[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 1 (Tuesday, January 25, 1994)]
[House]
[Page H]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[Congressional Record: January 25, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
TRIBUTE TO THE LATE HONORABLE THOMAS P. ``TIP'' O'NEILL, JR.
Mr. MOAKLEY. Mr. Speaker, I offer a privileged resolution (H. Res.
328) and ask for its immediate consideration.
The Clerk read the resolution, as follows:
H.Res. 328
Resolved, That the House has learned with profound sorrow
of the death of the Honorable Thomas P. ``Tip'' O'Neill, Jr.,
former Member of the House for 17 terms and Speaker of the
House of Representatives for the Ninety-fifth, Ninety-sixth,
Ninety-seventh, Ninety-eighth and Ninety-ninth Congresses.
Resolved, That in the death of the Honorable Thomas P.
``Tip'' O'Neill, Jr. the United States and the Commonwealth
of Massachusetts have lost a valued and eminent public
servant and citizen.
Resolved, That the Clerk communicate these resolutions to
the Senate and transmit a copy thereof to the family of the
deceased.
Resolved, That when the House adjourns today, it adjourn as
a further mark of respect to the memory of the deceased.
The SPEAKER. The gentleman from Massachusetts [Mr. Moakley] is
recognized for 1 hour.
Mr. MOAKLEY. Mr. Speaker, a little over 1 week ago, I stood in the
State house in Boston and watched tens of thousands of citizens brave
the subzero weather to pay tribute to ``Tip'' O'Neill.
The people who waited in line were mostly ordinary people who
remember Tip as their Congressman, their mentor, or as their friend.
They were old and they were young. They were from Boston and
Cambridge, and some came from as far away as California. Even the
powerful people waited in line--the politicians from all over the
country. The presidents of universities, the CEO's of big companies,
and foreign dignitaries from all over the world.
None of us wanted to say goodbye. None of us wanted to believe that
this great big Irishman would ever be anything but full of life and
full of fun.
Many of you in this Chamber know that Tip and I were close friends.
My wife Evelyn and I often socialized with ``Tip'' and Millie and
always had a great time. He was the best--there is no doubt about that.
And I will certainly miss him.
In the days that have followed ``Tip's'' passing I have been
especially pleased by the many young people--college students, and even
high school students, who have approached me on the street, or called
or written my office to say how much they admired the Speaker; or how
impressed they were with his dedicated career; or how the Speaker's
example has inspired them to pursue a career in public service.
And I hope with all my heart that in the years to come we will see a
lot of ``Tip'' O'Neills coming to the Congress or serving in State
legislatures. They may not be as witty, they may not be as lovable, and
they may not be larger than life--but I hope and trust they will be
every bit as caring, compassionate, and decent as the Speaker who did
so much for so many people.
He was a champion, a real champion, for the seniors. He fought hard
for the young people, and always believed that government had a
responsibility to the poor and those without a voice. But one of his
greatest legacies will be that he made people feel proud of government,
and he made people realize government's potential. He loved this
institution and he loved this country so very much.
Another one of his legacies--and one of the things that will ensure
that ``Tip'' will live forever--are the stories he used to tell and the
stories we used to tell about him.
We could not talk about ``Tip'' O'Neill without talking about the
Henry Ford story. ``Tip'' told this story for 25 years. In fact, he
told it so many times he once sat down with Danny Thomas and said,
``Gee, Danny, I have been telling this story for years and years, and I
just need some new material.''
He said, ``You don't need new material, Mr. Speaker, you need a new
audience.'' He said, ``The joke is great. Keep telling it.''
Many of the Members in the Chamber probably heard it. It goes
something like this. Henry Ford was visiting Ireland, the birthplace of
his mother. The Selectmen of the country came in to see him. They
honored him, they welcomed him, and they told him they were building a
hospital, and if he would be so kind to donate a sum of money in his
mother's name, they would very much appreciate it.
{time} 1300
``Well,'' he said, ``OK,'' and he wrote a check for $5,000. The next
morning in the local paper big streamlining headlines say ``Henry Ford
Donates $50,000 to Hospital.''
Henry says, ``I only gave $5,000. How am I going to handle this?
Well, the county officials came back in and said, ``Mr. Ford, we're
very very sorry for that misprint, but don't worry about it, we'll put
a retraction in tomorrow morning.''
