RI delegation 'surprised' by Frank news

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) - Members of Rhode Island’s congressional delegation say they were surprised to hear Mass. Congressman Barney Frank is not going to seek reelection and praised his three decades in Washington.

U.S. Sen. Jack Reed said he learned the news Monday morning just hours before a news conference where Frank was expected to make the official announcement. Reed served with Frank in the House from 1990 to 1996 before being elected to the Senate.

“Barney Frank has been one of the most extraordinary members of Congress in my experience,” Reed said. “There is a loss when you see someone with that much talent that is going to be leaving the House.”

Reed – who is a member of the Senate Banking Committee – said a big part of Frank’s legacy will be the Dodd-Frank financial reform law, which overhauled the country’s banking regulations in the wake of the economic collapse.

“For the first time now, there is an agency of the federal government that is looking out for the consumer, not just looking out for the big financial institutions,” Reed said.

The bill passed the heavily Democratic Congress and was signed into law by President Barack Obama in 2010. Since then, the GOP has taken over the House and taken aim at the legislation. Congressman James Langevin said he thinks the divisiveness in Washington may have played a role in Frank’s decision.

“Certainly in Congress right now it’s a very difficult environment,” Langevin said. “I think its possible maybe his frustration level was at a point where he decided that he'd like to go do something different. I can’t speak for him what went into his decision not to run but I certainly share many of his frustrations."

Congressman David Cicilline echoed Langevin’s comments.

“I'm sure for people who have been there for a very long time who remember a different time when people worked together in a collaborative way, that [Washington] has become a less productive place to work,” Cicilline said.

Reaction from Rhode Island’s all-Democratic delegation came following an event with Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan that showcased housing stabilization efforts in urban areas. Senator Reed said the event provided a perfect backdrop for one of Frank’s major accomplishments.

“He was directly involved in every major housing program for the last 20 years,” Reed said. “In terms of improving the welfare of people all through his district, he's been a great leader.”

Massachusetts recently went through redistricting after a shrinking population meant one fewer seat in the House for the Commonwealth starting in January 2013. Frank’s district lost blue-collar New Bedford and gained more conservative strongholds in suburban areas around Boston.

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Frank faced a tough reelection fight in 2010 against first-time Republican candidate Sean Bielat, though the veteran Democrat still won by double-digits in the end. Republican Elizabeth Childs, who served in former Mass. Gov. Mitt Romney's administration, had already said she'd challenge Frank in 2012. 

Langevin said he didn’t think redistricting played a big role in Frank’s decision because Mass. Congressman John Olver also decided not to run again, preventing a race between two incumbents. In fact, Langevin said he'd expected Frank to run again in 2012.

“I certainly thought that Barney would be in the Congress for many more years; I didn’t think he was ready to leave just yet,” Langevin said. “Obviously he felt it was his time to move on and give somebody else the chance to serve and make a difference in other ways. He will continue to be involved in public service. It’s just in his blood.

Tim White ( twhite@wpri.com ) is the Target 12 investigative reporter for WPRI 12 and Fox Providence. Follow him on Twitter: @white_tim