Senator Elizabeth Warren & Senator Bernie Sanders

Tell Senate Democrats: Save our consumer protection agency & can you join a conference call with Bernie Sanders on Wednesday?
Petition to Senate Democrats:

"Oppose any changes that would undermine the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s ability to continue protecting millions of Americans from financial scams and predatory lenders, including any alterations to the agency’s leadership structure, funding, or regulatory authority."
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Elizabeth_Warren_Save_CFPB
At a time when shady lenders and out-of-control banks were profiting from scamming consumers, Senator Elizabeth Warren dreamed of an effective watchdog dedicated to protecting ordinary Americans: the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB).
Since its creation in 2011, the CFPB has begun the overdue work of what Senator Warren intended: reining in mortgage lenders, delivering refunds to victims of credit card scams, and more. But now, former Representative Barney Frank is warning that Republicans will attempt “de-fang” the agency, and news reports have suggested that the agency would be the Republican senate’s “first target” and that “no achievement of President Obama’s faces more risk.”1,2,3

The Republican House has already passed legislation to dismantle, defund, or sabotage the CFPB, and conservatives are plotting to finish the job in the Senate. This is why we are joining our friends from National People’s Action, Americans for Financial Reform, and other allies in the progressive movement in demanding the Democrats block and fight back against any and all attacks against Senator Warren’s consumer protection agency.

Tell Senators Robert Menendez and Cory Booker: Save our consumer protection agency. Click here to sign the petition.

In just a few short years, the CFPB has reined in abuses by debt collectors, taken on for-profit colleges, protected home-buyers from unscrupulous lenders, investigated predatory private student loan companies, insisted on mortgage safeguards, recouped millions for military families who were overcharged or lost homes to foreclosure, unearthed the unethical practices of student debt collectors, and shed light on dozens of predatory lending practices and consumer scams. And it only came into existence in 2011!4

Senator Warren’s brainchild agency is saving Americans money and keeping them out of the clutches of predatory lenders. To protect it, we’re partnering with National People’s Action, Americans for Financial Reform, and other progressive allies to demand that Democrats oppose any and all attempts to cripple or undermine the CFPB.
In years past, the Republican House has approved all sorts of attacks on the agency. They have attempted to defund it, by moving its funding source from the Federal Reserve to congressional appropriations they control. They tried to eliminate a fund that the CFPB uses to reimburse victims of fraud and let other regulators that are friendlier to lenders overrule the agency. They even tried to place limits on what kind of data CFPB can collect, because too many people were sharing such heartbreaking stories of abuse and fraud.5

Perhaps most dangerously, Republicans have proposed replacing the agency’s single, strong director with a set of commissioners – many, no doubt, appointed by bank-friendly politicians. CREDO members fought long and hard to get President Obama to appoint Ohio Attorney General Richard Cordray as the Director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and we cannot let Wall Street’s puppet politicians undo that victory.

Tell Senators Robert Menendez and Cory Booker: Save our consumer protection agency. Click here to sign the petition.

We know that Senator Warren will fight fiercely for her brainchild. But many other Senate Democrats are far more cozy with big banks – even voting with Republicans to undo Wall Street reform in the first week of the new Congress.6 Even Democrats who support strong consumer protections may get weak in the knees if an attack on the CFPB is slipped into legislation funding the government or raising the debt ceiling.

But if Democrats stand united, they will protect millions of everyday Americans – and draw a sharp contrast showing which party is willing to fight for the middle class.

Progressive champions need to hear that we will stand with them if they fight tooth and nail. And we need to issue a warning to Senate Democrats pondering siding with shady lenders whose deep pockets are the result of exploiting struggling constituents.

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Financial Protection Bureau. Click the link below to sign the petition to save CFPB:

http://act.credoaction.com/sign/Warren_CFPB?t=6&akid=12698.6785281.8jpuf2

Five years ago, our country suffered one of the most damaging blows ever dealt to our democracy, when the Supreme Court handed down the awful Citizens United decision.

Since this devastating decision came down, major corporations, the Koch brothers, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce have poured untold millions into races up and down the ballot. As a result, the 2014 midterms turned out to be the most expensive election in history.

That's why Citizens United has got to go. And that's why, for the last 5 years, Democracy for America members across the country have been fighting back.

In 2012, DFA partnered with Senator Bernie Sanders to support a constitutional amendment to overturn Citizens United. Nearly 85,000 DFA members added their name to that petition.

Now we're taking the fight directly to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce -- which has flooded politics with dark money in the aftermath of Citizens United -- and we need your help.

On Wednesday, January 21 -- the fifth anniversary of the Citizens United decision -- we're joining more than one hundred organizations from across the country to deliver 5 MILLION signatures to the Chamber's headquarters in Washington, DC.

Together with our allies, we will send a clear message that our democracy can't be bought and that those who try will be exposed and opposed.

Before Wednesday's historic petition delivery, will you help DFA reach 100,000 signatures in support of Sen. Bernie Sanders' constitutional amendment to overturn Citizens United? Click here to add your name now.

At Democracy for America, we've made significant progress along with our allies in fighting the corruption of Citizens United:
  • In more than 600 cities and in 16 states, DFA members have helped lead several campaigns to go on the record against Citizens United -- like DFA activist Michelle Sutter's incredible work in California to pass the Overturn Citizens United Act.
  • We've helped successfully elect strong progressives, like Senators Al Franken and Tammy Baldwin, who -- along with 53 other Senators last year -- stood strong in favor of a constitutional amendment to overturn Citizens United.
  • Because we need a Democrat in the White House to take back the Supreme Court and reverse Citizens United, with the support of 87.6% of DFA members, we joined with MoveOn to build a movement that can convince Elizabeth Warren to run for president. Today, DFA and MoveOn kicked off the Run Warren Run campaign in New Hampshire, days after opening up operations in Iowa.

With 80% of Americans opposing Citizens United, it's clear that people across the political spectrum are sick of money corrupting politics and want Citizens United to be reversed. On Wednesday, we'll take one big step toward realizing that vision.

Add your name in support of Senator Bernie Sanders' constitutional amendment to repeal Citizens United -- and help DFA reach the 100,000 mark before Wednesday's delivery!

P.S. We've also got some late-breaking news! Sen. Bernie Sanders will join us on Wednesday at 8pm ET for a DFA Live conference call following Tuesday's State of the Union speech by President Obama. We'll discuss several issues -- including the fight to overturn Citizens United -- and Sen. Sanders will answer your questions live. Want to talk with Bernie? Sign up now for Wednesday’s special DFA Live call with Bernie Sanders.

Eric Garcia, “Barney Frank fears GOP will try to neuter watchdog agency” MarketWatch, Jan 6, 2015
  1. Erika Eichelberger, “A GOP Senate's First Target: Elizabeth Warren’s Consumer Protection Agency” Mother Jones, September 26, 2014
  2. Joseph Lawler, “Incoming GOP majority would target Elizabeth Warren's CFPB” Washington Examiner, October 21, 2014
  3. Erika Eichelberger, “10 Things Elizabeth Warren's Consumer Protection Agency Has Done for You” Mother Jones, March 14, 2014
  4. Eichelberger, “A GOP Senate's First Target: Elizabeth Warren’s Consumer Protection Agency.”
  5. Danny Vinick, “Elizabeth Warren's Warnings About Financial Reform Are Already Coming True” Mother Jones, January 9, 2015.