*****The House and Senate passed the Helping Families Save Their Homes Act this week, and President Obama signed it, naturally without the five days for public scrutiny that he guaranteed on the campaign trail. The Associated Press says the bill “would expand [individual eligibility for] an existing $300 billion program that encourages lenders to write down an individual’s mortgage if the homeowner agrees to pay an insurance premium. The program, set to expire in 2011, would swap out a homeowner’s high-interest rate for a 30-year fixed loan backed by the Federal Housing Administration.”
*****ep. Carolyn McCarthy (D-NY) introduced the No Fly, No Buy Act of 2009, H.R. 2401, which aims to stop “persons who may be prevented from boarding an aircraft in the National Instant Criminal Background Check System” from buying a gun. As columnist David Codrea put it, “In other words, if your name appears on the same list as the one that delayed Teddy Kennedy’s boarding pass, you’ll be denied purchasing a gun. And even scarier, you’ll be subject to arrest.” This is the same Carolyn McCarthy who, regarding many firearms and their components, doesn’t even know what she’s trying to ban.
*****ep. Alan Grayson (D-Disney World) plans to introduce the Paid Vacation Act, which would make one week of paid vacation a federal mandate for companies with more than 100 employees. An employee would earn the week off after working for one year; three years’ work would merit two weeks vacation. Companies with 50 or more employees would have to provide one week after three years of employment. “There’s a reason why Disney World is the happiest place on Earth: The people who go there are on vacation,” said Grayson. “[T]he best days of my life are and always have been the days I’m on vacation.” We’re sure his constituents at Disney World appreciate his attempts to drum up business for them.
