Congressman Brad Sherman Summarizes Legislative Accomplishments

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• Provide $800 of tax relief for every working couple; $400 for singles.

• Reduce the interest rate on student loans without cost to the government.

• Provide relief from the AMT (Alternative Minimum Tax).

• Adopt the Credit Card Holders Bill of Rights.

• End the TARP program (the Wall Street Bailout) and return $225 billion to the Treasury. (In 2008, Sherman led the fight against adopting TARP in the first place.)

• Audit the Federal Reserve. Congressman Sherman has cosponsored additional legislation to make such audits more frequent and effective.

• Stop predatory mortgage lending.
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• Increase the “conforming loan limit” for areas where homes cost more than the national average, like the San Fernando Valley. This prevented a major increase in interest rates for those buying, selling, or refinancing a home in the Valley.

• Accelerate construction of the new northbound lane on the 405 Freeway, which will open in early 2013.

• Accelerate construction of both a new southbound and northbound lane on the Valley portion of the 5 Freeway, which will open in 2012.

• Improve the Sepulveda Basin and protect the Santa Monica Mountains. Sherman has consistently earned a 100% rating from the Sierra Club in its evaluation of his voting record.

• Break up banks that are “too big to fail.” Reform Wall Street by cracking down on those who created the financial crisis, increasing capital requirements, ending conflicts of interest at bond rating agencies, and controlling the shadowy world of derivatives. 

• Provide extended unemployment insurance benefits to those who diligently search for a job, but cannot find work during the recession.

• Fight wasteful government spending.

• Impose sanctions on Iran for as long as Iran continues to develop nuclear weapons.

• Very substantially increase funding for veterans health care, including a new MRI machine and other equipment for the Sepulveda VA facility in North Hills.