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Area Votes in Congress

WASHINGTON - Here is how Philadelphia-area members of Congress were recorded on major roll-call votes last week: House Detroit bailout. Voting 237-170, the House passed a bill (HR 7321) providing General Motors Corp. and Chrysler L.L.C. with $14 billion in emergency loans designed to keep them solvent at least through March. In return, GM, Chrysler and Ford Motor Co. woul

WASHINGTON - Here is how Philadelphia-area members of Congress were recorded on major roll-call votes last week:

House

Detroit bailout.

Voting 237-170, the House passed a bill (HR 7321) providing General Motors Corp. and Chrysler L.L.C. with $14 billion in emergency loans designed to keep them solvent at least through March. In return, GM, Chrysler and Ford Motor Co. would relinquish their management authority to a White House-appointed "car czar," who would oversee a speedy and drastic overhaul of the domestic auto industry.

A yes vote was to pass the bill.

Voting yes: Robert E. Andrews (D., N.J.), Robert A. Brady (D., Pa.), Michael N. Castle (R., Del.), Chaka Fattah (D., Pa.), Tim Holden (D., Pa.), Patrick Murphy (D., Pa.), Allyson Y. Schwartz (D., Pa.), Joe Sestak (D., Pa.), and Christopher H. Smith (R., N.J.).

Voting no: Charles W. Dent (R., Pa.), Jim Gerlach (R., Pa.), Frank A. LoBiondo (R., N.J.), Joseph R. Pitts (R., Pa.), and H. James Saxton (R., N.J.),

Wall Street bailout.

Voting 403-0, the House amended HR 7321 (above) to require more disclosure and accountability of financial firms receiving bailouts in the Troubled Asset Relief Program. TARP is a $700 billion bailout of financial institutions that Congress enacted last month. Firms receiving TARP funds under this amendment would have to produce evidence that they are using the taxpayer money to engage in lending, in keeping with congressional intent.

A yes vote was to adopt the amendment.

Voting yes: Andrews, Brady, Castle, Dent, Fattah, Gerlach, Holden, LoBiondo, Murphy, Pitts, Schwartz, Sestak and Smith.

Not voting: Saxton.

Senate

Auto rescue plan.

Voting 52-35, the Senate failed to reach 60 votes needed to end Republican blockage of a bill (HR 7005) designed to prevent the financial collapse of General Motors and Chrysler while requiring all three Detroit-based automakers to adopt major restructuring plans by March 31. Similar to House-passed HR 7321(above), the bill authorizes $14 billion in emergency loans and creates the post of federal "car czar" with authoritarian powers to quickly reshape the domestic auto industry.

A yes vote was to advance the rescue plan.

Voting yes: Thomas Carper (D., Del.), Bob Casey Jr. (D., Pa.), Frank Lautenberg (D., N.J.), Robert Menendez (D., N.J.), and Arlen Specter (R., Pa.).

Not voting: Joseph R. Biden Jr. (D., Del.)

Next month.

The 111th Congress is scheduled to convene Jan. 6.