Barney Frank

Barney Frank, original name Barnett Frank, (born March 31, 1940, Bayonne, New Jersey, U.S.), American Democratic politician who served in the U.S. House of Representatives (1981–2013) and was one of the first openly gay members of Congress.

Born Barnett Frank—he legally changed his name to Barney in the 1960s—he was raised in a Jewish working-class family in New Jersey. He excelled at writing and debate in high school, and he attended Harvard University, earning a B.A. in 1962. He remained at Harvard for another six years, teaching undergraduate classes in government and working toward a Ph.D. Frank was a popular and provocative instructor, and students were drawn to the quick wit that was concealed beneath his relaxed, sometimes rumpled, appearance. He left prior to completing that degree to work as chief of staff for Boston Mayor Kevin White. He resigned from the White administration in 1970 with the intention of returning to Harvard, but he was soon hired as an assistant to U.S. Rep. Michael Harrington, a Democrat representing the Massachusetts Sixth District.

In Washington, D.C., Frank’s incisive and often sarcastic commentary on policy issues made him a favorite of Beltway journalists, who quoted him extensively. In 1972 he returned to Massachusetts to run for an open seat in the state legislature. Although the district in question had leaned solidly Republican for generations, Frank won the general election handily, and he quickly established himself as a staunch supporter of liberal causes. The first bill that he proposed would have prohibited discrimination in housing and employment on the basis of sexual orientation. While it failed to pass, the bill represented the first attempt to introduce legal protection of gay rights in Massachusetts. Frank won reelection three times, earning a J.D. from Harvard Law School (1977) along the way, and he continued to serve as a state legislator until 1980 when he was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. In 1987 he became the first member of Congress to voluntarily declare his homosexuality, and the following year he was reelected with 70 percent of the vote. A scandal involving a male escort broke in 1989, and the House voted to reprimand Frank for poor judgment, but it stopped short of a more serious censure or expulsion motion. Frank recovered quickly, easily winning reelection in 1990, and he compiled a strongly liberal legislative record. 

When the housing market collapsed in 2007–08, Frank’s actions as a member and, later, chair (2007–11) of the House finance committee were examined. Critics pointed to Frank’s support of mortgages to low-income borrowers, provided through Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, as contributing factors to the near-collapse and eventual government takeover of those entities. In an effort to address some of the issues that led to the economic meltdown, in 2009 Frank and Sen. Chris Dodd coauthored the Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, a broad package of regulations and reforms of the financial services and consumer finance industries. The bill was signed into law the following year.

Frank’s association with the financial crisis fueled an unexpectedly fierce challenge from Tea Party candidate Sean Bielat in 2010. The race drew national attention, and Frank ultimately won reelection in November 2010. In July 2012 Frank made history when he wed his longtime partner and became the first sitting U.S. representative to enter into a same-sex marriage. In January 2013 Frank retired after more than 30 years of service in the House of Representatives.

His career was charted in the documentary Compared to What?: The Improbable Journey of Barney Frank (2014).

Professional affiliations

U.S. House of Representatives