Byron Dorgan: “I have supported bankruptcy reforms in the Congress. I voted for them. I felt the pendulum on bankruptcy issues had…”

“I have supported bankruptcy reforms in the Congress. I voted for them. I felt the pendulum on bankruptcy issues had swung a little too far to one side. I still feel that way, and I hope I will be able to support the legislation as it leaves the Senate. I suspect I will. I hope to support the legislation coming out of conference again this year. It is my hope to continue to support bankruptcy reform. We no longer have debtor prisons in this country. We do not mark people who go into debt and cannot get out of debt with some indelible mark. We provide mechanisms by which people can get some relief for themselves and their families in circumstances where, beyond their control, they run into some financial trouble. That is as it should be. As I said, the pendulum has swung too far. We have people now using the access of bankruptcy legislation and the laws we put on the books in some circumstances for convenience and in other circumstances in ways that injure others in a significant way. There are clearly people who have been subject to substantial medical bills and other unforeseen circumstances well beyond their control who access bankruptcy laws in a way they are intended to be accessed.”