Val Demings: “Do we have a role as Congress to protect American families? In my home State of Florida, it is hard to go anywhere…”

“Do we have a role as Congress to protect American families? In my home State of Florida, it is hard to go anywhere without meeting a family who was affected by the foreclosure crisis. Many not only lost their homes, but their life savings. Through Dodd-Frank, Congress created the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to go after the bad actors that made tough times worse for homeowners in Florida by giving the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau the authority to go after mortgage companies for deceptive practices, threatening people who were behind on payments and putting them into debt collection when they were eligible for loan modification programs. Dodd-Frank also allowed state attorneys general to file consumer protection lawsuits against bad actors on behalf of families in their States. The Financial CHOICE Act would repeal these important consumer protections and return us to a time when families were being unfairly forced into foreclosure. Mr. Chairman, we can't go back. This is America, where we take care of our own, don't we? If Congress doesn't protect American families, who will? I urge my colleagues to do the right thing and to reject this bill.”