House of Representatives
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Dennis Kucinich
U.S. House: Representative
Democratic
Next Election Year: 2010
Education:
MA, Speech Communications, Case Western Reserve University, 1974
BA, Speech Communications, Case Western Reserve University, 1973
Profession:
Consultant, Publicly Owned Electric Systems, 1979-present
President, Marketing and Communications Firm, 1985-1995
Instructor, Communications and Political Science, Case Western Reserve University and Cleveland State University, 1991-1994
Professor, Political Science, Case Western Reserve University, 1982-1992
Communications Entrepreneur, Software and Public Relations, 1982-1992
Clerk of Courts, Cleveland Municipal Court, 1976-1977
Sportswriter
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(2009) HR 3288 2009-2010 Omnibus Appropriations
Outcome: Conference Report Adopted (221/202)
Summary: -Appropriates $1.11 trillion dollars (not including rescissions, unspecified amounts, or advance appropriations for fiscal year 2010-2011) for fiscal year 2009-2010, including but not limited to the following allocations (Divs. A-E):-$512.84 billion for the Department of Health and Human Services;
-$157.9 billion for the Department of Veterans Affairs; and
-$77.4 billion for the Department of Transportation;
-$67.36 billion for the Department of Education;
-$46.98 billion for the Department of Housing and Urban Development;
-$28.31 billion for the Department of Justice;
-$25.66 billion for Science-related agencies;
-$23.69 billion for the Department of Defense;
-$15.94 billion for the Department of Commerce;
-$16.09 billion for the Department of Labor;
-$16.1 billion for the Department of State and related agencies;.
-$13.48 billion for the Department of the Treasury;
-$6.85 billion for the Judiciary; and
-$2.08 billion for the District of Columbia. -Appropriates $105.78 billion for the first quarter of fiscal year 2010-2011, including, but not limited to, the following allocations (Div. D, Titles 1, 2 & 4):-$86.79 billion for grants to the states for Medicaid; and
-$16 billion for Social Security payments. -Rescinds $1.57 billion in unobligated balances of appropriations from past fiscal years (Divs. A-E).
-Appropriates $4.36 billion for the Federal Railroad Administration, including, but not limited to, $2.5 billion for high-speed rail projects (Div. A, Title I).
-Appropriates $11.79 billion for the Federal Transit Administration, including, but not limited to, $9.4 billion for formula and bus grants and $75 million for grants to reduce energy consumption and emissions by public transportation (Div. A, Title I).
-Appropriates $233 million for the Neighborhood Reinvestment Corporation, including, but not limited to, $65 million for mortgage foreclosure mitigation activities, which includes grants for approved counseling intermediaries that provide foreclosure mitigation assistance in states and areas with high rates of foreclosure and default (Div. A, Title III).
-Appropriates $18.72 billion for NASA, including, but not limited to, $6.15 billion for space operations research and development (Div. B, Title III).
-Appropriates $16.34 billion for the renewal of section 8 tenant-based annual contributions contracts, including, but not limited to, $200 million for grants in housing revitalization, demolition and replacement programs like HOPE VI, and provides for the renewal of housing vouchers for the Family Unification, Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing and Non-elderly Disabled Vouchers programs (Div. A, Title II).
-Appropriates $8.58 billion for community planning and development programs, including, but not limited to, $335 million is authorized for housing assistance for individuals living with AIDS (Div. A, Title II).
-Appropriates $3.62 billion for state and local law enforcement activities (Div. B, Title II).
-Appropriates $10.55 billion for the Employment and Training Administration, including, but not limited to $4.11 billion for federal and state unemployment benefits, and $3.83 billion for employment and training services for unemployed and displaced workers (Div. D, Title I).
-Appropriates $6.39 billion for disease control, research, and training, including, but not limited to, $70.72 million in funds for screening and treatment of first response emergency personnel, residents, students, and others related to the attacks on September 11, 2001 (Div. D, Title II).
-Appropriates $300 million for International Assistance Programs "Global Fund to Fight HIV/AIDS, Malaria and Tuberculosis" (Div. D, Title II).
-Appropriates $431.72 billion for Medicare and Medicaid (not including advance appropriations for fiscal year 2010-2011), including, but not limited to, $220.96 billion for state grants for Medicaid and $207.29 billion for the Federal Hospital Insurance Trust Fund and the Federal Supplementary Medical Insurance Trust Fund (Div. D, Title II).
-Authorizes up to $466.80 million in bilateral and multilateral funds for assistance to Iraq, provided that no funds are used to establish a permanent basing agreement between the United States and Iraq (Div. F, Sec. 7042).
