WASHINGTON (VINnews) — Barney Frank, the outspoken Massachusetts Democrat who helped reshape Wall Street regulation after the 2008 financial crisis and served for more than three decades in Congress, has died at 86.

Frank died Tuesday night at his home in Ogunquit, Maine, according to multiple reports. He had recently entered hospice care after suffering from congestive heart failure.

A longtime congressman known for his intellect, wit and combative debating style, Frank represented Massachusetts in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1981 until 2013. He rose to national prominence as chairman of the House Financial Services Committee during the financial collapse of 2008 and became a principal architect of the sweeping Dodd-Frank financial reform law aimed at tightening oversight of Wall Street.

Born Barnett Frank in Bayonne, New Jersey, into a Jewish family, he graduated from Harvard College and later earned a law degree from Harvard Law School before entering politics in Massachusetts. He served in the Massachusetts House of Representatives before winning election to Congress in 1980.

Throughout his career, Frank was a leading liberal voice on banking regulation, housing policy and civil rights issues. He was known for his blunt speaking style, sharp debating skills and quick humor, making him a frequent presence on television and in national political debates.

Frank also maintained a long and at times nuanced relationship with Israel and U.S.-Israel policy. A supporter of the U.S.-Israel alliance, he frequently defended Israel’s right to security and described the country as one of the world’s leading democracies. At the same time, he was openly critical of some Israeli government policies, particularly settlement expansion in the West Bank, which he argued harmed prospects for peace and weakened Israel’s standing internationally.

Though generally regarded as supportive of Israel throughout his congressional career, Frank occasionally drew criticism from both pro-Israel activists and progressive critics over his positions on Middle East policy.

Though admired by supporters for his legislative skill and candor, Frank’s career was not without controversy. In 1989, the House Ethics Committee reprimanded him over a scandal involving a former associate, though no criminal wrongdoing was found.

After retiring from Congress in 2013, Frank remained active in public life, frequently commenting on Democratic Party politics, economic policy and financial regulation.

Barney Frank, z”l, represented a generation of public servants who combined sharp intellect, moral conviction, and an unmistakable voice. He broke barriers as one of the first openly gay members of Congress, shaped financial policy for decades, and remained proudly and… pic.twitter.com/WFNyLO0y0Y

— William Daroff (@Daroff) May 20, 2026