Barney Frank

From KeyWiki

Barney Frank is a far left, openly homosexual Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives, representing the 4th district of Massachusetts.

Background

Since 1980, Barney Frank has represented the Fourth Congressional District of Massachusetts in the House of Representatives. In the 107th Congress, Congressman Frank serves on the Committee on Financial Services and the Committee on the Judiciary.

Frank graduated from Harvard College in 1962. He served as Chief Assistant to Mayor Kevin White of Boston for three years and Administrative Assistant to Congressman Michael J. Harrington for one year. In 1972 Congressman Frank was elected to the Massachusetts Legislature, where he served for eight years. During that time he also graduated from Harvard Law School and became a member of the Massachusetts Bar in 1979.

While serving in local and state government Congressman Frank taught part-time at the University of Massachusetts at Boston, Harvard's Kennedy School of Government, and Boston University. Frank has published numerous articles on politics and public affairs, and a book in 1992 titled Speaking Frankly, an essay on the role the Democratic Party should play in the 1990s. ^[1]

Frank won election to the Massachusetts House in 1972, on the unlikely coattails of Sen. George McGovern, the Democratic candidate for president that year. “I was one of the few politicians in America to benefit from McGovern’s success,” he joked for years. Frank ran behind McGovern in his own district — in the only state that McGovern carried that year.

When Frank first ran for the House in 1980, the contest against a conservative dentist and former member of the John Birch Society brought out some of his worst characteristics.

His campaign manager that year was Jim Segel, a former student of Frank’s at Harvard who had been his colleague in the Massachusetts House. “Part of our job,” Segel later told Frank’s biographer, Stuart Weisberg, “was to keep Barney away from people. He was alienating everyone he came in contact with. . . . If he wasn’t such a good friend, I would have walked out. You have to love Barney Frank to like him.”

But he won, and won a second difficult race two years later when redistricting forced him to run against a popular Republican incumbent, Margaret Heckler. By then he was a national political figure, thanks to his clever quips and insights, both beloved of political reporters everywhere. When polled by news organizations, they chose him as the most promising freshman member in 1981.^[2]

His sister Ann Lewis, is a political consultant.

National Student Congress

Reporter Robert G. Kaiser met Barney Frank when he was 21 years old, and I was 18, half a century ago. We were both delegates to a "long-forgotten event" called the National Student Congress. Frank was the delegate from Harvard who knew Robert’s Rules of Order backward and forward, and who seemed conversant with all the big national issues of the day. ^[3]

Coming "out"

Frank first told some intimates that he wanted to come out of the closet in 1980, but they discouraged him from doing so, arguing that this would end his political career. When he told a wider circle that he was going to come out in 1987, many people (including me) were surprised. But he was determined, and the results were far better than he had feared. He loved to tell the story of how his mentor, Thomas P. “Tip” O’Neill, the speaker of the House, took the news. O’Neill was shattered, not because Frank was gay, but because “I thought you would be the first Jewish speaker.^[4]

"Knows about" DSOC"

Nancy Lieber, International Committee chair of the Democratic Socialist Organizing Committee, wrote a June 30, 1981 letter to Danielle Page, a staffer for Canadian Member of Parliament Ian Waddell.

Dear Danielle Page,

I'm sending along a list of Congresspeople and senators who know about us, democratic socialism, and -- perhaps Canada.

Only the first one is an open socialist, but the others are sympathetic in varying degrees.

The list was;

• Congressman Ron Dellums
• Congressman Byron Dorgan (North Dakota)
• Congressman Steven Solarz
• Congressman Ted Weiss
• Congressman Barney Frank
• Congressman Gerry Studds
• Congressman Robert Kastenmeier
• Congressman John Conyers
• Congressman Harold Washington
• Congressman David Obey
• Congressman Les Aspin
• Congresswoman Barbara Mikulski
• Senator Ted Kennedy

Hope this is of help and you recruit them to the cause!

In Solidarity,

Nancy Lieber

Chair, Intl. Committee

Supported DSA conference

In May 1986, Democratic Socialists of America "supported" a New Directions conference in the Washington DC Convention Center. Conference organizer was Jo-Ann Mort of DSA.

The conference, supported by DSA, will bring together activists, analysts and elected officials to develop new directions for the Democratic Party and the broad democratic left.