-Authorizes up to $1.26 billion in funds for climate change and environment programs (Div. F, Sec. 7081).
-Specifies that an automotive dealership that is not lawfully terminated before April 29, 2009 has the right, through binding arbitration, to regain its franchising agreement or to be added as a franchisee by a manufacturer (Div. C, Sec. 747).
-Prohibits the use of funds provided under this Act for the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN), or any of its subsidiaries, affiliates, or allied organizations, and requires the Comptroller General of the United States to conduct an audit to determine if federal funds were misused by ACORN and if so, how to recover such funds and what steps ought to have been taken to prevent misuse (Div. A, Sec. 418; Div. B, Sec. 535).
-Prohibits the use of federal funds provided in this Act from being used to fund abortion services, unless a full-term pregnancy would endanger the mother's life, or in the case of rape (Div. B, Sec. 202; Div. C, Sec. 814; Div. D, Sec. 508).
-Prohibits the use of funds provided by this Act from being used to distribute needles or syringes for the prevention of blood borne illnesses in locations where the local public health board or local law enforcement authorities deem to be inappropriate (Div. D, Sec. 505).
-Prohibits the use of funds provided by this Act for activities that support the legalization of any schedule I controlled substance, unless there is significant medical evidence of the therapeutic advantages of the substance (Div. D, Sec. 510).
-Prohibits the use of funds to any federal agency that creates a database for monitoring of an individual's use of the Internet, with some exceptions, including, but not limited to, action taken for law enforcement, regulator, or supervisory purposes (Div. C, Sec. 727).
-Prohibits funds from being used to transfer a prisoner detained at the Naval Station in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba to the U.S., unless the prisoner is being transferred for the purposes of prosecution or detainment during legal proceedings and the President has submitted a plan to Congress that includes the following (Sec. 14103):-Determination of any risk to the national security of the U.S. or the safety of inmate populations that is posed by the transfer of the prisoner and a plan for the mitigation of such risk;
-Costs associated with transferring the prisoner;
-Legal rationale and associated court demands for transfer; and
-Copy of a notification sent to the Governor of the State to which the individual will be transferred or, in the case of the District of Columbia, a copy of a notification sent to the the Mayor. -Prohibits the use of funds provided by this Act to support or justify the use of torture by any U.S. Government employee (Div. B, Sec. 519; Div. F, Sec. 7069).
-Prohibits the use of funds provided by this Act from assisting or providing reparations to Cuba, North Korea, Iran and Syria including direct loans, credits, insurance, and guarantees of the Export-Import Bank or any of its agents (Div. F, Sec. 7007).
-Prohibits the use of funds provided by this Act from directly financing governments whose head of state has been overthrown by a coup d'etat, with the exception of providing assistance in carrying out democratically-run elections (Div. F, Sec. 7008).
-Prohibits the use of funds provided by this Act for countries that have defaulted payments in excess of one year on loans granted by the U.S., unless the President determines that such assistance is in the best interests of the U.S. (Div. F, Sec. 7012).
-Prohibits the use of funds provided by this Act for assistance to any government that provides "lethal military equipment" to any country that supports international terrorism, as determined by the Secretary of State (Div. F, Sec. 7021).
-Prohibits the use of funds provided by this Act for programs that violate internationally recognized workers' rights or that provide financial incentives to U.S. companies to relocate their operations outside of the country if doing so would reduce the number of employees in the United States (Div. F, Sec. 7029).
-Prohibits the use of funds provided by this Act for authorizing any guarantee, insurance, or credit to an energy producer or refiner that provides Iran with the ability to manufacture nuclear weapons, including providing, importing, or assisting Iran with producing large amounts of refined petroleum (Div. F, Sec. 7043).
-Requires the Secretary of Defense, in consultation with the Secretary of State, to submit to the House and Senate Committees on Appropriations an annual report outlining the progress the Department of Defense has made in encouraging host countries to increase their share of the common defense burden with the United States, and specifies that the report shall include the following (Div. E, Sec. 118):-Efforts to secure cash and in-kind contributions for military construction projects;
-Efforts to achieve economic incentives offered by host countries to encourage private investment for the benefit of the U.S. Armed Forces;
-Efforts to recover funds due to be paid to the U.S. by host countries for assets imparted to host countries upon the cessation of U.S. operations at military installations;
-The amount host countries spend on defense; and
-For host countries that are members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, the amount contributed to NATO by host countries as a percentage of the NATO budget. -Authorizes a cash award of up to 10 percent of basic pay to any employee of the Federal Bureau of Investigation that maintains proficiency in a language deemed critical to their official duties (Div. B, Sec. 219). |
Kucinich's Vote
N |
(2009) HR 4154 Estate Tax Law Amendments and Reinstatement of PAYGO
Outcome: Bill Passed (225/200)
Summary: -Reinstates the Pay-As-You-Go (PAYGO) budget rule, a rule that applies to bills or joint resolutions that affect direct spending or revenue relative to the baseline and that requires such bills to be budget-neutral (Sec. 102, 103).
