Claire Cronin step closer to Irish ambassador post
Easton Rep. Claire Cronin — the first woman ever to serve as the Massachusetts House majority leader — is one step closer to serving as the next U.S. ambassador to Ireland after a committee vote sent her nomination to the full Senate.
“Regarding the nominees we’re considering today, while I will not speak about each of them, I do want to say that I believe they’re all well qualified and deserving of their nominations and swift confirmation,” said U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Robert Menendez.
Senators did not discuss Cronin or any of the other 33 nominees recommended favorably to the full Senate during Tuesday’s meeting by name, approving them in block vote.
That list also included Victoria Reggie Kennedy, widow of the late U.S. Sen. Ted Kennedy, to serve as ambassador to Austria.
Confirmation will require at least one more vote from the full U.S. Senate — or potentially even two if Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer calls for a cloture vote.
Cronin earned the nomination from President Biden in June — a nod to her work spearheading fundraising efforts for the Biden campaign locally in Massachusetts.
The Senate confirmation of the Massachusetts House’s No. 2 Democrat will leave a gaping hole in the party’s leadership structure. Next in line is House Speaker Pro Tempore Rep. Kate Hogan, D-Stow, lining up Assistant Majority Leader Michael Moran, D-Boston, to take over Hogan’s role.
House Speaker Ronald Mariano has been tight-lipped so far about his plans for filling Cronin’s shoes should she set off for the Emerald Isle.
The longtime Quincy representative hasn’t addressed Cronin’s potential departure publicly since news of her nomination went public, which is typical for politicians tied up in confirmation processes.
At the time, Mariano sang Cronin’s praises, calling her “one of the most thoughtful and trustworthy elected officials I have ever had the privilege of working with.”
Cronin elevated to the position of House majority leader in February when then-freshly minted Speaker of the House Mariano unveiled his leadership team.