Feder wants to fix housing crisis in Manassas

By Maggie Ramsay

Published: October 12, 2008

Judy Feder knows all about the housing crisis that has rocked the city of Manassas and she wants to make a difference there.

“I know people there are hurting,” said the 10th District congressional candidate about a city that saw more than 450 foreclosures in the first six months of 2008. “There is a lot of concern they have being forgotten in this financial crisis, that the attention is going towards Wall Street, not sufficiently to them.”

Feder, 61, decided to run for Congress in 2006 and again this year because she said that she was tired of the direction the nation was going. Heading that direction, in part, has been longtime incumbent Republican Frank Wolf, said Feder.

“People are looking for someone to bring change and my question is, after 28 years, is Mr. Wolf able to do that?” Feder said.

Wolf voted for the economic stimulus package that was passed into law last week. If Feder could have voted on the recent economic stimulus bill, she said she would have fought more to close the existing bankruptcy loophole that prevents refinancing of a primary mortgage. She also said she would have fought for more limitations on executive compensations in the bill.

“They weren’t anywhere near as strong as they should have been,” Feder said.

Feder has never served as a legislator. However, she has served as an appointee to the Department of Health and Human Services and was the staff director of the bipartisan Claude Pepper Congressional Commission, which worked on healthcare reform.

Most recently, she served 10 years as the dean of Public Policy Institute at Georgetown University.

Feder said she has spent key campaign time in Manassas this year, including the evening of the Democratic National Convention. But Feder said she emphasized all areas of her district, not just traditionally conservative Manassas and western Prince William County.

The 10th District includes Manassas, Winchester and parts of Prince William, Clarke, Fairfax, Frederick, Loudoun and Warren counties.

In 2006, Feder lost 57 to 41 percent in her first go-around against Wolf. However, Feder said, she contacted 300,000 households and has seen a real discontent with the status quo.

And the excitement of being associated with presidential favorite Barack Obama and senatorial candidate and former governor Mark Warner has Feder excited about her prospects in 2008.

“It’s time to get out there and bring my voice and the voices that are not being heard in this district, to this test,” Feder said.

Staff writer Kipp Hanley can be reached at 703-369-5738