Roll call on bailout bill

Here's how N.C. House members voted on a bailout of the financial markets, a bill that passed the House on Friday with a 263-171 vote.

FOR: Democrats Mel Watt, Bob Etheridge, David Price and Brad Miller; Republicans Howard Coble and Sue Myrick.

AGAINST: Republicans Robin Hayes, Virginia Foxx, Patrick McHenry and Walter Jones; Democrats G.K. Butterfield, Heath Shuler, and Mike McIntyre.

After the jump, what they said.

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FOR:

Mel Watt, Charlotte Democrat: "The Senate's failure to pay for the cost of these measures concerns me. But we have no choice but to try to address the credit and economic crisis that we are in the middle of. While I would prefer to pay for these measures, I am not provided that option in this bill."

Sue Myrick, Charlotte Republican: "I think we are in a very, quite frankly, dangerous place relative to the financial situation in the country."

Howard Coble, Greensboro Republican: "The limited access to credit, and in many instances, no access to credit can certainly contribute to a crisis. We can put on the blinders and go one way or the other, but this is a bill that must be addressed today."

AGAINST

Robin Hayes, Concord Republican: "The bill still contains a troubling provision that allows foreign-based banks or investment firms to have just as much access to U.S. tax dollars as American companies.  Over the past few days, I sought to get this provision changed, but it hasn't."

G.K. Butterfield, Wilson Democrat: "I have the 15th poorest district in the United States. My people are hurting. They didn't contribute to this problem. They are the victims."

Virginia Foxx, Banner Elk Republican: "This plan does not address the underlying causes of today’s financial crisis, it contains billions in pork from the Senate and it puts taxpayers on the hook for Wall Street’s bad investment decisions."

Patrick McHenry, Cherryville Republican: "For American taxpayers, $850 billion is an enormous price to pay for an experimental plan that can not promise market stability or fundamental reforms to avoid future turmoil."

Mike McIntyre, Lumberton Democrat: "We needed a clean bill that would help American families and small businesses, not foreign investors and foreign banks. We also needed a bill that was not loaded down with extra spending that increases the national debt even more."

Walter Jones, Farmville Republican: "This legislation is a vast expansion of the federal government at the expense of the American taxpayer and the free enterprise system. High-flying Wall Street firms created this problem and got rich in the process. Taxpayers should not have to pick up the tab for their poor business decisions."

— Lisa Zagaroli