ANTI-CONSUMER BILL COMING TO A HEAD
May 15, 2002
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The anti-consumer Bankruptcy Reform bill, if it becomes law, will make it much more difficult for consumers to file for Chapter 7. It will also make Chapter 13 much more difficult, expensive, and embarrassing. The bill remains stuck in a “conference committee,” while Members of Congress try to hash out differences between the House and Senate bills, both of which passed by overwhelming margins. If the only remaining difference (concerning violence committed at abortion clinics) is resolved, the bill will sail through, and probably be signed by the President and become law. There is currently a six month delayed effective date in the bill.
Senate Judiciary Committee ranking member Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) yesterday suggested that he would not part ways with fellow conferee Rep. Henry Hyde (R-Ill.) who remains locked in a dispute with Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) over the treatment of abortion clinic access language in the legislation, reported CongressDaily. In response to a possible compromise between Senate Democrats and Hyde on the matter, Hatch said, “If it is acceptable to Hyde, it is acceptable to me.” However, asked if he could envision supporting a Senate offer that remained unacceptable to Hyde, Hatch replied, “I don’t think it’s possible,” reported CongressDaily. The House Republican conferees have made it clear they will support Hyde’s stance under any circumstances.
“I would guess that if it doesn’t happen by Memorial Day, it’s not going to happen,” Schumer said yesterday, reported the Associated Press. Schumer said negotiations on the abortion provision continue almost daily, but he doesn’t plan on backing away from the Senate provision that would prohibit people found to have blocked others from obtaining any legal service from using bankruptcy proceedings to escape fines and civil judgments. The bankruptcy conferees are scheduled to meet at 2 p.m.on Wednesday, May 22, to discuss the overhaul legislation — the resolution of which will determine the bankruptcy bill’s fate this year.
