As Congresswoman Virginia Foxx begins her third term in office, she stopped by the R&L to talk about the bailout bill, the inauguration, the new president and some other issues.

The House voted yesterday to block President Obama from releasing the second wave of money from the $700 billion bailout of financial institutions.

Surry County's representative in Congress led the charge Thursday for a largely symbolic House vote not to fund the second half of a $700 billion financial bailout. The chamber voted 270-155 in favor of legislation sponsored by Rep. Virginia Foxx, R-Banner Elk, disapproving of the Troubled Asset Relief Program, which narrowly passed Congress last fall as a proposal to inject capital into the flailing financial sector.

Rep. Virginia Foxx, Fifth District N.C., was appointed earlier this week to serve on the House Committee on Rules. The committee is the one that determines what legislation comes to the House floor for a vote and under what circumstances that legislation is considered.

Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-5) introduced legislation to deny authorization of the second half of the $700 billion federal government bailout, saying it has not proven effective in helping the economy.

Representative Virginia Foxx verbally ripped into Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac executives on Tuesday at a Congressional hearing in Washington.

Last week reports surfaced that confirmed what some of us knew and many suspected: the federal government was spending hundred of billions in taxpayer money on a bailout that has no oversight.

With legislators in Washington regrouping today after taking Tuesday off for a Jewish holiday, Surry County's congressional representative is seeking "superior alternatives" to a bailout plan she voted against Monday.

A message from Virginia: "Our country is facing an historic economic challenge that requires action on the part of Congress. Our main objective in confronting this challenge should be putting taxpayers first. But I am very concerned about the direction that this economic recovery package could take our county. We should not give Wall Street or the Treasury a blank check with zero accountability. Taxpayers deserve better.

Emily Raines, a rising junior at Forsyth Country Day School, is the 5th District winner of the U.S. Congressional Art Show. Her painting will hang on the wall of the U.S. Capitol for a year, along with works by other winning artists from across the country.