E-mail updates
Follow on Twitter
Subscribe to RSSAfter more than three decades in Congress, Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass., has announced his plans to retire at the end of his current term. Frank discusses what's behind his decision with TODAY's Savannah Guthrie.
Massachusetts Rep. Barney Frank announced Monday that he would retire at the end of his term in early 2013, citing his redrawn district boundaries and his desire to write as reasons.
A longtime liberal stalwart on Capitol Hill, Frank said that he would leave the House after 16 terms primarily due to the way his 4th congressional district had been remapped as a result of Census-based reapportionment.
"I was planning to run again, and then the congressional redistricting came," he said at a press conference in Massachusetts.
Frank said that he wasn't particularly interested in the rigors of waging a full-fledged campaign -- particularly fundraising -- in a district that was mostly half new to him.
As chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, Frank coauthored of 2010's financial regulatory reform law; he serves now as the committee's ranking Democratic member. Frank said he had been flirting with retirement for some time now, but was motivated to return to Congress for another term to help defend the law from Republicans who have pledged to repeal the law.
Frank also denied that Democrats' chances of winning back the House next fall played a major role in his decision to decline re-election.
Frank has long been a lightning rod for critics, in no small part because of his blunt comments to the press, and sometimes cantankerous engagements with Republicans. But for conservatives hoping that Frank fades into a quiet retirement, the outgoing congressman promised anything but that.
"I'm not retiring from advocacy of public policy," he said. Frank said his preference would be to write -- perhaps on an unfinished Ph.D. dissertation -- and speak freely on issues. He said he didn't anticipate practicing law, though he suggested he "might show up pro bono someday for a gay rights case." (Frank is one of only three openly gay members of Congress.)
At a news conference, Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass., said that he was originally intended to seek one more term but changed his mind in part because the state's new redistricting. Watch his entire statement.
Frank also swore off becoming a lobbyist (He would be in a prime position to cash in because of his committee position.), while taking a shot at former House Speaker Newt Gingrich at that.
"I will neither be a lobbyist nor a historian," he said, referencing Gingrich's explanation at a recent debate of his work for troubled mortgage giant Freddie Mac as being in his capacity as a historian. "One of the advantages to me of not running for office is I don't even have to try to pretend to be nice to people I don't like ... and the notion of being a lobbyist, and having to go and try to be nice to people I don't like -- it would be ridiculous."
Gingrich and Frank have sparred publicly over the course of their respective careers, most recently when Gingrich suggested that Frank should be jailed for the policies the Massachusetts Democrat had supported, which Gingrich said had effectively triggered the housing crisis.
"I did not think I've lived a good enough life to be rewarded by Newt Gingrich being the Republican nominee. It still is unlikely, but I have hopes. I think he is," he said, calling the former Speaker's boomlet a repudiation of former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney.
Leave a Comment:
I hear he has accepted a lobbying position from MBLA.
I think you mean NAMBLA.
He will probably be head of it soon.
Barney will be missed,his career has been successful and he is a a great caring person, he did a great job for Ma. I look forward to him being a commentator, or whatever he chooses to do. Go ahead with all the homophobic hate and jokes, it just shows how small and petty you are.
You know what, how about the damage he has done to this countrys economy. You talk about being petty lets talk about how ignorant you are of what this man has done.
I look forward to him dissapearing from the national scene forever. What did he do that was so good for the people of Ma?
Hummbird are you truly that delusional or just so out of touch with reality that in your little rose tinted world ts all fantasy land. Barny Franks was the single person most responsible for the collapse of the US housing market - check out how it was Barney Franks that coerced and legislated Fannie Maye and Freddie Mae to lower borrowing stdanrds so far that these institutions were on the verge of collapse leading to the melt down in the hosuiing market. Are you truly that obtuse or just so badly misinformed the blinding obvious is above your horizon
Hunnbird - Have you just returned to this planet? Barney had a lover at Fannie Mae when he wa drafting legislation. Barney had a lover living downstairs running a prostitution ring and Barney got his lover's parking tickets fixed. The guy has NO morals and was not a positive for our economy.
Goodbye Barney and don't look back because you will not be missed.
With the Democwats not gaining contwol of Congwess any time soon, Barney Fwank isn't going to stick awound without a chairmanship. He can spend more time with his boyfwiend.
Despite stepping down, Barney Frank has promised he will stand behind any man who is willing to confront the Tea Party and nothing will come in between them.
not only will he stand behind every man he will even thrust himself behind every boy
BYE BAAAAAAAWNEY, you won't be missed. Enjoy the rest of your corrupt life.
Lock up the little boys Barney Franks is on the loose
My guess is , Barney will become a Rear Admiral for the gay & lesbian task force .
Can you picture Barny and his steady old geezer boyfriend naked playing hide the baloney? Great day in the morning.
