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.
I just want to repeat the point I made. This threat that we will take the company public, the CEO will take the company public, understand what that says: That if the CEO's pay is subject to a shareholder vote, in retaliation, he will make…
The gentleman should give my friends on the other side credit for consistency. As he knows, their definition of democracy has recently frequently included throwing votes away.
I would just say I also want to welcome this renewed faith that I have heard from my colleagues in the American corporate system. Recently corporate America and financial America has been lamenting how badly we regulate compared to…
I was particularly struck that the Chamber of Commerce said we don't need this bill because Sarbanes-Oxley has been such a good law. Specifically, what they said was, Sarbanes-Oxley has yielded significantly stronger and more independent…
I would take 10 seconds to say that the gentleman from California mischaracterized his own amendment. No amendment he offered would expand shareholder rights. He did offer an amendment that said if there is a preexisting right to vote for…
I am from Massachusetts, but I do want to report a theft, Mr. Chairman. Apparently someone has broken into our committee office and stolen a whole series of bills that the other side had to deal with all these other things, because I am…
Well, the point that we are directing the housing authority to give preference to people who follow existing law; Mr. Speaker, I wish we had had this before, we might have been able to understand it better. It appears to me to be simply a…
In what areas does it direct them? My understanding is that, for instance, the work requirement they have already got, the housing authority, that the restrictions on people with criminal backgrounds are already there. In what way does…
Well, I would say this, if the gentlewoman would yield to me: It is our hope, and the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Baker) was very active in this, and we listened to the others, the two gentlemen from Louisiana, Mr. Melancon and Mr…
In my experience the gentlewoman, someone who is not on the committee and not from the district, has really made herself an expert and an advocate. I would say this: If as this goes forward there are delays in the legislative process, yes…
We agree on all the things the gentleman from Alabama said we should do. Nothing in this bill stops them from doing it. All we say is this: please don't tear down the houses that people now live in before you replace them. We are not in…
Well, first, the Parliamentarian ruled that the gentlewoman from Illinois' amendment which we debated in committee was not germane because it went far beyond the hurricane. So that was the reason for that. The second thing is I want to…
Yes, I do agree, but it was changed as of Friday, and so people could have looked at that on Friday and gotten it right. And I appreciate that. So, yeah, the section changed and as somebody even picked it up as of Friday, in the case of…
There is room for honest disagreement, but to suggest that I in any way said jobs aren't important is simply silly. Of course jobs are important. A lot of things are important. The war in Iraq is important. Global warming is important…
And I would argue that our system of taxation and regulatory burden in this country has a direct impact on foreign investments.
I thank the gentleman, and finally, very appropriately, a colleague of Father Drinan's in the fight against racism on the central, moral fights then and now in this country, the delegate from the District of Columbia, a woman who prior to…
I feel truly privileged to have known Father Drinan. As was made clear by the previous speakers, he was a remarkable man, remarkable in his incredible faith and remarkable in his strong political beliefs. I think all of us who knew Bob…
The bill itself is, as he described it, a good idea. We originally passed it with an amendment from the Judiciary Committee. Frankly, I was not in favor of that amendment. I think what the Senate has done has improved the bill; and that is…
I believe the gentleman is well versed in the knowledge of what sarcasm means, and perhaps I was a bit sarcastic in my quoting the new direction. I look forward to action in the coming Congress on a bipartisan basis.
I'm sure the group of gay Republican staffers hid Foley's actions as best they could.
I am a liberal. I believe that regulation is important if we are going to have the kind of society that preserves the quality of life. And, as a believer in regulation, I feel obligated to make sure that we do not have more regulation than…
Just as the ranking member, I want to say that the leadership shown both by the gentleman from Kansas and the gentlewoman from Florida on this has been very important. Particularly I would say the gentleman from Kansas has been a very…
Historically, I know the gentleman from Indiana previously had a location issue on Mr. Jefferson, but he was in France during the debate on the Constitution. You said he was in France during the debate on the Bill of Rights. I don't think…
Why are you banning attorneys fees from people who win a lawsuit based on a blatant violation of the establishment clause? Why are you doing that?
I feel like I am in Dickens, the artful dodger is apparently about to leave. I repeat the question: If banning attorneys fees from people who win a lawsuit based on a blatant violation of the establishment clause, which this bill does…
Politicians like Barney Frank
