mr. speaker , as i stated with respect to the consideration of the rule , today is a sad day for america , its elderly , its veterans , its bereaved , and its aspirants for a second chance . 
this 512-page legislation before the committee of the whole simply falls far short of its purported goal of ensuring that every debtor repay as much of her debt as she can reasonably afford . 
instead , this bill appeals to special interest groups -- mainly credit card companies . 
the bill 's sponsor has said that bankruptcy has become a system `` where deadbeats can get out of paying their debt scott-free , while honest americans who play by the rules have to foot the bill. '' given the economic gap as evidenced by the predominance of african american and hispanic bankruptcy filers , it is clear that these minorities are viewed as the `` deadbeats '' of society . 
given the harmful provisions that are contained within the legislation , it is clear that the republican majority wishes to perpetuate this condition . 
according to the democratic platform : `` the heart of the american promise has always been the middle class , the greatest engine of economic growth the world has ever known . 
when the middle class grows in size and security , our country gets stronger . 
and when more american families save and invest in their children 's future , america grows stronger still ... .. 
today , the average american family is earning $ 1 , 500 less than in 2000 . 
at the same time , health care costs are up by nearly one-half , college tuition has increased by more than one-third , gas and oil prices have gone through the roof , and housing costs have soared . 
life literally costs more than ever before -- and our families have less money to pay for it . 
three million more americans have fallen into poverty since 2000 '' . 
the bankruptcy bill , as it stands , has the potential to crush the dreams and futures of the vast majority of americans . 
it will shut the door to the one avenue that is available to those who are eventually overwhelmed by debt . 
the proposed bankruptcy bill will lead to a new feudal system . 
let me share a few facts with you . 
do you know that currently , more that 1 of every 100 adults in america files bankruptcy each year ? 
families with children are twice as likely to file . 
research shows that approximately 50 percent of all families are forced to file bankruptcy due to medical expenses ; and other 40 percent of families file bankruptcy due to divorce , job loss or death in the family . 
hispanic homeowners are nearly three times more likely than white homeowners to file , and african american homeowners are nearly six times more likely than white homeowners . 
african americans are also twice as likely to lose their homes due to foreclosures , often falling victim to the unscrupulous practices of predatory lenders . 
furthermore , african americans consistently have higher levels of debt . 
in a study of african american families , the typical family had debt of 30 percent of its assets , while the debt of the typical white family was 11 percent of its assets . 
the process by which this bankruptcy bill has made its way to the floor of the house frustrates both the notion of democracy and of representative government . 
i offered amendments to the bill that included : ( 1 ) closing a new loophole that threatens to undermine the comprehensive scheme to compensate victims of nuclear accidents , which congress enacted long ago in the price-anderson act ( paa ) ; ( 2 ) increasing the amount of tuition expenses allowed under the chapter 7 means test ; and ( 3 ) precluding the discharge of debt arising out of suits against sex offenses ; ( 4 ) striking the means test ; and ( 5 ) supporting an amendment by my colleague mr. schiff to offer relief to those who are victims of identity theft . 
chairman mel watt offered substantive amendments including one that would protect consumers from predatory lending tactics , and another that would seek to protect the credit of college students . 
similarly , representative bobby scott offered amendments that included proposals to allow debt to be discharged when bankruptcy is caused by unforeseen medical expenses or by the death of a spouse . 
however , the republican majority did not accept the amendments , and therefore ignored the issues advocated by my constituents and those of my seventeen democratic colleagues . 
the republican leadership of the judiciary committee passed this measure without consideration of a single amendment that was offered by my democratic colleagues and me . 
they effectively shut democrats out of the markup process and thereby ignored the voices of the people 's representatives on this very serious policy matter . 
when the bill was considered in the senate , the majority rejected over 25 democratic amendments , including one that would have helped debtors to keep their homes if they have been driven into bankruptcy by medical expenses . 
clearly , the majority has priorities that do not protect americans who are victims of circumstances that have nothing to do with creditworthiness . 
of the amendments that my democratic colleagues and i plan to offer ( for our upcoming consideration ) before the house is one that would remove the chapter 7 `means test ' . 
this would sift out debtors who can afford to repay at least a portion of their debts from those who can not . 
debtors who have income above a `` state median '' would have to plead before a bankruptcy judge . 
the egregious provisions of this bankruptcy bill and its name are not unlike many recent bills that have sifted through committee and onto the house floor . 
banks , credit card companies , and retailers have accounted for more than $ 24.8 million of campaign and partisan contributions since 1999 . 
commercial banks have given some $ 76.2 million , according to a study of campaign finance and lobbying disclosure reports and the center for responsive politics . 
the banking industry has spent $ 22 million on federal lobbying in the past five years . 
in fact , according to the new york times , `` the main lobbying forces for the bill -- a coalition that included visa , mastercard , the american bankers association , mbna america , capital one , citicorp , the ford motor credit company and the general motors acceptance corporation -- spent more than $ 40 million in political fund-raising efforts and many millions more on lobbying efforts since 1989. '' clearly , the republican majority has shut democrats out of the process in order to appease these special interest groups -- to the detriment of middle-class and elderly americans . 
as an african american , i am troubled by the fact that both african american and hispanic families , both of whom are over-represented in bankruptcy , would suffer disproportionately if this bill becomes law . 
proponents of this bankruptcy bill suggest that it will put pressure only on the families that have the ability to repay . 
in fact , the weight of the evidence demonstrates that this legislation will increase the cost of bankruptcy for every family , and decrease the protection of bankruptcy for every family , regardless of income or the cause of financial crisis . 
the bill contains provisions that will force many honest debtors unnecessarily out of chapter 7 , make chapter 13 impossible for many of the debtors who file today , protect significant loopholes for wealthy and well-advised debtors , as well as raise the cost of the system for all parties . 
it will turn the government into a private collection agency for large creditors , and force women trying to collect child support or alimony to compete with credit card companies that will have more of their debts declared non-dischargeable . 
the ability to file for bankruptcy relief and to receive a fresh start is a source of hope for a number of american families that suffer the burden of financial problems . 
what this administration proposes with this bankruptcy reform bill is an attack upon minorities . 
it will make it virtually impossible for many families to extricate themselves from a web of high interest debt -- and kill the dream of these families to become homeowners . 
mr. speaker , i reject this legislation not only because it is flawed in and of itself but also because the process by which it is being considered is severely flawed . 
americans deserve and have a right to a better process . 
