Μake us preferred on Google Next January, Representative Chris Pappas will pack his things, but he won’t go far. He will move from one side of the Capitol to the other, where the Senate is housed. For those who follow the Greek presence in Washington, what matters more than the number of Greek Americans elected is which posts they will hold and how much influence they will have over decisions.
Pappas defeated John Sununu in New Hampshire. He will be the first senator of Greek descent since Olympia Snowe left in 2013. In the Greek American community, however, the interest goes beyond his heritage. “After Bob Menendez, we were looking for who would fill the gap,” a source familiar with the process told ΤΟ ΒΗΜΑ. The source compared Pappas’s extensive legislative activity in the House with that of Paul Sarbanes in his time.
The Good Friends
According to information, there is a good chance Pappas will serve on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee or the Senate Armed Services Committee. The assignments have not been finalized yet. But in a body of just 100 members, a seat on such a committee could give Pappas greater weight on bills, appointments and congressional investigations.
However, the neutral stance some took toward Sununu caused irritation in circles close to Pappas. His Republican opponent does have Greek roots. “Did Sununu just now remember his Greek roots? When he was a senator, did he ever lift a finger for Greece?” people in Pappas’s circle told ΤΟ ΒΗΜΑ.
Community leaders also see other good friends of the community coming out of the midterm elections stronger. One is Democrat Brad Schneider, who is not of Greek descent but was even a member of the Hellenic American Leadership Council (HALC) before entering politics. Today he chairs the New Democrat Coalition, which is expected to grow by about 39 new members. Thirty of them managed to flip Republican seats. He is also co-chair of the congressional Greece-Israel caucus and has promoted legislation on the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC).
Political Influence
His influence is of particular interest to the Greek American community, as the moderate and progressive wings of the Democratic Party disagree on issues affecting the Eastern Mediterranean, and above all on Israel. His name has come up for chair of the DCCC, the Democrats’ campaign committee. For a lawmaker who maintains ties with the Greek community, the ability to raise money offers a kind of political influence that does not depend on the powers of congressional committees.
However, the Greek American community also sees some allies preparing to leave Congress. In July, Republican Representative Mike Lawler of New York, together with Democrat Brad Sherman, led a letter to Donald Trump, opposing Turkey’s return to the F-35 program. Four months later, Lawler lost his seat in the midterm elections. In New York, this had been preceded by Dan Goldman’s defeat in the Democratic primary. Goldman had worked with the American Hellenic Institute on an amendment to assess the security risks linked to Turkey’s occupation of Cyprus.
The Question
Republican Lawler’s letter was co-signed by Gus Bilirakis and Nicole Malliotakis. According to ΤΟ ΒΗΜΑ’s information, the same two did not co-sign the initiative by Don Bacon and Bill Keating to Marco Rubio over statements by the U.S. ambassador to Turkey, Tom Barrack, even though it was backed by Greek and American Jewish organizations. After the Republicans’ sweeping defeat in the midterm elections, the question now is whether the party’s lawmakers will feel freer to take initiatives that are not entirely to the White House’s liking.
In the Senate, Dick Durbin is leaving after years of supporting Greek requests. Susan Collins, who was defeated in Maine, served for 16 years alongside Olympia Snowe. Snowe took initiatives on the Cyprus issue, while Collins, as community sources explain, was willing to offer support without taking the lead.
Pappas’s move to the Senate leaves open the position of Democratic co-chair of the Hellenic Caucus, the congressional group on Greek affairs. According to information, Dina Titus is expected to take it over, while the vice chair position may remain empty. Maggie Goodlander, who is of Greek descent, sits on the Armed Services Committee but, according to the same sources, has not so far been particularly active on Greek issues. The newer Republicans Mike Haridopolos and Jimmy Patronis do not serve on any committee of interest to Greece.
Political Contacts
The Greek American community, however, is not waiting for the new Congress to take shape before looking for allies. In the United States, where candidates spend much of their time raising campaign money, fundraising events also offer opportunities for personal political contacts. Former U.S. Ambassador to Athens George Tsunis hosted such events at his home in New York for Republicans, such as Jim Risch and Susan Collins, as well as Democrats, such as Cory Booker and Chris Coons, bringing in Greek Americans from Chicago and Washington. A group of Greek Cypriots in New York, including Philip Christopher and Savvas Tsivicos, took similar initiatives.
Community sources note, however, that a number of very wealthy Greek Americans make large campaign donations without matching activity on Greek issues. Their political choices, they say, are more often driven by their business interests, as the pool of Greek Americans interested in national issues keeps shrinking over the years.
Finally, the community is watching with particular interest the return of Gregory Meeks as chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee. Since Menendez’s departure, the Greek community has not had anyone so close to it at the head of such an important committee. Meeks has repeatedly supported Greek positions with legislative initiatives, but his ties with the community and with Greek diplomacy are also personal. About two years ago, when the Greek foreign minister visited his office with Alexandra Papadopoulou, Meeks dropped the formalities as soon as he saw her. He hugged her and kissed her warmly, as if he were seeing an old friend again.
