Lobbyist Secretly Wrote House Dems' Letter Urging Weaker Investor Protections

[No Elephants]

Lobbyist Secretly Wrote House Dems' Letter Urging Weaker Investor Protections
Thirty-two liberal Democrats signed onto a letter drafted by a financial-industry lobbyist that aims to block protections for millions of Americans' retirement accounts.

Before I go any further, I have to question use of the word "liberal" in the headline. No liberal would have signed that fucking letter.


Okay, back to the quote now.

—By Erika Eichelberger
| Tue Aug. 13, 2013 3:00 AM PDT

A letter that a group of progressive Democrats sent to federal regulators opposing new protections for millions of Americans' retirement accounts was drafted by a financial-industry lobbyist, according to documents obtained by Mother Jones.

The Department of Labor, which oversees the federal law setting minimum standards for many retirement plans, would like to require retirement investment advisers to act in the best interest of their customers, as opposed to their own best interest.

But 28 out of the 43 members of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC)—a group of African American members of Congress that advocates the interests of low-income people and minorities—signed onto a June 14 letter opposing the rule. So did Democratic lawmakers Pedro Pierluisi of Puerto Rico, Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii, Ed Pastor of Arizona, and Jim Costa of California.

The letter's metadata indicates it was drafted by Robert Lewis, a lobbyist who works for the Financial Services Institute (FSI), an investment industry trade group:


Read more: http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2013/08/congressional-black-caucus-fiduciary-duty-rule-financial-services-institute

Oddly, Mother Jones does not name the signatories. It shows only some of the actual signatures, but even some of those are illegible.

[Enthusiast]

1. They pledge allegiance to a different

set of values than I do. And you're right, they're not liberals.

[No Elephants]

2. An fdl poster dug up the names somehow.

Senate who signed an August 2 letter:



Mark Begich (D-AK)

Ben Cardin (D-MD)

Tom Carper (D-DE)

Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY)

Kay Hagan (D-NC)

Amy Klobuchar (D-MN)

Claire McCaskill (D-MO)

Mark Pryor (D-AR)

Jon Tester (D-MT)

Mark Warner (D-VA)




Mark Warner, one of the founding members of the DLC. Tester, McCaskill, et al. Definitely not liberals.



House members who signed the June 14 letter:

Karen Bass (D-CA);

Beatty (D-0H);

Sanford D. Bishop, Jr. (D-GA):

Corrine Brown (D-FL);

G. K. Butterfield (D-NC);

Andre Carson (D-IN);

Donna M. Christensen (D-Virgin Islands At-Large);

Yvette D. Clark (D-NY);

Emanuel Cleaver (D-MO);

James Clyburn (D-SC);

Joyce Elijah E. Cummings (D-MD);

Danny Davis (D-IL);

Marcia L. Fudge (D-OH); (great name for a legislator, lol)

Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY);

Hank Johnson (D-GA);

Robin Kelly (D-IL);

William “Lacy” Clay, Jr. (D-MO);

Barbara Lee (D-CA);

Gregory Meeks (D-NY);

Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC At-Large);

Donald M. Payne (D-NJ);

Charles B. Rangel (D-NY);

Cedric Richmond (D-LA);

Bobby L. Rush (D-IL);

David C. Scott (D-GA);

Terri Sewell (D-AL)

Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS);

Maxine Waters (D-CA);

Frederica Wilson (D-FL)


Et tu, Lee, Rangel and Waters?


Tip of the hat to Sarah B of FDL @ Reply 22

http://news.firedoglake.com/2013/08/15/wall-street-lobbyist-actual-author-of-house-democrats-letter-to-weaken-investor-protections/#Respond