Urgent! DeLay's at it again; trying to Close the Bankruptcy Bill

[sarahlee]

Urgent! Call Congress to Demand an "Open Rule" for the Bankruptcy Bill!

House action on the Debt Slavery Bill was postponed last week due to the death of Pope John Paul II - and growing pressure from grassroots activists. But Tom DeLay is racing to push it through the House in the coming days.

Progressive activists, led by Democrats.com and Progressive Democrats of America, are fighting back. This morning we hosted a press conference on Capitol Hill with Reps. John Conyers (D-MI) and Barbara Lee (D-CA), along with the leaders of the powerful DebtSlavery.org Coalition. You can read their urgent statements at http://debtslavery.org

TODAY, April 13, at 5 p.m., the House Rules Committee will decide whether to allow any amendments to the outrageous Bankruptcy Bill that was passed by the Senate (S. 256).

The bill will change current law to prevent you from declaring bankruptcy under Chapter 7, which pays off your debts by liquidating your assets, giving you a fresh start financially.

Instead, it would force you into Chapter 13 with a rigid 5-year repayment plan. You would no longer be able to protect your car, your home, or your child support payments, and you would have to pay greater legal fees. Many people would be unable to keep up with unaffordable repayment plans, which judges would be unable to modify.

Simply put, you would become a debt slave to the credit card companies.

When the Senate passed this bill, it rejected a dozen crucial changes to make the bill humane - such as exemptions for serious medical problems, exemptions for those in the military, an interest rate limit of 30%, protecting the homes of the elderly, and comparably strict treatment of those who are rich.

In the House, Majority Leader Tom DeLay does NOT want to give Democrats a chance to offer crucial amendments like these.

He has instructed the House Rules Committee to adopt a "Closed Rule" when it meets TODAY.

It is urgent that everyone call the Republican Members of the House Rules Committee to demand an "Open Rule" on S. 256, the Bankruptcy Bill.

DAVID DREIER, CA - CHAIRMAN (202)-225-2305
LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART, FL (202)-225-4211
DOC HASTINGS, WA (202)-225-5816
PETE SESSIONS, TX (202)-225-2231
ADAM PUTNAM, FL (202)-225-1252
SHELLEY MOORE CAPITO, WV (202)-225-2711
TOM COLE, OK (202)-225-6165
ROB BISHOP, UT (202)-225-0453
PHIL GINGREY, GA (202)-225-2931

Also, if you have not urged your Representative to OPPOSE the Bankruptcy Bill when it comes to the floor - which could be as soon as Wednesday - please do so here:

http://www.democrats.com/peoplesemailnetwork/31

For more information about the Debt Slavery Bill visit:
http://www.debtslavery.org

[sarahlee]

1. Changed title n/t

:wtf:

[Nikki Stone 1]

2. This is part of my email to my senators

"The credit card companies aggressively market their cards, especially to those who are least equipped to handle them, like college students. The credit card companies create a lifestyle of debt--an addiction for some--before the customer has enough experience to know better. Credit card companies make their billions off of consumer debt, even factoring in their customers who go bankrupt. Now, having created debtors for their own profit, they want to squeeze every last dime out of them, regardless of their circumstances. This is loan sharking, and the bill in front of Congress would support it. I can't say it strongly enough: REJECT THIS BILL!"

[sarahlee]

3. It is in the House Now

It is congresscritters dealing with it now.

But the immediate need is to keep the bill open so Democrats can propose ammendments to try and soften the blow - and, if nothing else, get Republicans on record denying relief for those with mounting medical bills, etc.

Those phone calls have to be made ASAP! We are running out of time.