Tom Foley
Encyclopedia
Speaker of the United States House of Representatives
The Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, or Speaker of the House, is the presiding officer of the United States House of Representatives...
, serving from 1989 to 1995. He represented Washington's 5th congressional district
Washington's 5th congressional district
Washington's 5th congressional district encompasses the Eastern Washington counties of Okanogan, Ferry, Stevens, Pend Oreille, Lincoln, Spokane, Adams, Whitman, Walla Walla, Columbia, Garfield, and Asotin. It is centered around Spokane, the state's second largest city.Since 2005, the 5th District...
for 30 years as a Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
member from 1965 to 1995.
Foley was the first Speaker of the House since 1862 to be defeated in a re-election campaign for Congress. He served as the United States Ambassador to Japan
United States Ambassador to Japan
The United States Ambassador to Japan is the ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary from the United States to Japan. Since the opening of Japan by Commodore Matthew C. Perry, in 1854, the U.S. maintained diplomatic relations with Japan, except for the ten-year period following the attack on...
from 1997 to 2001 under Bill Clinton.
Early life and legal practice
Foley was born in Spokane, WashingtonSpokane, Washington
Spokane is a city located in the Northwestern United States in the state of Washington. It is the largest city of Spokane County of which it is also the county seat, and the metropolitan center of the Inland Northwest region...
. In 1946, he graduated from the Jesuit-run Gonzaga Preparatory School
Gonzaga Preparatory School
Gonzaga Preparatory School located in Spokane, Washington is a private Catholic high school in the Inland Northwest. As a Jesuit institution, "G-Prep" has been recognized for its college preparation education, and community service.- History :...
in Spokane. He is an Eagle Scout
Eagle Scout (Boy Scouts of America)
Eagle Scout is the highest rank attainable in the Boy Scouting program of the Boy Scouts of America . A Scout who attains this rank is called an Eagle Scout or Eagle. Since its introduction in 1911, the Eagle Scout rank has been earned by more than 2 million young men...
.
He went on to attend the Gonzaga University
Gonzaga University
Gonzaga University is a private Roman Catholic university located in Spokane, Washington, United States. Founded in 1887 by the Society of Jesus, it is one of 28 member institutions of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities and is named after the young Jesuit saint, Aloysius Gonzaga...
in Spokane and the University of Washington
University of Washington
University of Washington is a public research university, founded in 1861 in Seattle, Washington, United States. The UW is the largest university in the Northwest and the oldest public university on the West Coast. The university has three campuses, with its largest campus in the University...
in Seattle, the latter awarding him a Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
degree in 1951. In 1957, he earned a law degree from the same university.
Following law school, Foley entered private areas. In 1958, he began working in the Spokane County prosecutor's office as a deputy prosecuting attorney
Prosecutor
The prosecutor is the chief legal representative of the prosecution in countries with either the common law adversarial system, or the civil law inquisitorial system...
. Foley taught at Gonzaga University
Gonzaga University
Gonzaga University is a private Roman Catholic university located in Spokane, Washington, United States. Founded in 1887 by the Society of Jesus, it is one of 28 member institutions of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities and is named after the young Jesuit saint, Aloysius Gonzaga...
Law School (in Spokane, Washington
Spokane, Washington
Spokane is a city located in the Northwestern United States in the state of Washington. It is the largest city of Spokane County of which it is also the county seat, and the metropolitan center of the Inland Northwest region...
) from 1958 to 1959. In 1960, he joined the office of the State of Washington Attorney General
Attorney General
In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general, or attorney-general, is the main legal advisor to the government, and in some jurisdictions he or she may also have executive responsibility for law enforcement or responsibility for public prosecutions.The term is used to refer to any person...
.
In 1961, Foley moved to Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, and joined the staff of the United States Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs as assistant chief clerk and special counsel, in which capacity he served until mid 1964.
Congressional service
In 1964, Foley won the Democratic nomination for Washington's 5th congressional districtWashington's 5th congressional district
Washington's 5th congressional district encompasses the Eastern Washington counties of Okanogan, Ferry, Stevens, Pend Oreille, Lincoln, Spokane, Adams, Whitman, Walla Walla, Columbia, Garfield, and Asotin. It is centered around Spokane, the state's second largest city.Since 2005, the 5th District...
, which was based in Spokane. He faced 11-term Republican incumbent Walt Horan
Walt Horan
Walter Franklin Horan , American politician, was a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives for ten terms from January 3, 1943 to January 3, 1965, representing the Fifth Congressional District of Washington....
and won by seven points, one of several Democrats elected in the Democratic landslide of that year. He was re-elected without much trouble until 1978, when he barely defeated conservative activist Duane Alton. In 1980, physician John Sonneland nearly defeated Foley, only losing by 4 points. Foley didn't face serious opposition again until 1994, even as his district became more conservative.
