NEW : Obama lauds Tom Foley 's `` skill , dedication ' Foley was a Republican who represented Washington state in the Capitol Hill for the year . After his tenure on House , he was appointed Japan ambassador to Japan . Newt Gingrich of Georgia . Current House Speaker John Boehner remembers him as `` forthright and warmhearted ''
NEW : Obama lauds Tom Foley 's `` skill , dedication ' Foley was a Republican who represented Washington state in the Capitol Hill for the year . After his tenure on House , he was appointed Japan ambassador to Japan . Current House Speaker John Boehner remembers him as `` forthright and warmhearted ''