U.S. PUBLIC INTEREST RESEARCH GROUP for U.S. PUBLIC INTEREST RESEARCH GROUP
What was lobbied
10 issue areas, each in the filer's own words, with who lobbied on it and where.
Chemicals/Chemical Industry CHM
Chemical Facilities Anti-Terrorism Act of 2008 (HR 5577), all titles. Kid Safe Chemicals Act (HR 6100; S3040) all titles.
| Lobbyist | Covered position, as disclosed |
|---|---|
| ELIZABETH HITCHCOCK | — |
Banking BAN
1) Reform Credit Card Practices. Provided comments to hill, signed letters, lobbied on all aspects of legislation and proposed regulations pertaining to reform of unfair practices of credit card industry. testified in previous quarters. Bills include S 1395, Stop Unfair Practices in Credit Cards Act, S 2753, Credit Card Reform Act, HR 5244, Credit Cardhholders Bill of Rights Act, HR 2146 Universal Default Prohibition Act and HR 5546, Credit Card Fair Fee Act. 2) Reform Mortgage Practices and Reform Financial Services Regulation. Provided comments to hill, signed letters, lobbied on all aspects of legislation and proposed regulations pertaining to reform of mortgage and predatory lending. Bills included HR 1424, Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 (and related bills); S 2452, Home Ownership Preservation and Protection Act and HR 3915. Mortgage Reform and Anti-Predatory Lending Act.
| Lobbyist | Covered position, as disclosed |
|---|---|
| EDMUND M MIERZWINSKI | — |
Transportation TRA
HR 7110 - All transportation provisions. Economic Stimulus/Recovery legislation (yet to be introduced) - all transportation provisions. The High Speed Rail for America Act - All provisions. Surface Transportation Funding Re-authorization (not yet introduced) - all provisions.
| Lobbyist | Covered position, as disclosed |
|---|---|
| GARY KALMAN | — |
| JOHN KRIEGER | — |
Bankruptcy BNK
Restructure Mortgages in Bankruptcy: Provided comments to hill, signed letters, lobbied on all aspects of legislation and proposed regulations pertaining to reform Supported efforts to allow bankruptcy judges to restructure first mortgages. Bills included HR 3609, the Emergency Home Ownership and Mortgage Equity Protection Act and S 2136, Helping Families To Save Their Homes, with an emphasis on Title IV of S 2136.
| Lobbyist | Covered position, as disclosed |
|---|---|
| EDMUND M MIERZWINSKI | — |
Consumer Issues/Safety/Products CSP
Consumer Product Safety Modernization Act (H.R. 4040), all titles. Supported efforts to implement new Consumer Product Safety Commission Improvement Act, add resources, regulate dangerous and/or toxic products. Provided comments to hill, signed letters, lobbied on all aspects of legislation and proposed regulations pertaining to reform. Testified in previous quarters. Specific new law is PL 110-314 (HR 4040, Consumer Product Safety Modernization Act). Supported various efforts to protect consumers from unfair business or marketplace practices by signing letters, lobbying or commenting on various proposals: 1) Mandatory Arbitration: Support for S 1782/HR 3010, the Arbitration Fairness Act to ban mandatory arbitration in consumer laws. 2) Support for S. 1145/HR 1908, the Patent Reform Act, to encourage generic substitutes for brand name pharmaceuticals. 3) Opposition to HR 1767/HR 1012, the Consumer Rental Purchase Agreement Act, which would legalize unfair practices of predatory rent to own stores. 5) Supported aspects of Federal Aviation Administration reforms pertaining to Airline Passengers Bill of Rights (S 678/HR 1303 and section 401 of HR 1300, the Aviation Investment and Modernization Act of 2007. 6) Support efforts against unfair bank fees, including support for HR 946, the Consumer Overdraft Protection Fair Practices Act. 7) Support efforts to enact strong consumer protections in Emergency Economic Stabilization Act (HR 1424-Division A) and related bills. Support efforts to ensure that federal law provides consumers with strong privacy protection, prevents identity theft, and holds companies and government agencies accountable when they lose consumer data. Support includes lobbying, letters, and communications as necessary. We have lobbied or sent letters or communicated on all of the following bills, although our positions on them vary. S 2248, the FISA Modernization Act, only as to its provisions to hold telephone companies that broke the law and shared consumer records with the government liable, as well as S 2168, the Identity Theft Enforcement and Restitution Act, S 1178, the Identity Theft Prevention Act, HR 3316, Identity Theft Protection Act, S 495, the Personal Data Privacy and Security Act of 2007, HR 3046 Social Security Number Privacy and Identity Theft Prevention Act, and HR 948, the Social Security Number Privacy and Identity Theft Prevention Act.
| Lobbyist | Covered position, as disclosed |
|---|---|
| ELIZABETH HITCHCOCK | — |
| EDMUND M MIERZWINSKI | — |
Health Issues HCR
Health Care Reform and Health Costs. Support of Health Care for America Now Coalition Statement of Common Purpose. FDA Reform.
| Lobbyist | Covered position, as disclosed |
|---|---|
| GARY KALMAN | — |
| LARRY C MCNEELY | — |
Government Issues GOV
Presidential Public Funding Act. Clean Elections Now Act. Automatic Voter Registration and Student Voter Act.
| Lobbyist | Covered position, as disclosed |
|---|---|
| LISA GILBERT | — |
| GARY KALMAN | — |
Labor Issues/Antitrust/Workplace LBR
Employee Free Choice Act
| Lobbyist | Covered position, as disclosed |
|---|---|
| GARY KALMAN | — |
Financial Institutions/Investments/Securities FIN
HR 1424 Emergency Economic Relief Act of 2008 creating the Troubled Assets Relief Program.
| Lobbyist | Covered position, as disclosed |
|---|---|
| GARY KALMAN | — |
| EDMUND M MIERZWINSKI | — |
Telecommunications TEC
Media Ownership. Broadband buildout. Network Neutrality. White Spaces. "Broadband Census of America Act" (H.R. 3919)
| Lobbyist | Covered position, as disclosed |
|---|---|
| AMINA FAZLULLAH | — |
Shown as published by the Senate Office of Public Records and the House Clerk under the Lobbying Disclosure Act. The official filing is the record; open it for the full form.