Barney Frank

Barney Frank has been a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, representing the 4th District of Massachusetts, since 1981. He is a Democrat, and is chair of the House Committee on Financial Services. Frank is the most prominent openly gay politician in the United States.

2008 Financial Crisis
In 2003, Frank said, "These two entities -- Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac -- are not facing any kind of financial crisis. The more people exaggerate these problems, the more pressure there is on these companies, the less we will see in terms of affordable housing."

In 2004, Frank said at a hill hearing that a Office of the Federal Housing Enterprise Oversite (OFHEO) report of illegal activity by Fannie Mae does not "raise safety and soundness [of Fannie Mae investments] problems at issue".

House Financial Services Committee
When the Democrats came into power in the House in the 110th Congress, Frank assumed the chairmanship of the House Financial Services Committee. In one of his first speeches since the announcement of the chairmanship, Frank discussed executive pay, shareholder rights, and the budget in the context of Iraq and Katrina. Frank called the slow rebuilding of New Orleans "ethnic cleansing through inaction." 

HUD Secretary
On May 9, 2006, Frank called for an investigation into comments made by Alphonso Jackson, the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, in which he implied that he cancelled a contract because the recipient expressed a negative opinion about President George W. Bush. {{{Main Congresspedia article|Alphonso Jackson}}

Iraq War
Barney Frank has opposed the Iraq War from the beginning and has consistently voted against funding it. Frank voted against the Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq Resolution of 2002 that started the Iraq War.

Environmental record
For more information on environmental legislation, see the Energy and Environment Policy Portal

Support for gun control
Frank cosponsored H.R. 1022 (Assault Weapons Ban Reauthorization Act of 2007) on March 7, 2007.

Repealing the internet gambling ban of 2006
As the chairman of the Financial Services Committee, Rep. Frank will be introducing a bill to Repeal the 2006 ban on internet gambling. The increase in tax revenue would be slated for domestic policy expenditure such as "healthcare, or other domestic legislation Democrats want to move this year."

Steve Gobie
In 1990, the House voted to reprimand Frank when it was revealed that Steve Gobie, a household employee he had hired in 1985, was running a prostitution business from Frank's apartment. Frank had dismissed Gobie earlier that year after learning of Gobie's activities.

The Boston Globe, among others, called on Frank to resign, but he refused. The House Ethics Committee recommended Frank be reprimanded because he "reflected discredit upon the House" by using his congressional office to fix 33 of Gobie's parking tickets. Attempts to expel or censure Frank failed; instead the House voted 408-18 to reprimand him. 

Politics and Frank's sexuality
During an anti-gay GOP campaign, Frank threatened to out a number of gay-baiting Republican fellow congressmen. He stated that it is unacceptable to out a closeted gay person, unless that person uses their power or notoriety to hurt gay people. Many members of the LGBT community adhere to this rule in their own relationships with prominent individuals.

In 1995, Majority leader Dick Armey made a stir when he referred to Frank as "Barney Fag" in a press interview. Armey apologized and claimed it was a slip of the tongue. Frank later summarized the incident, saying "I think Dick Armey was a much better rank-and-file member than majority leader," Frank said. "When he was rank-and-file, he was quite thoughtful. ... Once he became majority leader he abandoned a lot of that and became a right-wing apparatchik." 

Background
Frank was born March 31, 1940 in Bayonne, New Jersey. He was educated at Harvard College, graduating in 1962. He taught undergraduates at Harvard while studying for a Ph.D, but left in 1968, before completing that degree, to become the Chief Assistant to Mayor Kevin White of Boston, a position he held for three years. He then served for one year as Administrative Assistant to Congressman Michael J. Harrington.

In 1972, Frank was elected to the Massachusetts Legislature, where he served for eight years. During that time, he entered Harvard Law School and graduated in 1977.

While in state and local government, Frank taught part-time at the University of Massachusetts Boston, the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard and at Boston University. He published numerous articles on politics and public affairs, and in 1992 he published Speaking Frankly, an essay on the role the Democratic Party should play in the 1990s.

Congressional Career
In 1979 Frank became a member of the Massachusetts Bar, before being elected to Congress in 1980. He was elected to fill the seat of Robert Drinan, who had been ordered to leave politics by Pope John Paul II. In 1982, redistricting forced him to run against Republican Margaret Heckler. An underdog, he focused on Heckler's support for President Reagan—and won by 20 percentage points. Since then, he has been re-elected consistently and easily.

Frank is a prominent figure in the liberal wing of the Democratic Party, and has been outspoken on many human rights issues, as well as on issues of gay and lesbian rights. In 1987 he spoke publicly about his sexuality for the first time. He said in a 1996 interview: "I’m used to being in the minority. I’m a left-handed gay Jew. I’ve never felt, automatically, a member of any majority."

He has been a strong supporter of Israel and supports the "ultimate goal of two states in the area." 

