Urge Your Legistlator To Add “Interchange” to Banking Bill

Recommend: retailers and merchants urged to ask Sen Dodd to include interchange fee reform in banking bill, here is how:

The voice from actual constituents for each Banking Committee member can make a difference. Explain and personalize why merchant interchange “swipe” fees are an unfair and a hidden tax.  Ask why the rates in the U.S. are three-time that of other industrialized nations and urge that among any credit card reform is that interchange fees be included. Write letters to the editor.  Make sure your lawmakers and local media know the facts about interchange fees and how much they are costing retailers and consumers [unfaircreditcardfees.com].

Stop Unfair Credit Card Fees  Tell Your Elected Representatives To Act On Interchange Fees

Credit card fees known as interchange are hidden in the cost of nearly everything consumers buy. In 2008 alone, American consumers paid over $48 billion in credit card interchange fees. Even consumers who don’t use plastic pay more through higher prices. Visa issuers collectively set credit card interchange fees in secret and MasterCard issuers separately do the same. The fees can’t be negotiated and are not adequately disclosed to merchants or consumers.

Tell your elected representatives to stop the price-fixing by the credit card industry by providing an open and transparent process to negotiate credit card interchange fees.

Send your message now.

Who to reach on the Banking Committee:

Majority Members

Chris Dodd (D-Conn); Hartford Office: 30 Lewis Street, Suite 101, Hartford, CT 06103; Tel: (860) 258-6940 Fax: (860) 258-6958

Tim Johnson (D-SD); Banking Legislative Assistant (LA) Laura Swanson, Email: laura_swanson@johnson.senate.gov, Sioux Falls Office: 5015 South Bur Oak Place, Sioux Falls, SD 57108; Tel: (605) 332-8896 Fax: (605) 332-2824

Jack Reed (D-RI); Banking LA: Kara Stein
Email: kara_stein@reed.senate.gov; Providence Office: U.S. Federal Court House, One West Exchange Street, Room 408, Providence, RI 02903; Tel: (401) 528-5200 Fax: (401) 528-5242

Chuck Schumer (D-NY); Banking LA: Jonah Crane, Email: Jonah_crane@schumer.senate.gov; Albany Office: Leo O’Brien Building, Room 420, Albany, NY 12207, Tel: (518) 431-407 Fax: (518) 431-4076

Evan Bayh (D-IN); Banking LA: Ellen Chube, Email: Ellen_Chube@Bayh.senate.gov, Indianapolis Office: West Market Tower, 10 West Market Street, Suite 1650, Indianapolis, IN 46204; Tel: (317) 554-0750 Fax: (317) 554-0760

Bob Menendez (D-NJ), Banking LA: Michael Passante, Email: Michael_passante@menendez.senate.gov; Newark Office: One Gateway Center, 11th Floor, Newark, NJ 07102-5257; Tel: (973) 645-3030 Fax: (973) 645-0502

Daniel Akaka (D-HI), Banking LA: Matt Pippin
Email:matt_pippin@akaka.senate.gov; Honolulu Office: Prince Kuhio Federal Building, 300 Ala Moana Boulevard, Room 3-106, Honolulu, HI 96850 P.O. Box 50144, Honolulu, HI 96850; Tel: (808) 522-8970 Fax: (808) 545-4683

Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Banking LA: Patrick Johnson, Email: patrick_johnson@brown.senate.gov; Cleveland Office: 1301 East Ninth Street, Suite 1710, Cleveland, OH 44114, Tel: (216) 522-7272 Fax: (216) 522-2239

Jon Tester (D-MT), Banking LA: Jason Rosenberg, Email: Jason_rosenberg@tester.senate.gov; Helena Office: Capital One Center, 208 North Montana Avenue, Suite 202, Helena, MT 59601; Tel: (406) 449-5401 Fax: (406) 449-5462

Herb Kohl (D-WI), Banking LA: Hilary Swav
Email: Hilary_swav@kohl.senate.gov, Madison Office: 14 West Mifflin Street, Suite 207, Madison, WI 53703; Tel: (608) 264-5338 Fax: (608) 264-5473,

Mark Warner (D-VA), Banking LA: Nathan Steinwald, Email: Nathan_steinwald@warner.senate.gov; Richmond Office: 919 East Main Street, Suite 630, Richmond, VA 23112, Tel: (804) 775-2314 Fax: (804) 775-2319

Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Banking LA: Andrew Green, Email: Andrew_green@merkley.senate.gov; Portland Office: One World Trade Center, 121 SW Salmon Street, Suite 1400, Portland, OR 97204 P.O. Box 29136, Portland, OR 97296, Tel: (503) 326-3386 Fax: (503) 326-2900

