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JEFFERSON CITY, MO. (AP) -- Roy Blunt's U.S. Senate campaign recently has denied that he supported a $700 billion bailout for banks.

But the Republican congressman not only voted for the bank bailout bill in October 2008, he also helped negotiate its details
and encouraged others to support it. Blunt is pointing to a January 2009 House vote to show he did not support the full $700 billion amount, but rather only an initial $350 billion.

The 2008 bill allowed the president to use $350 billion immediately and an additional $350 billion upon certifying a need
for it. The House cast a largely symbolic vote to disapprove that additional $350 billion in January 2009, but it went forward anyway because the Senate already had approved it.

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