Congresswoman Deborah Ross (NC-02), member of House Democrats’ Litigation and Rapid Response Task Force, helped lead more than 200 House Democrats in an amicus brief in defense of American consumers and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) in the matter of National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU), et al. v. CFPB Acting Director Russell Vought, et al. before the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.
Since 2008, the CFPB has won back billions of dollars for people who were harmed by illegal debt or predatory loans, or charged unlawful fees on their mortgages, credit cards, and bank accounts.
“Since its creation, the Bureau has vigorously used its powers to regulate consumer financial markets, ensuring that banks and nonbank entities alike are not engaging in risky, deceptive, or unfair practices that could destabilize the market and lead to another financial meltdown. To date, the CFPB has returned more than $21 billion improperly taken from at least 205 million consumers, in addition to at least $5 billion in civil penalties made available to compensate consumers in cases where the business that took their money is insolvent,” wrote the lawmakers.
The lawmakers continued, “President Trump has already imposed significant and irreparable harm on consumers across the country. In seeking to “shut down” CFPB, President Trump wants to eliminate the agency that protects Americans from unfair, deceptive, and abusive corporate practices, giving even more power to his corrupt billionaire friends serving as top advisors.”
In the brief, they noted that recent actions toward the CFPB, the “consumer watchdog agency,” including the implementation of sweeping stop-work orders and plans to arbitrarily fire most employees, represent a blatant disregard for Congress’ role and express directives. These actions are in clear violation of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010, as well as the Constitution’s mandate that the laws be faithfully executed.
As the CFPB is the only federal agency dedicated solely to protecting American consumers in the financial marketplace, the lawmakers also underscored the threat to key operations that provide relief from a wide range of unlawful practices costing hardworking families billions. These include rulings promoting small business lending transparency, curbing excessive overdraft fees, and preventing medical debt from limiting creditworthy borrowers’ access to credit.
The amicus curiae also referenced reports that President Trump and unelected and unaccountable members of his team have access to sensitive consumer data and critical systems within the CFPB.
The full amicus brief is available here.
Additional Information
On February 9, 2025, the National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU) sued Trump Administration officials for the unlawful dismantling of the CFPB. The following day, among an agreement with both parties, the judge entered an agreed order barring the defendants from firing employees, issuing reduction-in-force notices, destroying CFPB data or records, or defunding the agency while the case proceeds.
A hearing on the plaintiffs’ motion for an indefinite pause to the agency's dismantling is scheduled for Monday, March 3rd in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.