Senate Rejects Senior Homestead Protection

[Rose Siding]

WASHINGTON -- The Senate on Wednesday rebuffed a Democratic attempt to provide senior homeowners special federal protection from a proposed law making it harder for people to erase their debts in bankruptcy.

Mostly along party lines, it voted 59-40 to reject a proposed amendment that would have allowed older people to get special homestead exemptions allowing them to keep their homes when they file for bankruptcy. Currently, such exemptions are determined by the states.

"Seniors are the people who need the exemption most," Sen. Russ Feingold, D-Wis., said during debate before the vote.

But Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, argued that the bankruptcy overhaul bill as written already provides protections for elderly people and that, when it comes to homestead exemptions, "The choice belongs to the states."

http://www.newsday.com/news/politics/wire/sns-ap-bankruptcy,0,2958742.story?coll=sns-ap-politics-headlines

[Hobarticus]

1. This 'states' rights' stuff is getting complicated!

First they want it so that creditors can kick bankrupt seniors to the curb...then they don't, so they can limit women's choices.

I can't keep up!

[elehhhhna]

2. FL & TX have unlimited homestead exemptions for BK--

[dandrhesse]

3. I think it's time for a full court press on the Republicans

I think we have sorted out real well which dems will react how on issues now it's time to put big time moral/conscience type pressure on the Republicans. I'm working off a list of Senators I got from Paul Wellstone's book "conscience of a liberal" these and a few others who have at times shown us a glimmer of hope and I am going to start sending them snail mail and email, faxes etc. on alternating days. I think the Republicans on the Rules committee and the judiciary committees also need to hear from us in droves. Something along these lines:

"We know what's happening, you know what's happening why isn't anyone doing anything about this? Are you gonna wait til bush gives the whole damn country away?"

[ewagner]

6. Agreed....

I think it's PAST time to take these guys on for what they really are......

[Tempest]

4. Death by a thousand cuts

The Repugs are killing themselves with things like this, the SS reform fiasco and cutting funding to schools.

Sit back and enjoy the show, folks.

[napi21]

7. I've been thinking the same thing. I sure hope we're right!

The other morning, while watching cspan, one of the reporters (Chuck Todd or the other guy) mentioned several topics that were on the ajende in the House. SS (reform), medicare/medicade funding (reducing it of course), insurance reform (that would change from employer provided to the free market purchase), and several other things.

I said something regarding this administration that I won't type here 'cause I don't want to end up in Gitmo! I was sooo pissed. It's like they're throwing everything against the wall, figuring some of it will stick, and we can't fight them on all of it at the same time.

Then I started thinking that I can't possibly be the only person feeling this way. Neil Boortz said that "When Pubs get into power, they always make one BIG mistake. They over-reach, and get slammed into the ground and it takes years to climb back."

I rarely listen to this idiot, but I sure hope he's right on this point. It looks to me like that's exactly what they are doing now.

[dandrhesse]

12. not if they own the elections lock stock and barrel

[Freddie Stubbs]

5. Biden, Carper, Jeffords, and Ben Nelson voted with the Republicans on this

http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=109&session=1&vote=00014

[Mandate My Ass]

8. Political cover for dems who are going to sell out Americans to

the credit card companies. They have the unmitigated gall to call this bill a consumer protection act. Families will be thrown out on the streets while millionaires get to keep their mansions.

Medical bankruptcies are up 2200% since 1981 and they make up the bulk of bankruptcies in the US. Most of those filing were people with college educations in professional employment who had no prior credit problems. The abuse rate for bankruptcies is 3% and there are already rules in place for judges to penalize those who are known offenders. This bill is a catastrophic sellout and will hurt only the middle class, working class and the poor for the further enrichment of credit card companies.

This bill does not prevent credit card companies from gouging customers by raising the interest rates and making the minimum payment so low that it takes years to pay off a sum as small as $1000.

<snip>

With the identical vote tally, the Republican-controlled Senate also defeated a proposal by Sen. Daniel Akaka, D-Hawaii, to require that credit card statements show how long it would take the consumer to pay off his or her debt by making only the minimum monthly payment.

It was the third time in two days that the Senate beat back a proposed Democratic amendment to the sweeping bill to overhaul the bankruptcy code. On Tuesday, the Senate did accept a more limited GOP provision that would give a break to active-duty military personnel and some veterans who file for bankruptcy.

Democrats expressed concern Tuesday about hardships for veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan, citing cases of people in the National Guard and Reserves who have seen their businesses fail after they were called up to serve.

About 16,000 active-duty members of the military file for bankruptcy each year, according to congressional investigators.

[NVMojo]

9. Hatch is a buttscrew. His state has a high rate of bankruptcies ...gee

I wonder why??

[Justitia]

10. I want a PRESS CONFERENCE!!!

I want a televised press conference alerting the media about how the repubs are screwing senior citizens by voting down this bill.

In fact, I want daily press conferences from the dems screaming every day about how the repubs are screwing groups x, y & z!

We need to be at least as obnoxious as Tom DeLay to get our side of the arguments in the news.

If citizens saw just how often they get screwed by the GOP, their party would wither and die.

[doodadem]

11. I agree! Take all that money Kerry had left

From his prez campaign, and use it to get the word out in TV ads on what these bastards are trying to do to ALL of us: seniors, students, the disabled, the unemployed........the list goes on and on. This is where we can build our OWN political capital!