Barney Frank to Retire

Courtesy of the Office of Barney Frank

When Barney Frank came out as being gay in 1987, he became the first member of Congress to do so. And for the past three decades, he has served the U.S. from his post in Massachusetts as a liberal watch dog presiding over many of the most influential votes. But today he announced that he would retire from Congress at the conclusion of his term in 2013. The White House issued a statement from President Obama:

“This country has never had a Congressman like Barney Frank, and the House of Representatives will not be the same without him. For over 30 years, Barney has been a fierce advocate for the people of Massachusetts and Americans everywhere who needed a voice. He has worked tirelessly on behalf of families and businesses and helped make housing more affordable. He has stood up for the rights of LGBT Americans and fought to end discrimination against them. And it is only thanks to his leadership that we were able to pass the most sweeping financial reform in history designed to protect consumers and prevent the kind of excessive risk-taking that led to the financial crisis from ever happening again. Barney’s passion and his quick wit will be missed in the halls of Congress, and Michelle and I join the people of the Bay State in thanking him for his years of service.”