Over 530 people co-signed the "Joint Letter In Opposition to the Bankruptcy Bill" and sent a powerful message to our Congressional delegation. Each joint letter and list of co-signers was delivered to the appropriate Representative just days before the vote in the House of Representatives.

The joint letters are online along with the lists of co-signers. They can be reached through the links in the side-bar to the right. If your name isn't on the list of co-signers but should be, or if it's misspelled, email a note and it will be added or corrected.

This joint letter effort, and the work of many other individuals and organizations led three of our state's Congressional Representatives to change course on the bill and to vote against it.

Representative Jim McDermott led the state's opposition to the bill with a powerful speech on the House floor.

Democrats voting for the Bankruptcy Bill were Representatives Larsen and Baird. Rick Larsen represents the NW part of the state that runs north from Mukilteo/South Everett to the Canadian border, east up the Highway 2 corridor into the Cascades and includes Snohomish, Skagit, Whatcom, Island and San Juan counties. Brian Baird represents the SW part that goes south from Olympia to the Oregon border, east to the Cascades, west to Long Beach and includes Thurston, Lewis, Cowlitz, Skamania, Clark, Wahkiakum and Pacific counties.

The final tally for our Democratic delegation on the bankruptcy bill is as follows:

Against: Senators Cantwell & Murray, Representatives Dicks, Inslee, McDermott & Smith.

For: Representatives Brian Baird and Rick Larsen.

The final vote in the House of Representatives on April 14th was 302 in favor and 126 against. 73 Democrats voted in favor. President Bush signed the bill April 20th and it goes into effect on October 17, 2005.

Thank you for participating and making a difference.