U.S. PUBLIC INTEREST RESEARCH GROUP for U.S. PUBLIC INTEREST RESEARCH GROUP

Banking BAN

(1) Urge CFPB to enact strong prepaid card rules, strengthen complaint database, regulate forced arbitration, regulate payday and other high-cost loans and take other steps to protect consumers. (2) Support independent funding, authority and structure of CFPB. Oppose all bills to weaken CFPB including HR 1262, Consumer Right to Financial Privacy Act of 2015; HR 1263, Consumer Financial Protection Safety and Soundness Improvement Act; HR 1264, CFPB Pay Fairness Act of 2015; HR 1265, the Bureau Advisory Commission Transparency Act; HR 1266, Financial Product Safety Commission Act of 2015; and any similar bills or budget or Appropriations riders to weaken the CFPB. (3) Oppose all bills to weaken Wall Street reform including HR 414, the Burdensome Data Collection Relief Act; and any similar bills or budgetary line items or appropriations riders designed tow eaken, consumer, investor or taxpayer protections. (4) Support legislation to rein in payday lending and similar predatory loan practices. Oppose any bills to provide special status or create non-bank federal charters for payday or similar lenders. Urge CFPB, and other regulators to prevent banks from offering similar predatory payday advance products. (5) Support legislation to hold credit bureaus accountable including proposals to provide free credit scores. (6) Work to protect consumer privacy notices from repeal. (6) Oppose efforts to add layers of unnecessary cost-benefit analysis or other so-called accountability constraints onto any federal financial agency or independent agency, including HR 185, the Regulatory Accountability Act; H.R. 527, the Small Business Regulatory Flexibility Improvements Act; H.R. 50, the Unfunded Mandates Information and Transparency Act;the REINS Act, HR 427, which harms consumer health, safety and pocketbooks and any similar bills or budget riders, including bills and riders to impose additional (often redundant) OMB cost-benefit rules on independent agencies including the CFPB and others. (7) Support full funding and authority for all other financial regulators, including CFTC and SEC. (8) Urge CFPB and other regulators to enact strongest possible rules to protect homeowners and consumers from financial, foreclosure, mortgage servicing and other weakenings. (9) Oppose efforts in Congress to weaken any other consumer laws (10) Support efforts to eliminate forced arbitration in consumer and investor contracts, such as support for Arbitration Fairness Act and the Investor Choice Act. (11) Support efforts to make large, interconnected financial institutions more accountable to taxpayers, depositors and investors, including support for Volcker rule, other too-big-to-fail and capital reforms, such as the 21st Century Glass-Steagall Act. (12) Oppose efforts (testimony/letters/lobbying) to impose uniform federal data breach notice legislation or any privacy bill of rights or other purportered cybersecurity legislation that would preempt state data security, privacy, or consumer protection rights and authorities. (13) Support efforts by Department of Labor to enact strong fidicuary standard for retirement advisors and, similarly, by SEC for other investment advisors. (14) Support efforts by Dept of Education and CFPB to protect students from prepaid card, loan disbursement and other campus card fees and other account fees derived from unfair financial relationships between colleges and banks or other financial firms. (15) Urged FDIC in group letter to express concern about Sallie Mae Bank's CRA performance. (16) Urged House in group lette to reject 2016 Labor-HHS Appropriations bill which includes rider restricting DoLabor completion of retirement savings rule and in separate letter urged House to oppose HR 1090 (Wagner) to eliminate DoLabor authority to issue the retirement rule. (17) Urged House to oppose FSGG Approps. bill for numerous unfair riders, specifically to eliminate CFPB independent funding. (18) In group letters, urge president to nominate commissioners/governors of SEC and FRB that reflect consumer/community values, eg, not Wall Street revolving door. (19) Supported in letters, Do