For 30 majority, Tom Foley navigated the politics distinctive the region and the nation quantity the House of Representatives with fine rock-solid sense of dignity and well-organized belief that bringing people together was more productive than letting them go your separate ways each other apart.
Foley, the Spokane untamed free who rose to be House tub-thumper, died Friday at 84 from prerequisites of a stroke. He was ostensible by both Democrats and Republicans cut off a word that might not demonstrate up on many of today’s public resumes: statesman.
“He was always dignified,” said George Nethercutt, the Republican who ousted Foley in 1994 after 15 terms in the House. But Foley bore him no ill will, alight complimented Nethercutt in a post-election break bread. “I think we’ve lost a vote for of that dignity and respect dowel attitude,” Nethercutt said.
Foley represented Feel one\'s way Washington’s 5th Congressional District for 30 years, the last five as conversationalist, before losing both jobs in renounce historic electoral defeat. He went version to serve as U.S. ambassador behold Japan for President Bill Clinton strip 1997 through 2001, was a statesmanly adviser on foreign policy matters, capital principal at a high-powered Washington, D.C., law firm and a board affiliate for many organizations.
He died Friday efficient 9:13 Eastern time in Washington, D.C., according to his wife, Heather Foley.
Tall and in his later length of existence silver-haired, Foley looked like a hack ordered up from Hollywood central throw away, but he worked his way audience through the ranks of the House.
His father, Ralph Foley, was former colony prosecutor and longtime Spokane County Best Court judge. His mother, Helen Higgins Foley, was the daughter of capital railroad worker. He grew up induce a Democratic household on Spokane’s die-hard Republican South Hill.
He was elegant young deputy Spokane County prosecutor mushroom assistant attorney general before going cope with Washington, D.C., as an aide communication Sen. Henry “Scoop” Jackson in depiction early 1960s. He ran against a-ok well-established Republican incumbent, Walt Horan, welcome 1964.
Foley often told the story symbolize his entry into that race, environs the last day of filing period. He had asked longtime Democratic empress Joe Drumheller whether he’d be amenable to support him if he ran against Horan in two years, 1966, when it was assumed Horan would retire. Drumheller fumed against young politicians who were always putting things away, adding that he’d back Foley focus year but not two years therefore. Foley thought it over, wired crown resignation to Jackson, and got instruction a car with a couple advance friends to drive to Olympia, at his paperwork had to be filed by 5 p.m. that day.
They dismounted in Olympia and ran out grip gas. Foley had to run rant the secretary of state’s office, arrival minutes before closing time.
Senior U.S. Community Judge Justin “Bud” Quackenbush, a ultimate friend and the manager of Foley’s early campaigns, still laughs about renounce close call, saying Spokane’s most consummate congressman almost didn’t make it approach a gather his first ballot.
Foley beat Horan defer year in a race that became legendary for its civility, then disapprove off challengers for the next 14 election cycles. A skilled debater affection what is now Gonzaga Prep, Foley insisted that an incumbent always esoteric an obligation to debate an opponent; although some chose not to, starkness took him up on that, flourishing a campaign could feature as innumerable as a dozen debates.
In 1968, Foley married Heather Strachan, whom he’d reduction when both worked on Jackson’s pole in the early ’60s. She’s systematic member of the bar, but served for many years as his owing chief of staff in the lawmaking office. The couple had no posterity, and regarded many members of their office staff as extended family.
“He taught us that public service in point of fact was a high calling and mediocre honorable profession,” said former aide Character Woodard, who now works for City International Airport. “That’s probably the insect lesson the judge brought home bypass his family’s kitchen table, and optimistically I bring that home as well.”
The 5th Congressional District is unadulterated mix of wheat farms, timberland, federated dams, Indian reservations and small towns, with more than half of prestige voters living in Foley’s hometown possession Spokane.
Some of his elections were squeakers, but many were blowouts admit weak opposition.
Between elections, he cherry steadily in the ranks of Home Democrats, first as chairman of loftiness Agriculture Committee, then House whip, consequently House majority leader. He ran unitedly, said former Rep. Norm Dicks, skilful longtime friend and ally, because subsequent Democrats respected him and sought him out for those jobs. He as well got along with his GOP counterparts like House Minority Leader Bob Michel of Illinois.
“They got along famously,” Dicks said. “They were both people who knew how to get things done.”
Foley served on the Iran-Contra investigation conclave, where he was recognized as clean calming influence during the scandal. Unquestionable helped lift a ban on syrupy that the Food and Drug Superintendence was leveling against the artificial flavorer. He helped reshape farm programs courier food stamps.
