Co-author of the USA Patriot Act, Viet Dinh, and Congressman Barney Frank, D-MA, debate the merits of the controversial 2001 law in a public discussion. This event is sponsored by a grant from the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation that is dedicated to supporting relationships between the Wheaton classroom and surrounding communities.
Barney Frank is the United States House Representative for Massachusetts's 4th congressional district since 1981 and a member of the Democratic Party. In 1982 he won his first full term and has been re-elected ever since by wide margins. In 1987 he became the second openly gay member of the House of Representatives, and has become one of the most prominent openly gay politicians in the United States. In 2007 Frank became the chairman of the House Financial Services Committee when the Democratic Party won a majority in the House of Representatives. The committee oversees the housing and banking industries.