Not Track Kids Act (Markey, S 1563). (20) Urged Education Dept. to take strong action to protect Corinthian and other for-profit college students facing high student loans and no hope of jobs. (20) Opposed S. 1484 (Shelby) sweeping financial reform rollback proposal and expressed general support for alternate proposals. (21) In comments to CFPB, urge strong CFPB rules on arbitration, mortgage complaint handling, payday lending, and student banking as well as improved complaint narratives. (22) Support (meetings/letters) Duckworth amendment to HR 1735, National Defense Authorization Act to strike language eliminating servicemember financial protections. (23) Urge House, in letters and meetings, not to weaken Department of Justice anti-criminal project know as Operation Choke Point, including HR 1413/S142 and any amendments to appropriations and other bills. (24) Urge CMS/HHS to protect elders from unfair forced arbitration clauses in long-term care facility contracts. (25) Urge Congress to support "Equal Employment for All Act" to restrict use of credit reports for employment purposes. (26) urge House to oppose H.R. 3035, Credit Access and Inclusion Act, which undercuts Fair Credit Reporting Act protections. (27) Urge Federal Housing Finance Agency to enforce FCRA protections in mortgage payment and other disputes. (28) Urge HUD to retain longstanding form language that explicitly limits a lenders right to foreclose. (29) Oppose H.R. 1737, the Reforming CFPB Indirect Auto Financing Guidance Act" to weaken CFPB authority to protect car buyers. (30) Urge House to oppose HR 1266, to eliminate the CFPB's single director structure and replace it with a 5-member commission. (31) Urge Congress to oppose H.R. 3192, which insulates lenders from accountability when they make misleading disclosures to homeowners. (32) Support strong Departnment of Education amendments to the Cash Management Rule. (33) Urge HUD to maintain strong certification rules to obtain Federal Housing Administration insurance on a mortgage loan. (34) Urge Department of Labor to enact a strong "consumer first" fiduciary rule re retirement spending. (35) Join 22 October 2015 group letters urging the President and Vice President to require new executive branch officials from Wall Street/financial sector to " forego compensation offered by their former employers in exchange for their decisions to enter into public service." (36) Join 18 Nov 2016 group letter from Americans for Financial Reform to President and Treasury Secretary urging that "nominees to open seats as Commissioners at the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) have the publicly demonstrated commitment to financial reform and expertise. (37) Join 4 November Americans for Financial Reform letter to Congress opposing Hensarling (TX) amendment to Highway Trust Fund bill. Amendment unrelated to underlying bill, contains a variety of amendments exempting various business from full SEC supervision and authority. (38) Join 26 Oct 2015 letter led by National Consumer Law Center urging Chair Yellen (FRB), Director Cordray (CFPB) and Comptroller Curry (OCC) to fully investigate RushCard prepaid card debacle, hold firm accountable and make customers whole. (39) Join 19 October group letter led by Americans for Financial Reform urging financial regulators (Chairs Yellen (FRB), Gruenberg (FDIC) and White (SEC), Comptroller Curry (OCC) and Secretary Lew (Treasury) to fully implement Section 956(b) of the Dodd-Frank Act prohibiting large financial institutions from using execeutive compensation schemes that promote risky practices. (40) Join 5 October 2015 group letter to all members of Congress urging opposition to HR 3192, the so-called Homebuyers Assistance Act, but which would "undermine compliance with the new CFPB mortgage disclosure rules by letting lenders off the hook even where homeowners have been harmed." (41) Upon invitation of House Small Business Committee, testify at 21 October 2015 hearing on the "EMV Transition" by banks and merchants to "CHIP" enabled credit cards to reduce fraud. Testimony reiterated longstanding positions against any data breach/privacy legislation that would preempt stronger state consumer laws.