-Requires PAYGO legislation to make reference to the bill's estimated budgetary effects, as shall be provided by the Congressional Budget Office, "if timely submitted for printing in the Congressional Record by the chairs of the Committees on the Budget of the House of Representatives and the Senate" before it is voted on (Sec. 104).
-Requires the Office of Management and Budget to maintain and make public on every piece of PAYGO legislation two sets of scorecards, which shall measure the budgetary effects of such legislation over 5 years and over 10 years (Sec. 104).
-Requires the Office of Management and Budget at the end of every Congressional session to publish and make public a PAYGO report, which shall include the following (Sec. 105):-Current PAYGO scorecards on all PAYGO legislation;
-Any current policy adjustments;
-Information about any emergency legislation;
-Sequestration orders that show how direct spending will be adjusted to offset any costs shown on PAYGO scorecards; and
-Other data that would "enhance public understanding" of the above items. -Requires the Office of Management and Budget to calculate the uniform percentage of funds that are to be seized in order to balance spending, and specifies that any uniform percentage exceeding 4 percent shall result in Medicare spending reductions of 4 percent, as well as spending reductions in other nonexempt direct spending programs (Sec. 106).
-Resolves that unique PAYGO scoring rules will apply to one of the four budget areas (Sec. 107):-Legislation that amends or supersedes Medicare physician fee schedules;
-Legislation that amends portions of the United States Tax Code governing estate and gift taxes;
-Legislation that affects the Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT); and
-Legislation affecting certain provisions of the Economic Growth Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001 or the Jobs and Growth Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2003, as well as certain provisions of later statutes amending the aforementioned Acts. -Lists several other federal programs and activities that would be exempt from payment reductions, including Social Security Benefits and Tier I Railroad Retirement Benefits, Veterans Programs, and Refundable Income Tax Credits (Sec. 111). |
Kucinich's Vote
Y |
(2009) HR 3548 Extending Federal Emergency Unemployment Benefits and Providing Business and Homebuyer Tax Credits
Outcome: Concurrence Vote Passed (403/12)
Summary: -Extends second-tier unemployment benefits and specifies everyone will be eligible to receive the lesser of the following (Sec. 2):-54 percent of the total amount of compensation, including benefits paid to dependents, as provided by existing state law during the benefit year; or
-14 times the individual's average weekly benefit, including benefits paid to dependents, as provided by existing state law. -Establishes third-tier unemployment benefits for states with unemployment rates of at least 6.5 percent for the last 3 months, for which an individual is eligible to receive the lesser of the following once second-tier benefits have been exhausted (Sec. 3):-50 percent of the total amount of regular compensation, including benefits paid to dependents, pas provided by existing state law during the benefit year; or
-13 times the individual's average weekly benefit, including benefits paid to dependents, as provided by existing state law. -Establishes fourth-tier unemployment benefits in states that have unemployment rates of at least 8.5 percent for the last 3 months, for which an individual is eligible to receive the lesser of the following once third-tier benefits have been exhausted (Sec. 4):-24 percent of the total amount of regular compensation, including benefits paid to dependents, as provided by existing state law during the benefit year; or
-6 times the individual's average weekly benefit, including benefits paid to dependents,as provided by existing state law. -Extends the 6.2 percent tax rate imposed by the Federal Unemployment Tax Act on the first $7,000 in wages paid by employers through June 31, 2011, at which point the tax is reduced to 6 percent, whereas existing law required the tax rate be reduced to 6 percent in 2010 (Sec. 10).
-Extends a homebuyer tax credit of 10 percent of the purchase price up to $8,000 for first-time purchasers who buy a principal residence before May 1, 2010, whereas existing law required the tax credit expire for homes purchased after December 1, 2009 (Sec. 11).
-Establishes a homebuyer tax credit of up to $6,500 for homeowners who file jointly and $3,250 for single homeowners who have lived in their principal residence for at least 5 consecutive years out of the past 8 years (Sec. 11).
-Prohibits a homebuyer tax credit for first time purchasers who buy a home that exceeds $800,000 (Sec. 11).
-Increases the income limitation for the homebuyer tax credit for homeowners living in their home for at least 5 years from $75,000 for singles and $150,000 for joint filers to $125,000 for singles and $225,000 for joint filers (Sec.11).
