The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee today is launching a paid advertising campaign to hold Congressman Coffman accountable for voting to delay critical protections for U.S. troops from predatory lenders. Coffman is a member of the Military Personnel Subcommittee, which sought to delay a regulation that would protect service members from the most egregious practices of the predatory lending system. As Coffman returns home to Colorado’s 6th District for this week’s congressional recess, he will be met with mailers and digital ads targeted to reach Colorado’s impacted military families, the same constituency that he just turned his back on in Washington.
“By voting to delay protections for our troops from predatory lenders, Congressman Coffman made it clear that he’ll go to bat for payday lenders and special interests, even if it means turning his back on service members and their families,” said Matt Thornton of the DCCC. “Perhaps he thought he could get away with 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: 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: “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.” [ThinkProgress, 4/29/15]
Coffman 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.” Coffman was one of 30 Republicans to oppose the amendment. [Huffington Post, 4/30/15]
Huffington Post: “Republicans Already Under Fire For Voting To Block Predatory Lending Protections For Troops.” [Huffington Post, 5/04/15]