Major role in US Congress for Brendan Boyle, the son of a Donegal emigrant

US Rep Brendan Boyle whose father Francis hails from Glencolmcille will hold a major post in the new US Congress.

The 45-year-old  was recently re-elected to represent Pennsylvania's 2nd congressional district. He first secured a seat in Congress in 2014, and has been a rising star in the Democratic Party since then.

As he began his fifth term, US Rep Boyle ran unopposed and was elected unanimously by his party to lead the Democrats on the House Budget Committee.

The congressman took to social media to say: “Thank you to my colleagues for electing me to serve as Ranking Member of the House Budget Committee.”

This position on one of Congress’s most influential panels is seen as a stepping stone for bigger leadership roles.

US Rep Boyle has been a leading voice on a number of important issues since getting elected, notably the fight against gun violence, the need for better wages and support for the less well off, as well as calling for what he describes as ‘fiscal sanity.’

And he has not held back in his criticism of former President Donald Trump. 

Indeed, he described January 6, 2021 - the date on which the Capitol Building was breached by Trump-incited rioters - as ‘one of the ugliest days in American history.’

The Congressman was among those to call for Trump to be held to account for his role in inciting the unrest which sadly led to loss of life. 

US Rep Boyle was one of those trapped in the Capitol Building at the time. Ironically, he was working on a speech which focused on the survival of American democracy when the breach occurred.

With Democrats in the minority, US Rep Boyle’s new role will not be without its challenges. 

But, as is explained in the Philadelphia Enquirer: “As the ranking member, Boyle would potentially be in line to become Chairman if or when Democrats regain control of the House.”

The Congressman said his first priority would be pushing back against any Republican attempts to use the need to increase the federal debt ceiling as leverage for cuts to Social Security or Medicare if the issue isn’t resolved before the end of the year.

He told the Philadelphia Enquirer: “I absolutely refuse to entertain any of that.

“I really do believe that the argument over raising the debt ceiling and protecting Social Security and Medicare is going to be the front and centre argument over the course of 2023.”

The story of Brendan Boyle’s initial election to Congress in 2014 is remarkable. Up against a member of the Clinton dynasty and the huge advertising budget that entailed, he and his father Francis, a janitor, turned instead to the Irish way of canvassing. They knocked on doors and talked to people  rather than relying on multi-million dollar television campaigns. 

It certainly worked, and that genuine ability to connect with and understand his constituents has stood US Rep Boyle well.