WASHINGTON — The Senate Banking Committee hearing on Thursday was dryly titled "Enhanced Oversight After the Financial Crisis: The Wall Street Reform Act at One Year." For the first 20 minutes, a catchier and perhaps more apt name would have been "The Barney Frank Show."
Across the Capitol from his home perch, the Democratic congressman from Massachusetts sat alone at the witness table to defend the 2010 financial-reform law that he co-authored. He was just as unrestrained as he typically is in the House — at turns combative and funny, and sometimes both.
Rather than read from prepared remarks, Frank gave an off-the-cuff response to Sen. Richard Shelby, the Alabama Republican who had just delivered a statement that picked apart the law.
Following Shelby's opening statement thrashing the reform law, Frank sarcastically noted, "I was struck by the bipartisan tone of the ranking member's statement."
Later, Frank poked fun at GOP complaints that the 2,300-page bill was too long.
"I am sorry that we apparently exceeded the attention span of some members of the Congress, but I guess they could wait for the movie," he said.
