Online poker’s top ally in the halls of Congress, Representative Barney Frank (D – Mass.) announced Monday that he will not seek re-election in 2012. He has served the people of the Massachusetts 4th Congressional District since 1981 and was the chairman of the House Financial Services Committee from 2007 through 2011, a committee on which he is still the ranking Democrat.
The 71-year old Frank has been one of the most outspoken proponents for civil liberties and has consistently been ranked as one of the most “liberal” members of the House. The first Congressman to voluntarily reveal that he was homosexual, Frank has been a champion of gay rights, freedom of choice in abortion laws, civil rights and the environment.
But of course, online poker players know him as the man who has been fighting for our game since the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) was passed in late 2006. He, Ron Paul (R – Texas), and Shelley Berkley (D – Nev.) spoke out strongly against the legislation when it was attached to the SAFE Port Act, but they were in an extreme minority. In 2007, Frank authored H.R. 2046, the Internet Gambling Regulation and Enforcement Act, which would have legalized and regulated internet gambling sites, including online poker rooms. He introduced it in the House Financial Services Committee, which he chaired, but it died there.
In 2008, he tried a different course of action, sponsoring H.R. 6870, the Payments System Protection Act, an attempt to block the implementation of the UIGEA, except for sports betting, until the term “unlawful Internet gambling” was properly defined. That went nowhere, as well.
The following year, Frank tried to delay the UIGEA’s implementation for one year with H.R. 2266, the Reasonable Prudence in Regulation Act, but that also died in committee.
That same year, 2009, Frank did finally find some success with H.R. 2267, the Internet Gambling Regulation, Consumer Protection, and Enforcement Act, which would have allowed for the licensing and regulation of online gambling companies. The bill attracted 70 co-sponsors and was passed by the House Financial Services Committee by a 41-22 vote. Unfortunately, it died on the House calendar.
Frank is currently a co-sponsor of three bills trying to make their way through Congress.
In defending online poker and gambling in general, Rep. Frank typically argues that adults should have the right to do what they want with their own money in the privacy of their own homes. As long as they are not hurting anybody, the government should not interfere with the private lives of responsible adults. At this month’s hearing before the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade, Frank said, in part:
“I have always believed that it is a mistake to tell adults what to do with their own money. Some adults will spend their money foolishly, but it is not the purpose of the Federal Government to prevent them legally from doing it. We should ensure that they have appropriate consumer protections and information, but otherwise allow people to pursue activities that they enjoy which do not harm others.”
In an official statement released Monday, Frank cited two main reasons for his decision to retire after his current term. The first is the re-configuration of his district, which he says would significantly change who he would be representing in Washington, D.C. His problem with this is it would take a lot more work, time, and money to familiarize himself with the issues that are important to the new people in his district than he is either able or willing to offer at this point in his career. Secondly, he feels that it has become harder to get things done in Congress and therefore his efforts will be more effective on the outside.
President Obama commented on Frank’s announcement, saying, in part, “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.”
