Unlike most constituents, I actually write my Congressman.
Here is ones response to my question of how she voted for Freddie/Fannie bailout and how she could justify it:
The gist of it: bailout looks good to the press.
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Quote:
Dear Mr. Wagner:
Thank you for getting in touch with me about the federal government's recent financial and housing related actions in the Housing and Economic Recovery Act. In a series of roundtables this spring, I heard from homeowners and housing experts on how Congress could best help families, and I appreciate you adding your voice to this important discussion.
This is a difficult issue. Families across Maryland are facing a code red emergency, struggling to keep their homes while the nation faces a subprime mortgage crisis. These families aren't Wall Street investors playing the housing market to make a quick buck; they're Main Street Americans trying to raise a family in a decent home and a safe community.
Though I normally oppose tax payer bailouts, helping Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac may have been necessary to maintain the health of our economy. The ripple effects of their collapse would have been felt by families in Maryland and across the country, who did nothing wrong.
We need to put the government on the side of people who need it, and give a helping hand to the families who risk losing their homes. I've secured $30 million in federal funding for legal aid for home owners. And I'm committed to working with congressional leaders to ease the burden on families.
The Housing and Economic Recovery Act was recently passed by Congress and the President has signed it into law. Knowing of your views was very helpful to me, and I will keep them in mind if any further legislation comes before the Senate.
Thanks again for getting in touch with me. Please let me know if I can be of assistance to you in the future.
Sincerely,
Barbara A. Mikulski
United States Senator
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07-31-2008, 09:51 PM
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