Bachmann says she will protect ‘moms’ from home foreclosure, but her voting record suggests otherwise
During Tuesday night’s CNN-Western Republican Leadership Conference Debate in Las Vegas, presidential candidate Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) tried to appeal
Jul 31, 202094.5K Shares1.4M Views
During Tuesday night’s CNN-Western Republican Leadership Conference Debatein Las Vegas, presidential candidate Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) tried to appeal to the mothers of America, telling them, essentially, that she has their back when it comes to the ongoing national problem of high foreclosure rates.
But Bachmann’s voting record in the U.S. House of Representatives has not reflected her rhetoric at last night’s debate. From the transcript:
“„ANDERSON COOPER: Congresswoman Bachmann, does the federal government have a role in keeping people in their homes, saving people from foreclosure, in the state of Nevada?
“„MICHELE BACHMANN: That was the question that was initially asked. And what I want to say is this — every day I’m out somewhere in the United States of America, and most of the time I’m talking to moms across this country. When you talk about housing, when you talk about foreclosures, you’re talking about women who are at the end of their rope because they’re losing their nest for their children and for their family. And there are women right now all across this country and moms across this country whose husbands, through no fault of their own, are losing their job, and they can’t keep that house. And there are women who are losing that house.
“„I’m a mom. I talk to these moms. I just want to say one thing to moms all across America tonight. This is a real issue. It’s got to be solved. President Obama has failed you on this issue of housing and foreclosures. I will not fail you on this issue. I will turn this country around. We will turn the economy around. We will create jobs. That’s how you hold on to your house.
“„Hold on, moms out there. It’s not too late.
As The American Independent’s sister site The Minnesota Independent previously reported, in March, Bachmann votedto defund the Home Affordable Modification Program (HAMP) in a bill titled the “FHA Refinance Program Termination Act.” Within that same bill, Bachmann voted against an amendmentthat would have saved a portion of HAMP for senior citizens whose mortgages are in negative equity, or “underwater.”
The Minnesota Independent has also reportedthat Minnesota’s 6th District, which Bachmann represents, suffered the highest foreclosure rates in the state in 2008 (estimated at 5,227) and 2009. Nevertheless, the congresswoman has voted against all but one measure aimed at foreclosure relief during her time in office, including: the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008, which included provisions to help struggling homeowners, signed into law by former President George W. Bush; the Mortgage Reform and Anti-Predatory Lending Act; the Neighborhood Stabilization Act, intended to provide funds to communities to buy and rehabilitate foreclosed homes; and the Expand and Preserve Home Ownership Through Counseling Act, the goal of which was to improve homeowners’ financial literacy.
In February 2009, Bachmann talked about the national foreclosure crisis on her blogin a way that did not reflect the sympathy she was trying to convey to women during Tuesday’s presidential debate:
“„When President Obama released his plan this week to prevent home foreclosures, the point he wanted to get across to everyone watching was that money from folks who have been making their payments on time will not just be handed over to those folks who got in over their heads and bought a house they knew they couldn’t afford.
“„It’s estimated that around four million homeowners are in danger of foreclosure, and in order to help them out, part of the President’s plan creates a $75 billion program that would go towards reducing a homeowner’s monthly mortgage payment. That breaks down to about $18,750 per home.
“„Now, we can debate whether this is the right thing to do as it may seem that you’re rewarding the irresponsible while punishing those who have been playing by the rules.
Watch snippets from last night’s debate, including Bachmann’s statements on foreclosures and her promise to moms, produced by HuffPost Politics:
Rhyley Carney
Reviewer
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