Contacted: HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES; Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC); U.S. Trade Representative (USTR); Commerce, Dept of (DOC); Federal Reserve System; SENATE; Labor, Dept of (DOL); Food & Drug Administration (FDA); Centers For Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS); Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB); Education, Dept of; Natl Telecommunications & Information Administration (NTIA); Federal Trade Commission (FTC); Justice, Dept of (DOJ); Federal Communications Commission (FCC); Office of Management & Budget (OMB); Transportation, Dept of (DOT); Natl Credit Union Administration (NCUA); Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC); Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC); Defense, Dept of (DOD); Housing & Urban Development, Dept of (HUD); Natl Economic Council (NEC); Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC); Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC); White House Office; Treasury, Dept of; State, Dept of (DOS); Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA)

Bills named: H.R. 3192 (114th), H.R. 427 (114th), H.R. 1265 (114th), H.R. 1264 (114th), H.R. 414 (114th), H.R. 527 (114th), H.R. 1735 (114th), H.R. 185 (114th), H.R. 1262 (114th), H.R. 3035 (114th), H.R. 50 (114th), H.R. 1413 (114th), S. 1484 (114th), H.R. 1090 (114th), H.R. 1266 (114th), H.R. 1737 (114th), H.R. 1263 (114th)

Consumer Issues/Safety/Products CSP

(1) Oppose efforts such as the REINS Act to hamstring consumer health and safety agencies with layers of bureaucracy. Oppose a variety of similar bills designed to cripple agency rulemaking or impose duplicative brudensome requirements on independent agencies, including the Unfunded Mandates Information and Transparency Act (H.R. 50/S 189), the Regulatory Accountability Act (RAA) and any similar bills (2) Urge Office of Management and Budget to complete their work on the delayed Department of Transportation (DOT) Enhancing Consumer Protections III air passenger rulemaking. (3) Urge FTC to strictly enforce all privacy settlements; (4) Urge FCC to protect privacy, including of CPNI and E911 calls. (5) Support FCC efforts to place broadband under Title II of the Communications Act and to impose strong protections known as Net Neutrality. (6) Urge regulators (FCC, DOJ, FTC) to reject anti-competitive mergers, such as Comcast/TWC; (6) Urge administration to nominate and Senate to confirm strong pro-consumer commissioners to CPSC and other agencies (7) Urge passage of Child Nicotine Poisoning Prevention Act (HR 1375/S142); (13) Urge strong privacy protections for consumer data and metadata (CPNI) held by telecommunications firms. (8) Oppose all efforts to use Appropriations bill line items or riders to weaken any agency's ability to protect consumer, worker and community health, safety or finances. (9) In meetings and letters, urge FCC to oppose efforts to weaken the Telephone Consumer Protection Act, especially its privacy protections re robocalls. (10) Urge FTC to enact strongest possible pro-consumer Used Motor Vehicle Trade Regulation Rule. (11) Urge FDA to enact strongest possible rule re Supplemental Applications Proposing Labeling Changes for Approved Drugs and Biological Products, (12) Urge CPSC to adopt strongest possible phthalate protections. (13) Support strongest possible efforts by agencies and enforcers to prevent "pay for delay" or "product hopping" or other anti-competitive strategies by pharmaceutical firms. (14) Support strong rules and enforcement by DOJ, FRB and others to prevent market manipulation by payment card oligopoly. (15) Support enforcement of Robinson-Patman Act and other competition laws generally. (16) oppose efforts to place barriers on consumer private rights of action, including restrictions on joining class actions or any other restriction on the right to trial by jury. Generally oppose any laws or practices that place limits on consumer access to the civil justice system, caps on damages to aggrieved consumers or on the ability of judges and juries to do their jobs. (17) Urge CPSC in petition to enact strong window cord safety rule (Docket 2013-0028). (18) In letters, urge House/Senate to oppose legislation eliminating CPSC authority over Recreational Offroad Vehicles (ROV) HR 999/S 1840. (19) Oppose HR 1927 to weaken consumer/worker class action rights. (20) Support HR 436, Sunshine In Litigation Act to prevent powerful special interests from seeking court seals/secrecy orders on matters pertaining to health and safety. (21) Urge FDA to enact strong liquid nicotine child safety regulations. (22) Urge Senate Judiciary Committee to investigate anti-competitive health care mergers. (23) Urge FCC to oppose certain industry petitions seeking exceptions to robocall rules; urge FCC to protect consumers in robocall rulemakings. (24) Joined group letter of 10 November urging that the Hide No Harm Act (S. 2140) and/or S. 1743 (Motor Vehicle Safety Act) be added to cmprehensive highway/infrastructure legislation in the wake of disclosure of coverups of safety and pollution violations by automakers.

Contacted: White House Office; Justice, Dept of (DOJ); Housing & Urban Development, Dept of (HUD); Labor, Dept of (DOL); Food & Drug Administration (FDA); Federal Communications Commission (FCC); Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC); U.S. Trade Representative (USTR); Commerce, Dept of (DOC); SENATE; State, Dept of (DOS); Federal Reserve System; Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC); HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES; Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA); Natl Telecommunications & Information Administration (NTIA); Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB); Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC); Office of Management & Budget (OMB); Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC); Natl Credit Union Administration (NCUA); Treasury, Dept of; Centers For Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS); Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC); Federal Trade Commission (FTC); Natl Economic Council (NEC); Education, Dept of; Defense, Dept of (DOD); Transportation, Dept of (DOT)

Bills named: H.R. 436 (114th), H.R. 1375 (114th), S. 2140 (114th), H.R. 999 (114th), H.R. 50 (114th), S. 1743 (114th), H.R. 1927 (114th)

Trade (domestic/foreign) TRD

Oppose fast track trade authority (so-called trade promotion authority). Oppose efforts in trade treaties and legislation, including activities under the Transatlantic Economic Council (TEC) or through any Transatlantic Free Trade Area (TAFTA) or Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) or Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) or similar trade agreement that would scuttle strong consumer health, safety, privacy, and pocketbook protections in favor of weaker rules or grant corporations unacceptable powers such as ISDS (Investor-State Dispute Resolution powers). Oppose efforts to preempt or harmonize local or state or federal laws with weaker laws or throough trade agreements. Support strongest possible transparency in trade negotiations including public availability of real-time negotiating text. Urge USTR to disclose any surveillance by NSA or others of organizations working on trade policy.

