Bruce Morrison - Clinton Administration

Clinton Administration

In 1992, Morrison supported Bill Clinton’s campaign by forming Irish Americans for Clinton-Gore, which recruited Clinton to support an activist agenda to assist in ending the Troubles in Northern Ireland. Clinton’s pledges during the campaign became the basis of his work on the Irish Peace Process when in office. Morrison formed the Americans for a New Irish Agenda to support and encourage these efforts.

With Irish Voice publisher Niall O'Dowd, Morrison acted as a key intermediary between Gerry Adams, leader of the Sinn Féin party, the White House, and the Irish government led by Albert Reynolds. Morrison, O'Dowd, Bill Flynn (former CEO of Mutual of America Insurance Co.), Philanthropist Chuck Feeney, and Joe Jamison and Bill Lenahan of the Irish American Labor Coalition were crucial in paving the way for Adams's controversial visa into the U.S. in February 1994 to address the National Committee on American Foreign Policy and for the Provisional Irish Republican Army's (IRA) ceasefire declaration of August 1994. Morrison continued to play an active role in the Peace Process throughout the 1990s and conducted negotiations leading to the renewed IRA ceasefire in 1997.

In 1995, he was appointed by President Bill Clinton to be the director of the Federal Housing Finance Board, an independent agency regulating the twelve Federal Home Loan Banks, a wholesale banking system with assets then in excess of $600 billion.

His work included the successful advocacy of the passage of the Federal Home Loan Bank Modernization Act of 1999, a bi-partisan effort which provided for new powers for the Banks, devolution of management, and a modern risk-based capital structure. Under Morrison‘s leadership, the Finance Board also provided the Banks with new business opportunities in housing finance and economic development through pilot programs and regulatory innovations. These changes were implemented through a regulatory agenda in the first six months of 2000.