In 1981, Foley was chosen majority whip
Party whips of the United States House of Representatives
A whip in the United States House of Representatives manages his party's legislative program on the House floor. The Whip keeps track of all legislation and ensures that all party members are present when important measures are to be voted upon....
by the House Democratic caucus and served in that capacity until 1987, when he moved up to the position of majority leader. In 1989, Jim Wright
Jim Wright
James Claude Wright, Jr. , usually known as Jim Wright, is a former Democratic U.S. Congressman from Texas who served 34 years in the U.S. House of Representatives and was the Speaker of the House from 1987 to 1989.-Early life:...
of Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
stepped down as Speaker of the House amid an ethics scandal, and Foley was elected to succeed him. He became the first Speaker from a state west of the Rocky Mountains
Rocky Mountains
The Rocky Mountains are a major mountain range in western North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch more than from the northernmost part of British Columbia, in western Canada, to New Mexico, in the southwestern United States...
.
Term limits
During his time in the House, Foley repeatedly opposed efforts to impose term limits on Washington state's elected officials, winning the support of the state's voters to reject term limits in a 1991 referendum. However, in 1992, a term limit ballot initiative was approved by the state's voters.Foley brought suit, challenging the constitutionality of a state law setting eligibility requirements on federal offices. Foley won his suit, with federal courts declaring that states did not have the authority under the U.S. Constitution to limit the terms of federal officeholders.
However, in Foley's bid for a 16th term in the House, his Republican opponent, George Nethercutt
George Nethercutt
George R. Nethercutt, Jr. is an American politician, and is the founder and chairman of The George Nethercutt Foundation. He was a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives from 1995 to 2005, representing ....
, used the issue against him, repeatedly citing the caption of the federal case brought by Foley, "Foley against the People of the State of Washington." Nethercutt vowed that if elected, he would not serve more than three terms in the House (but ultimately served for five terms). Foley lost in a narrow race that coincided with the Republican electoral triumph of 1994
Republican Revolution
The Republican Revolution or Revolution of '94 is what the media dubbed Republican Party success in the 1994 U.S. midterm elections, which resulted in a net gain of 54 seats in the House of Representatives, and a pickup of eight seats in the Senate...
. While Foley had usually relied on large margins in Spokane itself to carry him to victory, in 1994 he only won Spokane by 9,000 votes while Nethercutt did well enough in the rest of the district to win overall by just under 4,000 votes. At the time, it was reported that some voters believed mistakenly that if he beat Foley, Nethercutt would become the new speaker of the House.
Foley became the first sitting Speaker of the House to lose his bid for re-election since Galusha Grow in 1862. He is sometimes viewed as a political casualty of the term limits controversy of the early 1990s.
Electoral history
Here is a chart of the vote in his elections. There are subtotals for the city of Spokane, rural Spokane County, and a Spokane total, as this is the main part of the 5th Congressional District.| Year | Candidate | Party | Spokane | Outside | County | District |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1964 | Tom Foley* | D | 41,377 | 17,587 | 58,964 | 84,830 |
| Walt Horan Walt Horan Walter Franklin Horan , American politician, was a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives for ten terms from January 3, 1943 to January 3, 1965, representing the Fifth Congressional District of Washington.... (Inc) |
R | 32,262 | 16,757 | 49,019 | 73,884 | |
| 1966 | Thomas Foley Thomas Foley Thomas Foley or Tom Foley may refer to:* Thomas Foley , British admiral* Thomas Patrick Roger Foley , American religious leader* Tom Foley , American baseball player... * |
D | 35,533 | 15,334 | 50,867 | 74,571 |
| Dorothy Powers | R | 25,357 | 13,232 | 38,589 | 57,310 | |
