The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee today is launching a paid advertising campaign to hold Congressman Heck accountable for his central role in trying to delay critical protections for U.S. troops from predatory lenders. Heck is the chairman of the Military Personnel Subcommittee, which sought to delay rules that would protect service members from the most egregious practices of the predatory lending system. Shockingly, Heck’s office defended his actions when the press exposed his likely role in the backroom maneuvering on behalf of payday lenders and their lobbyists. As Heck returns home to Nevada’s 3rd District for this week’s congressional recess, he will be met with mailers and digital ads targeted to reach Nevada’s military impacted families, the same constituency that he just turned his back on in Washington.
“By voting to delay protecting our troops from predatory lenders, Congressman Heck 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 Heck thought he could get away with inserting this shameful provision and then voting against our troops during a late-night committee markup, but we will be using this recess to hold him accountable for his shamefully wrong priorities.”
Background:
Huffington Post: Republicans Already Under Fire For Voting To Block Predatory Lending Protections For Troops. [Huffington Post, 5/04/15]
Huffington Post: House GOP “Under Pressure From The Banking Lobby” Pushed Legislation To Block Predatory Lending Protections For Soldiers. “House Republicans are pushing legislation to block predatory lending protections for American soldiers, under pressure from the banking lobby. GOP lawmakers tucked the deregulation item into the National Defense Authorization Act — a major bill setting the military’s funding, along with a number of other controversial terms on Guantanamo Bay and other issues. If the banking item is enacted, it would impose a one-year delay on new Department of Defense rules meant to shield military families from abusive terms on payday loans and other forms of high-interest credit.” [Huffington Post, 4/29/15]
ThinkProgress: “The One-Year Delay Of New Financial Protections For The Military Appears To Come From Rep. Joe Heck (R-NV).” “Majority Republicans quietly inserted language into the gigantic defense legislation that would override a Pentagon push to enhance consumer protections for men and women in uniform… The one-year delay of new financial protections for the military appears to come from Rep. Joe Heck (R-NV), who chairs the subcommittee that produced the provision without discussion.” [ThinkProgress, 4/29/15]
Heck Spokesman Defended Provision To Postpone Lending Protections. “Greg Lemon, a spokesman for Rep. Joe Heck, said requiring a study doesn’t stop anything. Heck, a Nevada Republican, chairs the House subcommittee that drafted the lending provision. ‘This provision allows Congress to exercise its proper oversight role of the Department of Defense before it promulgates this rule,’ Lemon said in an email.” [Bloomberg, 4/28/15]