June 08, 2011

Manchin Statement on Vote Supporting Tester Amendment to Swipe Fee Bill

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) today issued the following statement after he voted in favor of a bipartisan measure to study the debit interchange market to ensure that new rules don’t hurt job creation, consumers or community banks and credit unions. 

“I believe that these swipe fees are far too expensive and must be reduced as soon as possible, but it just didn’t make sense to enact regulations that could threaten the survival of community banks and credit unions, cost jobs and force consumers and small businesses into paying hidden fees,” Senator Manchin said. “To be clear, I joined Democrats and Republicans to support a reasonable six-month delay in the hope that we could develop a commonsense solution that gives relief to our small businesses, local retailers and consumers while also protecting our credit unions and our small community banks. Going forward, I still hope that will be the case.”