January, 04 2012, 10:11am EDT
For Immediate Release
Contact:
Miranda Blue or Justin Greenberg
Phone: 202-467-4999
Email: media@pfaw.org
PFAW Applauds President for Appointing Cordray; Recess Appointment a Necessary and Proper Response to GOP Obstruction
WASHINGTON
In a move to ensure the functioning of an important consumer protection agency in the face of escalating GOP obstructionism, the White House announced that President Obama will install Richard Cordray as the head of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau in a recess appointment today.
Marge Baker of People For the American Way issued the following statement:
"A recess appointment for such a highly qualified and mainstream nominee should not have been necessary, but the Senate GOP left the president with no other option. President Obama has made a good faith effort to nominate mainstream, respected nominees for executive and judicial positions, but has been met at every turn by a Republican Congress unwilling to perform even its most basic duties. Today, the president took a necessary step toward ensuring a fair and functioning government for all Americans.
"The president's appointment of Richard Cordray to head the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau was critical. All but two Republican senators have publicly stated that they have no objection to Cordray himself but are unwilling to confirm any nominee unless the agency is significantly weakened. This is plain and simple dereliction of duty, and the president had no choice but to counter it with a recess appointment. With Cordray at its helm, the CFPB can now address the full set of responsibilities Congress assigned it to protect American consumers."
People For the American Way works to build a democratic society that implements the ideals of freedom, equality, opportunity and justice for all. We encourage civic participation, defend fundamental rights, and fight to dismantle systemic barriers to equitable opportunity. We fight against right-wing extremism and the injustice it fosters.
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New Progressive Caucus Chair Ready to 'Fight Billionaires, Grifters, and Republican Frauds'
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According to NBC:
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