Originally published Sunday, May 11, 2008 at 12:00 AM
How your U.S. lawmaker voted
Here's how the state's members of Congress voted on major roll calls in the week ending Friday. House Federal mortgage relief By a vote...
WASHINGTON — Here's how the state's members of Congress voted on major roll calls in the week ending Friday.
House
Federal mortgage relief
By a vote of 266-154, the House on Thursday authorized a new program in which mortgage holders would voluntarily refinance hundreds of thousands of at-risk home loans in return for Federal Housing Administration backing of those loans and other benefits. Now before the Senate, the bill (HR 3221) is designed to rescue up to 500,000 mortgages, totaling $300 billion, now headed for default. The Congressional Budget Office estimates the program would cost taxpayers $2.7 billion over five years, based on the projected failure rate of the reworked loans.
The bill also would create the Federal Housing Finance Agency to oversee the Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae) and Federal Home Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac). The two federally backed corporations, which dominate the nation's secondary mortgage market, have been tarred by accounting scandals and weak fiscal performances.
Voting yes: Jay Inslee, D-1; Brian Baird, D-3; Norm Dicks, D-6; Jim McDermott, D-7; Dave Reichert, R-8; Adam Smith, D-9.
Voting no: Doc Hastings, R-4; Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-5.
Not voting: Rick Larsen, D-2.
Homeowner tax breaks
By a vote of 322-94, the House on Thursday adopted an amendment to HR 3221 that would authorize $7,500 tax credits for first-time home purchases and allow taxpayers who do not itemize deductions to treat up to $700 of their 2008 property taxes as a federal tax deduction. The measure also would authorize local housing authorities to issue $10 billion in tax-exempt bonds to be used for refinancing subprime loans and providing low-income rental housing.
Voting yes: Inslee, Baird, Dicks, McDermott, Reichert, Smith.
Voting no: Hastings.
![]()
Not voting: Larsen, McMorris Rodgers.
Home foreclosures
By a vote of 239-188, the House on Thursday sent the Senate a bill (HR 5818) that would provide $15 billion in grants and loans through 2013 for a program to help communities and nonprofits buy, rehabilitate and occupy vacant, foreclosed homes. Families with incomes less than the regional median income then would be offered the properties for purchase or rental. The federal financing would be allocated to states, urban counties and cities primarily on the basis of their foreclosure rates.
Voting yes: Inslee, Larsen, Baird, Dicks, McDermott, Smith.
Voting no: Hastings, McMorris Rodgers, Reichert.
Senate
Wind-damage insurance
By a vote of 19-74, the Senate on Wednesday defeated an amendment to expand the National Flood Insurance Program to cover wind damage as well as water damage. This occurred during debate on a bill (S 2284) to renew and reform the FEMA-run program, which serves 5.5 million policyholders in 20,000 communities prone to flooding. The bill remained in debate.
Voting no: Maria Cantwell, D; Patty Murray, D.
Coverage-limits increase
By a vote of 27-66, the Senate on Wednesday defeated an amendment to S 2284 (above) that sought to increase the National Flood Insurance Program's coverage limits by about 35 percent while not raising premiums.
Voting yes: Cantwell, Murray.
Roll Call Report Syndicate
Copyright © 2008 The Seattle Times Company
Big demand, grim outlook for state Basic Health Plan
SC legislators begin Sanford impeachment hearings
Some fans at Fort Bragg see themselves in Sarah Palin
S.C. governor faces 37 charges of violating ethics laws
UPDATE - 10:09 AM
Obama: US-Indian ties help define 21st century

PNW Magazine | Easy As Pie
A little friendly competition between professional pie-baker Kate McDermott and The Seatttle Times' Kathleen Triesch Saul is handled with great taste.
general classifieds
Garage & estate salesFurniture & home furnishings
Sporting goods
just listed
Bed - $400
Bedroom set - $850
Christmas Centerpiece - $12
More listings
POST A FREE LISTING
shopping
events for Tuesday, Nov. 24
- November happy hours and Thanksgiving weekend...
- Ravenna Holiday Arts and Crafts Sale
- Two-week opening at Midori Inc.
- Gene Juarez Holiday Sale
editors' picks
- Pioneer Square shopping
- Phinney Ridge & Greenwood shopping
- Independent bookstores
- Local jewelry designers
- Illegal workers quietly let go
- Sprouts, raw fish on attorney's 'do not eat' list
- Jerry Brewer | Jerry Brewer: Seahawks can't lean on the Hutch Crutch now
- Woman stabbed by stranger in North Seattle
- Tattoos at Mill Creek church pierce skin, soul
- UW, WSU once again meet to see who's worse
- Food-safety lawyer's wish: Put me out of business
- Husky Football Blog | Ranking the Pac
- Vikings easily beat the Seahawks
- Tugboat sinks at Seattle waterfront pier
- Illegal workers quietly let go
421 - Climate change speeds up since 1997 Kyoto accord
216 - Bellevue residents blast new bikini espresso stand
161 - Metro won't cut bus service after all
160 - New Husky recruit: Enes Kanter
109 - Washington State coach Paul Wulff says he's excited about Cougars' future
92 - Seattle woman charged with knife attack on boyfriend's ex
89 - Middleton says Huskies "plan on scoring at least 50 points'' Saturday
87 - Next Seahawks GM should be Mike Holmgren
87 - Big demand, grim outlook for state Basic Health Plan
79
- Sprouts, raw fish on attorney's 'do not eat' list
- Tattoos at Mill Creek church pierce skin, soul
- Food-safety lawyer's wish: Put me out of business
- Illegal workers quietly let go
- Architects, chefs find 'kid' within to build Gingerbread Village
- Rediscovering Moab, 'the most beautiful place on Earth'
- UW, WSU once again meet to see who's worse
- Hutch gets $10M from Bezos family for immunotherapy research
- Children in home day care watching hours of TV, study says
- Taste | The Great Pie Bake-off pits friends and fruit

