It's time to flood the White House with calls demanding that the President veto this toxic piece of shit legislation. [Otherwise known as the "Interstate Recognition of Notarizations Act"].
"A bill that homeowners advocates warn will make it more difficult to challenge improper foreclosure attempts by big mortgage processors is awaiting President Barack Obama's signature after it quietly zoomed through the Senate last week.
The bill, passed without public debate in a way that even surprised its main sponsor, Republican Representative Robert Aderholt, requires courts to accept as valid document notarizations made out of state, making it harder to challenge the authenticity of foreclosure and other legal documents.
The timing raised eyebrows, coming during a rising furor over improper affidavits and other filings in foreclosure actions by large mortgage processors such as GMAC, JPMorgan and Bank of America.
[More after the jump]
"Questions about improper notarizations have figured prominently in challenges to the validity of these court documents, and led to widespread halts of foreclosure proceedings.
The legislation could protect bank and mortgage processors from liability for false or improperly prepared documents.
The White House said it is reviewing the legislation." It is troubling to me and curious that it passed so quietly," Thomas Cox, a Maine lawyer representing homeowners contesting foreclosures, told Reuters in an interview.
[...]
Cox said the new obligation for courts to recognize notarizations of documents filed by big, out-of-state companies, would make it more difficult and costly to challenge the validity of the documents.
[...]
After languishing for months in the Senate Judiciary Committee, the bill passed the Senate with lightning speed and with hardly any public awareness of the bill's existence on Sept.27, the day before the Senate recessed for midterm election campaign.
This bill was passed by the Senate -- the Senate where you need 60 votes to take a crap -- by UNANIMOUS consent. A vote that allows all supporters of the bill to remain anonymous.
You sign that legislation, President Obama -- and I'm done with the Democratic party. I will not contribute any money. I will not make phone calls. I will not go door to door. I will not even show up to fucking vote. I am serious. And everyone here who has been enabling this bullshit needs to step up to the plate and make your OPPOSITION to this bill known to the President.
This is unconscionable. And it is -- in a nutshell -- why the Democratic party is about to get boot-stomped in November.
ADDENDUM: Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner posted a very good diary about this on the 5th.
MAJOR UPDATE: The White House has expressed "concerns" about the bill!
"We are reviewing the legislation, but do have concerns," a White House official told HuffPost.
Keep those messages coming! Keep sending up warning flags to the White hosue!