WASHINGTON — Here’s how area members of Congress voted on major issues in the week ending Friday.
U.S. House
Home-energy rebates: Voting 246-161, the House on Thursday passed a bill (HR 5019) authorizing rebates of up to $8,000 per home for energy-efficiency projects. Modeled on the “cash-for-clunkers” law that spurred car sales last year, the program would last through 2012, cost $6 billion and benefit three million households with upgrades in areas such as heating, air-conditioning and insulation. Payments would go to the contractor for crediting to the property owner. The bill also would provide $600 million for state programs in which mobile-home owners could receive up to $10,000 for replacing pre-1976 homes with new, energy-efficient units. The bill is now before the Senate.
A yes vote was to pass the bill.
Voting yes: Jay Inslee, D-1; Rick Larsen, D-2; Brian Baird, D-3; Norm Dicks, D-6; Jim McDermott, D-7; Adam Smith, D-9
Voting no: Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-5; Dave Reichert, R-8
Not voting: Doc Hastings, R-4
U.S. Senate
Ban on bailouts: Voting 96-1, the Senate on Wednesday amended a pending financial-regulation bill (S 3217) to permanently ban taxpayer bailouts of large financial institutions. The no vote was cast by Sen. Jon Kyl, R-Ariz.
A yes vote was to pass the amendment.
Voting yes: Maria Cantwell, D; Patty Murray, D
Consumer protection: Voting 61-38, the Senate on Thursday defeated a Republican bid to strip S 3217 (above) of its Consumer Financial Protection Bureau in the Federal Reserve and replace it with a less-powerful Division of Consumer Protection in the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. Drafted by Democrats, the proposed bureau would be funded by the Fed and have a director appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate.
The bureau proposed by Democrats could represent consumers against any company “significantly involved” in selling financial services and products, including mortgage lenders, Wall Street firms and payday lenders. Sponsors said it would be barred from regulating Main Street merchants and other retail outlets that sell on credit, although Republicans disputed that point.
By contrast, actions by the Republicans’ proposed consumer division would be subject to an advance veto by existing regulators such as the FDIC and Comptroller of the Currency. The GOP-drafted unit would be barred from regulating payday lenders or enforcing truth-in-lending or fair housing laws, among other areas where it would have less power than the Democrats’ proposal.
A yes vote backed the Republican’s approach.
Voting no: Cantwell, Murray
Breaking up banks: Voting 61-33, the Senate on Thursday defeated an amendment to S 3217 (above) to break up the nation’s largest financial institutions on the rationale that “too big to fail”
The amendment sought to limit a single bank’s deposits to 10 percent of total insured deposits in the U.S. and its liabilities to 2 percent of the gross domestic product (GDP).
A yes vote backed the amendment.
Voting yes: Cantwell, Murray
Bank funeral plans: Voting 93-5, the Senate on Wednesday added a procedure to S 3217 (above) for dismantling large, failed banks in ways that do not take down other institutions or contaminate the U.S. and global economies. Under the plan, the FDIC would use a Treasury Department credit line — collateralized by the remaining assets of the troubled bank — to wind down the institution. The Treasury (taxpayers) would be reimbursed by the eventual sale of those assets, thus shifting losses to the bank’s shareholders and creditors. By contrast, U.S. taxpayers shouldered the burden when the $700 billion Troubled Assets Relief Program was enacted in November 2008 to save or shut down failing banks.
A yes vote backed the amendment.
Voting yes: Cantwell, Murray
Deposit insurance: Voting 98-0, the Senate on Thursday approved a formula change that will result in big financial institutions paying a larger share of the assessments that underpin federal deposit insurance and community banks paying a smaller share.
The amendment to S 3217 (above) would base assessments on a bank’s assets, replacing the present system in which they are based on a bank’s share of U.S. deposits. Bank assets consist mainly of loans and investments, and when those instruments go sour, the bank poses potential or actual risk to the financial system.
A yes vote was to adopt the amendment.
Voting yes: Cantwell, Murray
Key votes ahead: In the coming week, the House will take up science and technology budgets, while the Senate will continue to debate financial regulations.
Thomas Voting Reports, Inc.
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