Press Availability with House Democratic Leadership Following a Democratic Forum on the Economy and National Security

Press Conference

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REP. HOYER: Thank you, Madame Speaker. And Chairman Larson, thank you very much for convening this, obviously at the instance of the speaker.

As the speaker indicated, we have, every year after an election, in the interim between elections, had conferences to instruct us and inform us as to what actions need to be taken to meet the very substantial challenges that confront our country.

I quoted Lyndon Johnson, who once said that it's not difficult to do what is right, but it is difficult to know what is right. The purposes of these conferences and dealing with experts is to inform us of what exactly can and should we do to meet the challenges of unemployment, declining credit, undermining our confidence of our people and undermining our economy, job loss.

In the last year of the Clinton administration, 2000, we gained a million and a half jobs in that year. Eight years later, this year, we have lost over a million and a half jobs. Credit is still frozen, mortgages are still being foreclosed upon, and our economy is not creating the jobs that our people need.

We are committed, whether it's in the automobile industry or any other of our industries, to continue to work on a daily basis -- on an hourly basis, if necessary -- to work with the administration, to work with our Republican colleagues and to work within our caucus and with the United States Senate to address in a positive way -- and adopt legislation in conjunction with the Obama administration -- and, in the last days of the Bush administration, with the Bush administration -- legislation that can help us overcome the challenges that face us.

The American public have faced challenges before and overcome it. We will do so again. With the leadership of the speaker, with the leadership of Harry Reid and with the leadership of President-elect Obama, we will bring America back.

Thank you very much.

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REP. HOYER: (Chuckles.) Well, we don't have the bill finished, so we're going to get a finished bill before we know whether we're going to have the votes for it, which most of our constituents would hope was the case, and it is the case. They want to see what we're doing.

But Mr. Frank, I think, is -- Chairman Frank's absolutely correct. Where we had for a period of time a reluctance to accept the premise that we needed to act, I think the present situation has compelled really a consensus that we need to act. Therefore, as I said, Johnson's quote was, it's not difficult to do what's right, it's difficult to know what's right. Part of that is getting an agreement that can get the votes. And that's what's being worked upon. But my premise is, and I think probably -- Chairman Frank can speak for himself, but my premise is, if we have the president, if we have the president-elect or his people and the leadership on both sides of the aisle say this is something we need to do, I think we can get the votes.

I think -- I don't want to speak for the Republican leadership, but I think there is a sense that if the White House and ourselves, including themselves, can reach agreement, that we can get the votes.

Q Does the White House hold sway at this point over those Republicans -- (off mike)?

REP. HOYER: I don't think it's so much holding sway as it is creating a broad-based consensus that this is something that will in fact help and that we're doing it in a way that will protect the taxpayers to the extent we possibly can, compel the -- or incentivize very strongly the automobile companies doing some of the things they need to do to make themselves viable in the long term. That's clearly what Mr. Frank's been trying to do. That's what I think Mr. Dodd's been trying to do. And that's what the administration wants to do.

Q (Off mike.)

REP. HOYER: I don't want to anticipate next week. But we're prepared to get this done.

Q Has it been decided that that is going first on the -- (off mike)?

REP. HOYER: I'll yield to Mr. Frank because he's been the --

REP. FRANK: No, I don't think there's been any decision on who's going first. I -- it just hasn't been decided yet. And if you are further, you know, interested in researching the question of who's on first, I suggest you consult Abbott and Costello.

REP. HOYER: Yeah, let me say on that, though: That question, I think, will ultimately be resolved once we have a bill as to how best we can get it done. I think it'll be a practical answer and not -- what works best we will pursue.

Q (Off mike) -- the issue in California where -- (off mike)?

REP. FRANK: That's still one of the issues we're talking about. We believe that it would be a mistake to provide funding and ask members from states whose public policy is the subject of (hostile ?) lawsuits to vote the money. So we think that should be in the bill; (namely ?), that they shouldn't go ahead with those lawsuits. That's one of the things the administration differs with. They don't like that.

I would note this: I mean, the fact is that unfortunately, from my standpoint, those lawsuits are going to go on no matter what happens, because there are other plaintiffs. But we do think that's an important point to make.

REP. HOYER: Thank you.

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