Rep. Scalise called out Dodd-Frank, Comey on FBN in week leading up to shooting

Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R-LA), who was shot Wednesday morning in Alexandria,Virginia during a practice for the GOP congressional baseball team, appeared on the FOX Business Network’s Varney & Co. last week to discuss his concerns around former FBI Director James Comey and how Dodd-Frank has “destroyed community banks.”

“I can’t speak for other members but what I know and what I saw out of [his testimony] was number one, Comey admitted that he was the one leaking information and I have been very concerned Stuart about the leaking of classified information,” Scalise said.

The congressman added that he supports President Trump’s decision to dismiss the former FBI director.

“A lot of these leaks are coming out of these bureaucrats, these creatures of the swamp. But the fact that not only did he leak information, he might have actually broken federal law doing so because he was trying to achieve a political outcome…He was not fit to be in that position and I think that Comey hurt himself with his testimony, Scalise said.

Additionally, the Louisiana representative said he hopes the Senate will pass The Financial CHOICE Act, which will essentially roll back major portions of the Dodd-Frank Act of 2010 and change significant aspects of the bank oversight process. The measure was approved by the House last week.

"I hope the Senate takes it up. Obviously, you’ve got people like Elizabeth Warren and other radicals over in the Senate will try to undermine it, but most people know back home, Dodd-Frank has destroyed community banks,” Scalise added "We are losing a community bank every single day and that is bad for consumers, bad for first-time homebuyers, bad for small business. We need to reverse it. The Financial CHOICE Act is a big step to getting these crazy Washington regulations and red tape out of your way."

Scalise also defended President Trump’s infrastructure plans, pointing out that “regulations are one of the big things holding back infrastructure projects.” “Not only do they delay projects by years in some cases, but they jack up the cost tremendously with no good results. The fact that President Trump is not only talking about improving infrastructure with public-private partnerships, but going after the heart of these regulations that make it harder to build things in America, to upgrade our bridges, roads and waterways. It is all going to be part of his package, and the fact that he is focused on regulations is important,” he said.