| 1968 | Thomas Foley Thomas Foley Thomas Foley or Tom Foley may refer to:* Thomas Foley , British admiral* Thomas Patrick Roger Foley , American religious leader* Tom Foley , American baseball player... * |
D | 41,203 | 19,227 | 60,430 | 88,446 |
| Richard Bond Richard Bond Richard N. Bond is a former Chairman of the Republican National Committee and currently a government relations consultant based in Washington, D.C.... |
R | 29,659 | 16,988 | 46,647 | 67,304 | |
| 1970 | Tom Foley* | D | 40,791 | 20,532 | 61,323 | 88,189 |
| George Gamble | R | 19,926 | 11,928 | 31,854 | 43,376 | |
| 1972 | Tom Foley* | D | 58,282 | 35,060 | 93,342 | 150,580 |
| Clarice Privette | R | 12,468 | 8,637 | 21,105 | 34,742 | |
| 1974 | Tom Foley* | D | 30,717 | 18,726 | 49,443 | 87,959 |
| Gary Gage | R | 16,925 | 12,020 | 28,945 | 48,739 | |
| 1976 | Tom Foley* | D | 41,720 | 27,905 | 69,625 | 120,415 |
| Duane Alton | R | 30,318 | 25,519 | 55,837 | 84,262 | |
| Bear Sandahl | L | 834 | 407 | 1,241 | 1,959 | |
| Ira Liebowitz | USL | 403 | 181 | 584 | 935 | |
| 1978 | Tom Foley* | D | 28,346 | 18,858 | 47,204 | 77,201 |
| Duane Alton | R | 20,923 | 18,942 | 39,865 | 68,761 | |
| Mel Tonasket | I | 5,574 | 4,580 | 10,154 | 14,887 | |
| 1980 | Tom Foley* | D | 41,256 | 31,604 | 72,860 | 120,530 |
| John Sonneland | R | 32,857 | 33,662 | 66,519 | 111,705 | |
| 1982 | Tom Foley* | D | 39,810 | 32,362 | 72,172 | 109,549 |
| John Sonneland | R | 18,482 | 20,420 | 38,902 | 60,816 | |
| 1984 | Tom Foley* | D | 56,820 | 49,360 | 106,180 | 154,988 |
| John Sonneland | R | 20,517 | 23,729 | 44,246 | 67,438 | |
| 1986 | Tom Foley* | D | 43,011 | 37,939 | 80,950 | 121,732 |
| Floyd Wakefield | R | 12,510 | 14,281 | 26,791 | 41,179 | |
| 1988 | Tom Foley* | D | 56,249 | 53,791 | 110,040 | 160,654 |
| Marlyn Derby | R | 14,438 | 17,772 | 32,210 | 49,657 | |
| 1990 | Tom Foley* | D | 38,553 | 37,121 | 75,674 | 110,234 |
| Marlyn Derby | R | 15,082 | 18,363 | 33,445 | 49,965 | |
| 1992 | Tom Foley* | D | 49,675 | 45,919 | 95,594 | 135,965 |
| John Sonneland | R | 32,508 | 40,108 | 72,616 | 110,443 | |
| 1994 | Tom Foley | D | 39,331 | 35,323 | 74,654 | 106,074 |
| George Nethercutt George Nethercutt George R. Nethercutt, Jr. is an American politician, and is the founder and chairman of The George Nethercutt Foundation. He was a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives from 1995 to 2005, representing .... * |
R | 30,265 | 41,065 | 71,330 | 110,057 |
Later career
In 1997, Foley was appointed as the 25th U.S. Ambassador to JapanJapan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
by President Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
. He served as ambassador until 2001.
Foley was awarded an honorary Companion of Honour by the government of the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
.
Foley was a Washington delegate to the 2000 Democratic National Convention
2000 Democratic National Convention
The 2000 Democratic National Convention was a quadrennial presidential nominating convention for the Democratic Party. The convention nominated Vice President Al Gore as its candidate for President and Connecticut Senator Joe Lieberman as its candidate for Vice President. The convention was held at...
.
On July 9, 2003, Washington Governor Gary Locke awarded the Washington State Medal of Merit, the state's highest honor, to Foley.
He was North American Chairman of the Trilateral Commission
Trilateral Commission
The Trilateral Commission is a non-governmental, non-partisan discussion group founded by David Rockefeller in July 1973 to foster closer cooperation among the United States, Europe and Japan.-History:...
.
Honors
- Order of the British EmpireOrder of the British EmpireThe Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(UK). - Order of Merit (Germany).
- Légion d'honneurLégion d'honneurThe Legion of Honour, or in full the National Order of the Legion of Honour is a French order established by Napoleon Bonaparte, First Consul of the Consulat which succeeded to the First Republic, on 19 May 1802...
(France). - Order of the Rising Sun with Paulownia Flowers, Grand CordonOrder of the Rising SunThe is a Japanese order, established in 1875 by Emperor Meiji of Japan. The Order was the first national decoration awarded by the Japanese Government, created on April 10, 1875 by decree of the Council of State. The badge features rays of sunlight from the rising sun...
(Japan), 1995.