Dodd jabs GOP leaders over financial bill

Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.) appeared frustrated with GOP leaders on Wednesday when speaking about his financial reform legislation.

Negotiations broke down between Dodd and Republicans several weeks ago and the retiring senator brought a bill to the committee without GOP support.

{mosads}”You heard some in the Republican leadership, not [Sen.] Bob Corker [R-Tenn.], saying let’s delay this forever, let’s kill it. I mean, frankly, many of them are on the side of Wall Street,” he said on Fox Business Network. “I had to go it alone. I wasn’t going to sit around for weeks on end hoping one of them was going to show up. They [Republicans] want this bill to go away … I’m not going to let it go away.”

Dodd’s words come as Corker, who had been the GOP chief negotiator on the bill, indicated Wednesday morning that he could not support it in its current form, dealing a serious blow to efforts to attract Republican backing for the legislation. 

The financial overhaul has been one of President Barack Obama’s primary legislative efforts.

Still, Dodd refrained from taking shots at the Tennessee senator, saying that he has “a lot of respect for Bob.”

Republicans have said they want to reform the banks, but have balked at several provisions included in the Dodd bill.

The Senate Banking Committee chairman had engaged in negotiations with
ranking member Richard Shelby (R-Ala.), and then Corker, who is
another member of the panel.

Dodd and Corker had been negotiating for several weeks when Dodd put the bill before the committee last Monday, where it passed with a quick vote. Now, the legislation is waiting to be taken up on the Senate floor.