Given the question: Facts: - party: republican - predecessor: sherwood boehlert george c. wortley - birth date: 19 june 1947 - parents: william f. walsh , mary dorsey walsh - spouse: dede walsh - width: 200 - district: 25th 27th - term end: january 3 , 2009 january 3 , 1993 - name: jim walsh - birth place: syracuse , new york - successor: dan maffei bill paxon - state: new york new york - occupation: lobbyist , politician - alma mater: st. bonaventure university - residence: syracuse , new york , washington , d.c. - children: jed , ben , maureen , pat - term start: january 3 , 1993 january 3 , 1989 - image: james t. walsh , official photo portrait , color.jpg - religion: roman catholic Based on these bullet points, write a short biography describing the life of james t. walsh .
The answer is:
james thomas '' jim '' walsh -lrb- born june 19 , 1947 -rrb- is an american republican politician from syracuse , new york .currently a government affairs counselor for k & l gates in washington , dc , walsh retired from the united states house of representatives in 2009 after serving for twenty years .walsh represented a portion of central new york , that is now known as the state 's 24th congressional district .while in congress , walsh was a member of the united states house committee on appropriations for 16 years , also chairing several of its subcommittees .as chair of the united states house appropriations subcommittee on military construction , veterans affairs , and related agencies , alone , walsh had spending oversight of more than $ 100 billion during the 109th congress .in his capacities as chair and member of committees , subcommittees , and caucuses in congress , walsh secured hundreds of millions of dollars in federal funds for veterans affairs , healthcare , technology , the environment , higher educational institutions , and many other areas .walsh was further active in the peace process in northern ireland , for which the walsh visa was created and named in his honor .as co-founder and co-chair of the congressional hearing health caucus , walsh secured passage of laws aimed at guaranteeing universal hearing screenings for newborns and infants in the united states .in 2009 , an act that he proposed and which was enacted that achieved this effort was renamed for him in his honor , becoming known as the james t. walsh universal newborn hearing screening program .walsh 's change of perspective regarding both of then-president george w. bush 's troop surge of 2007 and ideology regarding the iraq war , caused walsh 's views to gain headlines in the news media , as well as for additionally desiring a gradual withdrawal of american troops from iraq .for one decade during the 1970s and 1980s , walsh was active on the syracuse city council , serving as its leader for five years .in 1999 ,...