bailout bill

Time magazine today published an interview with N.M. Sen. Pete Domenici on the historic passage of his mental-health parity bill last week. Part of the beyond-massive bailout bill, it culminated a 12-year quest on his part, along with becoming a capstone on his 36-year Senate career.

U.S. Sen. Pete Domenici was packing his bags for New Mexico this morning, while still fielding calls from House leaders requesting help to persuade skeptics of the Senate’s economic bailout package. “They’re still calling around, so it makes me wonder,” Domenici said of House leaders in an interview with the New Mexico Independent today. “I thought they had it taken care of.”

The U.S. Senate by a vote of 74-25 passed the $700 billion financial bailout bill Wednesday night, with New Mexico’s Senators Pete Domenici and Jeff Bingaman voting in favor. In the minutes leading up to the vote, Sen. Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., singled out Domenici for praise.