Barney Frank, a Democratic US Representative from Massachusetts who served for 32 years, died on Tuesday at his home in Ogunquit, Maine. He was 86 and had been receiving hospice care for congestive heart failure.
Frank was a key architect of post-2008 financial regulations and was the first member of Congress to voluntarily come out as gay.
Personal Background and Early Career
Frank was born Barnett Frank on March 31, 1940, in Bayonne, New Jersey. He earned a bachelor's degree from Harvard University in 1962 and a Juris Doctor from Harvard Law School while serving in the Massachusetts state legislature. He worked as an aide to Boston Mayor Kevin White from 1968 to 1971 and as a staff assistant to Representative Michael F. Harrington before winning a state House seat in 1972.
Frank was elected to the US House in 1980, representing Massachusetts's 4th Congressional District. He won re-election 15 times, typically by wide margins. He did not seek re-election in 2012 and retired from politics in 2013.
He is survived by his husband, Jim Ready; two sisters; and a brother. His death was confirmed by his sister, Doris Breay, and by former campaign manager and close friend Jim Segel.
Congressional Career
Frank served on the House Financial Services Committee, which he chaired from 2007 to 2011. During the 2008 financial crisis, he co-authored the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, which imposed new capital requirements on banks, strengthened regulatory oversight, and enhanced consumer protections. He also worked with the Bush administration to pass a financial rescue package.
Frank was known for his sharp debating skills and direct questioning during hearings. He described himself in 1996 as "a left-handed gay Jew."
LGBT Rights Advocacy
Frank was the first member of Congress to voluntarily come out as gay, doing so in 1987. In 2012, he became the first sitting member of Congress to marry a same-sex partner, marrying his longtime partner, Jim Ready.
Frank helped secure funding for AIDS research and treatment during the 1980s and 1990s. He pressed the Clinton administration to lift the ban on gays serving in the military, though that effort did not succeed.
Controversies
In 1987, the House voted to reprimand Frank for poor judgment involving a male prostitute he had hired in 1985. The House rejected a more severe censure motion pushed by Representative Newt Gingrich.
In 1995, House Majority Leader Dick Armey referred to Frank as "Barney Fag," later saying he misspoke and apologizing on the House floor.
Later Years and Final Views
After leaving Congress, Frank remained politically active, including working as a contributor to Newsmax. He was a frequent critic of President Donald Trump.
In his final months, Frank criticized the left flank of his party, arguing that some progressive pushes for sociocultural change went "beyond what was politically acceptable." In an interview with WBUR while in hospice, Frank said Democrats can defeat President Donald Trump's brand of right-wing populism by focusing on core economic issues rather than polarizing culture fights.
Frank authored a book, "The Hard Path to Unity: Why We Must Reform the Left to Rescue Democracy," scheduled for publication in September.
Notable Statements
"In a recent interview with GBH, Frank said he would have come out earlier if he could do over any part of his career."
"In 2009, he responded to a heckler by stating that the First Amendment protects 'vile, contemptible nonsense.'"
"In a speech after a 2006 campaign ad accused him of a 'radical homosexual agenda,' Frank said, 'I do think we should allow gay and lesbian people to serve in the military and get married and have a job.'"