I've never seen a bill that was so one-sided. The cries, claims and concerns of vulnerable Americans who have suffered a financial emergency have been drowned out by the political might of the credit card industry.

former Dem. Senator Howard M. Metzenbaum now head of Consumer Federation of America

Consumer groups and unions have been aggressive in opposing it, contending that the changes in bankruptcy law will take away an important means of relief for families hit by job losses. Former President Clinton vetoed last year's similar version, saying it would hurt ordinary people and working families.

"This is the most anticonsumer piece of legislation that the Congress is considering," said Edmund Mierzwinski, consumer program director for the U.S. Public Interest Research Group in Washington, D.C.

"Among Senate Democrats who may vote for the bankruptcy bill are Minority Leader Thomas A. Daschle (D-S.D.), whose state is home to a Citigroup Inc. credit card operation in Sioux Falls that employs several thousand people. Daschle has received $45,000 in political contributions from Citigroup in the last six years." -- Washington Post 3/11/01

The Associated Press is calling it a big win for Bush and "the second business-friendly measure to pass both houses of the new Congress".

And they wonder why Ralph Nader got so many Democratic votes?

The Sell Outs:

Daniel Akaka (Hawaii) senator@akaka.senate.gov
Max Baucus (Montana) http://www.senate.gov/~baucus/EmailMax.htm
Evan Bayh (Indiana) http://bayh.senate.gov/webmail.html
Joe Biden (Delaware) senator@biden.senate.gov
Jeff Bingaman (New Mexico) senator_bingaman@bingaman.senate.gov
John Breaux (Louisiana) senator@breaux.senate.gov
Robert Byrd (West Virginia) senator_byrd@byrd.senate.gov
Maria Cantwell (Washington) http://cantwell.senate.gov/mailform.html
Jean Carnahan (Missouri) senator_carnahan@carnahan.senate.gov
Thomas Carper (Delaware) http://carper.senate.gov/
Max Cleland (Georgia) http://www.senate.gov/~cleland/webform.html
Hillary Clinton (New York) senator@clinton.senate.gov
Kent Conrad (North Dakota) senator@conrad.senate.gov
Tom Daschle (Sorth Dakota) http://daschle.senate.gov/webform.htm
Byron Dorgan (North Dakota) senator@dorgan.senate.gov
John Edwards (North Carolina) http://www.senate.gov/~edwards/contact.html
Dianne Feinstein (California) senator@feinstein.senate.gov
Bob Graham (Florida) bob_graham@graham.senate.gov
Fritz Hollings (South Carolina) http://www.senate.gov/~hollings/webform.html
Daniel Inouye (Hawaii) http://www.senate.gov/~inouye/webform.html
Tim Johnson (South Dakota) tim@johnson.senate.gov
Herb Kohl (Wisconsin) senator_kohl@kohl.senate.gov
Mary Landrieu (Louisiana) http://landrieu.senate.gov/webform.html
Patrick Leahy (Vermont) senator_leahy@leahy.senate.gov
Carl Levin (Michigan) senator@levin.senate.gov
Joe Lieberman (Connecticut) senator_lieberman@lieberman.senate.gov
Blanche Lincoln (Arkansas) blanche_lincoln@lincoln.senate.gov
Barbara Mikulski (Maryland) senator@mikulski.senate.gov
Zell Miller (Georgia) http://miller.senate.gov/email.htm
Patty Murray (Washington) senator_murray@murray.senate.gov
Ben Nelson (Nebraska) http://www.senate.gov/senators/ben_nelson.html
Harry Reid (Nevada) senator_reid@reid.senate.gov
Chuck Schumer (New York) senator@schumer.senate.gov
Debbie Stabenow (Michigan) senator@stabenow.senate.gov
Robert Torricelli (New Jersey) senator_torricelli@torricelli.senate.gov
Ron Wyden (Oregon) http://wyden.senate.gov/mail.htm

Democrats Who Voted No:
Jon Corzine, N.J.; Mark Dayton, Minn.; Chris Dodd, Conn.; Dick Durbin, Ill.; Russ Feingold, Wis.; Tom Harkin, Iowa; Ted Kennedy, Mass.; John Kerry, Mass.; Bill Nelson, Fla.; Jack Reed, R.I.; John Rockefeller, W.Va.; Paul Sarbanes, Md.; Paul Wellstone, Minn.

Not Voting:
Barbara Boxer (California)

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