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Chairman Meeks Introduces Bills to Provide Financial Relief and Protection to Federal Workers Impacted by Shutdown

January 25, 2019

Washington, DC – As his first official act as Chairman of the House Subcommittee on Consumer Protection and Financial Institutions, Congressman Gregory W. Meeks introduced two bills that would provide significant financial relief to furloughed federal workers and government contractors who have gone without pay during the recent government shutdown.

The Federal Worker Credit Protection Act of 2019 allows furloughed employees to remove negative information from their credit reports should they resolve late payments three months after the end of this shutdown.

The Federal Workers Banking Assistance Act would incentivize banks to provide interest-free loans, fee waivers, and other affordable financial products to furloughed employees and government contractors impacted during a shutdown. The bill achieves this aim by allowing banks to receive favorable Community Reinvestment Act credit for assisting furloughed employees. Currently, banks can receive consideration when they lend in areas impacted by a major natural disaster, but cannot receive consideration for assistance to individuals facing economic hardship due to a lapse in government funding. This would apply to all future shutdowns.

"One too many times, federal workers have been used as pawns in political gamesmanship. Trump is playing a dangerous game of chicken with the livelihoods of hundreds of thousands of federal workers, including TSA agents and air traffic controllers who work at JFK International Airport in my district. It's a disgrace and the least we can do is provide financial relief and protection by allowing workers to repair their credit and receive affordable or free financial services," said Congressman Gregory W. Meeks.

The Congressman was joined by over a dozen of his colleagues.

Co-signers of the Federal Worker Credit Protection Act includes Representatives Donald S. Beyer, Eleanor Holmes Norton, Robin Kelly, Sheila Jackson Lee, James Langevin, Tim Ryan, Anthony Brown, Juan Vargas, Bonnie Watson Coleman, Al Green, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Mark DeSealnier, Denny Heck, Rosa Delauro, Mike Quigley and Ed Perlmutter.

Co-signers of the Federal Workers Banking Assistance Act includes Representatives includes Eleanor Holmes Norton, Robin Kelly, Sheila Jackson Lee, James Langevin, Tim Ryan, Anthony Brown, Juan Vargas, Bonnie Watson Coleman, Al Green, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Mark DeSealnier, Rosa Delauro, Albio Sires, Mike Quigley, and Ed Perlmutter.

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