How your U.S. lawmaker voted

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