NM Congressional Delegation Votes in Tandem for Credit Card Reform; Split on Loaded Guns in National Parks

Yesterday the US Senate passed an amended version of H.R.627, the Credit Cardholders' Bill of Rights Act of 2009. The 90-5 vote followed a 357-to-70 vote in the House on April 30. Today, the US House approved the Senate version of the bill by a vote of , and the legislation will go next to President Obama, who has said he will sign it.

Senators Tom Udall and Jeff Bingaman, as well as Congressmen Martin Heinrich, Ben Ray Luján and Harry Teague, all voted in favor of the main bill. There was also a separate vote in the House today on an amendment included as Section 512 in the Senate-passed version to allow loaded guns in national parks. On that provision, Rep. Luján voted no while Reps. Heinrich and Teague voted yes. The House passed Section 512 by a vote of . Only two Republicans voted against the gun measure. On the Dem side of the aisle, 105 voted for it and 145 voted no.

Section 512, allowing loaded guns in national parks and federal wildlife refuges, originally got into the bill when Sen. Tom Coburn's amendment passed in the Senate with 67 senators -- including 27 Democrats -- voting for it. Senators Jeff Bingaman and Tom Udall both voted against the gun amendment. Democratic leaders then said there wasn't enough time to send the bill to a House-Senate conference committee — where it could possibly have been removed without a vote — and still get it to the President by Memorial Day as Obama requested. It therefore went to the House intact, where leaders decided to hold separate votes on the bill and Section 512.

The question is, will we now feel "safer" in the national parks, or will the national parks be more vulnerable to gun violence and/or poaching? I guess time will tell. One thing that is clear is that the National Rifle Association has a lot of clout on both sides of the aisle.

Members of New Mexico's Congressional delegation released statements praising the credit care reform bill's passage.

Rep. Ben Ray Luján said, “I’m glad that this important piece of legislation will now head to the President’s desk for his signature. As I have traveled the district, I have talked to families who have worked hard and followed the rules only to be taken advantage of by unfair and predatory credit card practices. At a time when it is difficult for many New Mexicans to make ends meet, this is unacceptable. The Credit Cardholders’ Bill of Rights is an important step toward ending these practices by credit card companies. This bill takes common sense steps to protect families from unfair credit practices--safeguarding families from retroactive charges, excessive fees, arbitrary rate increases and misleading terms.”

“Families across southern New Mexico are struggling to make ends meet and their situation is being made worse by deceptive and unfair practices,” said Congressman Harry Teague. “This bill will protect credit card holders from things like: retroactive charges, excessive fees, arbitrary rate increases and misleading terms—those are assurances every consumer deserves.”

“The Credit Cardholder's Bill of Rights Act strengthens the marketplace for consumers and restores a fundamental sense of fairness and honesty to the system, said Rep. Martin Heinrich. New Mexicans have the responsibility to live within their means and pay what they owe, but the government has the responsibility to make sure our credit card industry is playing by the rules. This legislation will improve transparency and accountability in the marketplace, and give consumers confidence in the contracts they enter into with their financial institutions.”

“This legislation is an important step towards protecting the millions of American children whose futures are compromised when their parents become victims of dishonest or unfair credit card company practices,” said Senator Tom Udall. “In 2004, families with minor children were more than three times as likely to file for bankruptcy as their childless friends. More children lived through their parent’s bankruptcy than their parent’s divorce, and these children risk losing a stable home and a shot at college. Today’s vote shows that the Senate can work in a bipartisan manner to protect American families.”

A story in the CS Monitor provides a summary of what the bill does and doesn't do regarding credit card rules.

President Obama was in Rio Rancho, New Mexico on May 14th touting credit card reform. See my previous post (with photos). More photos of the event taken by Mary Ellen can be found on our Flickr account.