-Extends the homebuyer tax credit for members of the armed services who purchase a principal residence before May 1, 2011, whereas existing law repealed the credit on May 1, 2010, and specifies that any member of the armed services who is forced to sell that home within three years of the purchase for reasons of overseas deployment will not have to pay back the credit (Sec. 11).
-Extends the net operating loss deduction period from 2 years to 5 years, and includes net losses during the year of 2009 (Sec. 13).
-Limits the net operating deduction to 50 percent of an individual's taxable income, except for businesses with annual gross receipts of $15 million or less (Sec. 13).
-Prohibits businesses that receive benefits from the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP), including Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, from being eligible to file for the 5-year carry back of net operating losses tax credit (Sec. 13). |
Kucinich's Vote
Y |
(2009) HR 1106 Mortgage Restructuring In Bankruptcy
Outcome: Bill Passed (234/191)
Summary: -Grants bankruptcy court judges the authority to reduce interest rates or extend the repayment period up to 40 years for mortgages (Sec. 103).
-Requires homeowners who receive assistance under this act and sell their home within the first year for a profit to pay their lender up to 90 percent of the difference between the sales price and the amount due under their original mortgage (Sec. 103).
-Prohibits aid to homeowners who are able to meet their original or modified mortgage payments without assistance or who obtained credit through actual fraud (Sec. 105).
-Amends standards for participation in the HOPE for Homeowners Program by excluding borrowers who intentionally defaulted on their mortgage, who have been convicted of fraud or those who earn more than $1 million (Sec. 202).
-Raises FDIC depositor insurance to permanently cover $250,000 instead of $100,000 of each deposit at participating institutions (Sec. 204).
-Establishes a Nationwide Mortgage Fraud Task Force to investigate mortgage fraud in and aid enforcement of mortgage fraud laws (Sec. 302). |
Kucinich's Vote
Y |
(2008) HR 3221 Housing Bill with Energy Tax Credit Extensions
Outcome: Concurrence Vote Passed (272/152)
Summary: -Increases the national debt limit from $9.82 trillion to $10.62 trillion (Sec. 3083).
-Establishes the Home Ownership Preservation Entity Fund to fund the HOPE (Home Ownership Preservation Entity) for Homeowners Program, which will insure up to $300 billion for 30 year refinanced loans for distressed borrowers between October 1, 2008-September 30, 2011 (Sec. 1402).
-Provides that the mortgagor and the Secretary for Housing and Urban Development each receive 50 percent of the appreciation value for each eligible mortgage insured under the HOPE program if changes occur to the property value 5 years after the loan is taken over by HOPE (Sec. 1402).
-Allocates $3.92 billion in grants to States and other units of local government to redevelop abandoned and foreclosed property and $180 million to the Neighborhood Reinvestment Corporation, given that at least 15 percent of the $180 million be provided to housing counseling organizations that provide services for loss mitigation to minority and low-income homeowners (Sec. 2305).
-Establishes a Housing Trust Fund to be used to increase and preserve the supply of rental housing for extremely low and very low-income families (Sec. 1131).
-Establishes the Federal Housing Finance Agency, with regulatory authority over Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, the Federal Home Loan Banks, and the Office of Finance (Sec. 1101).
-Sets conforming loan limitations for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac at a maximum of $417,000 for a single-family residence up to $801,950 for a 4-family residence, adjusted annually (Sec. 1124).
-Raises the limits on the size of the principle mortgage obligation that is eligible for insurance for most homeowners, up to 115 percent of the local area median house price for single-family homes (Sec. 2112).
-Increases conforming loan limitations in areas where the average house price is over 115 percent of the housing price index (Sec. 1124).
-Increases appropriations under the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act from $70 million to $100 million for the fiscal year 2009 (Sec. 2901).
-Increases housing benefits for specially adapted houses for disabled veterans from $10,000 to $12,000, with increases each year tied to the residential home cost-of-construction index (Sec. 2605).
-Changes the limitation on the sale, foreclosure, or seizure of property owned by service members from 90 days to nine months after their return from military service, and limits their interest rates to 6 percent during service and one year after their return (Sec. 2203).
-Provides first-time home buyers with a tax credit of up to $7,500 for residences purchased on or after April 9, 2008, which the homebuyers will repay over fifteen years following their purchase (Sec. 3011).
-Expands home ownership counseling eligibility to include people who have a reduction in income due to divorce or death, or who have an increase in expenses due to medical expenses, divorce, unexpected property damages not covered by insurance, or a large property tax increase (Sec. 2127).
