Statement by Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin on the Bankruptcy Bill Passed Today in the House

Statement by Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin on the Bankruptcy Bill Passed Today in the House
April 14, 2005

"The Bankruptcy Bill passed by the House today adds insult to injury for hardworking Americans who are trying to make ends meet. Those just struggling to get by in America certainly feel the rug being pulled from under them. We've seen one legislative assault after another on the safety nets that exist for those with the least. First, it was cuts in Medicaid, low income housing, and higher education opportunities for middle class kids. Next, it was Bush's proposal to dismantle Social Security. Now, it is this Bankruptcy Bill.

Knowing that about half of all personal bankruptcy cases involve medical debt, knowing that many national guardsmen and reservists sent overseas face financial collapse at home because of that service, and knowing that every 30 seconds an American files for bankruptcy after experiencing a health crisis, I cannot condone a bill that deliberately punishes those in such dire circumstances in order to feather the nests of the very profitable credit card and banking industries. This is not the America I know. This is not a bill I can support."

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