Today, lawmakers in Congress are considering proposals that would undermine the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), a vital agency designed to protect people from predatory financial practices. These proposals would effectively weaken the CFPB, leaving families vulnerable to exploitation by financial service companies and debt collectors.  

Among the proposals under consideration is a move to overturn a rule that removes medical debt from credit reports—a rule that has broad support and is crucial to protecting the economic well-being of families across the nation. This rule would not only help families gain access to credit but would also ease the burden on entrepreneurs and small business owners struggling with medical debt.  

This issue is deeply personal for many people. For instance:  

“I’m self-employed. After paying my bills and putting money back into my business, I have to go to churches or family to eat. So going to the doctor or dentist is out. I have a heart condition, thyroid issues, back problems, and numerous other health concerns, but a roof over my head seems more important.” – Cecilia, NC  

“Our adult daughter is a mental health therapist who recently opened her own private practice. A few months ago, she became ill and needed extensive medical tests and hospitalization. Because she was self-employed, she couldn’t afford health insurance at the time. Now, she’s dealing with the stress of a sizable medical bill while also trying to recover and support her clients. This burden affects not just her, but the people she serves in her community.” – Carl, Iowa  

These stories are not isolated. Families across the U.S. are grappling with the weight of medical debt, and Congress must act to protect them.  

While the Trump administration has worked to weaken the CFPB, the agency remains a critical defender of consumer rights, especially for those impacted by medical debt. The CFPB’s recent rule preventing medical debt from appearing on credit reports is a crucial step toward ensuring families aren’t penalized for getting sick. However, powerful corporate interests are attempting to derail this rule, preventing millions of people from accessing housing or transportation simply because they incurred a medical bill, often one full of errors.  

Let’s be clear: this is not about saving taxpayer dollars. It’s about corporate greed. The only parties who stand to gain from a weakened CFPB are debt collectors, credit reporting agencies, and financial services companies eager to exploit vulnerable families.

Community Catalyst is committed to fighting these harmful proposals. We’re running a five-figure digital campaign urging Congress to reject any efforts to weaken the CFPB, including the medical debt rule. Our latest blog, When It Comes to the Dismantling of the CFPB, Follow the Money, explains how undermining the CFPB will hurt millions of families while allowing corporate interests to thrive.  

We invite you to read Mona Shah’s blog post, Community Catalyst’s Senior Director of Policy and Strategy, which delves deeper into this issue. Learn more about the campaign to defend the CFPB rule here.  

Community Catalyst is happy to connect you with a spokesperson for further commentary. We can also get you connected to HIT Strategies, to discuss the broad support for this policy. Please reach out to Jack Cardinal at jcardinal@communitycatalyst.org for more information or to schedule an interview.  

Thank you for your attention to this important issue. 

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