· January 4, 2012

Innovation Ohio Applauds Cordray Appointment

Today, Innovation Ohio stated its strong support for President Obama’s appointment of former Ohio Attorney General Rich Cordray as Acting Director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Innovation Ohio President Janetta King said the following of Cordray’s appointment:

“America’s consumers need a watchdog, not more Republican obstructionism. It’s beyond ridiculous that Rich Cordray’s nomination has been held up for over 5 months because the GOP would rather protect banks and Wall Street than ordinary Americans. This game has gone on long enough—and if Senate Republicans won’t act, then the President must. And every Ohio consumer will be better off because of what the President did today. “And before conservatives leap to criticize this appointment, let’s remember two things.  First, the agency they want to weaken was, in fact, lawfully and duly created by Congress itself. And second, President Obama has made a total of just 29 recess appointments.  In comparison, the three most recent Republican Presidents—George W. Bush, George H.W. Bush, and Ronald Reagan—made 171, 77, and 243, respectively. “The GOP’s rampant obstructionism and government-by-filibuster is not only embarrassing, but is hurting the country.  They’ve staged an unprecedented 136 filibusters in this Congress, and 139 in the last one. The Founding Fathers intended the Senate to act according to majority rule; they did not intend for nearly everything to require a Super Majority of 60 votes.  That’s a prescription for gridlock, pure and simple.