McCain Myth Buster: John McCain and Housing
This week in what his campaign billed a "major policy speech," John McCain said "[i]t's time to help American families" suffering from the housing crisis. Yet he didn't offer any new plans to help America's families and communities in his speech and failed to mention his dismal voting record on housing issues. The fact is, throughout his career McCain has voted against affordable housing programs and an initiative to help the homeless, skipped votes to help renters, and voted against an independent agency to oversee mortgage lenders, all important programs to help families striving to reach the American Dream. [johnmccain.com, accessed 3/27/08; AP, 3/25/08; 2000 Senate Vote #3, 2/2/2000]
But while his record may help him with the right wing of his Party, it's won't help him today in Nevada, the state with the highest foreclosure rate last month, or in states across the country ravaged by the housing crisis. [AP, 3/13/08]
Maybe it's time for a little straight talk in Las Vegas, Senator. Let us know how it works out.
McCain Lacks Specific Proposals. "McCain, in the midst of a weeklong western fundraising swing, focused on the home-financing crisis at an event in the Republican bastion of Orange County as he tried to rebut Democratic criticism of his economic credentials. His pitch, though, offered little in the way of specific proposals to immediately address the crisis." [AP, 3/25/08]
McCain Voted Against A National Affordable Housing Program. McCain voted against an amendment that would increase the general estate tax exemption for a couple to $4 million, as well as the family-owned business exemption to $8 million per couple by 2010 and establish a National Affordable Housing Trust Fund for the production of affordable housing. The amendment would dedicate $5 billion to the trust fund. [2000 Senate Vote #189, 7/14/2000]
McCain Voted Against Over $1 Billion In Homeless Assistance. McCain voted against an amendment to restore homeless assistance funding to the 1995 level of $1.12 billion, an increase of $360 million from the bill, and offset the costs by reducing funds for the renewal of expiring subsidized private housing contracts. [1995 Senate Vote #468, 9/27/1995]
McCain Voted Against An Independent Regulatory Agency For Federal Home Loans. McCain voted against the Federal Housing Regulatory Reform Act which created an independent regulatory agency within the Department of Housing and Urban Development to oversee the activities of Federal National Mortgage Association and Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation. [1992 Senate Vote #137, 7/1/1992]
Too Busy Campaigning; McCain Missed A Vote To Protect Renters. McCain missed a vote on an amendment that would allow renters to stay in their apartments during a bankruptcy proceeding if they can pay the rent during that time, unless the debtor has endangered property or used an illegal drug. [2000 Senate Vote #3, 2/2/2000]
McCain Voted Against $105.8 Billion, Including Funding For HUD And $453 Million In Rental Assistance Vouchers. McCain voted against a bill that would provide $105.8 billion for the departments of Veterans Affairs, Housing and Urban Development, NASA, EPA, National Science Foundation and related agencies. It includes $453 million for new rental assistance vouchers. The bill also includes language that incorporates a slightly amended version of the fiscal 2001 energy and water appropriations bill. [2000 Senate Vote #272, 10/12/2000]
After casting himself as a "Maverick" in 2000, the new John McCain is walking in lockstep with President Bush, pandering to the right wing of the Republican Party, and embracing the ideology he once denounced. On the campaign trail McCain has callously abandoned many of his previously held positions, even contradicted himself, in a blatant attempt to remake himself into a candidate Republicans can accept in 2008. So just who is the real John McCain? The Democratic National Committee will present a daily fact aimed at exposing the man behind the myth.
