Statement by President Obama on Consumer Protection and Financial Reform

Nearly two years after the collapse on Wall Street that cost over 8 million jobs on Main Street, the American people deserve strong, tough reform that will help prevent another financial crisis.  The bill before the Senate demands accountability from Wall Street and includes the strongest consumer protections ever.

Unfortunately, throughout this debate, there have been partisan attempts to obstruct progress and weaken reform.  Today, the Senate is considering a Republican amendment that will gut consumer protections and is worse than the status quo.  I will not allow amendments like this one written by Wall Street’s lobbyists to pass for reform. This amendment will significantly weaken consumer protection oversight, includes dangerous carve outs for payday lenders, debt collectors, and other financial services operations, and hurts the ability of community and local banks to compete by creating an unlevel playing field with their non-bank competitors.

As I have said throughout this process, I want to continue to work with Democrats and Republicans because protecting the American people should not be a partisan issue.  But we must work together in good faith.  Alternatives that gut consumer protections and do nothing to empower the American people by cracking down on unfair and predatory practices are unacceptable, and I urge the Senate to vote no on weakening consumer protections and instead stand with the American people.