FMI Statement on Sen. Durbin Interchange Fee Amendment to Financial Reform Bill

ARLINGTON, VA — May 12, 2010 — The Food Marketing Institute (FMI) issued the following statement from Leslie G. Sarasin, president and chief executive officer, on Amendment #3932 to the Restoring American Financial Stability Act of 2010 (S. 3217):

“Today the Senate will take a landmark vote on an amendment offered by Senator Durbin to protect our nation's retailers from out of control debit card increases and unfair business practices. The Food Marketing Institute, on behalf of your neighborhood grocers and the families we feed in our communities every day, strongly encourages Members of the Senate to support amendment #3932. This will be one of the most critical votes taken this year that will affect the supermarket industry. Interchange swipe fees have grown exponentially over the past decade and are one of the highest costs of doing business in our industry. Just last month, Visa Interlink raised rates an estimated 30 percent on PIN debit transactions without any justification. We hope the Senate will choose to protect community retailers from these kinds of abuses by supporting this common sense amendment today."

About FMI

As the food industry association, FMI works with and on behalf of the entire industry to advance a safer, healthier and more efficient consumer food supply chain. FMI brings together a wide range of members across the value chain — from retailers that sell to consumers, to producers that supply food and other products, as well as the wide variety of companies providing critical services — to amplify the collective work of the industry. www.FMI.org