The $700 bailout bill Congress sent to President George W. Bush Friday evening was certainly not a low-profile event.

As the drama on Wall Street and in Washington unfolded, members of the Kansas congressional delegation heard from thousands of Kansans, many worried that the bill's benefits might not outweigh its risks.

Wendy Knox, spokeswoman for Fourth District Congressman Todd Tiahrt, said the office's call volume has gone up dramatically over the past two weeks. 

“Typically, at this time of year, we would receive around 300 calls per week," she told Kansas Liberty on Friday. "This week alone, we have fielded over 2200 calls.” 

She said many constituents had written letters and sent emails as well. Tiahrt voted against the bailout, but not easily. “This was a hard decision,”  she said.

Knox said  it was encouraging to know that Americans were paying attention and taking the time to ensure that their voice was heard.  "Eighty-five percent of those that contacted us opposed the bailout," she said. "Rep. Tiahrt heard their concerns."

The office of First Congressional District Rep. Jerry Moran experienced a similar outpouring from constituents, with more than 2000 Kansans writing or calling to voice their opinions in the last eight days.

Breck Latham, Moran's spokesman, said although most opposed the bailout measure, many were worried about the trickle-down effects of the bill, and with the potential lack of credit available for farms and small businesses.

“Rep. Moran has been listening to Kansans and he understands their concerns," Latham said. "He is principally against the reckless spending of $700 billion dollars.” Latham also said Moran fears the bill doesn’t address the underlying problems that led to the crisis. 

Neither Rep. Nancy Boyda or Rep. Dennis Moore’s office had responded to calls and emails seeking comment.  

On her website, however, Boyda described the response of her constituents to the crisis. “In the days leading up to the vote, we received over 2,000 letters, emails, calls and faxes from people in the Second District," she wrote. "Only about 100 of these contacts were form letters. The rest were thoughtful, personal letters that people took the time to write themselves. They were overwhelmingly against the bailout. Many were very angry."

Only about 40 were in favor of the rescue package, she said.

"You would think then that this was an easy vote," Boyda said. "But it wasn't. The stakes are high, very high. It was a white knuckle vote. I do believe our economy is facing serious challenges.”

-Maria Holiday

The Week in Review