Public Citizen just filed another lawsuit against the Trump regime. This is our
23rd lawsuit against the administration since Trump returned to power. (And
there will be more.)
We are suing to stop the Trump administration from completely defunding the
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, which was established after the 2008
financial crisis to keep everyday Americans from getting ripped off by Big
Banks.
Here are the basics about this latest suit:
* In 2008, Wall Street’s reckless greed set off a worldwide financial crisis.
In response, Congress established a new federal agency, the Consumer
Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), to protect the American people from
wrongful or unfair conduct by Big Banks and other giant financial
institutions.
* Public Citizen played a major role in the creation of the CFPB, which has
recovered billions for everyday Americans and helped bring more fairness and
transparency to the financial marketplace.
* Congress very intentionally made the CFPB’s funding independent from the
political gamesmanship of the annual federal budgeting process. Instead, the
CFPB is funded through the Federal Reserve System.
* While Trump has openly declared his desire to “totally eliminate” the CFPB,
the administration cannot lawfully dismantle a federal agency created by
statute. The attempt to do so is in defiance of the Constitution’s separation
of powers.
* Back in February, Trump installed one of his top lieutenants — a man named
Russell Vought — as acting director of the CFPB.
* If that name rings a bell, it’s probably because Vought was one of the
primary architects of the infamous Project 2025 manifesto, which is essentially functioning as a how-to guide for the Trump
regime’s authoritarianism.
* Vought believes the Trump regime can ignore Congress, the Constitution, and
the very idea of checks and balances that is the foundation of our system of
government.
* In October, Vought announced his intention to outright shut down the CFPB
within a matter of months.
* Now — while acknowledging that the CFPB will run out of money in early
January — Vought says he does not have to comply with the statutory
requirement that he request funding for the CFPB from the Federal Reserve.
The Trump regime’s illegal attempt to mothball the CFPB is just one more example
— and there are too many to count — that Donald Trump is not looking out for the
average person. Trump hates the CFPB precisely because the CFPB helps everyday
Americans fight the abuse, fraud, and corruption by which Trump and the
plutocrat class maintain their power and wealth.
Public Citizen was proud to play a role in creating the Consumer Financial
Protection Bureau 15 years ago. And we are proud to be taking the Trump regime
to court (again) to preserve the CFPB now.
MORE ABOUT TAKING THE TRUMP REGIME TO COURT
Public Citizen is doing everything we can — within our modest means — to fight
what the Trump regime is doing to our country. It’s David and Goliath for sure,
but we will never back down. Even where we haven’t (yet) notched definitive
victories in court, we are slowing down the regime and making it work a lot
harder in pursuit of its desire for absolute power.
This is the 23rd lawsuit we have filed (so far) against the administration since
Trump returned to power. Are these lawsuits alone enough to fully defeat Trump
and MAGA? Of course not. But are they a meaningful part of the pushback needed
to collectively save our country? No doubt about it.
What you and Public Citizen are doing together matters. What hundreds of other
organizations, big and small, are doing matters. What millions upon millions of
our fellow Americans are doing matters. We believe that to our core. We take
solace in that. And we draw inspiration from that. We hope you do, too.
If you can, please donate today to support Public Citizen’s work standing up to
the Trump regime. [[link removed]]
Anything you can chip in — $5 or $25, $50 or $100, $500 or even more — will help
at such a critical moment. [[link removed]]
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Or join our popular Monthly Giving program (if you haven’t already) to help make
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If you’ve donated to Public Citizen already, thank you. If a donation is not
right, we understand. Either way, thank you for being part of Public Citizen.
For progress,
- Lisa Gilbert & Robert Weissman, Co-Presidents of Public Citizen
Public Citizen | 1600 20th Street NW | Washington DC 20009 | Unsubscribe
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