“On behalf of Americans for Financial Reform (AFR), we are writing to express our opposition to several of the bills under consideration in today’s subcommittee hearing, as well as our support for HR 1847, the “Swaps Data Repository and Clearinghouse Indemnification Act”.”
“Yesterday, more than 78,000 individuals as well as 51 national and local consumer, labor, and community groups sent a clear message – exressed in a set of petitions and letters to Secretary of Education Arne Duncan – that the U.S. Department of Education (the Department) has a duty to cancel the federal student loans of all borrowers harmed by Corinthian Colleges without requiring each one to prove Corinthian’s fraud. “
“The undersigned organizations write to urge the Appropriations Committees to reject all proposals to weaken the powers and funding of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB or bureau). In particular, the Committee must oppose any proposals that would limit, delay or remove the authority of the CFPB to take action on the use of pre-dispute binding mandatory (or forced) arbitration in consumer financial contracts under its jurisdiction. “
“‘The administration can say whatever it wants about its interpretation of these trade agreements,’ said Marcus Stanley, policy director at Americans for Financial Reform, a Wall Street watchdog group. ‘The problem is, under the terms of these agreements, they are not going to be interpreting them. Private tribunals of trade lawyers are going to be interpreting them, and there are going to be plenty of openings, as this shows, to make claims that critical prudential regulations conflict with trade agreements. And eventually one of those is going to win out.'”
“The CFPB should use the authority that it has to make sure that borrowers are treated fairly, and that they get the information they need to take advantage of any repayment plans available to them. This means that abusive, profit-increasing practices that are banned in other consumer debt industries, but are still used by companies that collect payments on private student loans, must be curbed.”
“The legislation would make it easier for Wall Street to escape tough rules designed to make trading more competitive and transparent, Marcus Stanley, policy director for Americans for Financial Reform, said in an interview. ‘It could undo various parts of the Dodd-Frank Act by permitting American banks to transact in locations where swaps are not as well-regulated,’ Stanley said.”
“Senator Shelby’s 216-page draft legislation makes sweeping changes that would significantly weaken key financial reforms passed in direct response to the events of the 2007-2009 financial crisis. It puts the wish list of the financial sector above protecting the stability of the US economy, and the safety of mortgage markets and of homebuyers. “
“After finally addressing the fee waiver tax abuse after all of these years, the least the IRS can do is to vigorously enforce the law for all open years. Anything less would accurately be described as a tax amnesty program for billionaires.”
“Corinthian Colleges made many promises to its students – promises of a good education and job opportunities on the other side – but behind the slogans was an institution that churned out big profits by targeting unsuspecting, low-income students with predatory recruitment and lending practices. “
“The {American Action Forum] paper doesn’t argue that [the] costs outweigh the benefits. But it doesn’t attempt to quantify any of those benefits, either. That’s a significant flaw, according to Americans for Financial Reform… ‘Extensive economic research shows that the benefits of greater financial sector stability alone will exceed the costs claimed by the AAF,’ the group argued.”