Press release from Congressman Marlin Stutzman:
Stutzman Statement to the Committee on Veteran’s Affairs
(Washington, DC, February 9, 2011) – Today, the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs held a full committee oversight hearing on violations of the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA), formally known as the Soldiers and Sailors Civil Relief Act, by J.P. Morgan Chase Bank. The hearing was called to exercise the Committee’s oversight duties as they pertain to the SCRA and its application. Chase admitted their failure to uphold the SCRA by wrongly foreclosing on active duty military families and in overcharging thousands more for mortgages. Chase testified that they will continue their internal audit launched during the spring of 2010.
“Service members must be fully focused on the mission abroad, not worrying about their personal affairs at home and wondering if they will come home to a foreclosed home.” Stutzman stated “…steps must be taken to correct the problem and make it right for the men and women in uniform who were mistakenly charged a higher amount of interest rates and fees, or, in the worst cases, faced foreclosure on their homes while deployed.”
Details of the hearing can be found at the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs website.
Congressman Stutzman represents the 3rd Congressional District of Indiana and serves on the House Committee on Agriculture, the House Committee on the Budget and the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity. Indiana’s 3rd District contains all of DeKalb, Kosciusko, Lagrange, Noble, Steuben, and Whitley counties; as well as parts of Allen and Elkhart counties.