>>> KATIE PORTER IS THE FIRST DEMOCRAT IN HISTORY TO BE
ELECTED TO REP CALIFORNIA’S 45th
CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT IN ORANGE
COUNTY.
COUNTY. SHE’S ABOUT 25 YEARS YOUNGER
THAN ELIZABETH WARREN AND
WATCHING KATIE PORTER AT WORK IN
CONGRESS NOW HAS THE FEEL OF
WHAT WE MIGHT HAVE SEEN IF
ELIZABETH WARREN HAD BECOME A
MEMBER OF THE HOUSE OF
REPRESENTATIVES 25 YEARS AGO.
LIKE ELIZABETH WARREN KATIE
PORTER WAS A TENURED LAW SCHOOL
PROFESSOR WHEN SHE DECIDED TO
RUN FOR OFFICE.
KATIE PORTER IS A GRADUATE OF
HARVARD LAW SCHOOL WHERE ONE OF
HER PROFESSORS WAS THE NOW
SENATOR ELIZABETH WARREN.
SENATOR KAMALA HARRIS HAD A HAND
IN KATIE PORTER’S CAREER WHEN
KAMALA HARRIS WAS ATTORNEY
GENERAL SHE APPOINTED KATIE
PORTER TO BE THE STATE’S
INDEPENDENT MONITOR OF BANKS IN
A $25 BILLION MORTGAGE
SETTLEMENT THAT BROUGHT REFORMS
TO THE MORTGAGE BUSINESS IN
CALIFORNIA.
CALIFORNIA. NOW KATIE PORTER IS A MEMBER OF
THE MOST IMPRESSIVE FRESHMAN
CLASS OF MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE OF
REPRESENTATIVES THAT I FOR ONE
HAVE EVER SEEN.
AND SHE USED HER FIVE MINUTES
TODAY IN A HOUSE FINANCIAL
SERVICES COMMITTEE HEARING IN A
WAY THAT THE WITNESSES DID NOT
ANTICIPATE.
ANTICIPATE. THE CEO OF EQUIFAX WAS
TESTIFYING TO THE COMMITTEE
TODAY, AND CEOs HAVE VERY
EXPENSIVE LOBBYISTS WHO PREPARE
THEM FOR CONGRESSIONAL TESTIMONY
LIKE THIS.
LIKE THIS. VERY EXPENSIVE LOBBYISTS WHO ARE
SUPPOSED TO ANTICIPATE EVERY
POSSIBLE QUESTION, BUT EQUIFAX’S
VERY EXPENSIVE LOBBYISTS DID NOT
ANTICIPATE KATIE PORTER.
>> MY QUESTION FOR YOU IS
WHETHER YOU WOULD BE WILLING TO
SHARE TODAY YOUR SOCIAL
SECURITY, YOUR BIRTH DATE AND
YOUR ADDRESS AT THIS PUBLIC
HEARING.
HEARING. >> I WOULD BE A BIT
UNCOMFORTABLE DOING THAT
CONGRESSWOMAN, IF YOU’D SO
OBLIGE ME I WOULD PREFER NOT TO.
>> CAN I ASK YOU WHY YOU’RE
UNWILL SOMETHING.
UNWILL SOMETHING. >> WELL, IT’S SENSITIVE
INFORMATION.
INFORMATION. I THINK IT’S SENSITIVE
INFORMATION I’D LIKE TO PROTECT
AND I THINK CONSUMERS SHOULD
PROTECT THEIRS.
PROTECT THEIRS. >> IF WE GAVE THAT SENSITIVE --
IF THAT SENSITIVE INFORMATION
WERE PROVIDED AT THIS PUBLIC
HEARING, WHAT ARE YOU CONCERNED
ABOUT COULD HAPPEN?
>> I THINK LIKE EVERY AMERICAN,
CONGRESSMAN -- CONGRESSWOMAN, MY
APOLOGIES -- I’D BE CONCERNED
ABOUT IDENTITY THEFT.
I’M ACTUALLY A VICTIM OF
IDENTITY THEFT.
IDENTITY THEFT. IT HAPPENED THREE TIMES, TWICE
WITH MY TAX RETURNS AND ONCE
WITH CONSUMER OPENING UP
FRAUDULENT ACCOUNTS IN MY NAME.
SO I THINK LIKE ALL AMERICANS
WE’RE CONCERNED ABOUT THAT.
>> SO MY QUESTION THEN IS IF YOU
AGREE THAT EXPOSING THIS KIND OF
INFORMATION, INFORMATION LIKE
THAT THAT YOU HAVE IN YOUR
CREDIT REPORTS CREATES HARM,
THEREFORE YOU’RE UNWILLING TO
SHARE IT, WHY ARE YOUR LAWYERS
ARGUING IN FEDERAL COURT THAT
THERE WAS NO INJURY AND NO HARM
CREATED BY YOUR DATA BREACH?
>> CONGRESSWOMAN, IT’S REALLY
HARD FOR ME TO COMMENT ON WHAT
OUR LAWYERS ARE DOING.
>> YOU DO EMPLOY THOSE LAWYERS,
AND THEY DO UPERATE AT YOUR
DIRECTION AND YOUR COUNSEL.
AND THEY ARE MAKING THESE
ARGUMENTS IN COURT, ARGUING ON
THE RECORD -- I HAVE PLEADINGS
HERE FROM THE COURT CASE.
THEY’RE ARGUING ON THE RECORD
THAT THERE WAS NO -- THAT THIS
CASE SHOULD BE DISMISSED BECAUSE
THERE IS NO INJURY AND NO HARM
CREATED BY THE DISCLOSURE OF
PEOPLE’S PERSONAL CREDIT
INFORMATION.
INFORMATION. YET I UNDERSTAND YOU AS I WOULD
TO BELIEVE THAT THE EXPOSURE OF
THAT INFORMATION -- I ASKED IF
YOU WOULD GIVE TO THE COMMITTEE
AND UNDERSTANDABLY SAID NO,
WOULD IN FACT CREATE HARM.
SO I WOULD ASK YOU TO LOOK
CAREFULLY AT WHAT YOUR LAWYERS
ARE DOING AND THAARGUMENTS
THEY’RE MAKING BECAUSE I FEEL
THEY’RE INCONSISTENT WITH SOME
OF HAD HELPFUL TESTIMONY YOU’VE
PROVIDED TODAY.
PROVIDED TODAY. >> THE HONORABLE KATIE PORTER
GETS TONIGHT’S "LAST WORD" AND