WASHINGTON, D.C.—On Tuesday, July 12, 2011 at 2:30 p.m., Senator John D. (Jay) Rockefeller IV (D-W.Va.), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, and Representative Elijah E. Cummings (D-Md.), Ranking Member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, will convene a forum to examine illegal foreclosures against U.S. service members and their families.

Several mortgage servicing companies have recently admitted to multiple violations of the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (CRA), including foreclosing on service members who were deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan. The CRA is intended to protect active-duty service members from improper foreclosures, evictions and other financial consequences of military service. Despite millions of dollars in settlements with service members, new information from regulators and others suggests that this is a systemic problem that affects many more military families than previously known.

Rockefeller and Cummings have invited service members and experts to provide their recommendations on what actions should be taken to address these issues.

The forum is open to the public and will also be webcast live at http://commerce.senate.gov.

List of Attendees

Ms. Holly Petraeus, Lead, Office of Service Member Affairs, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau

Captain Samuel F. Wright, JAGC, US Navy (Ret.), Director, Service Members Law Center, Reserve Officers Association

Warrant Officer Charles L. Pickett III, Army National Guard, Homeowner

Captain Kenneth R. Gonzales, Army, Homeowner

Mr. Bill Nelson, Executive Director, USA Cares

Mr. David Vladeck, Director, Bureau of Consumer Protection, Federal Trade Commission