H.R. 1913 - Hate Crimes Legislation - I voted against this bill because to me, all violent crimes are, in effect, hate crimes. This legislation amends the federal criminal code to punish those who commit crimes based on the victim's actual or perceived race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, disability, gender, or sexual orientation. While I agree that crimes engendered by racism and bigotry are detestable, I remain opposed to hate crimes legislation. As a practicing attorney, I simply cannot support any effort that would classify crimes against one class of individuals as more important or more egregious than those against another class.

H.Res. 109 - Supporting the mission and goals of 2009 National Crime Victims' Rights week to increase public awareness of the rights, needs, and concerns of victims and survivors of crime in the United States and to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the enactment of the Victims of Crime Act of 1984. I supported this resolution.

H.Res. 329 - Recognizing the anniversary of the tragic accident of the steamboat ship SS Sultana. I supported this resolution.

H.R. 1746 - Pre-Disaster Mitigation Act of 2009- I voted against this bill because it increases the authorization for FEMA’s pre-disaster mitigation program by 277% to $250 million a year. I support the pre-disaster mitigation program at the currently authorized level.

H.R. 1243 - To provide for the award of a gold medal on behalf of Congress to Arnold Palmer – This bill requires the Treasury to design and produce a gold medal honoring golfer Arnold Palmer in recognition of his excellence and good sportsmanship. It authorizes up to $30,000 from the Mint’s Enterprise Fund to cover the cost of the medals, and allow revenues from duplicate sales to be deposited back into the fund. Mr. Palmer has won 62 PGA tour championships and is active in numerous charities. YES – The bill passed 422-1.

S.Con.Res. 13 - Congressional Budget for Fiscal Year 2010 - The final budget resolution sets the federal government's budget policies over a five-year window between Fiscal Years 2010 and 2014, with a total five-year cost of $18.022 trillion. I opposed this budget because it proposes the largest deficits in American history and assumes a massive, $423 billion tax increase. It provides reconciliation protection from Senate filibuster for subsequent health care and education legislation, perverting the reconciliation process to achieve a government takeover of health care and student loans. NO – The resolution passed 233-193.

H.Res. 357 - Supporting the goals and ideals of Financial Literacy Month 2009 - This resolution supports raising public awareness about financial education and recognizes the importance of managing personal finances. It does not authorize any funds. YES – The resolution 419-3.

H.R. 46 - Family Self-Sufficiency Act of 2009 – I opposed this bill because it taxes local government entities and expands the size and scope of the federal government. This bill imposes a fee on all public housing agencies to pay the costs of the family self-sufficiency program, which provides job training for families that receive rental assistance vouchers and section 8. The fee would be used to employ one or two full-time job trainers at each agency, depending on the size of program participation. This bill authorizes $10 million for HUD to evaluate the effectiveness of the fees. NO – The bill passed 397-19.

Slaughter Amendment to H.R. 627 – This amendment would set underwriting standards for students’ credit cards, including limiting credit lines to the greater of 20 percent of a student's annual income or $500, without a co-signer and requiring creditors to obtain a proof of income, income history, and credit history from college students before approving credit applications. I voted against this amendment because it limits access to credit for adults aged 18-21 attending college, regardless of personal circumstance. NO – The amendment passed 276-154.

Maloney (NY) Amendment to H.R. 627 – This amendment would require credit cardholders to opt-into receiving over-the-limit protection on their credit card in order for a credit card company to charge an over-the-limit fee. It allows for transactions that go over the limit to be completed for operational reasons as long as they are of a de minimis amount, but the credit card company is not allowed to charge a fee. YES – The amendment passed 284-149.

H.R. 627 - Credit Cardholders' Bill of Rights Act - I supported this bill because it would protect consumers from deceptive credit card practices and equip them with the information and rights they need to responsibly manage their credit. H.R. 627 bans a long list of credit-card practices that essentially amount to higher costs for consumers. This bill prohibits banks from raising interest rates from the opening amount unless it's a variable rate or an introductory rate with an increase disclosed in advance; or a year after the account opens, a 45-day advance notice has been made; or if a minimum payment is received more than 30 days after the due date; bans double-cycle billing, which allows banks to calculate interest based on a prior month's balance in addition to the current month, even if the prior month had been paid off; bans marketing credit cards to minors and the ban on fees for phone or Internet payments; banks can't treat payments as late unless consumers have a "reasonable amount of time" to make the payment; at least three weeks before the due date; banks must allocate minimum payments to balances with the highest rate first, or pro-rata among all balances. YES – The bill passed 357-70.