{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://web.archive.org/web/20140221024415/http://www.vitter.senate.gov/newsroom/press/vitter-to-oppose-fhfa-nominee-mel-watt", "Vitter to Oppose FHFA Nominee Mel Watt", "2013-10-31", "2013", "2013-10", "Republican", "House", "LA", "David Vitter", "V000127", "web.archive.org", null, null, "legacy", "Vitter to Oppose FHFA Nominee Mel Watt\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tThursday, October 31, 2013\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t(Washington, D.C.) \u2013 U.S. Sen. David Vitter (R-La.) today announced that he will oppose President Obama\u2019s nomination of Congressman Mel Watt to be Director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA). The Senate is scheduled to vote on the nomination today.\n\u201cMel Watt has a clear record of wanting to restore Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to their failed stature, which would only restore a linchpin of the financial collapse,\u201d Vitter said. \u201cOn behalf of the taxpayers who think a private mortgage industry is healthier than a government run one, I\u2019m an emphatic \u2018no\u2019 on this nomination.\u201d\nVitter has been a vocal opponent of any bailout from the FHFA for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and worked to end the supplemental \u201cMaking Home Affordable Program\u201d that was derived from leftover Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) monies totaling $41 billion. Vitter has fought to return the unused money to the Treasury. Last year former FHFA Director Ed DeMarco announced he would not permit Fannie and Freddie to use the leftover TARP funds to bailout their failed housing program.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://web.archive.org/web/20140221024415/http://www.vitter.senate.gov/newsroom/press/vitter-to-oppose-fhfa-nominee-mel-watt"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.9248731657862663, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}