Hey look! Some good news! Don't let it get lost in the shuffle!

[lonestarnot]

THROW THE NEXT STRIKE AGAINST THE CREDIT CARD COMPANIES!

Until this year, the banks had never lost a vote. But they lost a key committee vote on the tough Credit Cardholders Bill of Rights. The bill would make their worst practices illegal. That vote was strike one.

And thanks to your e-mails last week, Speaker Pelosi has agreed to schedule a historic floor vote on the Credit Cardholders Bill of Rights for this week -- before Congress leaves for campaign trail.

Your call to your representative could be strike two.

http://www.uspirg.org/action/credit-cards/pass-the-bill-of-rights?id4=ES

Every once in a while, when a vote is imminent and expected to be close, we ask you to go the extra mile and call Congress. This is one of those times.

Your representative needs to hear from you today, because he or she is already hearing from the credit card companies -- and they hate to lose.

But the tide is turning. Take the editorial in last week's New York Times. "For all of these candidates who keep talking about helping the ordinary American, this should be an easy one. Get behind the Credit Cardholders' Bill of Rights now, before the election."

Your calls could be the extra push that Congress needs.

It's time to throw strike two and pass the Credit Cardholders' Bill of Rights through the U.S. House.

We'll walk you through how to do it on our Web site:

http://www.uspirg.org/action/credit-cards/pass-the-bill-of-rights?id4=ES

Thanks in advance for taking action.

[Cary]

1. Yes, it is time for the pendulum to swing. n/t

[lonestarnot]

2. Get it swinging!

Make the contacts!

[grannie4peace]

3. i called thru the switchboard--boy are they busy---

everyone needs to call!!!!!!

[lonestarnot]

4. Thanks grannie4peace!

:yourock:

[Greyhound]

5. Some (dated) details.

2/7/2008--Introduced.
Credit Cardholders' Bill of Rights Act of 2008 - Amends the Truth in Lending Act to prohibit a creditor from using certain adverse information, including information in a consumer report or any change in a consumer's credit score, as the basis for increasing any annual percentage rate (APR) of interest on the consumer's outstanding balance under an open end consumer credit plan, except for actions or omissions of the consumer directly related to such account. (Thus eliminates the universal default for credit already outstanding.)
Bars a creditor from changing any term of the contract or agreement of an open end consumer credit plan until contract renewal, except for specific material reasons already contained in the contract or agreement.
Requires advance notice of credit card account rate increases.
Authorizes a consumer who receives such notice to: (1) cancel the credit card without penalty or the imposition of any fee; and (2) pay any outstanding balance that accrued before the effective date of the increase at the APR and in the repayment period in effect before notice was received.
Prohibits a creditor from imposing interest on credit repaid within the interest-free repayment time period. (Thus prohibits double cycle billing).
Prohibits the imposition of fees on any outstanding balance on a credit card account attributable only to accrued interest on previously repaid credit.
Requires each periodic statement of account to provide specified information on obtaining the payoff balance.
Prohibits a creditor from furnishing information to a consumer reporting agency concerning a newly opened credit card account until the consumer has used or activated the credit card.
Details mandatory pro rata payment allocations by a creditor.
Authorizes a consumer to opt-out of creditor authorization of over-the-limit transactions if fees are imposed.
Restricts the frequency of over-the-limit fees.
Specifies the contents of credit card price and availability information the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System must collect and make public semiannually.
Prescribes a standard for the initial issuance of subprime or "fee harvester" cards (accounts requiring first-year fee payments in excess of 25% of the total amount of credit authorized).

If anyone has a more recent version, we'd like to see it.



WAKE UP AMERICA!

[lonestarnot]

6. kick!