Initial sponsors of the event included Reps. Charles Hayes and Barney Frank, labor leaders William Winpisinger and Jack Sheinkman (ACTWU), Joyce Miller (ACTWU and CLUW) and Jack Joyce, (Bricklayers), feminist leaders Gloria Steinem and Judy Goldsmith and policy analysts Robert Kuttner, Jeff Faux and Eleanor Holmes Norton.

DSA Hearing on Economic Insecurity

Boston Democratic Socialists of America organized a January 1996 28, Boston Hearing on Economic Insecurity, at Fanueil Hall, Boston . Participants included Joe Faherty, DSA member Elaine Bernard, John Kerry, Joe Moakley, Barney Frank, Joe Kennedy, John Olver, Marty Meehan.^[5]

Boston DSA and its allies have formed the Committee on Economic Insecurity and are gearing up for Boston's public hearing on economic insecurity. The hearing will be held January 28 from 1-3 PM at historic Faneuil Hall, and Congress members Barney Frank and John Olver will participate. ^[6]

Joining Boston DSA in sponsoring the event were ACORN, the Immigrant Workers' Resource Center, Communications Workers of America District I.^[7]

Received communist "front" award

The National Emergency Civil Liberties Committee was founded in 1951 by the Communist Party USA as an alleged alternative civil rights advocate group to the American Civil Liberties Union but in reality, it was designed as a Party legal attack mechanism aimed at America's national security program. The NECLC did not require an oath denouncing Communism, which the group believed the ACLU required. Edith Tiger was the director of the NECLC from from 1968 until it merged into the Center for Constitutional Rights in 1998.^[8]

According to an article in the November 28, 1989 issue of the Communist Party USA newspaper "Peoples Daily World", "Civil Rights Defenders to be Honored Dec. 1", Barney Frank was to receive an award from the National Emergency Civil Liberties Committee:

• Rep. Barney Frank - Representative D-MassTom Pain Award

"Edith Tiger, NECLC director, said Frank was chosen to receive the Tom Paine Award in recognition of his role in the successful effort to end "the shameful and unconstitutional" practice of barring people from the United States because of their political beliefs. Frank was in the forefront of the 1987 legislative battle to maned the McCarran-Walter Act, which had been used since the McCarthy era to stifle free speech by denying entry visas to individuals whose views are deemed unacceptable by the U.S. Government".

Under FBI surveillance

At the same time he was selling U.S. secrets to the Soviet Union, former FBI special agent Robert Hanssen was a key supervisor in a 1980s domestic-spying program questioning the loyalty of American citizens and monitoring their activities, FBI documents have shown.

Under this program, federal agents filed reports on teachers, clerics and political activists who primarily were affiliated with liberal causes.

U.S. Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.), a leading Reagan critic whose correspondence found its way into the FBI files, called the surveillance effort a "Cold War hangover" and "a waste of time." ^[9]

Supported by Council for a Livable World

The Council for a Livable World, founded in 1962 by long-time socialist activist and alleged Soviet agent, Leo Szilard, is a non-profit advocacy organization that seeks to "reduce the danger of nuclear weapons and increase national security", primarily through supporting progressive, congressional candidates who support their policies. The Council supported Barney Frank in his successful House of Representatives run as candidate for Massachusetts.^[10]

The Council also supported Frank in his 2010 Congressional election campaign.^[11]

Voted against support for "Contras"

The Congressional Record of February 3, 1988 shows that the following leading Democratic Party Congressmen voted against aid to the Nicaraguan Freedom Fighters - the "Contras"- then fighting against the Marxist-Leninist Sandinista government of Nicaragua:

Congressional Progressive Caucus

In 1998 Barney Frank Democrat was listed as a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus.^[12]

As of February 20 2009 Barney Frank was listed as a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus.^[13]

Health Care Access resolution

John Conyers promoted House Concurrent Resolution 99 (H. Con Res. 99) Directing Congress to enact legislation by October 2004 that provides access to comprehensive health care for all Americans. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES April 4, 2001.

Sponsors:John Conyers (for himself), Jan Schakowsky, John Tierney, Barbara Lee, Donna Christensen, David Bonior, Dennis Kucinich, Earl Hilliard, Maurice Hinchey, Jerry Nadler, Donald Payne Chaka Fattah, Peter DeFazio, John Lewis Tammy Baldwin, Stephanie Tubbs Jones, Barney Frank, Henry Waxman, Cynthia McKinney, Jim Langevin, George Miller Alcee Hastings, Patsy Mink, John Olver , Bennie Thompson, Pete Stark, Julia Carson, and Mike Capuano submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce;^[14]

Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), that the Congress shall enact legislation by October 2004 to guarantee that every person in the United States, regardless of income, age, or employment or health status, has access to health care..

