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When Congress voted to extend unemployment benefits last week, the same bill extended an $8,000 tax credit for first-time home buyers until April 30.

Rep. Howard Coble , a Greensboro Republican, was not a primary sponsor of the version that passed but has been advocating for an extension of the credit for months. Coble’s own bill would have extended the credit for two years.

“We know that these credits are spurring home sales, and those sales are helping us dig out of this recession,” Coble said in a statement after the measure passed.

The bill also created a new $6,500 credit for home buyers who have been in their current homes for at least five years.

Home buyers must have a contract by April 30 and close by June 30 to take advantage of the credits.

The National Association of Home Builders offers a Q&A on the two credits at www.
federalhousingtaxcredit.com.

All 13 representatives and both of North Carolina’s senators voted in favor of the bill.

Health reform debate

In case you missed the media blitz over the weekend, the U.S. House approved its version of health insurance reform Saturday night.

Democrats Brad Miller of Raleigh and Mel Watt of Charlotte voted in favor of the measure.

Coble and fellow Republican Virginia Foxx  voted against it.

More on the vote tallies and breakdowns are available at the Capital Beat blog through this link: snipr.com/t5omi .

A sampling of opinions from the congressmen:

Miller: “It will not change our current system of employer-based coverage, but the loss of a job will no longer mean the loss of health care coverage. The health care system is too badly broken to fix in one fell swoop, but this bill is a solid start.”

Foxx (speech on House floor): “More government control is not good. We’ve been successful as a nation because of our freedom. Taking away freedom will weaken us as a people and a country. The American people know that and have told us that. They’re opposed to this bill.”

Calendar

The Senate is scheduled to stay in Washington this week, focusing its time on debating a military spending bill and readying its own version of a health insurance reform bill.

Meanwhile, your friendly local member of the House is likely to be a little more local this week. The House gave its members a weeklong recess after the Saturday night health care vote.

House votes

Other recent votes of note in the House included:

H.R.3639: Expedited CARD Reform for Consumers Act of 2009. The legislation would enact consumer protection measures related to credit card companies in December rather than in May 2010. Among the protections: Payments would be applied to the highest interest balances first, age 21 would be the minimum for getting a credit card in most circumstances, and credit card holders would be allowed to set their own  credit limits.

Miller and Watt voted for the bill. Coble and Foxx voted against it.

The bill passed 331-92 and has been sent to the Senate.

H.R. 867: Calling on the president and the secretary of state to oppose unequivocally any endorsement or further consideration of the “Report of the United Nations Fact Finding Mission on the Gaza Conflict.” The measure passed 344-36.

The resolution condemned a United Nations report that investigated Israeli actions in the Gaza Strip from Dec. 27, 2008, to Jan. 18, 2009. The resolution calls the report one-sided and says it ignores provocations against the Israeli government by militants. Coble, Foxx and Miller voted for the resolution. Watt voted against it.
 

Contact Mark Binker at (919) 832-5549 or mark.binker@news-record.com