Hoyer Says Clinton-Obama Tensions May Hurt Democrats' Prospects

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PostTalk: Steny Hoyer

The House majority leader talks to Chris Cillizza about the presidential race and the recently-passed House ethics bill.

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"What I've said is I think . . . an awful lot of things can happen between Feb. 12 and the last week in August, and I will have to take all of that into consideration when I make a determination in August, or frankly before that."

Hoyer urged Obama and Clinton to downplay their differences and shift their attention to Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, and his support of Bush administration economic policies "which have led to very, very tough times for working people and our country in general."

With polls consistently showing the economy as the top concern of voters, Hoyer said that the Democratic candidates must convince voters they are more capable than McCain to deal with an economic crisis including "deep debt, unemployment numbers that are rising, a stock market stuck in the mud and incomes that are down."

Last month, Congress approved a bipartisan, $152 billion economic stimulus package that will send government payments to most American households and grant tax incentives for business investments. The Federal Reserve has also taken steps to try to revive the economy and the housing credit markets, including Tuesday's decision to assume the risk of spurned mortgage securities.

Hoyer said it was possible Congress would take additional steps later this year, if the stimulus package signed by President Bush fails to turn around the economy by late summer. "If it has a positive impact, then we probably won't need another short-term stimulus," Hoyer said. "If it doesn't, then we'll have to look at other alternatives."

Meanwhile, he noted, the House Financial Services Committee chaired by Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) is developing legislation to limit the damage done by the record number of foreclosures in the past year and to prevent new foreclosures. "No community is served, and very frankly the lenders aren't served by foreclosure, and we are seeing communities where 10, 20, 30, 40 percent of the homes in a particular neighborhood are being foreclosed on," Hoyer said.

Hoyer also hailed a House vote Tuesday night that revamped House ethics rules by creating an independent panel empowered to launch investigations of alleged misconduct by members of the chamber. The six-members of the new Office of Congressional Ethics would be made up of outsiders chosen by Democratic and House leaders.

Hoyer said it was crucial, in the wake of a series of congressional scandals and criminal convictions of former lawmakers, to demonstrate to the public that "we are trying to insure that their Congress, their representatives, are acting in a way that serves their interests, not the special interests."