Jim Leach
Jim Leach | |
---|---|
Henry B. Gonzalez | |
Succeeded by | Mike Oxley |
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Iowa | |
In office January 3, 1977 – January 3, 2007 | |
Preceded by | Edward Mezvinsky |
Succeeded by | Dave Loebsack |
Constituency |
|
Personal details | |
Born | James Albert Smith Leach October 15, 1942 Davenport, Iowa, U.S. |
Political party | Democratic (since 2022) Republican (until 2022) |
Spouse | Deba Leach |
Education | Princeton University (AB) Johns Hopkins University (MA) |
James Albert Smith Leach (born October 15, 1942) is an American academic and former politician. He served as ninth
Leach was the
Previously, Leach served 30 years (1977–2007) as a
In 2022, Leach broke with the Republicans and registered as a Democrat.[5]
Early life and education
Leach was born in
Early career
Prior to entering the
U.S. House of Representatives
After returning to Iowa to head a family business, Leach was elected in 1976 to Congress (defeating two-term
During his 15 terms in Congress, Leach's voting record was generally conservative on fiscal issues, moderate on social matters, and
While he supported the first Gulf War in 1991, Leach was one of six House Republicans who voted against the authorization to use force against Iraq in 2002.[20][21] Once the Congress committed to war, however, he held that it would be folly to assume it could be funded with tax cuts and therefore[citation needed] he was one of three Republican congressmen (alongside Michael Castle and Amo Houghton) to vote against the 2003 extension of the Bush-era tax cuts.[22][original research?]
Leach supported abortion rights except during the
Leach supported campaign reform and pressed unsuccessfully for a system of partial
As a member of the minority for his first nine terms, he became known for the development of three reports – one in the 1980s calling for a more progressive approach to
In the wake of a 1996 Ethics Committee probe of then Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich, which cited the Speaker for providing false information under oath to a House committee, Leach broke ranks with tradition and voted against his party's nominee for Speaker in the subsequent Congress.[28] In one of the few occasions in the 20th century when any party division was recorded on the initial leadership organizing votes on the House floor, he voted for the former Republican leader, Bob Michel, and received two votes himself, causing Leach to take a distant third in the contest for Speaker of the 105th Congress behind Gingrich and the Democratic nominee, Dick Gephardt.[29]
Leach was a top critic of President
In the end, the independent counsel brought more than 50 criminal convictions related to the failed S&L, including cases against Clinton's successor as Governor of Arkansas, Jim Guy Tucker, and his business partners in Whitewater.[35]
Leach did not think that the crimes surrounding the failure of the Whitewater-tied S&L should have been considered in an
Gramm–Leach–Bliley Financial Services Modernization Act
The
Elections
Leach was usually reelected without much difficulty (including an unopposed run in 1990). He remained very popular in the 1st even as his district turned increasingly Democratic, especially from the 1990s onward. For most of his career, he represented the Democratic strongholds of Davenport,
2006 election
In 2006, Leach was defeated in a considerable upset by Democratic opponent Dave Loebsack, a political science professor at Cornell College.[45] Loebsack had only qualified for the Democratic primary as a write-in candidate, and Leach was not on many Democratic target lists. However, Loebsack won by a narrow margin of approximately 6,000 votes, largely by running up an 8,395-vote margin in Johnson County, home to Iowa City.[46]
In conjunction with a Democratic tide which swept Eastern Iowa and across the U.S. in the 2006 election, there were two factors seen as what led to Leach's defeat: his refusal to allow the Republican National Committee to distribute leaflets that were seen as anti-gay, attacking Loebsack for his views on gay marriage, and his refusal to take out-of-state and political action committee money.[47][48]
The second related to his success just before adjournment in passing H.R. 4411. Gambling interests opposed him during the election and contended the bill had passed without hearings. The bill had been subject to extensive hearings over several Congresses, especially on the House side where both the Financial Services and the Judiciary committees had shared jurisdiction.[49] Leach argued that Internet gambling weakened the economy and jeopardized the social fabric of the family.
Post-congressional career
After his defeat, Leach's name was floated as a potential replacement to
Leach then taught at Princeton and served on the board of several public companies and four non-profit organizations, including the
Leach holds eight
On September 17, 2007, Leach was named as Interim Director of the Institute of Politics (IOP) at Harvard Kennedy School after former director Jeanne Shaheen left to pursue a U.S. Senate seat in New Hampshire.[59]
He was elected to the Common Cause National Governing Board in 2007.
