Barney Frank Will Not Seek Reelection

Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) announced on Monday that he will not be seeking reelection. The announcement marks the end of a 32-year career in the House of Representatives for the 71 year-old Congressman. The decision was revealed at a press conference this afternoon where Frank said that redistricting played a role in his decision to retire. "I was planning to run again, and then congressional redistricting came," he said. President Obama praised Frank in a statement. He said, "This country has never had a Congressman like Barney Frank, and the House of Representatives will not be the same without him;." The President added, "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."