Senator Cochran will be interviewed this morning at 8:30 a.m. on Mississippi Public Broadcasting Think Radio by Karyn Brown. The topic will be the current economic situation, so tune in and listen to what Senator Cochran has to say.
Click here to listen online.
After the Senate passed the financial bailout package on Wednesday, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the plan by a 263-171 vote. President Bush then quickly signed the bill into law on Friday.
Bush signs $700B bailout bill
Clarion-Ledger
WASHINGTON — President Bush has signed into law a far-reaching $700 billion bill to bailout the nation’s tottering financial industry and thanked Congress for acting in a bipartisan and decisive fashion.
“There were moments this week when some thought that the federal government could not rise to the challenge. But thanks to the hard work of members of both parties, in both houses, and the spirit of cooperation between Capitol Hill and my administration, we completed this bill in a timely manner,” Bush said in remarks in the Rose Garden.
The final vote was 263-171 in the House, a comfortable margin that was 58 more votes than the measure garnered in Monday’s stunning defeat. The vote capped two weeks of tumult in Congress and on Wall Street, punctuated by daily warnings that the country confronted the gravest economic crisis since the Great Depression if lawmakers failed to act.
After the U.S. Senate passed the bailout package this week with a 74-25 vote, all focus turns toward the U.S. House of Representatives. Both Mississippi Senators Thad Cochran and Roger Wicker voted against the plan this week despite its passage. House members are expected to vote on the bailout in a matter of minutes.
House Works Toward Bailout Vote
Washington, D.C.
Posted: 10:42 AM Oct 2, 2008
The Associated Press
A Members of the U.S. House are gearing up for their second chance to vote on a financial bailout bill.
The measure passed the Senate Wednesday night, with several changes added.
House leaders will be lobbying for the dozen or so more votes they think will help the bill pass. A showdown vote is expected Friday.
The 74-25 roll call by which the Senate approved a $700 billion rescue package for Wall Street aimed at preventing a credit crisis.
Both of Mississippi’s senators, Thad Cochran and Roger Wicker voted against the package, as did Alabama’s Jeff Sessions and Richard Shelby.
On this vote, a “yes” vote was a vote to approve the package and a “no” vote was a vote against it.
Thirty-nine Democrats, 34 Republicans and one independent supported the measure. Voting against it were nine Democrats, 15 Republicans and 1 independent.
Click here to read on WTOK-TV.com.
U.S. Senate Approves Bailout Bill
WJTV.COM
Wednesday, Oct 01, 2008 - 09:19 PM Updated: 09:34 PM
By a vote of 74 to 25 the U.S. Senate has approved the $700 billion bailout for the financial industry. The bill includes another $100 billion in tax breaks that was not included in the version the House voted down Monday.
Mississippi’s two senators voted against the bill. Senator Thad Cochran, who had not said how he would vote beforehand, voted against the measure. Senator Roger Wicker said he would go against the bill before Wednesday night’s vote. Coming up on News Channel 12 at 10 we’ll have more on the U.S. Senate’s vote.
Among there 74 senators voting for the bill were presidential nominees Barack Obama and John McCain. Vice presidential candidate Joe Biden also voted for the bill.
The U.S. House plans to vote on the revised plan Friday.
Click here to read the article on WJTV.com.
With the help of Senator Cochran, Senator Wicker, and Governor Barbour, Mississippi homeowners in Hancock, Harrison, and Washington County are finally eligible to receive grants to rebuild and repair homes that were damaged by flooding from Hurricane Gustav. Read the Associated Press article below for more details.
BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS:
JACKSON — Federal aid is finally on the way for Mississippi homeowners hit hard by the flooding rains of Hurricane Gustav, and so far more than 970 residents from three counties have applied for individual assistance, officials confirmed Tuesday.
Homeowners in Harrison and Hancock counties on the Mississippi Coast, and Washington County in the Delta, are eligible for up to $28,000 each to rebuild or repair their flood-damaged homes. Residents have 60 days to apply for the grants.
Gov. Haley Barbour’s second request for individual assistance to rebuild or repair homes damaged or destroyed by the storm has been approved by FEMA, which had not responded to the governor’s first request on Sept. 10.
FEMA had already approved public assistance for several counties, including those along the Gulf Coast, to repair or rebuild public buildings and roadways and to remove hurricane debris.
Continue to read the Associated Press article by clicking here.
As many of you know, the Financial-bailout package failed in the U.S. House of Representatives yesterday by a vote of 228-to-205. Due in part to the negative vote, the stock market was down significantly yesterday, and Dow suffered a record fall of 777 points. Now, it remains unclear when the House and Senate will return to consideration of a “Stabilization Bill.” It is likely that something will be brought forward on Thursday. However, it is not clear what will actually be included in the bill.
The lack of action by the House of Representatives yesterday leaves us uncertain about what proposals may be presented in the coming days. Without knowing the specifics of the legislation that may be considered later this week, it is impossible to say how Senator Cochran would vote on such a plan.
Senator Cochran is carefully monitoring our current economic situation. He believes that if signals continue to show that stability in our economy is not immediately achievable, Mississippians’ retirement plans, mortgages, and ability to pay for college could be in jeopardy.
Please know that Senator Cochran will continue to consider options that will be in the best interest of the American taxpayer.
The last day to register to vote for this year’s election is THIS Saturday, October 4th! Please spread the word and encourage all of your friends and family members to register. For more information on how to register, visit Mississippi Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann’s Web site OR just click here.
Prior to the much-awaited presidential debate, the University of Mississippi hosted a “Rock the Debate” festival from noon till 8 p.m. on Friday. Students, Oxford residents, and visitors from around the region poured into Ole Miss’s campus to be a part of the free festival which combined music, food, games, and political excitement.
The Thad for Senate tent was set up in “Issues Alley,” a place in the grove where young voters could stop by and gather information on different campaign issues. View pictures below of the Rock the Debate festival.
Cochran supporters stop by the Thad for Senate tent in the grove.
Josh Crump and Casey Stafford hold up their Thad signs during an MSNBC broadcast in the grove.
Tom Brokaw, an NBC News Special Correspondent, is interviewed on the MSNBC broadcast in the grove.
The Thad for Senate campaign is going to have a tent setup at the University of Mississippi’s Rock the Debate event this Friday. Please come bye, visit, and enjoy the live music in the grove! We will be handing out T-Shirts, bottled water, fans, bumper stickers, and yard signs. Our tent will be located in the grove across from Faser hall from 12 p.m. until 6 p.m.
The United States Senate unanimously passed the Emmett Till Unsolved Civil Rights Crimes Act this Wednesday. The bill would provide millions of dollars to develop a cold cases unit within the Justice Department to investigate unpunished civil rights crimes that happened before 1970. The money would also help local law enforcement officials conduct these examinations of killings that happened in the civil rights era.
Senator Thad Cochran was a co-sponsor of this bill in 2005 when it originated. He has praised its passage and hopes that President Bush will sign the legislation into law. The President is expected to sign it.
“Justice has been delayed, but it should not be denied,” Cochran said. “We are nearing a time, half a century after many of these crimes were committed, when witnesses who are able to provide testimony will no longer be available.”
To find out more about the Emmett Till Unsolved Civil Rights Crimes Act, click here to read an article in the Clarion-Ledger.
