ACTION: STOP PREDATORY LENDING

From Indivisible Oregon...

**CALL TO ACTION**
Wednesday, May 2, 2018
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STOP PREDATORY LENDING
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#PredatoryLending
#PostalBankingAct
#MickMulvaney
#CFPB

Predatory lending is draining low-income communities and weakening our social system.
-- Low-income households pay $89 billion annually in interest and fees for short-term payday and similar loans.
-- Oregonians can pay up to 36% interest per year – or 153.77% on repeat renewals
-- 68 million Americans without bank accounts spend about 10% annually to access their own money

Legislation is in the works to tamp down predatory lending and provide a public option for banking:
--The SAFE Lending Act, (HR 4999, S 2417) would attack predatory loan services online.
-- A bill by Sen. Gillibrand would establish limited retail banking at the country’s 30,000+ post offices. Though the idea is controversial, nearly 60% of post offices are in zip codes with either one or zero bank branches.

Despite all this hardship, Mick Mulvaney, temporary head of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s (CFPB), has slowed the Bureau’s drive to reduce payday lending abuses. Mulvaney received $63,000 in contributions from payday lenders.
Some of our MoCs are leaders in efforts to end predatory lending, promote access to affordable banking, and protect the CFPB. We need all our MoCs to join in – moving us towards a just society for all.
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**ACTION: BOTH OUR SENATORS AND YOUR REPRESENTATIVE **
(Leave a message if you can’t get through.)

SAMPLE SCRIPT: MERKLEY, BONAMICI
“My name is [--] and I’m a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code]. I want to thank the Senator/Rep for introducing the SAFE Lending Act to stop online predatory lending. I also ask [Member] to consider a bill like Sen. Gillibrand’s proposal to establish banking services at all local post offices. We don’t have a just society if poor people must pay outrageous fees for predatory loans they need to just to get by. Thank you.”

SAMPLE SCRIPT: WYDEN
“My name is [--] and I’m a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code]. I want to thank the Senator/Rep for co-sponsoring the SAFE Lending Act to stop online predatory lending. I also ask [Member] to consider a bill like Sen. Gillibrand’s proposal to establish banking services at all local post offices.  We don’t have a just society if poor people must pay outrageous fees for predatory loans they need to just to get by. Thank you.”

SAMPLE SCRIPT: BLUMENAUER, WALDEN, SCHRADER, DEFAZIO
“My name is [--] and I’m a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code]. I am calling because I want [Member] to support the SAFE Lending Act to stop online predatory lending.  I also ask [Member] to consider a bill like Sen. Gillibrand’s proposal to establish banking services at all local post offices.  We don’t have a just society if poor people must pay outrageous fees for predatory loans they need to just to get by. Thank you.”
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 **REMEMBER FOR THE MID-TERMS**

Make sure:
--you and everyone you know is registered to vote.
--to check out Indivisible Oregon’s website  (www.IndivisibleOR.org) for midterm actions
--every candidate for Congress is answering questions about how they will work to make sure than our society is protected from predatory lenders, and that everyone has equal access to banking services.
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**PHONE NUMBERS**

SENATOR MERKLEY  
Portland: (503) 326-3386, DC: (202) 224-3753
Salem: (503) 362-8102, Eugene: (541) 465-6750
Medford: (541) 608-9102, Bend: (541) 318-1298
Pendleton: (541) 278-1129

SENATOR WYDEN  
Portland: (503) 326-7525, DC: (202) 224-5244
Salem: (503) 589-4555, Eugene: (541) 431-0229
Medford: (541) 858-5122, Bend: (541) 330-9142
La Grande: (541) 960-7691

CONGRESSWOMAN SUZANNE BONAMICI [D1]
DC: (202) 225-0855, OR: (503) 469-6010

CONGRESSMAN GREG WALDEN [D2]
DC (202) 225-6730, Medford: (541) 776-4646,
Bend (541) 389-4408, La Grande (541) 624-2400

CONGRESSMAN EARL BLUMENAUER [D3]
DC: (202) 225-4811, OR: (503) 231-2300

CONGRESSMAN PETER DEFAZIO [D4]
DC 202-225-6416, Eugene: (541) 465-6732,
Roseburg: (541) 440-3523, Coos Bay (541) 269-2609

CONGRESSMAN KURT SCHRADER [D5]
DC: (202) 225-5711, Salem (503) 588-9100,
Oregon City (503) 557-1324

** After you call, please comment below and briefly share your experience! **