mr. speaker , i rise in strenuous opposition to this unfair bill . 
mr. speaker , i rise in strong opposition to s. 256 . 
this bankruptcy bill is touted as reform , but it is actually a wolf in sheep 's clothing intended to allow credit card companies and other lenders to gouge consumers when they are most vulnerable . 
republicans are giving this gift to big credit card companies at a time when many americans are faced with uncertain job stability , retirement security , and health coverage . 
in fact , 90 % of all bankruptcies are filed due to the common financial emergency of a lost job or lack of medical coverage . 
this bill makes it harder for working families to seek shelter from these devastating and unavoidable expenses . 
the wall street journal recently featured the case of a constituent in my district . 
crystal herndon , a single mom in haywood , california , earns $ 15 an hour . 
ms. herndon got sick with pneumonia , causing her to miss six weeks of work and rack up over $ 5 , 000 in medical bills . 
these unforeseen expenses caused her to fall behind on other financial obligations , and before she knew it she was simply unable to make ends meet . 
bankruptcy protection was the only way out for ms. herndon and her family . 
it 's hard to see the abuse in real instances of need such as these , especially when many americans live paycheck to paycheck . 
sadly crystal herndon is not the only worker to be forced into bankruptcy due to unavoidable medical expenses . 
according to a recent harvard university research study 2 million americans , including filers and their dependents , face the double jeopardy of illness and bankruptcy each year . 
most of these medically bankrupt are middle-class homeowners with responsible jobs and health insurance coverage . 
once illness strikes , high co-payments , deductibles , exclusions from coverage , and other loopholes quickly overwhelm these families ' budgets . 
loss of income and health insurance often deepen this financial crisis when a breadwinner becomes too sick to work . 
to add insult to injury , consumers like crystal herndon will potentially face an avalanche of litigation that they ca n't afford as a result of this bill . 
the bill requires the debtor in some cases to have to challenge big corporate lenders in court to prove they are eligible to seek relief under chapter 7 of the bankruptcy code . 
in addition , this bill also allows creditors to threaten debtors with costly ligitation that will force many families to needlessly give up their legal rights . 
in their continuing compassion , the republicans have crafted this so-called reform so that a parent seeking child support from a bankrupt spouse will have to fight it out with creditors in order to receive payment . 
meanwhile , this bill makes it easier for those seeking bankruptcy protection to lose their homes or be evicted by the landlords . 
yet , those with million dollar mansions will be able to keep their homes even while seeking the same protection under the law . 
nothing like a fair shake for america 's working families . 
finally , mr. speaker , with all of the perks they 've awarded to the big credit card companies , republicans have done nothing to ensure that they are held accountable for their role in this consumer crisis . 
there is nothing is this bill that stops the abusive , predatory lending that lands too many americans in bankruptcy in the first place . 
bankruptcy has always been about giving a fresh start to those who have fallen on hard times . 
the link between illness , job loss , and health insurance is a harsh reality in our country today . 
it is morally reprehensible to suggest that we exploit medical tragedies befalling honest , hardworking americans in order to grant the wishes of the credit card companies . 
i urge my colleagues to vote down this merciless legislation . 
now is not the time to turn the tables on america 's working families . 
vote no on s. 256 . 
