Congress can Fix Nexis-Lexis Problem - help needed.

[James Love <love@tap.org>]

  ---------- Forwarded message ----------
  Jamie -- Here's a proposed urgent post -- thanks
  Ed (ed@pirg.org)
  
  
  Help Needed To Ensure Congress Fixes Nexis-Lexis Problem
  Protects Privacy, Prevents Theft of Identity
  -- Calls, Faxes Needed Today!!!
  
       A proposal to amend the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) is
  part of last-minute negotiations in the Congress. Consumer groups
  -- including U.S. PIRG and Consumers Union -- have been working
  furiously to improve the privacy aspects of the bill, which has
  been severely weakened by Senator Connie Mack (R-FL) at the
  request of banks and credit bureaus. The matter may be decided
  immediately, but definitely by October 1.
  
  URGE CONGRESS TO BAN SALE OF
  PERSONAL INFORMATION FROM CREDIT REPORTS
       Consumers concerned about privacy should contact their
  Senators and Representative IMMEDIATELY and urge their support of
  the FTC-proposed provision to stop credit bureaus from selling
  Social Security numbers and other personal identifying
  information derived from credit reports to companies like Nexis-
  Lexis. On September 20th, in a letter to Senator Richard Bryan 
  (D-NV), chief sponsor of the pro-consumer FCRA amendments, the
  FTC proposed language to fix the severe flaw in the act that
  allows Nexis-Lexis and many others to sell SSNs, maiden names and
  other critical information that makes identity theft easy and
  makes protecting your privacy nearly impossible.
  
       ****Also urge your Senators and Representative to:
       -- oppose allowing the credit bureaus to sell credit reports
  for junk or target marketing,
       -- support requiring credit bureaus to give consumers a free
  credit report annually on request, as only VT, MA, MD, and GA now
  provide, so consumers can find out who has been looking at their
  credit reports.
  
       ****TIME IS CRITICAL. The Congressional switchboard is 202-
  224-3121. Phone calls to Congress are best although many members
  have e-mail (http://thomas.loc.gov). (The FCRA amendments have
  been welded onto S. 650, a Mack (R-FL) which is otherwise anti-
  consumer, but has the support of many members on a bi-partisan
  basis.)
       Post requested by Ed Mierzwinski, U.S. PIRG, 202-546-9707.
  For more information, ed@pirg.org.