In an interview with The Dartmouth as well as in a discussion at the Rockefeller Center yesterday afternoon, Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass., candidly described his experiences in the House of Representatives, going back from his views on the George W. Bush administration today to when he became the first openly gay congressman in 1986.
Speaking on what he perceives to be fundamental differences between Democrats' and Republicans' views of the role of government, Frank told a capacity crowd in a Rockefeller lecture hall that he believes that political parties in America today are more differentiated than ever before.
Frank characterized his own views of what government should work to achieve in terms of President Franklin Roosevelt's New Deal of the 1930s, citing three areas with which he is concerned.
"We must help those who won't make it, the poor ... focus on quality of life such as clean air ... [and have] regulation to prevent abuses," he said.
The role of government
A representative from what he described as an "oddly-shaped district" encompassing both wealthy suburbs north of Boston as well as Blue Collar areas south of the city, Frank represents a dichotomous constituency -- but he said this gives him a unique perspective.
"[Those in the northern portion of the district] see the world as their market," Frank said, adding that many residents of that area are involved in medical, high-tech and financial fields. Those involved in more industrial work in the southern portion, however, "see the rest of the world as a low-priced competitor."
This has led Frank to campaign for globalization with governmental regulation -- a position he said is very different from that of many Republicans who favor less restricted policies.
Comparing globalization to the historical shift in the U.S. from individual state regulation to more uniform national regulation in the wake of the New Deal, Frank suggested that a similar structure would be effective in regulating global markets.
The U.S. should make a statement that "we'll give you access to American capital if you agree to a few basic things," Frank said, indicating that environmental and human rights standards should be among these criteria.
Frank also stressed the importance of improving the quality of life for everyone in America, citing the structure of the 1993 Clinton tax increase as well as the increase in the minimum wage as recent successes in this area, despite Republican predictions that these changes would result in "economic doom."
Categorizing many Republican arguments as hard to defend and saying that many of their claims have been contradicted by actual political outcomes, Frank said, "I think the Bush people think we're [the Democrats] on the popular side."
He said that he believes that Americans tend to support most government programs. "Government in general is unpopular in America," Frank said, "but the components of government are popular."
Coming out in Congress
Frank also described coming out as the first gay member of congress.
Despite the worries he said he felt at the time, Frank said he was "surprised" at the positive reaction he received. He added, however, that he feels the situation might have been different had he been a candidate for a House leadership position.
Frank also said that coming out has certainly not impaired his abilities as a congressman. "It's had zero impact on my influence," he told The Dartmouth.
It has, however, impacted Frank's role as an advocate for gay rights in Congress.
From successfully encouraging Former President Bill Clinton to repeal an executive order prohibiting gays and lesbians from receiving security clearances to making statements in favor of same-sex marriage, Frank has been a vocal supporter of equality for members of the GLBT community.
Frank described the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy that emerged early in the Clinton administration as a major failure on this front.
While he said that Sen. Sam Nunn, D-Ga., Sen. Bob Dole, R-Kan. and Colin Powell played a major role in defeating the creation of a more open policy for gays in the military, he also criticized Clinton for calling "don't ask, don't tell" a partial victory.
"It was actually a defeat," he said.
Policy views
Frank has also recently proposed legislation designed to allow states to legalize "medical marijuana" without federal interference, though the effort fell flat in the wake of a recent court decision opposing the use of the drug for medical purposes.
Frank said he believes that states that already have legalized marijuana for medical purposes will not enforce the court's ruling, instead deferring enforcement of the federal decision to federal authorities -- something he feels is a waste of government funds.
He also said the federal government should stop funding efforts to fight the intradiction of drugs into the United States. Devoting funds in an "open society like the United States to keep out drugs is ridiculous," Frank said.
Frank recently took a strong stance on the pardons issued by Clinton during his final days in office by proposing a constitutional amendment prohibiting a president from issuing a pardon after October first of the final year of his term.
Frank admitted that he did not believe there is currently enough support for the amendment to make it through the rigorous process of ratification by three-quarters of the states.
