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Fattah Bill Reinvests Corporate Penalties

Rep. Chaka Fattah
Rep. Chaka Fattah

On the heels of a $13 billion settlement from JP Morgan, Rep. Chaka Fattah (D-Phila.) unveiled a bill Friday that will send monies from penalties, such as JP Morgan’s, into a government fund that would fund various research and investment efforts.

The settlement resolved claims over the bank’s mortgage-backed security sales that were the victims of the 2008 housing crisis.

According to the congressman’s office, the bill is designed to support advancing outcomes and opportunities for Americans in three key areas.

“To fund these investments in the public interest, the United States should use revenue generated by acts perpetrated against the public interest,” the text of the bill said. “As corporate and financial wrongdoing touches the lives of all Americans, revenue generated by such acts should serve as the basis for these investments.”

The key areas are evidence-based youth mentoring projects, justice reinvestment efforts and medical research. The monies will be deposited equally three-ways between the three initiatives.

The youth-mentoring projects mentioned in the bill include the Boys and Girls Clubs of America, Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, National CARES Mentoring Movement, the First Tee, Amachi, FIRST Robotics, the U.S. DREAM Academy, GEAR UP, the YMCA, the Civil Air Patrol, the National Council of Youth Sports, Girls Inc. and the National Urban League.

The 14-page bill, dubbed “America’s Fund for Future Opportunities and Outcomes in the United States Act of 2013,” requires “the Secretary of the Treasury to use revenue generated by certain fines, penalties and settlements that are not designated for restitution or any other purpose to fund evidence-based youth mentoring projects, justice reinvestment efforts and innovations in medical research and development.”

“Without using taxpayer money or increasing government spending, the bill will offer an opportunity to intentionally and significantly boost grant support to three areas that will increase the United States’ economic competitiveness: youth mentoring and STEM education; medical research and innovation; and justice reinvestment,” a release from Fattah’s office said.

Funding would also come from civil and criminal fines and penalties for the violation of Federal law. In addition, any gift or donation to the fund from a private entity or individual would be deposited into the account.

The fund established in the U.S. treasury upon the bill passing would be dubbed the FOCUS Fund, taking after the shorthand name of the bill — America’s FOCUS Act of 2013.

One Response

  1. Here’s a novel thought: since the financial bailout required deficit spending, why not use these recovered funds to offset that debt?

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