Houston Republic

Rep. Sylvia Garcia, a member of the U.S. Congress representing Texas' 29th district, recently expressed her views on financial issues affecting veterans and consumers in a series of tweets. Garcia, who has been serving since 2019 after replacing Gene Green, highlighted the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's (CFPB) efforts to protect service members and consumers from predatory lending practices.

On February 10, 2025, Rep. Garcia addressed the issue of "shady lenders" targeting veterans through various means such as payday traps and illegal auto loans. She noted that "The CFPB has returned $363 million to service members and veterans." She also sarcastically remarked about showing sympathy for payday lenders while mentioning Elon Musk.

In another tweet posted on the same day, Garcia discussed banks' previous reliance on overdraft fees. She stated that due to the CFPB's intervention against junk fees, consumers now have an additional $11 billion available to them. She emphasized that "banks are behaving as a result" of these actions by the CFPB.

Additionally, Rep. Garcia highlighted the broader impact of the CFPB's activities in returning funds to those affected by financial scams and imposing penalties on violators without using taxpayer money. On February 10, she tweeted that "The CFPB has returned more than $21 billion to people cheated by financial scams." She pointed out opposition from billionaire donors who might be displeased with these consumer protections.