Bill Delahunt

Bill Delahunt
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Massachusetts's 10th district
In office January 3, 1997 – January 3, 2011
Preceded by	Gerry Studds
Succeeded by	William R. Keating
District Attorney of Norfolk County, Massachusetts
In office 1975–1996
Succeeded by	William R. Keating
Personal details
Born	July 18, 1941 (1941-07-18) Quincy, Massachusetts
Political party	Democratic
Spouse(s)	divorced
Children	Kristin Delahunt Kara Mai Delahunt
Residence	Quincy, Massachusetts
Alma mater	Middlebury College, Boston College Law School
Occupation	attorney
Religion	Roman Catholic
Military service
Service/branch	United States Coast Guard
Years of service	1963-1971
Unit	Reserves

William D. Delahunt (born July 18, 1941) is a former U.S. Representative for Massachusetts's 10th congressional district, serving from 1997 to 2011. He is a member of the Democratic Party. Delahunt did not seek re-election in 2010, and left Congress in January 2011. He was replaced by Norfolk County District Attorney Bill Keating. He is currently an attorney with the firm of Eckert Seamans Cherin & Mellott.

Early life, education, and early career

Born in Quincy, Massachusetts, Delahunt was educated at Thayer Academy, Middlebury College and Boston College Law School and later served in the United States Coast Guard Reserve. He served a term in the Massachusetts House of Representatives (1973–75) before serving as district attorney of Norfolk County for more than 20 years.

U.S. House of Representatives

Elections

Delahunt at a 2010 rally for William R. Keating in Quincy, MA

Delahunt was first elected after a primary battle against Philip W Johnston of Marshfield and Ian Bowles of Woods Hole. Johnston was initially declared the winner. A recount conducted in a handful of contested towns preserved Johnston's victory though by a narrower margin. Following the recount, Delahunt sought judicial review in the Massachusetts Superior Court and Judge Elizabeth Donvan conducted a de novo review of the contested ballots and declared Delahunt the victor by a 108-vote margin. The case appealed to the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, which upheld the lower court ruling. The case is also noteworthy for the issue of "hanging chads" in punch-card voting machines.^{[citation needed]}

In February 2010, Delahunt announced that was considering retirement from Congress at the end of his present term. His retirement was confirmed on March 4, 2010, by the Boston Globe.

Tenure

As one of his first initiatives in Congress, he created the bipartisan caucus on the United States Coast Guard, which he co-chaired with two other Coast Guard veterans, Reps. Howard Coble (R-NC) and Gene Taylor (D-MS). This benefited his district through getting the problems of outpaced resources and security recognized at the ports of Massachusetts.

In November 2005, he met with Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez and engineered a deal in which Venezuela would supply winter home heating oil at a 40 percent price reduction to thousands of low-income Massachusetts residents. The deal was carried out via the Venezuelan owned Citgo, and brought accusations that Delahunt was assisting an anti-American leader. Delahunt, however, has sometimes criticized Chavez, such as in a September 2006 letter expressing "profound disgust" at a speech given by Chavez to the United Nations, in which he personally attacked President George W. Bush. In the letter he urged that Chavez express disagreements "in a more constructive manner," and work with the US to solve problems such as drug trafficking.

In the 110th Congress, Delahunt served as Chairman of the United States House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on International Organizations, Human Rights, and Oversight.

He was a consistent opponent of the war in Iraq. However, on March 10, 2010 he voted against a measure to bring troops home from Afghanistan.

Committee assignments

• Committee on Foreign Affairs
  • Subcommittee on Europe(Chairman 111th Congress)
  • Subcommittee on International Organizations, Human Rights, and Oversight (Chairman 110th Congress)
• Committee on the Judiciary
  • Subcommittee on Commercial and Administrative Law
  • Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security
  • Task Force on Judicial Impeachment

Caucus memberships

• Co-chair of the bipartisan Coast Guard Caucus
• Co-chair of the House Older Americans Caucus
• Co-chair of the Congressional Working Group on Cuba

Delahunt was a member of the United States House Foreign Affairs Committee; Judiciary Committee; and also served as co-chair of the bipartisan Coast Guard Caucus, House Older Americans Caucus, and the Congressional Working Group on Cuba.

Personal life

While Congress was in session, Delahunt lived in a rented house with fellow Democratic politicians George Miller, Chuck Schumer, and Richard Durbin. Delahunt and his wife, Katharina E. Delahunt, divorced in 1986. They have one daughter, Kristin, and adopted another, Kara Mai (née Nguyen Mai Tai Trang), from Vietnam in 1975. He has family that live in Tennessee, Paul, Lee Ann, Anna, and rising star Katy Delahunt.

Post Congressional Career

At the end of the 111th Congress and after 14 years serving the people of the South Shore and the Cape and Islands Delahunt retired from the United States Congress. Embarking on a new chapter in life, Delahunt continues to serve the same people and communities he represented with the recent formation of the Delahunt Group. The Delahunt Group is a multi-service consulting firm focused on Government Affairs, International Market Entry Strategies, Corporate and Development Advisory, Federal and State Funding, and Appropriations, Regulatory and Permitting Assistance, Public Policy Strategies and Public Relations. Delahunt recently told the Cape Cod Times that his goal is to continue to work on issues he was involved in during his time in Congress. As a legislator, he explained, he set policy at a macro level. Now, he said: "we're taking that and bringing it down here to the communities, to encourage implementation. We're working with the private sector and the public sector in a way that's a win-win for everyone." He told the Times he is particularly interested in work that encourages regional tourism and economic development."

Lobbying

Less than two months after leaving Congress in 2011 Delahunt set up shop as a lobbyist on behalf of the Wampanoag people in Massachusetts to help them secure Indian gaming rights with the state legislature. Delahunt filled a gap left by the Wampanoag's previous lobbyist Jack Abramoff following his conviction associated with the renowned Jack Abramoff Indian lobbying scandal. Delahunt received over $15,000 in campaign contributions from the Wampanoag and Abramoff prior to leaving office sparking criticisms from good government advocates and casino opponents. While Delahunt is precluded by law from lobbying the Congress for at least one year, rules do not preclude him from lobbying state legislatures. Delahunt formally announced his retirement from Congress in March 2010, between March and December 2010 he made over $10,000 in campaign contributions to Massachusetts state legislators from his federal congressional PAC - a 500 percent increase from previous years' contributions.

Delahunt has also established a lobbying partnership with the Washington, DC-based Prime Policy Group on ways American companies can establish themselves in foreign countries while helping foreign businesses with connections to in United States markets. Prime Policy Group's clients include companies like Accenture, which have been criticized for moving offshore to avoid paying U.S. taxes. This partnership dove tales with Delahunt's work on behalf of the Wampanoag as their primary backers are the Malaysian gambling giant Genting Group. Genting is seeking to establish a foothold in the United States with ventures in New York, Miami and Massachusetts. The Wampanoag venture, if approved, would give Genting a tax-free foot hold in Indian gaming in the United States.

External links

• Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
• Voting record maintained by The Washington Post
• Biography, voting record, and interest group ratings at Project Vote Smart
• Congressional profile at GovTrack
• Congressional profile at OpenCongress
• Issue positions and quotes at On The Issues
• Financial information at OpenSecrets.org
• Staff salaries, trips and personal finance at LegiStorm.com
• Campaign finance reports and data at the Federal Election Commission
• Appearances on C-SPAN programs
• Leader Pelosi's "30 Something" Working Group speeches

United States House of Representatives
Preceded by Gerry Studds	Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Massachusetts's 10th congressional district 1997-2011	Succeeded by William R. Keating