The committee, with the backing of the Trump administration, is gearing up to pass a bill that would give Wall Street and assorted predatory lenders a free hand to abuse consumers and investors, and raise the likelihood of another financial crisis. Congress should be looking for ways to enforce the rules on Wall Street, not reward their army of lobbyists.
“This legislation would be better dubbed ‘Wall Street’s CHOICE Act,’ because it would have a devastating effect on the capacity of regulators to protect the public interest and defend consumers from Wall Street wrongdoing and the economy from risks created by too-big-to-fail financial institutions.” — testimony at House Financial Services Committee hearing, April 26
AFR’s Senior Policy Analyst Alexis Goldstein appeared on CNN Newsroom with Brooke Baldwin on Wednesday, April 26th to discuss how the Trump Administration’s tax plan would benefit Wall Street and leave ordinary American workers behind. “We have two former bankers from Goldman Sachs announcing a tax plan that–from the details that we do know–will dramatically cut taxes for big banks like Goldman Sachs,” Goldstein said.
“…This legislation would be better dubbed ‘Wall Street’s CHOICE Act’, as it would have a devastating effect on the capacity of regulators to protect the public interest and defend consumers and investors from Wall Street wrongdoing… This nearly 600-page bill is a radical piece of legislation…”
“Wall Street banks are already expert tax-dodgers. According to Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy data, nine of the largest and most profitable U.S. banks paid an average federal tax rate of only 18.6% between 2008 and 2015–far less than the statutory rate of 35%. …Tax plans from President Trump and House Republicans would only make it easier for Wall Street to rig the tax code and avoid paying their fair share.”
A new “Retirement Ripoff Counter” unveiled today at an event with Senator Elizabeth Warren and AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka shows how important it is that the fiduciary rule be fully implemented. Bad advice costs Americans $46 million a day, $1.9 million per hour, and $532 a second.
“Today, consumer and civil rights groups, leading legal scholars and members of Congress will submit amicus briefs to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit in the case of PHH Corporation v. CFPB in support of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. The diverse amici urge the full D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals to maintain a strong, independent agency to protect American consumers. …’In the five years since it opened its doors, the CFPB has worked tirelessly to enforce the laws that went ignored in the run-up to the 2008 financial crisis, and has done more than any other federal agency to empower consumers against predatory, deceptive, and outright fraudulent behavior by bad actors in the financial industry…,’ said Wade Henderson, president and CEO, The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights.”
Judge Gorsuch’s stated views suggest his appointment would also help financial companies’ efforts to eliminate the rules necessary to protect the economy from another financial calamity induced by Wall Street’s recklessness
AFR submitted the comment letter linked and excerpted below that strongly opposes the Department of Labor’s proposal to delay fiduciary protections for retirement investors.
AFR and dozens of other organizations weigh in against the Department of Labor’s proposed delay of the fiduciary rule.