Barney Frank

Are we saying that America no longer wants to help the disabled, the elderly, and the children?

We cannot allow poor people to go without advocacy in the Congress of the United States of America.

I know what invidious discrimination is like. I have been to colored water fountains.

If we are truly serious about ending poverty and uplifting all communities, we must reinvest in HUD.

Make them keep their loans in the portfolio. Don't have them securitizing much.

I don't think asset managers or insurance companies that just sell insurance, as it is traditionally defined, are systemically important.

You always have to pick a number, and it will always be somewhat arbitrary.

I do agree that there is room for that.

People have a right to say what they want, but that is, I think, an inaccurate, self-fulfilling prophecy about what will happen.

I would like to see a very sharp distinction in loans. I would like the main safeguard against bad loans to be risk retention.

I think it is time to get rid of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

The only other thing you can do is--and I thought Mr. Perlmutter's questions were right--we want to keep them from failing.

How? I want to know how they think that is going to happen.

My own view is that nothing could be more unlikely, given the current political mood.

I think the Republican's chairman says it is as bad as the health care bill.

Yes. I am proud of the fact that we insulated the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau from that strangulation by non-appropriation that has happened to the CFTC.

I will certainly work for that end. I was simply saying I can't negotiate with someone who thinks I am a liar.

I lived up exactly to that deal, as the gentleman on my right implicitly said.

May I begin by responding to that outrageous suggestion that I broke my word?

I am not asking you to come out and support this, but will you stay silent?

There is going to be a bill--this is Mr. Frank talking to the community bankers, according to the Washington Post--and either you are going to have to get on the bus or be run over by it.

I would have to look at the specifics. I am generally in favor of that...

George Bush gave the--one-finger salute.

The Republican Party has been very consistent. From 1995 through 2006, they did nothing legislatively about Fannie and Freddie.

But I also am sorry that the Representative from Pennsylvania had so little time to spend with us because his distortions of the history with Fannie and Freddie were pretty egregious.