WASHINGTON, Oct. 3 (UPI) --
Some U.S. House of Representatives members who had voted against a $700 billion bailout bill said they would reluctantly support the measure before them Friday.
"We're out of choices," said Rep. Zach Wamp, R-Tenn., said during debate on the rescue plan for the U.S. financial markets as modified by the U.S. Senate. "But the costs of inaction are greater than the cost of this bill."
Rep. Howard Coble of North Carolina, another Republican who said he was changing his vote to "yes," said improvements have been made to the bill since the House voted it down Monday.
The House voted to allow 90 minutes of debate but not permit amendments to the bill that passed the Senate 74-25 on Thursday.
Many representatives used their time at the microphone to chide the Senate for loading the measure with earmarks and unrelated items to make it more attractive for passage.
However, House members did note that the Senate measure raised the limit for deposit insurance from $100,000 to $250,000, extended some tax benefits and relief to 24 million households from the alternative minimum tax.
However, some Democrats, such as Rep. Brad Sherman of California, urged defeat of the bill.
"Vote 'no' now," he said. "We stay in town and we write a good bill."
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