WASHINGTON — Alabama’s members of Congress voted along party lines on all major issues during the legislative week ending May 14. Those included bills to limit actions on debt collectors, require accommodations for pregnant workers and confirm nominations by President Biden.

HOUSE

Cracking Down on Debt Collectors

Voting 215 for and 207 against, the House on May 13 passed a bill (HR 2547) that would prohibit abusive practices by private firms that collect debt from consumers, student-loan borrowers and others seriously in arrears. The bill would require a two-year grace period before efforts to collect medical debt from seriously ill individuals could begin. And it would allow co-signers as well as borrowers of private student loans to discharge their debt on the basis of total and permanent disability, just as seriously disabled borrowers of federal student loans and their co-signers can do. The bill also would:

• Prohibit companies from collecting medical debt or reporting it to a credit reporting agency without first notifying the consumer about his or her rights.
• Limit fees to 10% of collections in the case of companies hired by federal agencies to collect debt.
• Prohibit collection firms from making malicious, unfounded threats against members of the military.
• Increase monetary damages imposed by the 1977 Fair Debt Collection Practices Act on companies using unfair and deceptive practices.
• Prohibit collection firms from using emails and text messages to badger those in arrears without their permission.
• Expand protections for small and minority-owned businesses against collection actions.

Deborah Ross, D-N.C., said the bill is needed because “debt collectors often operate with impunity, threatening servicepeople, denying small business owners due process, and harassing customers and homeowners with repeated calls, texts and emails. Harassment by debt collectors negatively affects students’ career decisions, small business growth, homeownership and families’ financial stability.”

Guy Reschenthaler, R-Pa., said “consumers are already protected from harmful debt collection practices” under existing law, and he added that “it is absolutely clear that (Democrats) are using the COVID-19 pandemic as an excuse to dismantle our free-market system and force their radical, progressive agenda on the American people.”

A yes vote was to send the bill to the Senate.

Alabama

Voting yes: Terri Sewell, D-7 

Voting no: Jerry Carl, R-1, Barry Moore, R-2, Mike Rogers, R-3, Robert Aderholt, R-4, Mo Brooks, R-5, Gary Palmer, R-6 

Workplace Accommodations for Pregnancy

Voting 315 for and 101 against, the House on May 14 passed a bill (HR 1065) that would require private-sector firms and government agencies with at least 15 employees to provide reasonable workplace accommodations for workers and job applicants who are pregnant or have recently given birth. The bill would not require employers to make accommodations that impose undue hardship on their operations. GOP critics said it gave insufficient protection to religious organizations.

Lois Frankel, D-Fla., said pregnant women at work now “can be denied … an extra bathroom break, a place to sit, a lighter lifting, or (be) fired for asking for simple accommodations or even just disclosing that she is pregnant. This leaves many women having to choose between the health of their pregnancy and putting food on their family’s table. We are putting women in danger every single day while we hold off on this action.”

Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., said: “Passing this bill means a small business or religious organization could be forced to provide paid time off to an employee to have an abortion even if that violates the religious beliefs of the organization. On top of that, these groups can be sued for damages for not taking every step to accommodate pregnant workers. That means churches and small businesses, the backbone of America, will be tied up in court for years.”

A yes vote was to send the bill to the Senate.

Alabama

Voting yes: Sewell 

Voting no: Carl, Moore, Rogers, Aderholt, Brooks, Palmer 

 

SENATE

Nullifying Trump Administration Banking Rule

Voting 52 for and 47 against, the Senate on May 11 nullified a six-month-old Trump administration rule that has made it easier for state-regulated predatory lenders to use fleeting alliances with national banks and federal savings associations to avoid state banking regulations including usury rules capping interest rates.

The federal institutions involved in such arrangements are not answerable to state regulations. The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) published the rule Oct. 30. With this vote, the Senate adopted a resolution (SJ Res 15) that would revoke it by means of the Congressional Review Act. Defenders said the rule rightfully allows national banks to become the lender of record if they have put up the money and signed their name at the time of origination. They said nullification would penalize community banks that partner with internet-based financial institutions, “fintechs,” to expand their portfolios.

Chris Van Hollen, D-Md, said that, under the rule, unscrupulous lenders “go to a national bank, and you essentially rent their name. And by doing that, you create a loophole that allows you to avoid the state laws that have been put in place to protect against this kind of predatory lending.”

Pat Toomey, R-Pa., said the rule “ensures that national banks are accountable for the loans they issue through these lending partnerships, and it requires the OCC to supervise those loans for compliance with consumer protection and anti-discrimination laws.”

A yes vote was to send the nullification measure to the House.

Alabama

Voting yes: None

Voting no: Richard Shelby, R, Tommy Tuberville, R 

Andrea Palm, Deputy Health Secretary

Voting 61 for and 37 against, the Senate on May 11 confirmed Andrea J. Palm, 47, as deputy secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services. Palm was a senior HHS staff member and White House aide during the Obama administration, and she worked under Hillary Clinton when she represented New York in the Senate. Palm worked most recently as secretary-designee of the Wisconsin Department of Health Services.

A yes vote was to confirm the nominee.

Alabama

Voting yes: None

Voting no: Shelby, Tuberville 

Cindy Marten, Deputy Education Secretary

Voting 54 for and 44 against, the Senate on May 11 confirmed Cindy M. Marten as deputy secretary of the Department of Education. She was superintendent of the San Diego Unified School District in 2013-2021. A former classroom teacher and school principal, Marten is a literacy specialist who served as president of the San Diego Council of Literacy Professionals.

A yes vote was to confirm the nominee.

Alabama

Voting yes: None

Voting no: Shelby, Tuberville 

KEY VOTES AHEAD

The House will take up bills to address hate crimes against Asian-Americans and establish a commission to investigate the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol in the week of May 17, while the Senate will vote on Biden administration nominees.