By Josh Weinhold, Truth Staff
jweinhold@etruth.com
WASHINGTON -- Loans to recreational vehicle dealers and consumers could be easier to come by if Congress authorizes the release of $350 billion associated with the financial rescue plan passed last year.
The new legislation would make RV loans insured by a government institution set up to protect banks from losses if borrowers default on their debts. The first $350 billion Congress approved as part of the so-called financial bailout gave similar protection only to auto, credit card and student loans.
U.S. Rep. Joe Donnelly, D-Granger, pushed for the change in the new bill, adding "and other vehicles" to the types of loans included in the Term Asset-Backed Securities Loan Facility.
"It's funny how three additional words can make such a difference," he said. "But the 'other vehicles,' for me, that was key."
Donnelly said he is hopeful the additional rescue funds will get credit flowing again, kick-starting the struggling local RV industry.
Additionally, the second wave of rescue funds will require significantly more accountability from banks and financial institutions, Donnelly said. The House bill requires banks that receive money to specifically detail how it is used and where the cash has gone, he said.
The legislation will also include some relief funds for troubled homeowners, and will work to prevent foreclosures, he said.
"We want families to be able to put together a sensible refinancing package," Donnelly said. "We're trying to make sure that happens."
The House plans to vote on the bill this week, while the Senate approved releasing the funds Thursday. The upper chamber's legislation did not include the RV language, Donnelly said, but he saw no reason why it would not be included in the final document.
Donnelly and U.S. Rep. Mark Souder, R-Fort Wayne, sent a letter to Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson and Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke last month, urging them to include RV dealers and consumers in the TALF program.
"Economic recovery depends heavily on a rebound in consumer confidence," the letter said. "Consumers who are credit-worthy and encounter barriers to financing purchases will make this rebound more difficult."
U.S. Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass., chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, said the original legislation's terminology was "inadvertently narrow."
In a House finance committee meeting Thursday, Frank said Donnelly was instrumental in expanding the new bill to include other vehicular industries.
"This is an important part of what the average American wants and needs," Frank said. "This is part of the chain of employment."