Friends of Wales Caucus facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Friends of Wales Caucus
Chairman	Morgan Griffith (VA-9)
Founded	2014; 11 years ago (2014)
Colors	Red
Seats in the House	7 / 435
Seats in the Senate	2 / 100
Politics of United States Political parties

The Friends of Wales Caucus is a special group of lawmakers in the United States. It includes members of the Senate and House of Representatives who are from Wales or have Welsh family roots.

This group was started by Representative Morgan Griffith from Virginia. Other lawmakers joined because they wanted to build stronger connections with Wales. Many American companies are based in Wales. Also, many parts of the U.S., like Utah and Pennsylvania, have strong Welsh heritage. The group works closely with the Welsh Government.

How the Friends of Wales Caucus Started

The Friends of Wales Caucus began in 2014. Representative Morgan Griffith from Virginia helped create it. He got the idea after being invited to join a similar group, the Friends of Scotland Caucus. He wondered, "What about the Welsh?"

Mr. Griffith represents a coal mining area. Many Welsh miners came to the U.S. to work in these areas long ago. He said he was "proud of my own Welsh heritage." He also felt a strong link between his home district and Wales.

In recent years, the group has worked with Global Welsh. This is an international group for people of Welsh heritage. They help connect Welsh people around the world. They also help businesses and share Welsh culture.

Important Visits and Events

In 2014, the First Minister of Wales, Carwyn Jones, visited Washington, D.C. and New York. He met with the Caucus group. He also helped open an event about the famous Welsh writer Dylan Thomas.

Mr. Jones visited the U.S. again in 2015. He met with the Caucus once more. These visits helped strengthen ties between Wales and the U.S.

In 2015, five members of the U.S. Congress visited Swansea University in Wales. This was the first time a U.S. Congressional group had visited Wales. The visitors included Morgan Griffith and others. They focused on creating links between universities. For example, they looked at connections between engineering schools.

What the Caucus Aims to Do

The Friends of Wales Caucus wants to teach U.S. lawmakers about Welsh culture. They hold regular events to share information. These events cover Welsh history, traditions, and art.

The group also focuses on business and travel. They look for ways to increase trade between the U.S. and Wales. They also want to encourage tourism and new investments. Businesses in areas like aerospace and engineering often join their events.

Yearly Celebrations

The Caucus holds a special event each year for Saint David's Day. This day celebrates the patron saint of Wales, Saint David. It is a very important cultural event in Wales.

The British Ambassador often attends this celebration. U.S. lawmakers, Welsh government officials, and business leaders also come. Recent Welsh First Ministers, like Carwyn Jones and Mark Drakeford, have also attended.

The event often features Welsh traditions. Guests can enjoy fish and chips and Welsh whisky. There is also traditional Welsh music, including choirs and and harpists.

Who Can Join the Caucus

You don't have to be of Welsh heritage to join the Caucus. Any member of Congress who is interested in Wales can become a member.

The group gets support from the Welsh Government trade mission in Washington. It also works with the British Embassy in Washington.

Members of the Caucus

Related Topics

• Foreign relations of Wales
• List of Welsh Americans
• Welsh Americans
• Welsh settlement in the Americas
• Wales and the United States
• Politics of Wales
• Friends of Ireland
• Friends of Scotland Caucus