-Allows a real property tax deduction on the amount of state and local real property taxes paid during the taxable year of up to $500 for individuals and $1,000 for joint returns, applicable to taxable years beginning in 2008 (Sec. 3012). |
Kucinich's Vote
Y |
(2008) HR 3221 Housing Foreclosure Assistance Programs
Outcome: Amendment Adopted (266/154)
Summary: -Establishes the Refinance Program Oversight Board, which is responsible for coordinating a program that insures "homeownership retention mortgages," which are refinance loans designed for borrowers who are at risk of foreclosure (Sec. 112).
-Specifies that the aggregate original principal mortgages insured under the "homeownership retention mortgage" program may not exceed $300 billion (Sec. 112).
-Expands eligibility for FHA mortgage insurance to include borrowers who have been deemed "high risk" due to having a credit score equivalent to a Fair Isaac Corporation (FICO) score of less than 560 (Sec. 206).
-Provides incentives for "high risk" borrowers who have consistently paid their premiums on time that would reduce the amount of annual premium payments to payment levels equal to that of individuals who are not deemed "high risk" borrowers (Sec. 208).
-Mandates the establishment of underwriting standards which allow the FHA to insure mortgage loans for qualified borrowers who have existing mortgages with adverse terms or rates, qualified borrowers who do not have access to mortgages "at reasonable rates and terms for such refinancings due to adverse market conditions", and qualified borrowers who are in default or at imminent risk of being in default (Sec. 210).
-Outlines the following eligibility requirements for receiving insurance for a "homeownership retention mortgage":
- -The insured residence shall be the sole residence in which the mortgagor has a full ownership interest,
- -The mortgagor shall be verifiably unable to pay the existing mortgage(s) and, as of March 1, 2008, the mortgagor shall have had a mortgage debt-to-income ratio of greater than 35 percent,
- -The new loans shall not exceed 90 percent of the property's value,
- -Prepayment, default, and delinquency penalties on existing mortgages shall be waived,
- -Indebtedness under the existing senior mortgage shall have been reduced by such percentage as the Refinance Program Oversight Board may require, and holders of liens on property securing a mortgage to be insured under the program shall agree to accept the proceeds of the insured loan as payment in full for all indebtedness under all existing mortgages,
- -The Secretary of Housing and Urban Development shall hold and retain a lien on the residence which will be subordinate to the mortgage insured under the program but will be senior to all other mortgages,
- -The mortgage insured under the program shall bear a single rate which will be fixed for the entire mortgage term,
- -The mortgagor shall undergo a criminal history check to ensure that he or she has not been convicted of mortgage fraud in the past seven years (Sec. 112).
-Requires the implementation of the following underwriting standards for the "homeownership retention mortgage" program: the mortgagor insured under the program shall have "a reasonable expectation" of repaying the mortgage, there shall be no denial of insurance based on credit scores, based on previous delinquency or default, or based on bankruptcy, and a total debt-to-income ratio of up to 50 percent shall be allowed (Sec. 112).
-Terminates "homeownership retention mortgages" two years after the enactment of this amendment, in the absence of any approved extensions (Sec. 112).
-Increases the allowed levels of principal obligations for mortgages insured by the FHA (Sec. 203).
-Extends the term of mortgages insured by the FHA from thirty-five to forty years (Sec. 204).
-Establishes the Federal Housing Finance Agency, which shall supervise and regulate Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and Federal Home Loan Banks (Sec. 311).
-Raises limits on loans that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac can purchase from $93,750 to $417,000 for a single-family residence, from $120,000 to $533,850 for a two-family residence, from $145,000 to $645,300 for a three-family residence, and from $180,000 to $801,950 for a four-family residence (Sec. 333). |
Kucinich's Vote
Y |
(2008) HR 3221 Housing-Related Tax Provision Amendments
Outcome: Amendment Adopted (322/94)
Summary: -Provides first-time homebuyers with a tax credit of up to $7,500 for residences purchased on or after April 9, 2008, which the homebuyers will repay over fifteen years following their purchase (Sec. 712).
-Provides existing homeowners with a real property tax deduction of up to $350 for an individual or $700 for a joint return (Sec. 713).
-Provides the states with $10 billion of additional tax-exempt housing bonds to be issued before December 31, 2010 and used for qualified residential rental projects or mortgage issues, including the refinancing of mortgages on residences originally financed through subprime loans (Sec. 715).
-Provides that bonds guaranteed by federal home loan banks between the date of enactment of this bill and December 31, 2010 are eligible for treatment as tax-exempt bonds (Sec. 717).
-Repeals the Alternative Minimum Tax limitations on tax-exempt housing bonds issued after enactment of this bill and repeals limits on low-income housing and rehabilitation credits for periods after December 31, 2007 (Sec. 716).
