Frank Says Democrats Healing After Extended Primary Fight

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PostTalk with Rep. Barney Frank

Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) sits down with washingtonpost.com's Ben Pershing to discuss recent housing legislation and the upcoming Presidential and Congressional elections in November.

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"The hypocrisy is stunning," Frank said of his GOP colleagues. "A couple of them almost knocked me over on the way out the door. They were standing there with their bags packed and their airline tickets in their hand and they were saying, 'We'll stay here forever.'"

"There's one thing we could do as a Congress, as a federal government, that could reduce gasoline prices in the near term, and that's to take oil, gasoline from the strategic petroleum reserve," Frank said. "Drilling is years away."

Beyond energy, Frank said he "would hope we would do a second economic stimulus."

Though Bush has been unenthusiastic about such a measure so far, Frank predicted the president would sign it if it reached his desk, just as he ultimately signed the housing bill despite misgivings. "He's a little more open to reality than he would like to pretend," Frank said.

The partisan impasses over energy, stimulus, appropriations and other issues have prompted some members to wonder whether Congress can really stick to its plan to adjourn for the year at the end of September. But Frank thinks the schedule will hold.

"We are going to be here for only three weeks," he said. "That's pretty definite."