And back on Capitol Hill, credit card executives were called to testify Tuesday on an increasingly criticized practice of using questionable credit scores to raise customers’ interest rates. The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs subcommittee is considering introducing legislation that would force credit card companies to honor their advertised rates. The committee also heard testimony from Americans charged exorbitant rates without their knowledge or consent. Tens of thousands of credit card holders have been forced to pay higher rates when their so-called FICO scores decline. Critics say the scores are lowered arbitrarily, often against customers that pay their bills regularly and promptly. Credit card debt in the United States is currently estimated at some $900 billion.