-Requires that the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development implement procedural changes to expedite the approval of low-income multifamily housing projects (Sec. 752).
-Requires that the Secretary of Agriculture take actions to facilitate timely approval of requests to transfer ownership or control of multifamily housing projects for which assistance is provided by the Department of Agriculture in conjunction with certain low-income housing credits (Sec. 753).
-Changes the limitation on the sale, foreclosure, or seizure of property owned by servicemembers from 90 days to one year after their return from military service (Sec. 761).
-Requires that any charges accrued by a servicemember who defaults on an obligation for two consecutive months during their service or during the one-year limitation on foreclosures for servicemembers shall be provided with a statement describing his or her liability (Sec. 762). |
Kucinich's Vote
Y |
(2008) HR 5818 Assistance to States for Purchasing Foreclosed Homes
Outcome: Bill Passed (239/188)
Summary: - Allows grants to be used for the purchase of qualified foreclosed housing for resale as housing for homeownership to families with incomes below 140 percent of the median income in the area of the housing, for purchase of foreclosed housing as rental or rent-to-own housing to tenants whose incomes do not exceed 100 percent of the median income for the area, and for rehabilitation of foreclosed housing to comply with codes, safety requirements and increased energy efficiency to help resell the building at a price close to the acquisition price of the housing (Sec. 8).
- Prohibits grants from being used to provide assistance to homebuyers of single family housing for down payments (Sec. 8).
- Requires at least 50 percent of grant amounts under this act to be provided to "very low income families," who have an income of 50 percent or lower of the median income in the area, with half of the very low income family grant monies required to go to "extremely low income families," who have an income of 30 percent or less of the median income in the area (Sec. 8).
- States that recipients of loans or grants under this act may not refuse to lease a housing unit to a person receiving vouchers or certificates of eligibility under section 8 of the United States Housing Act of 1937 and that an owner who receives funds for foreclosed housing must uphold the lease and housing assistance payments contract for tenants receiving section 8 vouchers unless the property is unmarketable while occupied or the owner turns the housing into personal or family use (Sec. 8).
- Requires owners to provide to tenants with a 90-day notice to vacate, and states that tenants with a lease who enter a lease prior to the notice foreclosure may occupy the premises until the earlier of either the end of the lease or the end of a 6-month period beginning on the date of the notice of foreclosure (Sec. 8).
- Authorizes $15 billion to be appropriated to the Secretary of the Treasury for foreclosure assistance grants and direct loans under this act (Sec. 14).
- States that anyone who is not lawfully present in the United States is ineligible for financial assistance under this act (Sec. 16). |
Kucinich's Vote
Y |
(2008) HR 5140 Economic Stimulus Plan
Outcome: Concurrence Vote Passed (380/34)
Summary: - Allows a tax credit in 2008 of an amount equal to an individual's net income tax liability or $600 (or $1,200 for a joint return), whichever is less (Sec. 101).
- Allows at least a $300 tax credit (or a $600 credit for a joint return) for taxpayers who have a qualified income of at least $3,000 (Sec. 101).
- Defines "qualified income" as earned income, social security benefits for seniors and tier 1 railroad retirees, and certain veterans' compensations and pensions (Sec. 101).
- Allows a $300 tax credit per child (Sec. 101).
- Denies eligibility to undocumented immigrants (Sec. 101).
- Appropriates an additional $266.31 million for the Department of Treasury, to remain available until September 30, 2009 (Sec. 101).
- Increases the limits on the maximum original principal obligation of mortgages for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, and for the Federal Housing Administration (Sec. 201, 202). |
Kucinich's Vote
Y |
(2008) HR 5140 Economic Stimulus Plan
Outcome: Bill Passed (385/35)
Summary: - Allows a tax credit in 2008 of an amount equal to an individual's net income tax liability or $600 (or $1,200 for a joint return), whichever is less (Sec. 101).
- Allows at least a $300 tax credit (or $600 for a joint return) for a taxpayer who earned an income of at least $3,000 (Sec. 101).
- Allows a $300 tax credit per child (Sec. 101).
- Appropriates an additional $251.13 million for the Department of Treasury, to remain available until September 30, 2009 (Sec. 101).
- Increases the limits on the maximum original principal obligation of mortgages for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, and for the Federal Housing Administration (Sec. 201, 202). |
Kucinich's Vote
Y |
(2007) HR 3915 Mortgage Reform and Anti-Subprime Lending Act
Outcome: Bill Passed (291/127)
Summary: -Prohibits an individual from becoming a loan originator unless they can obtain and maintain a registration as a loan originator or a license as a state-licensed loan originator and an identification number assigned by the Nationwide Mortgage Licensing System and Registry (NMLSR)(Sec. 103).