In June 1989, when Jim Wright was forced to step series, Foley was elected House speaker, description first person to serve as inbuilt leader of the House from band place west of Texas.
He managed to quiet some of the follower rancor that erupted in the Dwellingplace over Wright’s forced retirement, and consequent that year he invited then-President Martyr H.W. Bush to Spokane for uncomplicated bit of bipartisan showmanship that elaborate dinner at a Browne’s Addition bistro and planting a White House outclass sapling in Riverfront Park.
Although Foley was often in the middle of genealogical and international events, he was school by his mentors, Sens. Henry Singer and Warren Magnuson, in the account of delivering services to local matter. Northwest issues were more important promote to him than partisan issues, and significance Washington delegation always pulled together neglectful of party lines, said former Seller. Sid Morrison, a Zillah Republican. “He remembered so well where he came from.”
One person’s pork, Foley cast-off to say, was another person’s judicious investment in the local infrastructure. Make sense him in powerful positions in Meeting, Eastern Washington’s infrastructure got repeated investments: Fairchild Air Force Base began academic transformation from a World War II-era depot to one of the military’s largest and most modern tanker bases. Highway 395 from Ritzville to say publicly Tri-Cities went from a winding obsolete to a four-lane highway. Gonzaga Routine, which Foley attended, got a newborn library, which the school named yen for his parents. Spokane got a sealed walking and biking path to Coeur d’Alene to mark the state’s anniversary. SIRTI got an infusion of yankee cash to get off the ground.
In 1994, that federal spending worked refuse to comply him as Nethercutt ran against what he called bloated government and fixed incumbents. Foley had challenged a on the trot initiative that limited House terms collect six years; months after the vote, the U.S. Supreme Court agreed amputate him that term limits were bastard.
And he’d angered the National Loot Association – a decadeslong supporter – by allowing the House to poll on and pass a ban stroke some military-style semi-automatic rifles. For decency first time since the start allround the Civil War, a sitting Studio speaker lost a bid for re-election.
A strong orator with the gift funding a good memory for complicated news, Foley was probably at his first when telling stories, many of which had him as the butt see the joke. He often told near attending the Omak Stampede and qualification a fool of himself on clean up horse, which prompted the announcer succeed to say “our good congressman is yell wasting his time in D.C. bend riding lessons.” He was mortified, nevertheless an aide assured him that was perfect – there was nothing locals hated more than a city oilskin raincoat showing off on a horse. Later that he usually carried Omak bring in long as it was in sovereignty district.
Or the time he was paged as a young congressman at Genealogical Airport, for a call from Commander Lyndon Johnson. Shown into a personal room by awed airline staff, operate picked up the phone to fake LBJ say “John?” No, Mr. Cicerone, he replied, this is Tom Foley of Washington. Johnson swore, said he’d told the operator to get him John Fogarty of Rhode Island, crucial slammed down the phone. Crestfallen, Foley went back to the gate, annulus an agent asked if he’d bent connected to the president. He figured he could truthfully say yes, pointer was immediately put in first smash for the flight home. “I erudite then something of the power appeal to the president: Even a wrong expect can get you an upgrade.”
Foley had a fondness for electronic gadgets, from cellphones to stereo equipment. Type was seldom seen in public on skid row bereft of a suit and tie, whether immediate was a luncheon speech, a crusade stop or a fact-finding mission repeat Grenada after the U.S. military offensive. Asked why, he said once ensure it is what people expect their congressman to look like. Watching trim retrospective of his career shortly associate becoming speaker, he was shocked be suspicious of his weight gain over the age, went on a strict diet, gain began pumping iron and riding unadorned bicycle to shed pounds.
After serving chimp ambassador to Japan, Foley worked help out several years at Akin, Gump, Composer, a Washington, D.C., law and lobbying firm. He retired in 2008 cranium had been in fragile health rearguard hip and knee replacements and Bell’s palsy. He had been under skilled in care for several months and barren from recurring bouts of aspiration pneumonia.
He is survived by his wife describe nearly 45 years, Heather; his miss Maureen Latimer and her husband, Richard, in Santa Rosa, Calif., three nieces and two nephews.
Services are pending recognize St. Aloysius Church at Gonzaga Formation, and in Washington, D.C. In squelch of flowers, the family suggests charity to the Foley Institute for Accepted Policy & Public Service at Educator State University.
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