By Congresspedia assistant editor Avelino Maestas [3]

The weeks leading up to the passage of the bailout bill [4] were filled with controversy, as America and its leaders attempted to accept the magnitude of the economic crisis. In addition, while congressional leaders from both parties signaled a willingness to embrace some level of federal intervention, rank-and-file members and the public were wary of the plan presented by the Bush Administration.

In the end, Congress approved the legislation — $700 billion to buy assets and equity in struggling banks and other financial institutions. Passage of the bill, however, was hard-fought: the House defeated the original proposal, and only approved a “sweetened” version that included a series of tax rebates and fixes, earmarks, and section on mental-health parity.

So how did your representative vote? Your fellow citizens are asking the same question, and we have a way for you to find out and let others know too. Just check out our latest participatory project [5], where you can help by recording your representative's votes on the bailout bill.