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In this pantheon of corporate muscle, no industry wields as much power as the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers Association (PhRMA), a pressure group breathtaking for its deep pockets and aggression, even by the standards of US politics.

Bankruptcy laws were originally established to give people like the Trapps an opportunity to overcome financial misfortunes with a ''fresh start.'' But credit card companies, banks and other lending institutions -- some of President George W. Bush's and Congress's strongest campaign contributors -- say people are abusing the system.