This week, President Obama used his executive authority to enable Richard Cordray, the former Attorney General of Ohio, to begin his work as Director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). The president made the right call by refusing to give in to Republicans who were holding Mr. Cordray's nomination...

For years, Americans have been calling for help to resolve problems with their banks, lenders, and other financial institutions. Thankfully, there is now someone to answer the phone and field complaints about unfair financial practices: the Ombudsman's Office at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB).

The Dodd-Frank financial reform bill,...

These days, you can't turn on the television, radio, or computer without hearing some kind of debate about the President. Whether it's his policies, his tone, or his agenda, everyone has something to say.

What surprises me is that people are actually debating President Obama's commitment to women and...

Today we acknowledge a monumental step on the historic and ongoing path toward women's equality. Ninety-one years ago the states ratified the 19th Amendment, securing women the right to vote, and we celebrate Women's Equality Day to commemorate this victory. This effort was a decades-long struggle that can be...

Forty-five years ago today, when the Medicare program was launched, only 51% of Americans 65 and older had health coverage and nearly 30% of seniors lived below the poverty line despite the fact that social security had been in existence for thirty years. Today, the situation is vastly improved, thanks...

Today is the second anniversary of my Credit CARD Act--introduced as the "Credit Cardholders Bill of Rights"-- being signed into law by President Obama on May 22, 2009.

As it has taken effect in stages in the two years since signing, consumers have reaped significant benefits from its provisions,...

Last week, 44 Republican Senators signed a letter to President Obama declaring that they will refuse to confirm anyone as a director of the new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) "absent structural changes that will make the Bureau accountable to the American people."

The changes they propose...

There is no body within the federal government that has consumers as its main raison d'etre, which means consumers often come in second, third or last in any discussion of financial institutions. That lack of oversight had a role in creating the worst financial crisis in my, or most Americans',...

House Republicans have revealed their true agenda and it is not a pretty sight. They came to power in November chanting the mantra of job creation, job creation, but they have already dropped the "job" part. Instead they are focusing on "creation" -- that is, on resurrecting their failed old...

The current Republican attack on women's personal liberties, our access to reproductive health services and our right to lifesaving medical care is stunning in its scope, appalling in its indifference, and outrageous in its arrogance. Their proposals go way beyond anything in current law, significantly reducing access to family planning...

As we head into the next year and the 112th Congress, understanding the data behind our economic recovery will be crucial if the economy is to grow and strengthen. A closer look at how states fared in 2010 as well as how they fared during the last four recessions can...

As we head into Thanksgiving and the start of the holiday shopping season, nearly 2 million unemployed Americans have to worry that their unemployment benefits will stop at the end of the month, with the federal unemployment insurance program set to expire on November 30.

It's not just the...

Privatizing Social Security was a bad idea in 2005 when it was proposed by President Bush and rejected by the American people. It's still a bad idea, despite recent Republican attempts to revive it.

Three new analyses out this week make clear that GOP proposals would cut benefits for...

The United States is making progress when it comes to closing the gender gap, according to a new report from the World Economic Forum. However, the U.S. still trails 18 countries, and on the critical question of wage equality, we didn't make the top 50.

The Global Gender Gap Index...

Over 25 years ago, Geraldine Ferraro was nominated as the Democratic Party's Vice Presidential candidate, shattering the political glass ceiling and ushering in a new era of political leadership for women.

As the first female Chair of the U.S. Congress Joint Economic Committee, I wanted to know if women's...

July's employment report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, out this Friday morning, will provide the latest snapshot of the nation's employment situation, detailing how many jobs were gained or lost in July. With the new numbers, we'll also get fresh data on how the manufacturing sector fared. But one...

The Empire State Building is a New York City Landmark, a U.S. National Historic Landmark, and has also been named by the American Society of Civil Engineers as one of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World. In the years to come, I wouldn't be surprised if this great structure...

As we dig out from the Great Recession, there's no silver bullet to cure the high unemployment rate. We need a robust job creation strategy to help us recover the almost 8.4 million jobs lost during the recession. Innovation must be at the center of such a strategy. Fostering innovation...

Today, when new reports have surfaced about methane being contained in the oil now hitting the Gulf Coast, I called for "active surveillance" of the health of every worker coming into contact with the oil now spreading along the Gulf Coast.

My longtime work in obtaining a health monitoring...

Today's monthly employment report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics offers encouraging signs that the labor market has stabilized, private sector hiring is picking up, and our nation has started down the road to recovery.

While the jobs report doesn't merit high-fives or fits of bragging, it's quite a bit...