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This afternoon, the House of Representatives voted to move up the start date for a number of critical credit card reforms from February 22, 2010 to immediately after President Obama signs the bill into law, in response to some credit card companies egregiously stepping up their abusive practices for what they appear to view as a “window of opportunity” before the original effective date. The reforms are aimed at curbing the worst practices of credit card companies – including unfair interest rate hikes on existing balances, double-cycle billing and due-date gimmicks.

Congressman Cohen is the author of the NEWBORN Act, which would establish 15 pilot programs across the country aimed at lowering the rate of infant mortality to promote research, education interventions, and access to prenatal care. The full text of the bill was included as Section 2532 of H.R. 3692, the Affordable Health Care for America Act.

Congressman Cohen is the author of H.R. 1412, the Justice Integrity Act, which would establish a pilot program to study the real and perceived racial and ethnic disparities in federal law enforcement and the criminal justice system, and make recommendations to address any disparities or perceptions of bias that are found as a result of the study.