Leach resides in
On August 12, 2008, Leach broke party ranks to endorse Democrat
On November 14 and 15, 2008, Leach and former Clinton Secretary of State Madeleine Albright served as emissaries for President-elect Obama at the international economic summit being held in Washington, D.C.[64]
President Obama announced his nomination of Leach to be the ninth Chair of the National Endowment for the Humanities in June 2009.[65] The appointment was confirmed in August 2009.[1]
On August 1, 2013, Jim Leach began serving a three-year term as public affairs chair at the University of Iowa and is to begin teaching there as a visiting professor of law in the spring of 2014.[66]
In 2020, Leach, along with over 130 other former Republican national security officials, signed a statement that asserted that
In 2022, Leach revealed in an interview with the Quad-City Times that he had changed his registration to Democratic ahead of the June primary, citing his switch as a rebuke of the national party and their response to the January 6 United States Capitol attack the previous year. Leach also stated that he wanted to support Christina Bohannan, a Democratic candidate (and ultimately the nominee) for Iowa's 1st congressional district that year in the primary; he also endorsed Democratic U.S. Senate nominee Michael Franken.[5]
See also
- List of U.S. political appointments that crossed party lines
References
- ^ New York Times.
- ^ "NEH Chairman Jim Leach Announces Resignation". National Endowment for the Humanities. Retrieved April 16, 2014.
- ^ a b c Trescott, Jacqueline (June 3, 2009). "GOP's Leach Picked to Run Humanities Endowment". Washington Post. Retrieved June 4, 2009.
- National Archives.
- ^ a b Watson, Sarah (July 27, 2022). "A former 30-year Republican Iowa Congressman is endorsing Democrats in 2022. Here's why". The Quad-City Times. Retrieved November 29, 2023.
- ^ gbhofinductions_03, wrestlingmuseum.org. Site has no content.
- ^ Leach, James (1964). The Right to Revolt: John Locke Contrasted with Karl Marx (Thesis).
- ^ "Arena Profile: James A. Leach". politico.com.
- ^ "Obama taps Leach '64 to chair NEH". dailyprincetonian.com. June 3, 2009. Archived from the original on August 9, 2009. Retrieved January 30, 2013.
- ^ "111th Congress Report HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 1st Session 111-31 JAMES A. LEACH UNITED STATES COURTHOUSE". gpo.gov. March 10, 2009.
- ^ "Iowa: Second District Rep. Jim Leach (R)". nationaljournal.com. June 28, 2005. Archived from the original on October 23, 2012.
- ^ ""Jim Leach Rally, Bettendorf, Iowa, October 21, 1976" of the Frances K. Pullen Papers at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library" (PDF). fordlibrarymuseum.gov.
- ISSN 0458-3035. Retrieved August 28, 2016.
- ^ "Jim A. Leach (R)". washingtonpost.com.
- ^ "THE 'GYPSY MOTHS' FOLLOW THEIR OWN LIGHTS". The New York Times. November 1, 1981.
- ^ "Key Republican rules out trying to topple Clinton". articles.baltimoresun.com. January 8, 1994.
- ^ "Honorable James A. Leach". acfr.org. Archived from the original on August 1, 2013.
- ^ "James A. Leach". bloomberg.com. July 15, 2023.[dead link]
- ^ "Why the US should support UNESCO". csmonitor.com. December 4, 2000. Retrieved January 30, 2013.
- ^ Fox, Tom (December 15, 2011). "Jim Leach: An Iowa Republican carves a life in public service". washingtonpost.com.
- ^ "House lawmakers promote colleague for U.N. post". USA Today. Associated Press. November 14, 2006. Archived from the original on October 11, 2008. Retrieved April 3, 2024.
- ^ "Final vote results for roll call 182". clerk.house.gov. May 9, 2003.
- ^ "Jim Leach on Abortion Former Republican Representative (IA-2, 1977–2007)". ontheissues.org.
- ^ "Former Iowa congressman Jim Leach has harsh words for today's politics". siouxcityjournal.com. October 26, 2012.
- ^ "Odds Against Finance Reform". chicagotribune.com. January 29, 1997.
- ^ "Leach talks super PACs at St. Ambrose". qconline.com. June 16, 2012.
- ^ Report to Congressional Requesters (May 1994). "Financial Derivatives: Actions needed to protect the financial system" (PDF). GAO. Retrieved October 19, 2019.
- ^ Trescott, Jacqueline (September 24, 2009). "Jim Leach Becomes National Endowment for the Humanities Chairman". washingtonpost.com.
- ^ "Background: The Re-Election of Speaker Gingrich". pbs.org. January 7, 1997.
- ^ Wines, Michael (March 22, 1994). "Senior Democrats back full hearing into Whitewater". The New York Times.
- ^ Devroy, Ann (March 28, 1994). "Leach Urges Keeping Focus in Whitewater: Inquiry: GOP's chief critic of Clinton in controversy says too much is made of White House aides' phone calls. He says their anger was 'natural.'". Los Angeles Times.
