Pete Sessions: “I note that with regard to, I believe the new name for it is the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act, which is the updated…”

“I note that with regard to, I believe the new name for it is the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act, which is the updated Soldiers and Sailors Relief Act, is a good piece of legislation. It provides tremendous protection for our men and women who have been called to active duty and sent around the world to defend our interest. It is very important legislation. We updated it not too long ago, in 2003. Maybe it needs to be updated again. A bill structuring the rules of procedure for a bankruptcy in America is not the place to enter into debate about the refined procedures that might be necessary to give greater protection than we give today to our service men and women. I suggest very strongly that to those who disagree there are enough protections, let's consider that. Let's look at that and see if we can do a better job of providing relief. The danger we get into is this: If we start amending what homestead is and having a Federal law dominate state homestead laws, which has not been done in our history, is not the current law, and we have rejected time and again in many different ways, I think we jeopardize the bipartisan consensus we had that led to a vote that passed this legislation last time without the Sessions amendment, which I think provides additional benefits for servicemen. We passed it 83 to 15. I think one time it passed with 97 to 1 votes; another time 78 votes. This is legislation that has had four markups in the Judiciary Committee.”