The following is sample text that you can use in the email forms to Senators Dodd and Shelby.

Please feel free to copy this text and paste it into the forms. Then personalize it, adding or changing as you see fit, and send:

The Honorable Senator Dodd/The Honorable Senator Shelby

Dear Senator Dodd/Dear Senator Shelby,

I am writing to encourage you and the members of the Senate Banking Committee to pass an effective financial reform bill and establish a Consumer Financial Protection Agency. The CFPA must be an independent agency that will stand up for every America consumer and crack down on abusive practices by credit card companies and mortgage lenders. We need a strong agency, not a watered-down version, nor one that will wield no real power because it is buried in another department or agency. A strong CFPA will also limit the kinds of risk that led to the current crisis, hold Wall Street accountable, and, as a result, prevent future financial meltdowns.

Senators Dodd and Shelby, you have been charged with representing the interests of the American public. Please be visionary leaders and champions. Be OUR voices in Congress, not those of the big banks, CEOs and Wall Street institutions responsible for the financial collapse that has cost millions of jobs and devastated so many lives and communities. We need a Consumer Financial Protection Agency, and we need meaningful financial reform.

Respectfully,

(your name)
Small business owner, consumer, mother, homeowner, (your choice!) and proud American