Barney Frank

From Gambling911.com: Congressman Barney Frank has positioned himself as a leader in the cause to uphold a ban on some forms of Internet Gambling.

Category: Business - Barney Frank assumed the chairmanship of the House Financial Services Committee when the Democrats took control of Congress in 2007.  He is a Democrat who has represented Massachusetts's 4th congressional district since 1981.

Barney Frank is one of two openly gay members of Congress, the other being Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin. In 1998, he founded the National Stonewall Democrats, the national gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender Democratic organization. In 2004 and again in 2006, a survey of Capitol Hill staffers published in Washingtonian magazine gave Frank the title of the "brainiest," "funniest," and "most eloquent" member of the House.

Frank has become an ardent opponent of a new law called the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act, which really only serves to hold banking institutions responsible for monitoring and preventing online gambling related transactions.  The new law has had an adverse affect on the online gambling industry, mostly a result of fears that permeated immediately following its passage in October 2006. 

Under the guise of a "repeal", Frank solicited support from the online gambling industry.  His proposed legislation, however, appeared to many a means of further US government "protectionism". 

One industry attorney expressed outrage over Frank's proposed online gambling bill:

Frank's bill doesn't repeal a thing. What you are missing in your discussion of competition is the fact that the US government would be the sole determinator as to who get a license. Red Bull and Snapple didn't have to jump through legislative hoops to put their product on the market.

Also, although he continually says so in typical politician double-speak, his bill does not repeal a thing. Read it. No where does the word repeal appear. His is simply an amendment, an addition, more legislation not less. HE SIMPLY TACKED IT ON TO THE END OF THE UIGEA, he isn't repealing anything. He is merely trying to add legislative strings to the industry. It is the same trick the politicians used to get the Patriot Act passed, when there was nothing patriotic about it at all. They call it one thing so it sounds good, and expect that no one will read it and they get everyone to vote for it just because of what they call it.

Getting the support needed - even from his constituents in Washington - will be an uphill battle, though Frank has acknowledged he would not have introduced this bill if he felt it did not stand a good enough chance of passing.  Senator Jon Kyl (R - Arizona) is a staunch opponent of online gambling (with the noted exception of horse betting and state lotteries).  Kyl immediately went on the offensive following Frank's announced intentions and is rumored to have circulated a letter around the floors of the Senate that celebrated Wall Street, London Stock Exchange Losses as a direct result of the passage of Kyl's co-authored Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act.  The bill itself was watered down significantly from Mr. Kyl's previous proposed measures. 

Frank had scheduled a hearing for his proposed legislation Friday June 8, which was broadcast live on CSPAN and over the Internet.  Following that hearing, Frank urged Americans to contact their state representatives and tell them to stay out of other people's business.

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