mr. speaker , i rise today in support of the bankruptcy abuse prevention and consumer protection act of 2005 . 
i came to congress to promote the ideals of freedom , security and prosperity . 
embodied within these principles is the duty of the american people to take responsibility for their actions -- including control of one 's personal finances and investments -- without undue influence from the federal government . 
under current law , bankruptcy protection has increasingly become a first stop rather than a last resort . 
our credit markets have been undermined on a daily basis because of the abuse of the existing laws . 
all too often , people run to the shelter of bankruptcy to escape the consequences of their actions , all to the detriment of the rest of society . 
that is fundamentally wrong . 
mr. speaker , the bankruptcy abuse prevention and consumer protection act reforms existing bankruptcy law to stem the rise in bankruptcy abuse while maintaining its protections for those who really need them . 
the act places compassionate , coherent , and common-sense reforms on the current system . 
it ensures that frivolous costs are no longer unfairly passed on to american families . 
mr. speaker , as a supporter of the bankruptcy abuse prevention and consumer protection act , i encourage my colleagues to vote for this well-balanced measure that will protect those individuals who need a fresh start while cracking down on abuse of the system . 
