Act Now!
May 27, 2010
Dingell Stresses Need For Additional Drug Safety Authorities
May 27, 2010
Dingell Statement on Combating the BP Oil Spill
May 26, 2010
Energy & Commerce Committee Approves Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 2010
May 25, 2010
Dingell Warns of Continued Inaction on Food Safety Legislation
May 20, 2010
Dingell Statement on Markup of The Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 2010
March 30, 2010
Dingell Urges Swift Action on Food Safety Legislation
July 30, 2009
DTV Converter Box Coupon Program Set to End
July 30, 2009
House Passes Historic Food Safety Legislation
July 29, 2009
Dingell on Disappointing Food Safety Vote
July 8, 2009
Dingell on the Proposed Consumer Financial Protection Agency
June 11, 2009
Dingell Applauds Foreclosure Task Force Day of Action
June 4, 2009
Dingell to Issue Guidebook for Helping Displaced Workers
May 7, 2009
Dingell Statement on Mortgage Reform and Anti-Predatory Lending Act
May 6, 2009
Dingell Statement on the Fraud Enforcement and Recovery Act
April 21, 2009
Dingell Calls for Creation of New Commission to Investigate Current Financial Crisis
April 13, 2009
Dingell on Congressional Efforts to Protect Consumers
March 17, 2009
Dingell Introduces Bill to Tax Executives Getting Mega-Bonuses from Assisted Companies
March 5, 2009
Dingell Supports a Fair Plan to Help Keep Americans in their Homes
March 5, 2009
Dingell Wants CPSC to Explain Problems with New Children’s Product Safety Law
Congressman Dingell’s Support for Consumers page