House passes Senate version of credit card holders’ ‘bill of rights’ News
House passes Senate version of credit card holders’ ‘bill of rights’

[JURIST] The US House of Representatives [official website] on Wednesday voted 361-64 [roll call] to pass the Senate version of the Credit Card Holders' Bill of Rights [text, PDF]. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) [official website] called the bill historic, and a stern rebuke to credit card companies that, "have unfairly profited at the expense of responsible, hardworking Americans who pay their bills on time, and manage their household finances sensibly. The bill passed the Senate 90-5 [JURIST report] on Tuesday. American Bankers Association [official website] President Edward Yingling called the Senate version of the bill a device that may shrink the availability of credit for consumers [press release]. It is believed that President Obama will sign the bill before Memorial Day.

The House also passed a controversial amendment [roll call] to the bill introduced by Senator Tom Coburn (R-OK) [official website] that would allow visitors to National Parks to carry firearms [press release]. While the NRA applauded the amendment's bi-partisan passage [press release], Speaker Pelosi condemned the Senate for wasting time, offering, "unrelated amendments that undermine our nation’s gun safety laws."