By:  Susan M. Graham, Attorney at Law, Senior Edge Legal, Boise, Idaho

Congress has done two things that are amazing.

1.  They voted to waive "insider trading" restrictions for themselves.  That means they can learn news about a   company before we do, and then buy or sell stocks to make a bundle of money.  For everyone else, including Martha Stewart who spent months in jail, this type of trading is illegal.  Congress plays by privileged rules.

2.  For the last six months, we have had a new law in the country that put in place a Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.  For it to work, that agency needs a director to exercise its full powers.  Congress will not approve the names submitted.  The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau was created to regulate consumer products and practices at banks and non-banks, including pay-day lenders, mortgage brokers and student loan providers.  What could be better than having a protector for consumers?  The system we had before failed to provide the protection needed to avoid the huge financial mess we are in today.  Now that the President has appointed a Director, members of Congress are threatening to set aside the appointment.