Barney Frank along with the Democrat congress pushed the Fanny Mae and Freddie Mac bill through that brought down the economy to where it is now. President Bush and John McCain went before the Democrat controlled congress THREE times and told them that is was NOT working, but Barney Frank said "there is no problem-everything is o.k." and of course it was not!!! You don't give people loans when they can't pay them back!! This one lady in Chicago said she KNEW SHE DID NOT qualify for a loan, but they PUSHED her into it and even put down on her papers that she got a BONUS every year and she did not! Tried to make it sound like she made more money than she did. So she lost her house because she could NOT pay for it after she got it! Barney made MILLIONS over the years pushing these loans-what a crook!! They should make him pay back at least some of the money he lied about and kept!!!!
This man is driectly responsible for the housing collapse. He should be in prison. Who are the idiots who kept voting this immoral man in? Thank you for all the suffering.
Barney will not be missed except in the liberal gay community.
Problem is, Barney and his ilk are being reinstated and voted in by the hordes of entitlement minded flakes our great country has produced.
We're fat, dumb, and happy, and will stop at nothing to stay that way and progress even further.
Chairman of the House Financial Services Committee for a government that has a $14 trillion deficit . Barney knows a thing or two about being in arrears .
MADE MY Day! Thanks, Goin'
It is funny to me how this man got reelected the first time.
Blame? In the end, however, you have to realize that GWB gets most of it. His two wars were outside the budget control of anyone but added trillions to the deficit.
I like Barney Frank...Don't agree with everything he says but I like him...I do not blame any politician for retiring (BTW it is not just Dems leaving) anyway they all have to feel as if their hands are tied & they can not get any work done...I am sure it is ugly in DC...Also these career politicians have gotten a lot done during their time in office, on both sides...so all you basher's & haters & reactionary people should think about the saying "throwing the baby out with the bath water" Not all Repubs are bad nor all the dems...
I would say be wary of thinking a business man can govern better then anyone else just because they have run a business because wow a business is no where near a democracy! When was the last time your voice counted at work?
Good old Barney speaking out against a part of Obamacare on his way out.....
"Massachusetts Democratic Rep. Barney Frank announced on Tuesday his support for the repeal of the Independent Payment Advisory Board, a significant portion of President Obama’s health care overhaul."
"Frank, who announced Monday that he would retire at the end of his current term in office, became the 12th Democrat, and the 212th member of the House, to co-sponsor Tennessee Republican Rep. Phil Roe’s bill aimed at repealing the IPAB."
Nice one Barney. You couldn't say this before you announced your retirement?! Can anyone say coward?
Frank isn't done with politics? I guess he's not finished betraying America yet. It'll be a fine day when he's a good liberal like Ted ( hic, the murderer ) Kennedy.
Of course not, now he gets pay back for all the favors he did for the SPECIALS INTEREST GROUPS in congress over the years he was in congress NOW the real MONEY come in. Just another crook leaving his nest for better thing to come if not already .
Good old Barney speaking out against a part of Obamacare on his way out.....
"Massachusetts Democratic Rep. Barney Frank announced on Tuesday his support for the repeal of the Independent Payment Advisory Board, a significant portion of President Obama’s health care overhaul."
"Frank, who announced Monday that he would retire at the end of his current term in office, became the 12th Democrat, and the 212th member of the House, to co-sponsor Tennessee Republican Rep. Phil Roe’s bill aimed at repealing the IPAB."
Nice one Barney. You couldn't say this before you announced your retirement?! Can anyone say coward?
Just In Barney Frank is going to be the Head (job)Coach at Penn State or one of the other Head Coach Jobs in basketball. Just in from the News!
And he says he is not a "Quiter" but he cannot win so he quits and cries like the little ***** he is. Do not drop the soap!
I don't really believe we should have any patty cake boys in the legislature.
Good old Barney is a coward he knew he couldn't win without bribing even more people and had nothing to run on as far as accomplished. Besides he saw how much his boyfriend made pimping out boys to his fellow liberal congressmen.
NOOO! I wish he were staying because I like the man, but to be honest I really do believe in Term Limits. A person should not be able to serve for longer than 10 years on the National Level no matter which office they choose so The People have more of a choice, instead of voting the same person in over and over again!
Being in Congress or the House SHOULD NOT BE A CAREER, FFS!
When this country was Founded (and mind you not that everything they did was so right) the person who served had other Jobs and Career's. They went to Serve their Country for a few years then went back to working in whatever job they had WHILE In Office Full Time as soon as their term ended.
So: On a personal note I am sad to see him leave, but on a practical note I wish more Politicians were only allowed to be in National Public Office for no more than 10 Years total! That way they can Serve their Country then go back to their own state. Oh, and another thing: They should only be allowed to serve in office in ANY state for 10 years.
That would mean a Politician could only serve for 20 years TOTAL! No matter what they would not be entrenched in Public Office, but actually have to get off their arse and Work at another job too!
barney is just a waste of humanity. They should send him to prison,,,,but for him that would be like going to Disneyland!