Michael Bennet (D-CO), Banking LA: Brian Appel, Email: brian_appel@bennet.senate.gov, Denver Office: 2300 15th Street, Suite 450, Denver, CO 80202, Tel: (303) 455-7600 Fax: (303) 455-8851

Minority Members

Richard C. Shelby (R-AL), Banking LA: Graham Smith, Email: graham_smith@shelby.senate.gov; Birmingham Office: Robert S. Vance Federal Building, 1800 Fifth Avenue North, Room 321,
Birmingham, AL 35203, Tel: (205) 731-1384 Fax: (205) 731-1386

Bob Corker (R-TN), Banking LA: Courtney Geduldig, Email:courtney_geduldig@corker.senate.gov; Memphis Office: 100 Peabody Place, Suite 1125, Memphis, TN 38103, Tel: (901) 683-1910 Fax: (901) 575-3528

Jim DeMint (R-SC), Banking LA: Hap Rigby
Email: hap_rigby@demint.senate.gov; Columbia Office: 1901 Main Street, Suite 1475, Columbia, SC 29201, Tel: (803) 771-6112 Fax: (803) 771-6455

Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX), Austin Office:Federal Building, 300 East Eighth Street, Suite 961, Austin, TX 78701; Tel: (512) 916-5834 Fax: (512) 916-5839

Mike Crapo (R-ID), Banking LA: Gregg Richard
Email: Gregg_richard@crapo.senate.gov, Boise Office: 251 E. Front St., Suite 205, Boise, ID 83702; Tel: (208) 334-1776 Fax: (208) 334-9044

Others: Re-election in 2010

Democrates
Byron Dorgan (D-ND), Banking LA: Allen Huffman, Email: Allen_huffman@dorgan.senate.gov; Bismark Office: 312 Federal Building PO Box 2579, Bismarck, ND 58502; Tel: (701) 250-4618 Fax (701) 250-4484

Russ Feingold (D-WI), Milwaukee Office: 517 East Wisconsin Ave., Room 408, Milwaukee, WI 53202-4504; Tel: (414) 276-7282 Fax (414) 276-7284

Kristen Gillibrand (D-NY), Banking LA: Kevin Fink, Email: Kevin_fink@gillibrand.senate.gov; New York City Office: 780 Third Avenue, Suite 2601, New York, New York 10017;
Tel. (212) 688-6262, Fax (212) 688-7444

Pat Leahy (D-VT), Banking LA: Greg Cota
Email: Greg_Cota@leahy.senate.gov; Burlington Office: 199 Main Street, 4th Floor, Burlington, VT 05401, Tel: (802) 863-2525

Blanche Lincoln (D-AR), Banking LA: Anna Taylor, Email: anna_taylor@lincoln.senate.gov; Little Rock Office: 912 West Fourth Street Little Rock, AR 72201, Tel: (501) 375-2993 Fax (501) 375-7064

Harry Reid (D-NV), Banking LA: Mark Wetjen
Email: mark_wetjen@reid.senate.gov; Las Vegas Office: Lloyd D. George Building 333 Las Vegas Boulevard South, Suite 801 Las Vegas, NV 89101; Tel: (702)388-5020, Fax: 702-388-5030

Republicans

Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Banking LA:Kathy Nuebel Kovarik, Email: Kathy_nuebel@grassley.senate.gov; Des Moines Office: 721 Federal Building 210 Walnut Street Des Moines, IA 50309; Tel: (515) 288-1145 Fax: (515) 288-5097

Johnny Isakson (R-GA), Banking LA: Chris Cook; Email: chris_cook@isakson@senate.gov; Atlanta Office: One Overton Park, Suite 970 3625 Cumberland Blvd, Atlanta, GA 30339; Tel: (770) 661-0999, Fax: (770) 661-0768

Dick Lugar (R-IN), Banking LA: Kylin McCardle
Email: kylin_mccardle@lugar.senate.gov; Indianapolis Office: 10 West Market St Suite 1180, Indianapolis,IN 46204, Tel: (317) 226-5555, Fax: (317) 226-5508

Olympia Snowe (R-ME), Banking LA: Matthew Berger, Email: matthew_berger@sbc.senate.gov; Portland Office: 3 Canal Plaza Suite 601 Portland, ME 04101, Tel: (207) 874-0883, Fax: (207) 874-7631

Susan Collins (R-ME), Banking LA: Mark LeDuc, Email: mark_leduc@hsgac.senate.gov; Portland Office: One Canal Plaza Suite 802 Portland, ME 04101; Tel: (207) 780-3575

George Voinovich (R-OH), Banking LA: Jan Elizabeth Fowler, Email: Jan¬_fowler@voinovich.senate.gov; Cleveland Office: 1240 East 9th Street Room 3061 Cleveland, OH 44199, Tel: (216) 522-7095, Fax: 522-7097

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