H.R. 1195, the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection Advisory Boards Act
April 21, 2015
I thank the ranking member for yielding. Mr. Chairman, I came to this floor opposed to this version of H.R. 1195, and as I have listened to the debate, I have become even more opposed to the legislation. Most fifth graders know a Trojan horse when they see one, and today's legislation is, indeed, a Trojan horse. Let me tell you why.
Once again, Republicans are trying to roll back and limit consumer protections. Once again, they are attacking the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau by adding burdensome legislation that replicates what the Bureau is already doing and by stripping funding from the CFPB in future years. Let's remember that this was the agency that was created to prevent the very abusive practices that led to the 2008 financial crisis; yet here they go, pretending to help small businesses and community banks and credit unions but are gutting the agency that is responsible for protecting consumers.
Just 6 years ago, we saw the fallout of the financial crisis right in my district in Prince George's County and in Baltimore City, where homeowners lost their homes. It was Black and Latino families who suffered the most in Prince George's County and Baltimore City, and it is not over for us. Many of those homeowners were small-business owners, and they used their homes to leverage their businesses. They can't do that anymore because they are still underwater and because the rules are still set against them.
We are still in crisis, and we need a robust, unencumbered, unburdened Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to protect consumers, homeowners, and small businesses that are still struggling and are vulnerable. We need a robust lifeline CFPB as our credit unions and community banks are struggling. They need real relief that is hidden behind this Trojan horse legislation.
Many of my Republican colleagues have long opposed the CFPB, and they have long sought to dismantle it. This legislation is no different, and it needs to be defeated. If they want bipartisan legislation, we need to start all over again and do something that really is in the interest of consumers.
H.R. 1195, the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection Advisory Boards Act passed the House by a vote 235-183 on April 22nd, 2015.
