Congress in a Bind Over the Bailout

"If American taxpayers are asked to bail out the financial industry, at the very least, we deserve to know how our hard-earned money will be spent," Robert Borosage , co-director of the Campaign for America's Future, said in a statement. The group includes representatives from the AFL-CIO, United Steelworkers and the Center for American Progress, among others.

On the other hand, the Mortgage Bankers Association asked that Congress not include a proposal that would allow bankruptcy judges to alter mortgage terms.

"MBA supports the effort to pass this legislation quickly, but opposes adding unrelated proposals to this bill," Chief Operating Officer John Courson said in a letter to legislators.