Former US Congressman Barney Frank Dies at 86
Barney Frank died Tuesday evening at his home in Ogunquit, Maine. He was 86.
The cause was congestive heart failure. Frank served as a Massachusetts congressman for decades.
He was the first openly gay member of Congress. He came out in 1987 while still serving.
He was also the first member of Congress to marry a same-sex partner. Frank is best known for co-writing the Dodd-Frank Act.
This law overhauled Wall Street rules after the 2008 financial crisis. He entered hospice care at his Maine home in April.
Even then he stayed politically active. He was promoting a new book due in September 2026. Frank is survived by his husband of 14 years Jim Ready and his sister Ann Lewis.
Klear Note — Barney Frank was a major figure in US politics for decades. The Dodd-Frank Act reformed banking rules after the 2008 financial crisis hurt millions of Americans.
Key Terms 3
- Dodd-Frank Act A US law that reformed banking rules after the 2008 financial crisis
- hospice care End-of-life care focused on comfort rather than treatment
- congestive heart failure A condition where the heart cannot pump blood well enough