news-record.com

Among the missives your federal honorables sent us scruffy media types recently:

• Rep. Brad Miller is pleased that the “Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act” passed the House. The measure, which now goes to the Senate, is a massive rewrite of the country’s financial service laws.

“This legislation will allow lenders to make an honest living and make credit available to consumers who need it, but it will not allow lenders to make a killing by taking advantage of consumers,” Miller said in a statement. “The difference between an honest living and a killing would be an enormous savings to consumers.”

• Sen. Richard Burr is less than pleased that President Barack Obama is planning to use some of the TARP money used to bail out banks that has now been returned to the federal government. Obama wants to plow some of that into job-creation efforts.

“The president’s announcement today that he would like to use up to $200 billion in TARP funds for more stimulus projects shows just how out of touch this administration really is,” Burr said in a news release.

“The American people were promised that repaid TARP money would be used to reduce the national debt. Furthermore, the 10 percent unemployment rate is proof that the promises made about the $800 billion stimulus did not pan out. It is clear the American people do not want the federal government to break even more promises by spending more money on more government waste.”

• Rep. Howard Coble is due to take to the floor of the House today to once again speak out against the Obama administration’s plan to try suspects connected to the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in New York. A month ago, Coble called the idea “a blunder.”

House votes

H.R. 4173, The Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2009: The bill is frequently referred to as a “sweeping” remake of the country’s financial service regulatory system. It would create a new regulatory agency to watch out for consumer finance abuses. The bill passed on a 223-202 vote and it now goes to the Senate.

Democrats Miller and Rep. Mel Watt, of Charlotte, voted for the bill.

Republicans Coble and Rep. Virginia Foxx, of Banner Elk, voted against.

Senate votes

H.R. 3288: Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2010: Despite its title, this measure was actually a $446.8 billion spending bill that will keep most parts of the federal government running through September. The so-called omnibus spending bill passed on a 57-35 vote and has gone to the president for his signature.

Sen. Kay Hagan, a Greensboro Democrat, voted yes.

Sen. Richard Burr, a Winston-Salem Republican, voted no.

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