Supporting HR 676

According to Boston Democratic Socialists of America member Rand Wilson, On Sept. 1 2005 Congressmen John Tierney and Maurice Hinchey heard testimony in Boston, in support of a “Medicare for All” solution to the health care crisis. Lobbyists at the meeting included members of Democratic Socialists of America and Sandy Eaton of Committees of Correspondence for Democracy and Socialism.

The growing severity of this crisis brought together over 40 grassroots organizations for an impressive—and unusual—showing of political unity for health care reform based on extending Medicare to everyone.

According to Wilson Reps Barney Frank, Jim McGovern, John Olver and John Tierney were sponsoring legislation in the House, John Conyers' —HR 676—that would implement this approach.

“When we started organizing the hearing, only one member of the Massachusetts Congressional delegation had signed on. Now we have four out of the ten,” said Paul Cannon, President of Teamsters Local 122 and co-chair of Jobs with Justice’s Health Care Action Committee. “We’ve got our work cut out for us. It’s time to step-up the pressure on our policymakers for comprehensive reforms that cover everyone.”^[15]

Brit Tzedek connection

Barney Frank has close ties to radical Jewish "peace" organization Brit Tzedek and its Boston chapter president David Strauss.

From a 2008 Brit Tzedek newsletter^[16];

This July, in an indication of the strong relationship between the Brit Tzedek Boston Chapter and influential, Jewish Congressional Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA), Frank cc'd David Strauss, the Boston Chapter's District Advocacy Coordinator, on an historic letter he sent to Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert regarding settlements. Frank's letter urged Olmert to consider how the Israeli government's inaction on dismantling settlements compromises Israel's position internationally, and poisons the atmosphere for peaceful resolution of Israel's conflict with the Palestinians. The Boston Chapter made sure to share the news of the representative’s important letter with the greater Boston Jewish community, through an op-ed by David Strauss in the Boston Jewish Advocate, as well as keeping its membership updated, via a chapter email. The Boston Chapter and Brit Tzedek's Advocacy Coordinator and Washington Liaison continue to work together to further the relationship with Barney Frank and his staff.

Campaign against defense spending

In 2009 Krishna Dasaratha wrote an article for the Boston Democratic Socialists of America newsletter, The Yankee Radical, June 2009, "The 25% solution"; .^[17]

United for Justice with Peace has launched the “25% Solution” campaign to mobilize support for cuts in military spending. In the current economic climate, cutting the military budget is both viable and necessary. We need DSA to join this effort.

Dasaratha wrote approvingly of Barney Frank's complementary efforts;

“If we do not make reductions approximating 25 percent of the military budget starting fairly soon it will be impossible to continue to fund an adequate level of domestic activity,” Congressman Barney Frank wrote in the March 2, 2009, edition of The Nation. At the recent Massachusetts Democratic Convention Congressman Frank ran a workshop on “Cutting the Military Budget.” He is not alone in Congress—the Congressional Progressive Caucus’s alternate budget calls for cutting defense spending by $158.7 billion.

At a Boston Democratic Socialists of America July 25, 2010 "important members meeting" at the home of David Knuttunen and Susan Davidoff, the "main topic of discussion will be proposed candidate endorsements for the 2010 elections, especially the September primary. The Boston DSA Executive Board may have some recommendations, and of course members can make their own. Time permitting we may want to also discuss organizing for Barney Frank’s proposal to cut the Defense budget by 25 percent, or other projects DSA is involved".^[18]

DSA lobbying

Boston Democratic Socialists of America has lobbied Cynthia Creem and Barney Frank over the housing foreclosure issue. According to Boston DSA's The Yankee Radical, February/March 2010];^[19]

So this January DSAers in Brookline, Newton and parts of Wellesley took ac-tion to help the victims fight back against the perpetrators. We made calls to two of our elected representatives: Congressman Barney Frank and State Senator Cynthia Creem, who chair committees that are of vital importance on these issues.

