Today, during her first appearance before the House Financial Services Committee, Trump’s CFPB chief Kathy Kraninger made it abundantly clear that the concerns raised during her confirmation hearing last year were far from unfounded. Kraninger proved she’s a worthy successor to Mick Mulvaney and is wholly committed to siding with bad actors over the consumers she’s supposed to protect.

Kraninger made clear that she’ll carry on Mulvaney’s disastrous legacy of undermining the CFPB’s mission, and she wouldn’t even say whether she believed the agency should exist.

Wall Street Journal: “Her comments suggested she would build on policies of her immediate predecessor, Mick Mulvaney, who now serves as White House chief of staff. ‘I expect to emphasize stability, consistency, and transparency as hallmarks as we mature the agency,’ she said, outlining a philosophy of working with companies on enforcement and supervision, emphasizing the cost of regulations as well as benefits, while protecting consumers.”

REP. RASHIDA TLAIB: “Do you believe that we even need the bureau at all?”

KATHY KRANINGER: “I absolutely believe consumer protection is a responsibility of the federal government, and as I said, Congress created the bureau to that end.”

Kraninger defended her continuation of Mulvaney’s policies that are friendly to predatory payday lenders and undercut fair lending oversight

Los Angeles Times: “Kathy Kraninger defended some of those changes, including weakening oversight of lending to minorities and military service members, as well as new standards for payday loans, in her first appearance before Congress as director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.”

Los Angeles Times: “Kraninger would not agree to reverse some of Mulvaney’s changes, including his removal of supervisory and enforcement powers for the bureau office that polices fair lending laws protecting consumers from racial and other discrimination, as well as his determination that the agency lacked clear authority to examine firms to determine whether they are complying with legal protections for loans to military members.”

Kraninger reinforced her lack of relevant experience and was unable to do a basic loan calculation.

REP. GREGORY MEEKS: “When I look at your background, for example, prior to this job you never had an interest in consumer protection. You’ve not done anything in that regards, correct?”

KATHY KRANINGER: “I am a consumer –.”

Los Angeles Times: “Rep. Katie Porter (D-Irvine) tried Thursday to get Kraninger to calculate the annual percentage rate for a specific short-term loan as a way of determining her competence for the job. Kraninger refused to do the ‘math exercise’ even after being provided a calculator, arguing she understood the broader point.  ‘I take that as a no, that you cannot do the calculation,’ Porter said.”

Kraninger refused to acknowledge the student debt crisis, saying “crisis” was a loaded word.

REP. AYANNA PRESSLEY: “Yes or no, would you agree that we have a student debt crisis in our country?”

KATHY KRANINGER: “Certainly growing student debt is a concern that we absolutely need to look at –.”

PRESSLEY: “Yes or no, would you agree that we have a student debt crisis in this country?”

KRANINGER: “I think that word is a very loaded word –.”

PRESSLEY: “I’ll take that as a no.”