XXXX Voted For Mortgage Relief and Billions in Housing-Focused Tax Breaks. In July 2008, XXXX voted for a landmark housing bill intended to stabilize financial markets and the battered housing sector. The bill contains provisions to help borrowers get out from under loans they cannot afford and throws a lifeline to the struggling mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. It also creates a strong new federal regulator for the two companies that will be empowered to set capital levels and limits on their mortgage portfolios. It would overhaul the Federal Housing Administration. The measure also establishes an affordable housing trust fund to be financed by Fannie and Freddie. Lawmakers also included a $15.1 billion package of housing-focused tax breaks, including a one-time tax credit to most first-time homebuyers. The package also would allow taxpayers who do not itemize on their returns to claim a one-time $500 deduction ($1,000 for married couples filing jointly) for local property taxes. The motion to concur passed 72-13. [CQ Today, 7/26/08; Vote 186, 7/25/08]  XXXX Voted To Allow Consideration of Mortgage Relief and Billions in Housing-Focused Tax Breaks. In July 2008, XXXX voted to limit debate on a landmark housing bill intended to stabilize financial markets and the battered housing sector. The bill contains provisions to help borrowers get out from under loans they cannot afford and throws a lifeline to the struggling mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. It also creates a strong new federal regulator for the two companies that will be empowered to set capital levels and limits on their mortgage portfolios. It would overhaul the Federal Housing Administration. The measure also establishes an affordable housing trust fund to be financed by Fannie and Freddie. Lawmakers also included a $15.1 billion package of housing-focused tax breaks, including a one-time tax credit to most first-time homebuyers. The package also would allow taxpayers who do not itemize on their returns to claim a one-time $500 deduction ($1,000 for married couples filing jointly) for local property taxes. The motion to invoke cloture passed 80-13. [CQ Today, 7/26/08, 7/25/08; Vote 185, 7/25/08]  XXXX Voted For Senate Version of Mortgage Relief and Housing Tax Breaks. In April 2008, Robets voted for a bipartisan package built around tax incentives designed to spur the purchase of homes now in foreclosure and to grant relief to struggling homebuilders and other money-losing businesses. The Senate version included provisions aimed at helping home-owners refinance their mortgages. It also would modernize the Federal Housing Administration (FHA). It would grant a tax credit of $7,000 over two years to individuals who buy homes in or near foreclosure. And it would create a property tax deduction, for 2008 only, of $500 for individuals and $1,000 for married couples for households that do not itemize on their income tax returns. The core provisions of the Senate bill would cost $10.9 billion over 10 years, with no offsets. It would also extend expiring tax breaks for renewable energy and energy efficiency for a year at a cost of $6 billion. [CQ Today, 4/10/08; Vote 96, 4/10/08] XXXX Voted Against Allowing Bankruptcy Judges to Modify Mortgages. In April 2008, XXXX voted to kill an amendment that would have allowed bankruptcy judges to modify subprime and non-traditional mortgages, including reducing the outstanding principal on the mortgage. Durbin made the motion to table his own amendment in an effort to avoid a stalemate on the housing package. [CQ Today, 4/03/08; Vote 88, 4/03/08] XXXX Voted Against Restoring Funding to the Community Development Block Grant Program. In March 2005, XXXX voted against an amendment that would restore funding for the Community Development Block Grant Program and other programs to fiscal 2005 levels. It would be offset by cuts to the Allowances account. [S Con Res 18, Vote 66, 3/17/05] XXXX Voted Against Restoring Funding to the Community Development Block Grant Program. In March 2005, XXXX voted against an amendment that would restore $1.9 billion in cuts to the Community Development Block Grant Program and other programs proposed for elimination, restoring funding to fiscal 2005 levels. It would be offset by striking $1.8 billion from the reconciliation instruction's tax cut figure. [S Con Res 18, Vote 65, 3/17/05] XXXX Supported VA and HUD Funding. In October 2000, XXXX supported adoption of the conference report on the bill that would appropriate $107.3 billion in fiscal 2001 for the Veterans Affairs and Housing and Urban Development departments and independent agencies (EPA, NASA and the FEMA) as well as $23.6 billion for the 214