Activity Request(s): Thursday

A Letter to Speaker of the House and Minority Leader and the Senate Majority and Minority Leader

1) Speaker of the House, link below, add name, e-mail address, zip, copy sample letter below and paste into form, edit to suit you and send.

http://speaker.house.gov/contact/

2) House Minority Leader, link below, add name, e-mail address and send, or use the e-mail address provided.

http://republicanleader.house.gov/contact/

3) Senate Majority Leader, link below, add name add personal info., etc. copy and paste sample letter below into form, edit to suit you and send.

http://reid.senate.gov/contact/

4) Senate Minority Leader, link below, add name add personal info., etc. copy and paste sample letter below into form, edit to suit you and send.

http://mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?p=ContactForm

[Sample Letter]

Previous to the economic collapse, some estimates for Americans suffering “bad credit” were 70+ M which is 1/3 of the population between the ages of 20 and 75. Now, post-collapse, with the millions unemployed or under-employed the debt defaults, bankruptcies and foreclosure numbers are astronomical and growing larger every day. Just the following numbers alone tell the story of the ever growing crisis that is not going to improve without jobs:

* 379,000 Bankruptcies Filed Q1, 2010, (17 percent increase over Q1, 2009 during a year in a year which they soared upward by 32%)

* 35% Increase in Foreclosures and a 16% Increase in Foreclosure Notices Q1, 2010 (over Q1, 2009) and 1 in every 4 Homes in America are at least 10+ % “underwater” (a.k.a. upside down).

Since 50+ % of all jobs and 80+ % of all white collar jobs mandate a personal credit check previous to hiring and many companies conduct post-hiring checks to terminate – far more than 1/3 of the working population have been given a financial death sentence with no way out. Perhaps most alarming is the fact companies are increasing the practice instead of decreasing it – as our economy continues to decline along with Americans’ credit reports. The practice is simply wrong even in a good economy, but in this economy it is by far the most cruel and inhuman form of workplace discrimination possible.

For these millions of Americans there is one way out and only one way out: HR3149: The Equal Employment for All Act that has been sitting stalled in the House Committee on Financial Services since August 2009. With exceptions for specific financial positions, the legislation would make it illegal to use personal credit reports to hire and fire. The legislation is an easy quick fix that would allow millions of Americans to get a job or become more gainfully employed in order to fix their damaged credit. Unlike all the current jobs initiatives and those being discussed, this initiative is absolutely free to the American taxpayer and doesn’t add one penny to the deficit.

Americans overwhelmingly support the legislation by as much as 90 percent. With at least 1/3 of the working population locked out of the workforce or barred from changing jobs and the massive number of unemployed, the fragile fabric holding American together cannot hold much longer. These people along with many of the 90 percent in favor of the legislation will vote in November based upon this legislation being passed or not passed. This is not a small number by any means, nor does this issue represent some isolated segment of the population.This legislation will put millions of Americans back to work now and will correct a gross injustice that has gone on for far too long already. Everyone should have the right to work. The American people are suffering in huge numbers and must have relief and your push for HR3149 will bring relief to a huge number of them. I urge you to get behind this legislation and get it moving forward.

[End Sample Letter]