mr. speaker , i rise in opposition to s. 256 .  this bill helps big credit card companies at the expense of working families in crisis .  a harvard university study reports that more than forty-five percent of all bankruptcies are filed because of a health emergency .  approximately ninety percent of all bankruptcies are due to a health care debt , job loss , or a divorce .  when this personal crisis happens , families are driven into crushing credit card debt that they ultimately can not manage .  working families are being squeezed by skyrocketing health care costs , gas prices , and housing costs .  at the same time , this republican congress is reducing the social safety net for working families : medicaid , social security , and now , bankruptcy protections .  mr. speaker , i know there are people abusing the bankruptcy code .  but there are also companies marketing loans to people who can not afford them .  credit unions and community banks make responsible loans and do responsible underwriting .  but this bill does nothing to make big credit card companies curb their abusive marketing strategies or practice responsible underwriting .  vote `` no '' on s. 256 .  