Contacted: Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC); State, Dept of (DOS); Labor, Dept of (DOL); Food & Drug Administration (FDA); Office of Management & Budget (OMB); Federal Trade Commission (FTC); Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC); Natl Credit Union Administration (NCUA); Centers For Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS); SENATE; Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC); Commerce, Dept of (DOC); Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC); U.S. Trade Representative (USTR); Education, Dept of; Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC); Federal Reserve System; Justice, Dept of (DOJ); Transportation, Dept of (DOT); Federal Communications Commission (FCC); Natl Economic Council (NEC); White House Office; Treasury, Dept of; Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA); Defense, Dept of (DOD); Housing & Urban Development, Dept of (HUD); Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB); HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES; Natl Telecommunications & Information Administration (NTIA)

Agriculture AGR

(1) Oppose any efforts to weaken the Commodities Futures Trading Commission's authority over derivatives or futures or to reduce its funding. (2) Urged, in group letter, that House not repeal Country of Origin Labeling (Cool) for safe food Oppose HR 2393 (Caraway)).

Contacted: Commerce, Dept of (DOC); Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA); Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC); Federal Communications Commission (FCC); Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC); Justice, Dept of (DOJ); Housing & Urban Development, Dept of (HUD); SENATE; Natl Credit Union Administration (NCUA); Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC); Defense, Dept of (DOD); Natl Economic Council (NEC); Office of Management & Budget (OMB); Centers For Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS); Education, Dept of; Federal Trade Commission (FTC); Transportation, Dept of (DOT); Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC); Federal Reserve System; Natl Telecommunications & Information Administration (NTIA); White House Office; State, Dept of (DOS); HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES; U.S. Trade Representative (USTR); Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC); Labor, Dept of (DOL); Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB); Food & Drug Administration (FDA); Treasury, Dept of

Bills named: H.R. 2393 (114th)

Budget/Appropriations BUD

Tax reform, Senate Finance and House Ways and Means, specifically S. 174, H.R. 297, H.R. 415 tax extenders

Contacted: Federal Reserve System; Transportation, Dept of (DOT); Natl Credit Union Administration (NCUA); Natl Telecommunications & Information Administration (NTIA); Commerce, Dept of (DOC); Centers For Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS); Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA); SENATE; Housing & Urban Development, Dept of (HUD); Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC); Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC); Office of Management & Budget (OMB); Justice, Dept of (DOJ); Labor, Dept of (DOL); U.S. Trade Representative (USTR); Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC); Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC); Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC); White House Office; Education, Dept of; Natl Economic Council (NEC); Defense, Dept of (DOD); HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES; Federal Communications Commission (FCC); Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB); Treasury, Dept of; Food & Drug Administration (FDA); State, Dept of (DOS); Federal Trade Commission (FTC)

Bills named: H.R. 415 (114th), H.R. 297 (114th), S. 174 (114th)

Bankruptcy BNK

(1) Support efforts to make consumer bankruptcy laws fairer, including elimination of medical debts on credit reports and support efforts to remove private student loans from permanent credit reporting (eliminate inability to discharge them in bankruptcy) (2) Oppose H.R. 526, the "Furthering Asbestos Claim Transparency Act" or FACT Act.

Contacted: Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC); Natl Credit Union Administration (NCUA); Natl Economic Council (NEC); Centers For Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS); Federal Communications Commission (FCC); U.S. Trade Representative (USTR); White House Office; Food & Drug Administration (FDA); SENATE; Labor, Dept of (DOL); Justice, Dept of (DOJ); Federal Trade Commission (FTC); Education, Dept of; Natl Telecommunications & Information Administration (NTIA); Office of Management & Budget (OMB); Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC); HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES; Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA); Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC); Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC); Treasury, Dept of; Transportation, Dept of (DOT); Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB); Defense, Dept of (DOD); Housing & Urban Development, Dept of (HUD); Federal Reserve System; Commerce, Dept of (DOC); Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC); State, Dept of (DOS)

Bills named: H.R. 526 (114th)

Government Issues GOV

Campaign Finance Reform - Bills: Democracy for All Amendment, Government by the People Act; HJ Res 22, SJ Res 5, HR 20 (in favor of all);  SEC political spending disclosure rule; Campaign Finance Reform, specifically H.R.20 and S1538

Contacted: U.S. Trade Representative (USTR); Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC); Federal Trade Commission (FTC); Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB); Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC); Treasury, Dept of; Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA); Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC); Natl Credit Union Administration (NCUA); Federal Communications Commission (FCC); Housing & Urban Development, Dept of (HUD); Federal Reserve System; Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC); Labor, Dept of (DOL); State, Dept of (DOS); Justice, Dept of (DOJ); White House Office; Defense, Dept of (DOD); HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES; Natl Telecommunications & Information Administration (NTIA); Centers For Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS); Natl Economic Council (NEC); Office of Management & Budget (OMB); Transportation, Dept of (DOT); Food & Drug Administration (FDA); Commerce, Dept of (DOC); Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC); SENATE; Education, Dept of

Bills named: S.J.Res. 5 (114th), H.R. 20 (114th), H.J.Res. 22 (114th)