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DCCC Launches Campaign Holding Congressman MacArthur Accountable for Supporting Predatory Lenders Over Our Troops

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MacArthur Return Home

Mail piece sent to New Jersey’s military families

After Congressman MacArthur voted to delay critical protections for U.S. troops from predatory lenders, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee is launching a paid advertising campaign to hold MacArthur accountable. With MacArthur back home in New Jersey for this week’s congressional recess, he will be met with mailers and digital ads targeted to reach New Jersey’s military families, the same constituency that he just voted against in Washington.

Recently, a provision was inserted into the National Defense Authorization Act that would delay protections for U.S. troops from predatory lending schemes that have unfairly targeted service members. That provision was dropped with bipartisan support, yet Congressman MacArthur still voted to keep it, prioritizing payday lenders and special interests over service members and their families.

“By voting to delay protecting our troops from predatory lenders, Congressman MacArthur has made it clear that he has the backs of payday lenders and special interests, rather than service members and their families,” said Matt Thornton of the DCCC. “Perhaps Congressman MacArthur thought they could get away with voting against our troops during a late-night committee meeting, but we will be using this recess to call out his shamefully wrong priorities.”

Background:

MacArthur Voted To Delay Closing Loopholes To Protect Troops From Predatory Lenders. “Another controversial amendment concerned rules for institutions lending to military families. Existing Department of Defense rules cap the interest that can be charged at 36 percent, but some lenders have found ways around the limit. New rules were written to try to close the loopholes, but language in the Authorization Act sought more information to ensure legitimate lenders weren’t unfairly impacted. Concerned that the language could delay implementation of the new rules, Illinois Democrat Tammy Duckworth proposed an amendment to scrap the language. It narrowly passed 32-30, carried by all 27 Democrats on the committee and five Republicans. MacArthur voted against the amendment.” [Burlington County Times, 4/30/15]

Huffington Post: “Democrats Defeat GOP Plan To Block Predatory Lending Protections For Soldiers.” [Huffington Post, 4/30/15]

MacArthur Voted Against Removing Language Postponing Protections For Service Members From Predatory Lenders. “House Democrats successfully knocked down a GOP plan early Thursday morning that would have blocked predatory lending protections for American soldiers. Republicans had slipped the deregulation measure into the National Defense Authorization Act — a major bill that sets the military’s funding levels. The bill would have imposed a one-year delay on new Department of Defense rules designed to shield military families from abusive terms on payday loans and other forms of expensive short-term credit.” MacArthur was one of 30 Republicans to oppose the amendment. [Huffington Post, 4/30/15]





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