The Massachusetts Alliance Against Predatory Lending (MAAPL), a coalition that includes Boston DSA, has filed four bills in the State Legislature to help predatory lending victims in Massachu-setts. All are currently in the Judiciary Committee, whose Senate chair is Cyn-thia Creem. Her DSA constituents called to ask her to have these bills reported favorably out of her committee.

Congressman Barney Frank is Chair-man of the House Financial Services Committee. He could initiate a process that might lead to using the remaining TARP funds to save community banks, instead of just handing them over like tasty morsels to be devoured by the big banks that precipitated the crisis. This would be a much more community-friendly use of the funds than other ideas to create a capital gains tax holiday! Constituents called to ask him to sched-ule a committee hearing to discuss this proposal.

Controversies

OneUnited Bank Scandal

In 2009 Congressman Barney Frank improperly intervened for Maxine Waters (D-CA) on behalf of his home-state OneUnited Bank to obtain Troubled Asset Relief Program funds. When asked about the scandal he admitted that he had spoken to a “federal regulator” but, according to The Wall Street Journal he didn’t remember which federal regulator he spoke with.” According to explosive Treasury Department emails uncovered by Judicial Watch in 2010, however, it appears this nameless bureaucrat was none other than then-Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson.

While Frank’s “partner in crime” in the OneUnited scandal, Congressman Maxine Waters, is being investigated by the House Ethics Committee, Frank’s colleagues in the House have inexcusably ignored the Massachusetts Democrat’s connection to the OneUnited grant.^[20]

Freddie Mac Scandal

To this day, Barney Frank continues to defend his role in the meltdown of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, saying he was just as blindsided as the rest of America when the two government sponsored enterprises collapsed, triggering the financial crisis.

On October 14, 2010 the Boston Globe reported,^[21]

"The issue... in 2003 was whether mortgage backers Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac were fiscally strong. Frank declared with his trademark confidence that they were, accusing critics and regulators of exaggerating threats to Fannie’s and Freddie’s financial integrity. And, the Massachusetts Democrat maintained, ‘even if there were problems, the federal government doesn’t bail them out.’ Now, it’s clear he was wrong on both points..."

Frank claimed that he “missed” the warning signs with Fannie and Freddie because he was wearing “ideological blinders,” which was just his lame attempt to blame Republicans. But he did not miss them. According to evidence uncovered by Judicial Watch, he just chose to ignore them.

Judicial Watch obtained documents in 2010 proving that members of Congress, including — and perhaps especially — Barney Frank, were well aware that Fannie and Freddie were in deep trouble due to corruption and incompetence and yet they did nothing to stop it.

Moreover, as the Globe notes, in July 2008, then-Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson says he called Frank and told him the government would need to spend “billions of taxpayer dollars to backstop the institutions from catastrophic failure.” Frank, despite that conversation, appeared on national television two days later and said the companies were “fundamentally sound, not in danger of going under.” Less than two months later, the government seized Fannie and Freddie and the bailout began.^[20]

"Let Me Own Up to the Radical Homosexual Agenda"

On Dec. 21, 2010, Barney Frank spoke at an enrollment ceremony for the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell". During his speech, Frank stated,^[22]

"Four years ago, a Republican running for Congress in Indiana said don’t vote for his Democratic opponent because if he won, Nancy Pelosi would become speaker and she would let me enact the radical homosexual agenda. So, let me own up to that agenda. It’s to be protected against violent crimes driven by bigotry. It’s to be able to get married. It’s to be able to get a job and it’s to be able to fight for our country. Hey, for those, for those who are worried about the radical homosexual agenda, let me put them on notice – two down, two to go."

Frank was joined at the ceremony by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Rep. Patrick Murphy (D-PA), House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD), Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA), Sen. Patrick Leahy (VT) and other Democratic members of Congress.

The Sustainable Defense Task Force

The Sustainable Defense Task Force was formed in response to a request from Representative Barney Frank (D-MA), working in cooperation with Representative Walter B. Jones (R-NC), Representative Ron Paul (R-TX), and Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR), to explore possible defense budget contributions to deficit reduction efforts that would not compromise the essential security of the United States.

The Project on Defense Alternatives coordinated the work of the Task Force. Carl Conetta drafted the main body of the Task Force report in ongoing consultation with Task Force members who developed or digested proposals from the diverse sources cited in the report. A sub-committee of the Task Force reviewed the final draft before publication.^[23]

Staff

The following are past and present staff:^[24]

External links

• Frank's website with the House of Representatives

References