Swing-District Members Overwhelmingly Back Mortgage Bill
A bill that would set mortgage standards and aims to curb predatory lending practices was easily passed by the House Thursday on a 300-114 vote, with the support of all but three participating members of the Democratic majority, as well as 60 Republicans.
And the measure proved popular with members from partisan swing districts.
Of the 34 Republican lawmakers from districts that split their tickets to back Democrat Barack Obama in the 2008 election, 25 (or 74 percent) voted for the bill.
The bill was drew much less support, on a percentage basis, from members whose districts went Republican both for president and the House last year. “Aye” votes were cast by just 35 of the 144 Republicans (24 percent) from districts that favored Republican John McCain over Obama.