Democrats attempting a coup at new Consumer credit protection agency
The Obama administration has proposed yet one more massive change for our nation: the proposed Consumer Financial Protection Agency that will be given vast powers to regulate credit in America. Byron York of the Washington Examiner notes that Democrats view the Agency as one more tool to accomplish their political goals: expand the government, shrink free enterprise and empower favored political groups. Indeed, ACORN or ACORN-like groups must be salivating.
There will be two boards that will influence the Agency: a seven-member Oversight Board and an Advisory Board. The Oversight Board will be specifically composed of government officials that head key agencies. The second board is the Advisory Board and the membership is more open-ended. The more powerful board is the Oversight Board and that seems to be a target for Democrats.
Congresswoman Maxine Waters-a key supporter of ACORN for years-has offered an amendment that would add 5 members to the Oversight Board.
with all five chosen from among "experts in the fields of consumer protection, fair lending and civil rights, representatives of depository institutions that primarily serve underserved communities, or representatives of communities that have been significantly impacted by higher-priced mortgage loans."
Congresswoman Michelle Bachman and other Republicans expected that the target of Democratic efforts to influence the board would be the Advisory Board. They did not expect the Democrats to be so brazen as to attempt a palace coup of sorts and aim for the more powerful Oversight Board. This was a mishap.
The end result? The potent Oversight Board may be expanded with members of community organizations, such as ACORN. But there is another chance to stop the Change.
Bachmann knows that Democrats managed to open up the Oversight Board to ACORN and other groups without even being forced to publicly defend the decision. Now, she hopes they will be forced to vote up or down on a proposal to bar ACORN from the Oversight Board. "What we're going to try to do is offer an amendment when the bill goes to the floor," says Bachmann. "That's the goal -- to keep people who are from ACORN from serving on the Oversight Board."
So there will be another test. Will Democrats vote to negate Waters' amendment, to keep ACORN and other organizations from playing key roles in the new Consumer Financial Protection Agency? Or will they take a stand for ACORN when it comes to the final debate on the bill? The answer could determine whether ACORN finds an important place in a large and powerful new government agency.
This is a vital issue and one that is taking shape under the radar. If ACORN - or ACORN-like groups - are able to seize control of the Oversight Board (along with compliant and sympathetic officials of the Obama administration), any company extending credit will be compelled to give credit to people who are likely to default on their loans. Or financial firms will be forced to cut interest rates, or be disallowed for charging points on mortgages.
Those are only a few examples of what might transpire at the behest of the type of far-left groups that Congressmen Waters and company will likely lard the Oversight Board with in the years ahead. Credit will expand to people unable to pay off their debts (and not, say, to businesses that want the credit to expand and to hire people), and taxpayers will be bailing them out for years to come
That was precisely the type of policies that led our nation off the cliff.
Contact your Congressman.