-Requires anyone applying for registration as a state-licensed loan originator to supply information concerning the applicant's identity to the NMLSR for a background check, complete at least 20 hours of education as approved by the NMLSR, and pass a test developed by the NMLSR (Sec. 104).
-States that lenders cannot receive a license if they have had a similar license revoked in any governmental jurisdiction in the previous five years, or if the applicant has been found guilty or has pled no contest to a felony in any court in the last seven years (Sec. 104).
-Requires federal banking agencies, the Federal Trade Commission, and the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to establish regulations that prohibit mortgage lenders from steering borrowers to loans that the borrower lacks a "reasonable ability" to repay, that include equity stripping or excessive fees, or that, in cases of residential mortgage refinances, do not provide the borrower with a net tangible benefit (Sec. 123).
-Allows civil action to be taken against a creditor for the recession of a residential mortgage loan in violation of the Truth in Lending Act, unless the creditor corrects the violation within 90 days of notification (Sec. 204).
-Requires mortgage contracts to state the maximum amount of any payments and the additional amount required every month to cover taxes or insurance (Sec. 213).
-Establishes the universal mortgage disclosure requirement for good faith estimates, which must disclose the total loan amount, what type of loan it is, the length of the loan period, the estimated interest rate (APR) and the maximum it can adjust to, the total estimated monthly payment and what percentage it is of a borrowers monthly income, the period to lock an interest rate, any prepayment penalties that exist, any increased final payment, any settlement charges, and the estimated cash needed at closing (Sec. 501). |
Kucinich's Vote
- |
(2007) HR 3074 Appropriations for the Department of Transportation and the Department of Housing and Urban Development
Outcome: Conference Report Adopted (270/147)
Summary: -Prohibits funds from being used to establish a cross-border motor carrier program allowing Mexican motor carriers to operate beyond commercial zones along the border between the United States and Mexico (Sec. 136).
- $195.00 million for replacing the I-35W bridge in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and $1.00 billion for bridge repairs in other states.
- $1.66 billion for the Federal Railroad Administration and Amtrak services.
- $39.69 billion for the Department of Housing and Urban Development. |
Kucinich's Vote
Y |
(2007) HR 3355 Homeowners' Catastrophic Insurance Act of 2007
Outcome: Bill Passed (258/155)
Summary: -Establishes the National Catastrophe Risk Consortium to work with states to create an inventory of catastrophe risk obligations held by state reinsurance funds and issue securities linked to the catastrophe risk insured in capital markets (Secs. 101, 102).
-States that the Consortium will be a nonprofit entity and that its earnings will not benefit any members, founders, contributors, or individuals with the Consortium (Sec. 104).
-Authorizes $20.00 million to be appropriated each year from fiscal year 2008 through fiscal year 2013 to fund the Consortium (Sec. 108).
-Allows the Secretary of the Treasury to create a program to make liquidity loans and catastrophic loans to qualified reinsurance programs to ensure the programs' solvency and improve the availability and affordability of homeowners' insurance (Sec. 201).
-Requires that a catastrophic loan can only be issued to a state if the insured losses with a qualified reinsurance program are more than 150 percent of the amount of direct premiums for property and casualty insurance for risks located in that state over the preceding calendar year, and sets the loan's interest rate at .20 percentage points higher than other loans issued by the Department of Treasury with maturity terms of less than 10 years (Sec. 202).
-Allows the Secretary of the Treasury to make contracts for reinsurance coverage available for purchase by qualified reinsurance programs (Sec. 301).
-Limits the total potential liability for payment of claims under contracts made by the Secretary of the Treasury to $200.00 billion a year (Sec. 304).
-Establishes the Federal Natural Catastrophe Reinsurance Fund to cover contract payments for losses which will be composed of amounts received from contract sales, amounts earned on Fund investments, and other amounts appropriated each year (Sec. 305). |
Kucinich's Vote
Y |
(2007) HR 2895 National Affordable Housing Trust Fund Act of 2007
Outcome: Bill Passed (264/148)
Summary: -Establishes the National Affordable Housing Trust Fund in the Treasury of the United States (Sec. 2).
-Increases the amount of funding appropriated for housing counseling under the Housing and Urban Development Act of 1968 by $100.00 million for each of the fiscal years 2008 through 2012 (Sec. 2).
-Appropriates $25.00 million for each of the fiscal years 2008 through 20012 for increasing funding for the improvement of technology, procedures, processes, program performance, and salaries for mortgage insurance programs under the National Housing Act (Sec. 2).
