Former Democratic Congressman Barney Frank of Massachusetts died late Tuesday at the age of 86 after entering hospice care at his home in Maine last month.
NBC News reported that Frank’s sister had confirmed his passing.
“He was, above all else, a wonderful brother. I was lucky to be his sister,” Frank’s sister Doris Breay told NBC Boston.
Frank, who was the first openly gay member of Congress, leaves behind a controversial legacy, having served in the House of Representatives for over three decades.
He is best known for chairing the House Financial Services Committee during the 2008 financial crisis and for co-authoring the Dodd-Frank Act, which sought to impose greater restrictions and regulations on Wall Street firms and banking institutions.
“For supporters, Dodd-Frank was the most consequential financial regulatory overhaul since the New Deal, an attempt to rein in Wall Street excess and prevent another taxpayer-backed rescue of large institutions,” Fox News reported.
“For Republican critics, including President Donald Trump, it became a symbol of regulatory overreach. It was partially repealed in 2018, providing regulatory relief to community and mid-sized banks.
“For Frank, it was the capstone of a career built on unapologetic liberalism, legislative detail and a willingness to fight in public.”
Former House Speaker and Democratic Rep. Nancy Pelosi of California called Frank “a real mentor to so many of us here,” according to NBC News.
“I was with him on the Banking [Committee] in the beginning. I learned so much,” she added.
He retired from Congress in 2013 and went on to serve as a political commentator, writer, and public figure.
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