Women's groups and others protest bills tightening bankruptcy laws

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Consumer advocates, unions, women's groups and religious leaders are protesting legislation that would make it tougher for people to erase debts through bankruptcy.

Officials of the groups and some Democratic lawmakers on Tuesday assailed the millions in campaign contributions by banks and credit card companies pushing the bipartisan legislation.Prospects for its enactment appear strong. But the recent agitation against the legislation already seems to have had an effect: Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, said he would remove a provision from the Senate-passed bill that would let credit card companies take some bankrupt consumers' retirement assets to pay off debts.