-Requires the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to establish a formula for allocating money for housing assistance among states, Indian tribes, insular areas, and local jurisdictions based on the needs and population of the area and the funding for each fiscal year (Sec. 2).
-Allows organizations receiving grants from the Trust Fund to give preference to awarding affordable housing grants to first responders, public safety officers, teachers, and other eligible public employees (Sec. 2).
-Requires at least 75 percent of Trust Fund grant amounts to be used for affordable housing to families whose incomes do not exceed the higher amount of either the poverty line for a family of the size involved or 30 percent of the median family income for their location (Sec. 2).
-Allows a family to receive a rent contribution grant of up to 30 percent of the family's adjusted income if the rental unit is legally bound to charge a rent equal to the lesser of the existing fair market rental and 30 percent of the adjusted gross income of a family whose income is 65 percent of the median income for the area (Sec. 2).
-Requires preference for housing assistance grants to be given to families who have applied to a public housing agency for assistance and been on the Section 8 or Public Housing waiting list for 12 months or longer (Sec. 2). |
Kucinich's Vote
Y |
(2007) HR 3648 Mortgage Forgiveness Debt Relief Act of 2007
Outcome: Bill Passed (386/27)
Summary: - Excludes the debt forgiven on a qualified principal residence from the definition of gross income subject to income tax (Sec. 2).
- Reduces the income tax breaks on most gains from the sales of non-primary residences using a formula based on the amount of time that the taxpayer actually lived in the property during the five-year period before the sale (Sec. 5).
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Kucinich's Vote
Y |
(2007) HR 1852 Expanding American Homeownership Act of 2007
Outcome: Bill Passed (348/72)
Summary: -Raises the maximum amount that may be approved for multi-family mortgage insurance by the FHA to 170 percent in normal cost areas and 215 percent in high cost areas (Sec. 27).
-Establishes the Affordable Housing Fund to provide grants that make rent and home ownership more affordable for low-income families (Sec. 31).
-Extends the term for mortgages from 35 years to 40 years (Sec. 4).
-Requires mortgage companies to notify foreclosure prevention counseling services and have them contact mortgagors over 60 days late with payments to offer counseling services funded by the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (Secs. 10, 31).
-Creates the Mutual Mortgage Insurance Fund to guarantee that mortgagors are being charged appropriate premiums for their risk level, to minimize the default risk to borrowers and the Fund, and to meet the housing needs of single family borrowers (Sec. 17).
-Limits mortgage origination fees to 1.5 percent of the total mortgage claim (Sec. 20).
- Allows the mortgagor to be rewarded the amount of the money not paid from escrow plus any penalties accrued or the penalty amount plus attorneys fees if a mortgagee or servicer fails to pay taxes, insurance premiums, or other charges from the mortgagor's escrow account (Sec. 23).
-Establishes a pilot program to allow mortgagors with insufficient credit histories to obtain an alternative credit rating based on rent, utilities, and insurance payment histories (Sec. 25).
-Sets the amount needed to fund housing counseling for mortgages insured under title II of the National Housing Act at $100 million for each of the fiscal years 2008 through 2012 (Sec. 31).
-Authorizes the appropriation of $25 million for each fiscal year 2008 through 2012 to improve the technologies, procedures, processes, and salaries of mortgage insurance programs under title II of the National Housing Act (Sec. 31).
-Prohibits any programs under the National Housing Act from charging mortgage insurance premiums above the October 1, 2006 amounts (Sec. 32). |
Kucinich's Vote
Y |
(2007) HR 1851 Section 8 Voucher Adjustments Act of 2007
Outcome: Bill Passed (333/83)
Summary: -Requires biennial inspections of each assisted housing unit to make sure that the unit is maintained according to the required standards (sec. 2).
-Allows the public housing agency to establish a tenant rent structure that is based on the rental value of the unit and adjusted according to inflation, is tiered according to the income-level of the tenant, and calculates the rent based on a percentage of family income (sec. 3).
-Provides funding for any public housing agency that participates in the Moving to Work program or housing innovation program (sec. 6).
-Allows a public housing agency to provide a down-payment assistance grant not exceeding $10,000 instead of monthly assistance payments to aid in the purchase of a home (sec. 8).
-Creates the Housing Innovation Program to increase the housing opportunities for low-income families and provide financial incentives to families to obtain employment (sec. 16).
-Requires the Department of Housing and Urban Development to increase access for persons with limited English proficiency by developing a housing information resource center that provides translations of written materials and a toll-free customer service hotline (sec. 18).
-Appropriates as much funding as is necessary to assist 20,000 dwelling units each year for the fiscal years 2008 through 2012 (sec. 20). |
Kucinich's Vote
Y |
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