Washington DC – Today, a minority of Senators voted to block the Senate from beginning debate of the Wall Street reform bill. Oregon’s Senator Jeff Merkley released the following statement:
“Today, Senators showed the American people where they stand. And, unfortunately, some Senators voted to stand alongside the executives and lobbyists on Wall Street rather than with the hardworking families and businesses on Main Street.
“Instead of voting to allow the bill to be debated in public view, they want more backroom negotiations and delay as they try to kill Wall Street reform. It is nothing short of remarkable that after everything our country has been through in the last two years, Senators continue to defend the anything-goes ideology that puts the foxes in charge of the henhouse.
“Countless American families and businesses have been taken to the cleaners because of Wall Street’s bad decisions, and it’s long past time for Congress to put an end to the abuses and recklessness that cost Americans their jobs and retirement savings.
“I will continue fighting for a strong Wall Street reform bill that will end the era of taxpayer bailouts, ban high-risk trading in the banks that our families and businesses depend on, and implement strong consumer protections so credit card companies, mortgage lenders, and payday lenders can’t bury tricks and traps in fine print.
“It’s time to put the success of our working families ahead of the demands of Wall Street. I remain hopeful that those who opposed reform today will reconsider and support restoring fair rules of the road for Wall Street.”
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