I have sat on this post for several days. But this information must be shared, no matter how uncomfortable it makes us. We learned in 2007-8 what lax oversight means to this country. If we hoped for any lasting future protections from predatory practices, they were dashed this past week with news of the following Editorial Board editorial from the New York Times. Here we learn that the independence of critical protections are at stake.
For all its rabid partisanship, Congress has shown time and again that it is willing to come together to deregulate corporate America. The latest example is a new bill in the Senate that would effectively end the independence of independent regulatory agencies, including the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the Consumer Product Safety Commission and the National Labor Relations Board.
And you know the hijacked (by the Tea Party) House of Representatives will be eager to pass such predation should it pass the Senate. It is bad enough that Dodd-Frank under-protected us, but for Senators to try to weaken even that bill is inexcusable. Making the commissions and Bureaus less independent will do just that. And the SEC isn’t the only entity the senators have taken aim at. Strikingly, Virginians have one of their our own to “thank” for this: US Senator Mark Warner. He is joined by Rob Portman and Susan Collins.
(See below for who to contact for help on that matter.)
So we have a Congress, which will not do anything helpful to the American people to save its life. But it works to eliminate what little protections Americans have. You know where this “train” is headed” and that is right over the cliff.
Here is the link for bill. It’s referred to as S1173. My advice, find one senator to stop this assault on the American people. Write to Sen Elizabeth Warren and/or Sen Bernie Sanders. Soon. (Links are provided. You can simply click on the senators’ names and fill in the email form.)
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