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President Barack Obama is speaking out again against Republican senators who continue to oppose Richard Cordray as the administration's nominee for director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Cordray, a Democrat and former attorney general of Ohio, will be subject to a confirmation vote by the U.S. Senate on Thursday, and it seems likely that the move will be unsuccessful due to a filibuster-proof bloc by GOP lawmakers. The senators behind the refusal to confirm Cordray are targeting the restriction of the CFPB's reach.

Obama Administration Continues Fight for Cordray

President Barack Obama is speaking out again against Republican senators who continue to oppose ""Richard Cordray"":en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Cordray as the administration's nominee for director of the ""Consumer Financial Protection Bureau"":www.consumerfinance.gov/. Cordray, a Democrat and former attorney general of Ohio, will be subject to a confirmation vote by the ""U.S. Senate"":www.senate.gov/ on December 8, and it seems likely that the move will be unsuccessful due to a filibuster-proof bloc by GOP lawmakers.

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The senators behind the refusal to confirm Cordray have publicly stated their intention to do so until changes are made to restrict the overall power of the CFPB. The White House also plans to increase pressure on the dissenting senators by bringing their blockade to the forefront during President Obama's upcoming election-related appearances, and the administration recently revealed plans to have officials and the president available for interviews with journalists in specific states on his campaign trail, in which they will talk openly about the senators' actions.

Prior to the president's trip to Kansas, traditionally a Republican stronghold, deputy press secretary Josh Earnest, said, ""We intend to aggressively take the case for Mr. Cordray's nomination directly to the American people.""

Continuing his commentary, Earnest noted, ""The White House and the president himself will be devote a special effort to citizens in seven states ├â┬ó├óÔÇÜ┬¼├é┬ª if the senator who was elected to represent them in Washington, D.C., sides with the financial industry and votes to block his nomination.""

Though the measures on the part of Team Obama aren't expected to change Thursday's vote, it's worth noting that Sen. Scott Brown (R-Massachusetts) has now come forward in support of Cordray. Still, the Democratic party feels that the overwhelming opposition from the GOP can help them in their pursuit to portray President Obama as a loyalist to the middle-class.

Additionally, a December 4 release from the White House's ""National Economic Council"":www.whitehouse.gov/administration/eop/nec said of the CFPB's struggle for a director, ""We cannot afford a system in which consumers are left in the dark about the risks they face when making financial decisions. Every day that CFPB goes without a director is another day that American families remain at risk.""

Currently, Cordray is acting as the leader for the CFPB's enforcement division, and it is believed that his qualifications for the directorship role have nothing to do with the confirmation problems in the Senate. Recent statements from Sen. Richard Shelby (R-Alabama) seem to support the theory, and last week the senator spoke out, saying, ""Current financial regulators already evade accountability by claiming independence or recusing themselves when they fail. The [bureau] is unaccountable by design. We will continue to fight for accountability from regulators.""

About Author: Abby Gregory

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