- ^ Risen, James (August 2, 1994). "A 'Scandal' That's More Snooze Than News : Politics: The reviews are in – the public and the pundits have pronounced the Whitewater hearings a dud. And that's just what the Democrats wanted to hear". Los Angeles Times.
- ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved October 19, 2019.
- ^ "First Whitewater hearing achieves its goal: boredom". baltimoresun.com. July 27, 1994.
- ^ "Caught in the Whitewater Quagmire". washingtonpost.com. August 28, 1995.
- ^ Ross, Michael (April 3, 1994). "Los Angeles Times Interview: James Leach : Viewing Whitewater as a Matter of Public Ethics". Los Angeles Times.
- ^ "The Overlooked Culprit in the Credit Crisis". usc.edu. Archived from the original on October 29, 2013. Retrieved January 30, 2013.
- ^ "The Repeal of the Glass-Stegall Act and the "Subprime Mortgage Crisis": is Deregulation to be blamed?" (PDF). denison.edu. February 8, 2010.
- ^ "Parsons Blames Glass-Steagall Repeal for Crisis". bloomberg.com. April 19, 2012.
- ^ "Testimony of Sheila C Bair before the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Financial Institutions and Consumer Protection Subcommittee". banking.senate.gov. December 7, 2011.
- ^ Feeney, Lauren (March 16, 2012). "Glass-Steagall, Dodd-Frank and The Volcker Rule: A Primer and Resources". Retrieved May 3, 2012.
- ^ Indiviglio, Daniel (October 21, 2009). "Volcker's Quest To Reinstate Glass-Steagall". Retrieved May 3, 2012.
- New York Times. Retrieved May 3, 2012.
- Wall Street Journal. Retrieved May 3, 2012.
- ^ "Archer concedes to Loebsack in Iowa's 2nd District". thegazette.com. November 6, 2006. Archived from the original on February 20, 2013.
- ^ "Official Results Report – Statewide Election : 2006 General Election-11-07-2006" (PDF). sos.iowa.gov. November 21, 2006.
- ^ Gensheimer, Lydia (December 20, 2006). "Freshmen Rep. Loebsack Tries to Build His Rapport With Congressional Constituents". The New York Times.
- ^ "Does this sound like your congressperson? If you live in Berkeley, Oakland, or San Francisco – well, sure. But if you're from Iowa..." berkeley.edu. March 12, 2009.
- ^ "Congress.gov". thomas.gov. Archived from the original on September 29, 2006. Retrieved September 10, 2015.
- ^ Wheaton, Sarah (December 4, 2006). "Looking Outward: Jim Leach". The New York Times.
- ^ "House lawmakers promote colleague for U.N. post". usatoday.com. November 14, 2006.
- ^ "The List: Who Will Replace John Bolton?". foreignpolicy.com. November 20, 2006.
- ^ "Khalilzad to be new US UN envoy". bbc.co.uk. January 8, 2006.
- ^ Lee, Carol E. (June 3, 2009). "Jim Leach nominee for chairman of the National Endowment for the Humanities". Politico. Retrieved January 30, 2013.
- ^ "Obama taps Woodrow Wilson School's Leach '64 to lead NEH". princeton.edu. June 4, 2009.
- ^ "clintonschoolspeakers.com". Jim Leach.
- ^ "James Leach to visit UNI as part of Reaching for Higher Ground series". uni.edu.
- ^ "Introducing a Distinguished Public Servant and Hall of Fame Wrestler: NEH Chairman James A. Leach". indianauniversity.edu. September 21, 2010. Archived from the original on March 28, 2013. Retrieved January 31, 2013.
- ^ "Arthur J. Holland Program on Ethics in Government". eagleton.rutgers.edu. Archived from the original on January 17, 2011. Retrieved January 31, 2013.
- ^ "JAMES 'JIM' A. LEACH'S BIOGRAPHY". votesmart.org.
- ^ "Republicans For Obama". cbsnews.com. August 13, 2008.
- ^ Akers, Mary Ann (August 24, 2008). "Surprise GOP Speaker at Dem Convention: Jim Leach". The Washington Post. Retrieved January 30, 2013.
- ^ "Democratic convention schedule". nbcnews.com. August 25, 2008.
- ^ Goldman, Julianna (November 12, 2008). "Obama Sending Albright, Leach to Economic Summit". Bloomberg. Retrieved January 30, 2013.
- National Archives.
- ^ "Local News - Iowa City Press Citizen - press-citizen.com". Iowa City Press Citizen. Retrieved September 10, 2015.
- ^ "Former Republican National Security Officials for Biden". Defending Democracy Together. August 20, 2020. Retrieved August 26, 2021.