2006 elections
No major candidates announced their intentions to contest Frank’s seat in the November 2006 election. (See U.S. congressional elections in 2006)

Money in politics
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Committees in the 110th Congress (2007-2008)

 * House Committee on Financial Services, Chair

Committee assignments in the 109th Congress (2005-2006)

 * House Committee on Financial Services - Ranking Minority Member

Contact
= Top Issues =

Environment
Disputed catch limit set to rise. http://www.southcoasttoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100617/NEWS/6170321/-1/newsmap. June 17, 2010.

There is a federal pollock fish catching limit in New England waters. Barney Frank filed a amicus brief on behalf of the fishing industry." 'His view is that the federal catch limits are unduly severe and the preparation for catch shares inadequate,' Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs Ian Bowles said in a press release."

Energy
Fannie, Freddie freeze PACE energy-efficiency retrofit financing programs. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/money_co/2010/07/fannie-freddie-freeze-pace-energyefficiency-retrofit-financing-programs.html. July 7, 2010.

Barney Frank supports programs that help finance energy efficiency in homes. When Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac want to stop the PACE program, Frank along with House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Henry A. Waxman (D-Beverly Hills) co-wrote “ a letter addressed to Treasury Secretary Timothy F. Geithner, Energy Secretary Steven Chu and Edward DeMarco, acting director of the housing finance agency, said the programs helped homeowners afford energy efficiency. The letter urged officials to ‘work together to quickly resolve the uncertainty surrounding PACE programs’.”

Technology
Why We Must Reduce Military Spending. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rep-barney-frank/why-we-must-reduce-milita_b_636051.html. July 6, 2010.

Barney Frank believes we must reduce military spending. Barney Frank and Ron Paul writes, “We believe that the time has come for a much quicker withdrawal from Iraq than the President has proposed. We both voted against that war, but even for those who voted for it, there can be no justification for spending over $700 billion dollars of American taxpayers' money on direct military spending in Iraq since the war began, not including the massive, estimated long-term costs of the war. We have essentially taken on a referee role in a civil war, even mediating electoral disputes…In the short term, rebuilding our economy and creating jobs will remain our nation's top priority. But it is essential that we begin to address the issue of excessive military spending in order to ensure prosperity in the future. We may not agree on what to do with the estimated $1 trillion in savings, but we do agree that nothing either of us cares deeply about will be possible if we do not begin to face this issue now.”

Health
Frank: I Hope Some GOP Senators Will Support Health Care Reform -- Because Without Them, Bill May Be Toast. http://tpmlivewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/01/frank-i-hope-some-gop-senators-will-support-health-care-reformbecause-without-them-bill-may-be-t.php. January 19, 2010.

Barney Frank supports the health care reform. He writes, “I am hopeful that some Republican senators will be willing to discuss a revised version of health care reform. Because I do not think that the country would be well served by the health care status quo.”

STEM Education
Delahunt misses stem cell, defense appropriation votes. http://www.capecodtoday.com/blogs/index.php/2010/06/09/delahunt-misses-stem-cell-defence-approp?blog=53. June 9, 2010.

The House, including a vote of approval from Frank, is moving forward with STEM Education by passing the America COMPETES Reauthorization Act to grant funding for programs that promote science, technology, engineering and mathematics for the next five years (2011-2015). Sponsor, Rep. Bart Gordon (of Tennessee) said it "makes investments in science innovation, education to strengthen U.S. scientific economic leadership, supports business, and creates jobs in the short, mid, and long term."

Research &amp; Development (R&amp;D)
= Articles and Resources =

Articles

 * Bill Dedman, "Frank and the 'Mayflower Madam'," Washington Post, August 27, 1989.
 * Charles Pierce, "To Be Frank," Boston Globe, October 2, 2005.
 * Larry Margasak, "Four Democrats aim to Clean up House," Associated Press, December 6, 2005.
 * "Barney Frank demands answers from Rice over exclusion of gay groups from U.N. panel," Associated Press, February 7, 2006.
 * "Democrats say no liberal plans in next US Congress," Reuters AlertNet, November 26, 2006.
 * "House's Frank to revisit foreign investment," Reuters, November 30, 2006.
 * Matt Stoller, "Barney Frank on Katrina: 'Ethnic Cleansing by Inaction,' " MyDD.com (with video of speech), January 4, 2006.
 * Benoit Denizet-Lewis, "Harrumph!" The Advocate, January 13, 2009.

Articles by Barney Frank

 * "Paying for the War in Iraq," Boston Globe, October 10, 2003.

Resources

 * Official website
 * Campaign website
 * Technorati Search: Barney Frank
 * Google News Search: Barney Frank
 * Yahoo! News Search: Barney Frank
 * Power Trips: How much did Barney Frank travel?
 * GovTrack Statistics: Barney Frank


 * Barney Frank's Colbert Report interview. (Other Colbert Report interviews with members of Congress.)


 * Open Secrets - 2006 congressional races database

Local blogs and discussion sites

 * Mass Revolution Now
 * St. Kermit
 * Ryan's Take