25 Facts About Joe Moakley

John Joseph Moakley was an American politician who served as the United States representative for Massachusetts's 9th congressional district from 1973 until his death in 2001.

Joe Moakley won the seat from incumbent Louise Day Hicks in a 1972 rematch; the seat had been held two years earlier by the retiring Speaker of the House John William McCormack.

Joe Moakley was the last Democratic chairman of the US House Committee on Rules before Republicans took control of the chamber in 1995.

Joe Moakley is the namesake of both Joe Moakley Park and the John Joseph Moakley United States Courthouse in Boston.

Joe Moakley was born in South Boston, Massachusetts, April 27,1927, and grew up in the Old Harbor public housing project.

Joe Moakley was a member of the Portuguese American Civic Club located in Taunton, Massachusetts.

Joe Moakley served in the Massachusetts House of Representatives from 1953 to 1963 and in the Massachusetts Senate from 1964 to 1970.

Joe Moakley was a delegate to the 1968 Democratic National Convention.

Joe Moakley was a member of the Boston City Council from 1971 to 1973.

In 1972, Joe Moakley ran as an independent against Hicks and defeated her by 3,448 votes.

Joe Moakley was sworn in to Congress on January 3,1973, one day after having switched his party affiliation back to the Democratic Party.

Joe Moakley was reelected 14 times, never facing substantive opposition.

Joe Moakley faced Republican challengers only six times; the other times, he was either completely unopposed or faced only minor-party opposition.

Joe Moakley was succeeded in office by fellow Democrat Stephen Lynch.

Joe Moakley was prominent in the opposition to the legislative veto, which became an increasingly popular device in the 1970s.

Joe Moakley held up in committee a controversial bill proposed by Rep.

Joe Moakley's position was vindicated when the Supreme Court held in INS v Chadha that the legislative veto violated the bicameralism and presentment clauses of the US Constitution.

Joe Moakley led a special panel that investigated the 1989 deaths of six Jesuit priests and two women in El Salvador.

Joe Moakley had a close relationship with Salvadoran activist Leonel Gomez Vides.

Joe Moakley chaired the Committee on Rules from the 101st Congress through 103rd Congress.

In 1996, Joe Moakley declined an offer to have a new bridge in Boston named in his honor, but accepted the suggestion to have the bridge named for his wife, following her death from cancer.

The Evelyn Joe Moakley Bridge is next to a US Courthouse, which was named the John Joseph Joe Moakley United States Courthouse shortly before his death.

Joe Moakley's efforts led to the acquisition by Bridgewater State College of a $10 million grant.

In 2001, Joe Moakley announced that he would not be running for re-election for his 16th term in 2002, due to his ongoing battle with myelodysplastic syndrome.

Joe Moakley's body was interred in Blue Hill Cemetery, Braintree, Massachusetts.