PBS高端访谈:银行和信用卡公司的胜利对消费者有什么影响?

 　　Now: a big win overnight for U.S. banks and credit card companies.

　　It goes back to a long-brewing battle over whether consumers have the right to bring class-action lawsuits² against those companies. William Brangham has the details.

　　Until recently, consumers who signed up for checking accounts or credit cards gave up their right to be part of any class-action lawsuit¹ brought against that company.

　　Most people had no idea they'd given up this right,

　　because banks and other institutions tuck what are known as arbitration³ clauses into those long fine-print agreements we all sign without ever really reading.

　　The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the CFPB, had passed a rule saying that arbitration was unfair and groups deserved their day in court.

　　But then, last night, the Senate overturned that rule 51-50, with Vice⁴ President Pence casting the tie-breaking vote.

　　So what does this actually mean for consumers?

　　To help us understand that, we turn to Bloomberg's Elizabeth Dexheimer. Welcome. Thank you.

　　So, what does this mean for consumers?

　　So, the status quo that you just described will continue. You mentioned it's arbitration agreements. These are very common.

　　And when you open a checking account or a credit card, you typically sign a contract with this clause that says you will not join together with other consumers in a class-action lawsuit,

　　and that if you have got a problem with your bank, you think that they're overcharging you or some -- a grievance⁵ that you have,

　　you're going to resolve that through a closed-door arbitration process, instead of arguing it in open court.

　　This is an issue that, as part of the Dodd-Frank law, following the financial crisis, the consumer Financial Protection Bureau was told to study this issue.

　　They did. They published a report. And based on those findings, they crafted this rule.

　　Since the beginning, for years, Republicans and the financial services industry has been against it and been pushing back.

　　So, the industry has been fighting this and putting a lot of money into lobbying this for a long time, right?

　　I mean, this -- are they really looking out for the consumers' interest, or are they looking out for their own financial interests here?

　　Both. They certainly argue that this is in the interest of the consumer.

　　They point to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's own study and some of its findings about how rewards

　　awards for consumers who have grievances⁶ and resolve them through arbitration are often better than if they go to court.

　　However, another part of this is certainly that banks want to avoid what they see as frivolous⁷ lawsuits.

　　And the consumers groups around the country decried⁸ this. They said that this move last night was a huge giveaway to Wall Street, in essence. What is their argument?

　　Right. So, they say that the best way to hold companies accountable is through lawsuits, and, particularly,

　　they have looked at recent scandals at Wells Fargo and at Equifax to give a reason when companies

　　when consumers are harmed by companies, the best way to hold them accountable is by setting some sort of a precedent⁹.

　　And the -- the best way to do that is through -- is by suing them.

　　And the way that the Senate did this last night, right, means that there's no doing over, right?

　　Am I correctly reading this, that they have now made it so that no future administration can undo¹⁰ what they have done?

　　That's correct. Congress used the Congressional Review Act to reverse the rule.

　　That is a law that Congress can use to overturn any regulation within 60 days after it's enacted¹¹. And it means that the CFPB, effectively, can't take this up.

　　So, yes, it was a very effective way to squash this issue that Republicans have been fighting for years.

　　Elizabeth Dexheimer from Bloomberg, thank you very much. Thank you. undefined

1 lawsuit   

n.诉讼，控诉

参考例句：

• They threatened him with a lawsuit.他们以诉讼威逼他。
• He was perpetually involving himself in this long lawsuit.他使自己无休止地卷入这场长时间的诉讼。

2 lawsuits   

n.诉讼( lawsuit的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Lawsuits involving property rights and farming and grazing rights increased markedly. 涉及财产权，耕作与放牧权的诉讼案件显著地增加。 来自辞典例句
• I've lost and won more lawsuits than any man in England. 全英国的人算我官司打得最多，赢的也多，输的也多。 来自辞典例句

3 arbitration   

n.调停，仲裁

参考例句：

• The wage disagreement is under arbitration.工资纠纷正在仲裁中。
• Both sides have agreed that the arbitration will be binding.双方都赞同仲裁具有约束力。

4 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

5 grievance   

n.怨愤，气恼，委屈

参考例句：

• He will not easily forget his grievance.他不会轻易忘掉他的委屈。
• He had been nursing a grievance against his boss for months.几个月来他对老板一直心怀不满。

6 grievances   

n.委屈( grievance的名词复数 )；苦衷；不满；牢骚

参考例句：

• The trade union leader spoke about the grievances of the workers. 工会领袖述说工人们的苦情。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• He gave air to his grievances. 他申诉了他的冤情。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 frivolous   

adj.轻薄的；轻率的

参考例句：

• This is a frivolous way of attacking the problem.这是一种轻率敷衍的处理问题的方式。
• He spent a lot of his money on frivolous things.他在一些无聊的事上花了好多钱。

8 decried   

v.公开反对，谴责( decry的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The measures were decried as useless. 这些措施受到指责，说是不起作用。
• The old poet decried the mediocrity of today's writing. 老诗人抨击了现代文体的平庸无奇。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

9 precedent   

n.先例，前例；惯例；adj.在前的，在先的

参考例句：

• Is there a precedent for what you want me to do?你要我做的事有前例可援吗？
• This is a wonderful achievement without precedent in Chinese history.这是中国历史上亘古未有的奇绩。

10 undo   

vt.解开，松开；取消，撤销

参考例句：

• His pride will undo him some day.他的傲慢总有一天会毁了他。
• I managed secretly to undo a corner of the parcel.我悄悄地设法解开了包裹的一角。

11 enacted   

制定（法律），通过（法案）( enact的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• legislation enacted by parliament 由议会通过的法律
• Outside in the little lobby another scene was begin enacted. 外面的小休息室里又是另一番景象。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