Barney Frank

Mr. FRANK of Massachusetts

Mr. FRANK of Massachusetts. Madam Speaker, given the concern about the fiscal implications, I am now pleased to yield 1 minute to a man who has done as much for fiscal responsibility as anybody with whom I have ever served, the chairman of the Budget Committee, the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Spratt). (Mr. SPRATT asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. FRANK of Massachusetts. Madam Speaker, I think I have the honor of speaking on behalf of the body in wishing our friend well. I now yield for a unanimous request consent to the gentleman from California (Mr. Baca). (Mr. BACA asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. FRANK of Massachusetts. Madam Speaker, to close with a burst of redundancy, which is not inappropriate for what we've been through on this bill, I yield to Madam Speaker for 1 minute.

Mr. FRANK of Massachusetts. Madam Speaker, I am now proud to yield 1 minute to the majority leader from Maryland (Mr. Hoyer) who has done a superb job of leadership in its best sense on this bill.

Mr. FRANK of Massachusetts. Madam Speaker, I yield 2\1/2\ minutes to an alumna of our committee who has been a dedicated defender of working class people, the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Lee).

Mr. FRANK of Massachusetts. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Rhode Island for a unanimous consent request, with the reminder that the vehicle for this is the mental health parity for which he has worked so hard. (Mr. KENNEDY asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. FRANK of Massachusetts. I now yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Waters), the Chair of the Housing Subcommittee, who has done as much as anyone in this House to try to stave off the foreclosure crisis.

Mr. FRANK of Massachusetts. Madam Speaker, I now yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. Maloney), a member of the committee. And I will take 10 seconds to say, yes, I understand that this is not everything that needs to be done. We will be back next year to do some serious surgery on the financial structure. But at this point, we have the EMT function. There's an emergency, and we have to avert serious harm. This is step one. Step two will be the serious work that we will do to prevent this from occurring. (Mrs. Maloney asked and was given permission to revise and extend her remarks.)

Mr. FRANK of Massachusetts. Madam Speaker, no Member of Congress in my memory has worked harder and more constructively to improve and pass a bill than the majority whip has. I am pleased to yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Clyburn).

Mr. FRANK of Massachusetts. Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. FRANK of Massachusetts. Madam Speaker, I am glad to yield 2 minutes to our newest member, the gentlewoman from Maryland (Ms. Edwards).

Mr. FRANK of Massachusetts. If the gentlewoman would yield again, I thank her for prodding us because thanks in part to her efforts, this is going to be the best we can do. And I appreciate that.

Mr. FRANK of Massachusetts. I yield for a unanimous consent request to the gentleman from Texas, a member of our committee, very much concerned with improving economic literacy, Mr. Hinojosa. (Mr. HINOJOSA asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. FRANK of Massachusetts. Madam Speaker, I would note that one of those whose names would be listed is John McCain, who voted for this bill in the Senate. So Mr. McCain's name would be at the head of that list of the 20. I now yield 1 minute to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Nadler).

Mr. FRANK of Massachusetts. If the gentlewoman will yield, the answer is, absolutely. And I can tell you that I have spoken to the Treasury, to the Secretary, to tell him that it is very important; that many Members will be voting for this bill only with the understanding that he will use that authority. And I believe he accepts that fact and will act on it.

Mr. FRANK of Massachusetts. I now yield 1 minute to the Chair of the Capital Markets Subcommittee, who has been very carefully watching this situation, the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Kanjorski).

Mr. FRANK of Massachusetts. I now yield 1 minute to the chairman of the Appropriations Committee, the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Obey).

Mr. FRANK of Massachusetts. I now yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Ohio (Ms. Kaptur), a former member of the committee who deserted us for better things.

Mr. FRANK of Massachusetts. If the gentleman will yield, the answer is yes. The bill fully authorizes the Secretary of the Treasury to do that, and I and others, including the gentleman from Colorado, will be working to make sure that he does, and I have every intention to believe that they intend to.

Mr. FRANK of Massachusetts. If the gentleman will yield, I agree completely. It would be a distortion of the clear meaning of this provision, widely supported, to do anything else but, and we will work to make sure that happens.

Mr. FRANK of Massachusetts. I yield 1 minute to a member of the committee, the gentlewoman from Wisconsin (Ms. Moore).

Mr. FRANK of Massachusetts. I now yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Dingell), the chairman of the Commerce Committee, very knowledgeable in these subjects.

Mr. FRANK of Massachusetts. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis) for the purpose of making a unanimous consent request. (Mr. DAVIS of Illinois asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. FRANK of Massachusetts. If the gentleman will yield, yes, it is. And I believe, as he and I have discussed, that the danger to the purchase of automobiles is one of the great ones that we face here, and it is an important reason for moving this bill. Yes, I very much agree with what he just said.

Mr. FRANK of Massachusetts. Madam Speaker, the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Perlmutter) has been one of the hardest working members of our committee, and I yield him 2 minutes.