Waters Statement on Mulvaney’s Decision to Fire All Members of the Consumer Bureau’s Advisory Board

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA), Ranking Member of the House Committee on Financial Services, made the following statement in response to Office of Management and Budget Director Mick Mulvaney’s reckless decision to fire all members of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s (Consumer Bureau) Consumer Advisory Board. The Consumer Advisory Board is a statutorily required panel of experts comprised of industry representatives, consumers, community leaders and advocates who provide an array of perspectives on issues that affect hardworking Americans.

“Mick Mulvaney, who was illegally appointed to serve as Acting Director of the Consumer Bureau by President Trump, has clearly been planning this outrageous anti-consumer move for some time. The abrupt cancellation of the Consumer Advisory Board’s meetings was an indication of his contempt for this board, which the Consumer Bureau is required to meet with by law.

“It’s telling that the Consumer Bureau is saying that the Consumer Advisory Board should be “right-sized” in order to “increase high quality feedback.” Since Mulvaney has cancelled the group’s meetings, he has no basis for describing its feedback, as he never received any. Firing the current members of the Consumer Advisory Board is one more signal that under Mulvaney, consumers come last."

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