The Public Record
Barney Frank is a former U.S. Representative from Massachusetts, serving from 1981 to 2013. A member of the Democratic Party, he was known for his progressive stance on various issues, including financial regulation and LGBT rights. Frank played a significant role in the passage of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, which aimed to prevent the kind of financial crisis that occurred in 2008. He was also one of the first openly gay members of Congress, advocating for LGBTQ+ rights throughout his career.
The language is, in the case of any area that previously was not designated as an area having special flood hazards because the area was protected, it becomes designated as such an area, and it's all about flood. Here it is: the chargeable…
First of all, I agree. I thought he was talking about the Federal Government when he said ``we.'' And he is right, States have some power; the Federal Government does not. But even there, I believe he overstates the States' powers. And in…
It might be superfluous, but I would want to point out that the speech we just heard has no bearing whatsoever to the amendment that is pending.
This is an amendment unanimously supported, I believe, certainly strongly supported by both majority and minority committee leadership and staffs. It incorporates a number of other amendments, and I am pleased to be able to say that at…
On behalf of the more than 1.3 million members of the National Association of REALTORS, I ask for your vote in favor of H.R. 3121, the Flood Insurance Reform and Modernization Act of 2007, when it is considered by the House of…
His point about the flood insurance not being actuarially sound is right; but in this bill, because it is subject to PAYGO, we have a more stringent standard. So it is not totally valid to say, oh, look, it was supposed to be actuarially…
I'll take back my time to say that's irrelevant. We weren't talking about the history of the flood program. The gentleman said we shouldn't let the private companies walk away from their social responsibility. I wish he would tell me how…
It is not in our power to tell them not to take a walk. They are a private sector entity. So unless there was to be some legislative change, there's simply no power, particularly at the Federal level, because insurance has historically…
I will say this to the gentlewoman; she has been very constructive and we have been able to work together on this and other matters, including on the most recent legislation involving floods. Certainly I will do everything I can to see…
I would say yes, the taxpayers do pay. It is a matter of national defense. Where people are building and incurring risks, they should pay for it themselves. I accept that point. We are talking about how we respond to Osama bin Laden or…
Mr. Chairman, this is an agreed-upon set of amendments. As I said, it was a bipartisan process, to some extent, in drafting. This makes technical revisions and requires Treasury to promulgate rules to clarify the nuclear, biological…
Absolutely. Let me just say, first of all, having grown up in New Jersey, I'm used to complaints from New Yorkers. But in this particular case I believe they are entirely legitimate and justified, and I can assure the gentleman that we…
I take back my time because the gentlewoman is simply, I understand her answer. It is, if there is a higher loan loss rate from lending to lower-income people, people with weaker credit, they have to subsidize each other. We say, no; raise…
How does it hurt the FHA in their ability to lend to people with weaker credit if they say to people with weaker credit, if you make your payments for 5 years, we will refund the extra we charged you?
I would say that I really am very proud that on our committee, and the gentlewoman is right, there are some areas of disagreement, I think we have shown how you can have legitimate disagreements of governmental philosophy within a…
I will take back my time to say the gentleman hasn't read his amendment. Here's what it says: to the extent that this act or the amendments made by this act provide for offsetting decreases in spending of the Federal Government. Now, the…
I just want to give a little more information than we got in the last intervention from the gentleman from Georgia. He disappointed me when he decided to inform us that the bill had been defeated in March. Yes, it was defeated. It was…
I am very happy to see this bill here today; one, because it is important that we commemorate NASA. And secondly, as a tribute to the persistence of the gentlewoman from Houston and the gentleman from Houston, I am particularly glad that…
This is a chance for us to make very clear the overwhelming opposition, staunch opposition of the American people to the nuclear weapons plans of the regime in Iran and other aspects of that regime. And I hope that we will, I'm told it…
I wish we had a clause that we could automatically print out that says ``this bill does not do what this bill does not do,'' because people are forever reading into legislation things that aren't there. We have some people who have claimed…
The answer to the gentleman from Texas is when you have federally funded housing for the disabled, the parking that goes for the disabled and the service vehicles comes from that money. So the gentleman says, why does the Federal…
The gentleman and I are of a similar generation. It is my understanding from some of my younger staffers that they don't ship documents these days; they have other ways of getting them there. I couldn't send one, myself, and my friend…
This bill does not create the bilingual mandate; it puts it where it should be. The other thing I would say is this, and I understand there are some who oppose it on principle. But from the court's standpoint, having HUD do the translation…
I want to emphasize, this is a process that began when the Republicans were in power... It took a good deal of hard work, and it took a good deal of mutual cooperation.
Forty years ago and more, or about 40 years ago, we began... a program of affordable housing where the Federal Government lent people money at either no interest or very low interest in return for it being affordable, but for some reason…
Politicians like Barney Frank
