VOTE ALERT: GOP Kills Consumer Protection Bill

Last week, Democrats managed to pass a major consumer protection bill through the House Appropriations Committee cracking down on credit card companies' most abusive practices. I warned everyone to be on the lookout for the GOP to try to quietly kill this legislation, which was sponsored by Rep. David Obey (D-WI). And today, that's exactly what the Republicans did. Using their dictatorial powers on the House Rules Committee, the GOP leadership eliminated the provisions without even allowing a vote on it, putting them once again firmly on the side of the credit card companies against ordinary Americans.

In a press release today, Obey put it best: "We had an opportunity today to protect consumers who are sick and tired of being bullied by shysters who take advantage of the fine print on their forms that charge people an arm and a leg on their credit cards. But, without even allowing a vote, the House Republican leadership decided instead to protect big money special interests."

See how your Member of Congress voted on the issue go here. This was the key procedural vote that allowed the Obey legislation to be stripped out.