Letter in opposition to H.R. 4173

Below is a sample letter to use to send to your congressman/senator concerning your opposition to H.R. 4173, along with contact information for each of Oklahoma's representatives and senators. Please take a moment of your time and HELP YOUR INDUSTRY by sending a letter or e-mail!

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The Honorable (fill in name)
(fill in address)
Washington, D.C.

Re: H.R. 4173

Dear (fill in name):

As a banking professional in Oklahoma I write to express my strong opposition to passage of H.R. 4173. The need to reform and revise the regulatory structure for all providers of financial services is real, but this bill punishes traditional community banks – like mine – as if we were the cause of the nation's financial problems.

That's a false premise. Traditional community banks were not the cause of the housing collapse and the implosion of financial markets around the globe.

The proposed new Consumer Financial Protection Agency is the provision that, on balance, makes this legislation unacceptable. For one thing, the entities that actually caused the problems we face today are exempt from its reach. For another, creation of an entire new bureaucracy is a nonsensical way to approach “fixing” whatever may have not worked properly.

This new agency will end up costing consumers a huge amount of money as traditional banks scramble to implement its directives. It will also reduce consumer choices in financial products and services the way its worded today. But primarily creating this new agency is something bankers oppose because it injects an entirely new federal regulator into the banking system to say grace over every aspect of their bank's relationship with each of their customers and their community.

It's wrong to say it's either “this bill” or nothing. There are many good provisions in the legislation, including the creation of a mechanism to resolve “too-big-to-fail” financial institutions. But as good as those provisions may be they are trumped by the problems that will be created for our customers by this new giant government agency.

This proposed legislation is a bad deal for all traditional banks and especially for the customers and communities they serve across Oklahoma. I ask that you vote “NO” on final passage for H.R. 4173.

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Senator Jim Inhofe (R)
453 Russell Senate Office Building
Phone: (202) 224-4721
Fax: (202) 228-1007 (Scheduling)
    Scheduler: Wendi Price – wendi_price@inhofe.senate.gov
    Banking LA: Clark Peterson – clark_peterson@inhofe.senate.gov
    COS: Glenn Powell

Senator Tom Coburn (R)
172 Russell Senate Office Building
Phone: (202) 224-5754
Fax: (202) 224-6008
    Scheduler: Courtney Shadegg - Courtney_Shadegg@coburn.senate.gov
    Banking LA: Drew Berky – Drew_Berky@coburn.senate.gov
    COS: Michael Schwartz

Congressman John Sullivan (R-1st District) – john.sullivan@mail.house.gov
434 Cannon House Office Building
Phone: (202) 225-2211
Fax: (202) 225-9187
    Scheduler: John Senger – john.senger@mail.house.gov
    Banking LA: Jon Oehmen – jon.oehmen@mail.house.gov
    COS: Elizabeth Bartheld

Congressman Dan Boren (D-2nd District) – dan.boren@mail.house.gov
216 Cannon House Office Building
Phone: (202) 225-2701
Fax: (202) 225-3038
Scheduler: Erica Rixen – erica.rixen@mail.house.gov
Banking LA: Thomas Wharton – thomas.wharton@mail.house.gov

Congressman Frank Lucas (R-3rd District) – frank.lucas@mail.house.gov
2311 Rayburn House Office Building
Phone: (202) 225-5565
Fax: (202) 225-8698
    Scheduler: Marcie McSwane – marcie.mcswane@mail.house.gov
    Banking LA: Brianna Jett – Brianna.Jett@mail.house.gov
    COS: Stacey Glasscock

Congressman Tom Cole (R-4th District) – tom.cole@mail.house.gov
2458 Rayburn House Office Building
Phone: (202) 225-6165
Fax: (202) 225-3512
    Scheduler: Jennings Palmer – jennings.palmer@mail.house.gov
    Banking LA: Joshua Grogis – joshua.grogis@mail.house.gov
    COS: Pete Kirkham

Congresswoman Mary Fallin (R-5th District) – mary.fallin@mail.house.gov
1432 Longworth House Office Building
Phone: (202) 226-0602 (Sarah Direct)
Fax: (202) 226-1463
    Scheduler: Sarah Tippit – dana.wolpert@mail.house.gov
    Banking LA: Matt Wise – matt.wise@mail.house.gov
    COS: Nate Webb