Michelle Bowman: “I thank the chairwoman for yielding. Mr. Speaker, 80 percent of Americans have debt, and we punish people for it. But…”

“I thank the chairwoman for yielding. Mr. Speaker, 80 percent of Americans have debt, and we punish people for it. But the shame should actually be on policies that incentivize debt and predatory behavior in debt collection. The lack of protections in place for borrowers is a reflection of those harmful policies. Debt collectors today can use virtually any means available to harass borrowers, even in the middle of a global pandemic that has taken nearly 600,000 American lives, increased unemployment, and left millions unsure of how they will put food on the table. Debt collectors can call you, email you, text you, and even contact you on social media. My amendment will help rein in this endless harassment by prohibiting collectors from contacting borrowers on social media without explicit permission. Mr. Speaker, while there is still more work to be done on this front, this an important place to start, and I encourage my colleagues to support the amendment.”