2006.11.15: November 15, 2006: Headlines: Figures: COS - Nepal: Politics: Congress: Ireland: Irish Echo: Jim Walsh must relinquish his Chairmanship of the Friends of Ireland group
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2006.11.15: November 15, 2006: Headlines: Figures: COS - Nepal: Politics: Congress: Ireland: Irish Echo: Jim Walsh must relinquish his Chairmanship of the Friends of Ireland group
Jim Walsh must relinquish his Chairmanship of the Friends of Ireland group
The Friends span both the House and Senate but in recent years the chairmanship has been held by Republican Congressman Jim Walsh from Syracuse in Upstate New York. But as he is now in the minority party, Walsh must relinquish his Friends chairmanship. The decision as to who holds the Friends chairmanship rests with the Speaker of the House of Representatives. Congressman James Walsh of New York served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Nepal in the 1960's.
Jim Walsh must relinquish his Chairmanship of the Friends of Ireland group
Changing of the green guard
Neal, O'Malley marching into Irish America's front ranks
By Ray O'Hanlon
rohanlon@irishecho.com
A veteran congressman with an impressive new title to look forward to, an up and coming Maryland politician with possible national ambitions, the unseating of familiar names. No matter what way the results of the 2006 elections are held up to the light, there is a green glint evident to the eye.
Irish Americans, particularly those aligned with the Democratic party, have reason to celebrate the outcome of the November 7 vote for all 435 House of Representatives seats, 33 Senate seats and 36 governorships.
Meanwhile, the swing to the Democrats resulted in one particularly prominent Irish American casualty in the House contest, while two familiar faces there had to battle hard to retain their memberships.
[Excerpt]
THE HOUSE
The most prestigious Irish-American title in Congress is that of chairman of the Friends of Ireland group.
The Friends span both the House and Senate but in recent years the chairmanship has been held by Republican Congressman Jim Walsh from Syracuse in Upstate New York.
As chairman, Walsh found himself presiding over a divided Friends group last March and was chief signatory to a House St. Patrick's Day Friends of Ireland statement that was issued separately to, and differed in part from, a Senate version drawn up in the office of Senator Edward Kennedy.
This rift between the Friends, as it turned out, was only a minor precursor to a far sharper voter divide that would become evident in Walsh's district and around the nation as the days ran down to last week's midterm election.
With his seat apparently in danger, Walsh, who has been considerably praised down the years for his work on Northern Ireland and interest in Irish-American affairs generally, released a television ad that clearly distanced himself from the White House and the Iraq war.
Walsh, first elected to the House in 1988, survived the challenge from his Democratic opponent and will return to the 110th Congress when it convenes January 3.
But as he is now in the minority party, Walsh must relinquish his Friends chairmanship.
That position is now likely to fall into the hands of Democrat Richie Neal who was returned unopposed in his western Massachusetts district.
The decision as to who holds the Friends chairmanship rests with the Speaker of the House of Representatives.
The decision should not occupy too much of incoming speaker Nancy Pelosi's time as she is already familiar with the grouping.
Pelosi, who has an Irish son-in-law, represents a strongly Irish-American district in San Francisco and has visited Ireland, already heads up the Friends of Ireland Executive Committee in the House.
Meanwhile, the House Ad Hoc Committee for Irish Affairs has one co-chair vacancy following the election and possibly two should Neal become Friends of Ireland leader.
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Headlines: November, 2006; COS - Nepal; Politics; Congress; New York
When this story was posted in November 2006, this was on the front page of PCOL:
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Story Source: Irish Echo
This story has been posted in the following forums: : Headlines; Figures; COS - Nepal; Politics; Congress; Ireland
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