Pete Sessions: “I would just say Senator Durbin is an excellent advocate, but this is the fourth time that this bill in substantially…”

“I would just say Senator Durbin is an excellent advocate, but this is the fourth time that this bill in substantially this form has been before this body. It has been marked up in the Judiciary Committee four times. We have had weeks on it each time it has come up for debate here. After several weeks of debate, the last time it came up it passed 83 to 15. The issues that he raises are really covered by the bill. If someone, anyone is disabled and they have a continuing extra medical expense, that would be considered in whether or not they would ever have to pay any of their debts back. If their income is below median income, they would never be required to pay their debts back. All they would have to do is introduce some evidence from their pay stubs or their income tax, what their income is. Certainly we have a right to ask that before we discharge, wipe out, eliminate all debts, as people do when they come into bankruptcy. I really would just say that we have given great consideration to these issues. We could disagree, but these amendments, for the most part, have been up before. I do not believe that most are going to be accepted. But there is every right of my colleague's side to offer them.”