April 26, 2010
Will Republicans Choose to Protect Wall Street?
The Senate is scheduled to vote today at 5pm ET on legislation to reform Wall Street. Republicans claim that they're not ready yet to make a deal with Democrats; therefore, GOP leadership is threatening to block a vote that would allow the Senate to proceed to debate on the bill.
After months of bipartisan negotiations led by Senate Banking Committee Chairman Chris Dodd, Democrats have pressed ahead despite Republican objections. "Here we are 17 months after someone broke into our house in effect and robbed us, and we still haven't even changed the locks on the doors...So we need to get it done,"
said Dodd. Even if Republicans successfully filibuster a vote to proceed to debate Wall Street reform, Democrats won't give up -- they know that
two-thirds of Americans support Congressional efforts to enact sweeping changes to the financial system.
According to Jim Manley, spokesman for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, today's first key vote on Wall Street reform legislation represents a
clear choice for Republicans:
Will they stand up for the American people, and join us to hold Wall Street accountable for the reckless gambling that cost 8 million Americans their jobs and millions more their economic livelihood? Or will they follow the marching orders they've been getting at their secret, closed-door meetings with Wall Street executives, and continue to protect Wall Street?
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