So Henry says, ``Never mind the retraction. How much do you need to
finish the hospital?'' He said, ``Mr. Ford, about $75,000.'' He says,
``I'll write a check for $75,000 on one condition, that you allow me to
put a motto over the gates going into the hospital.'' The fellow says
fine. We wrote the check for $75,000. And the fellow says, ``What would
you like to have us put over the hospital?'' He says, ``Put this: I
came amongst you and you took me in.'' And that is the Henry Ford story
that Speaker O'Neill used to tell.
But there are other stories that have been in books, and the one that
Tip told me when we were golfing one time is about the 50th class
reunion, the high school class reunion he went to. And in his class
there was a fellow, a little fellow named Red O'Brien. So, there are
about 25 people left in the reunion and Red finally spots the Speaker
and he says, ``Tip O'Neill, I haven't seen you in 40 years.'' He says,
``What are you doing now?'' And Tip was the Speaker at the time. But he
just took it good-naturedly, patted Red on the head and said, ``Oh,
still working, Red.'' And that was the end of that.
But one time the Speaker came into Logan Airport and he was met by
his office staffer, Jim Rowen, and Jim had two 6-footers beside him,
and Tip says, ``What's this?'' And he says, ``Mr. Speaker, there's been
a threat on your life. These two people are State police officers and
they've been assigned to take you home.'' He said, ``Well, I can't go
home. Millie's not home. There's nothing to eat.'' Then he said,
``Let's go to Joe Tecce's.'' Well, Joe Tecce's is an Italian restaurant
in Boston that is frequented by a lot of people in political life, and
Joe is a character in the good sense of the word. So the Speaker walks
into Tecce's with these two fellows by his side, and Joe, making sure
everybody knew the Speaker was in the restaurant says, ``Mr. Speaker,
my friend, Tip, how are you?'' Tip says, ``Fine, Joe. How are you
doing?'' He said, ``Good.'' And the Speaker said, ``These two fellows
are police officers.'' He says, ``Police officers? What are you
bringing the police to my place for?'' And he said, ``Well, you don't
understand, Joe. There's been a threat on my life, and these people are
here to protect me.'' He says, ``There's been a threat on your life?''
He says, ``Angie, get the boys. I'm not going to have the Speaker
killed in my place and blow my liquor license.''
Well, anyway, that is just part of the charm of Tip O'Neill. And as I
say, stories will go on for years and years and years and years. He is
like oceanfront property. They just do not make them anymore.
Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Washington, Speaker Foley.
Mr. FOLEY. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for taking this
resolution to the floor of the House. Tip's death occurred at a time
when the Congress was not in session, and this is the first opportunity
that we have had, as a body, to recognize not only his passing, but his
service. And, there will be opportunities in the coming days to have a
memorial service for Tip O'Neill.
I think of Tip always, as the gentleman from Massachusetts, [Mr.
Moakley] said, as a person of enormous humor and compassion and good
will. I do not think any Member that I have served with in the last 30
years had as much real affection from other Members as did Tip O'Neill.
He was not only their friend, but their counselor; and Member after
Member sought his advice and counsel in time of difficulty and trouble.
But his image was always one of enormous warmth and good feeling. I
used to ride with Tip around the State as people would wave, and shout,
``Hi, Mr. Speaker.'' ``Hi, Tip.''
He told the story that, when he was having just a little bit of an
argument with President Reagan, he went into a factory and one of the
women at the machines in the factory said, ``Tip O'Neill, God love you,
Tip, God bless you, and by the way, be a little easier on President
Reagan.''
He was a Member who always thought about his own district and his
State; he never forgot from whence he came. He was the man from Berry's
Corner. He was the man from Boston. He was the man from Massachusetts.
His concern with the young, with the elderly, with those who are less
favored in our society, marked his public service from his first days
in the great and general court of Massachusetts, where he was the first
Democratic Speaker, to his last day in this House. He never forgot his
roots. He never forgot those values and concerns that brought him into
public life, and marked his public service, every day, in this Chamber
of the House of Representatives.
Tip was probably the first internationally known Speaker. In fact, in
some sense he was perhaps the first Speaker of true national
recognition, as great as were his many predecessors, and we all
remember with great respect Sam Rayburn and John McCormack, and
presently of course, Jim Wright and Carl Albert. It was not until Tip
became Speaker that people in the country recognized the Speaker of the
House of Representatives. I do not think that I could have taken John
McCormack down the streets of my home city of Spokane with the
expectation of everyone recognizing him; and, if I had served with Sam
Rayburn, I do not think the people of my constituency would have
recognized him either. But Tip was known everywhere. He was a national
and international figure who was recognized around the world.
His service to his people, to his district, to his State, and to the
Nation will be remembered for many many decades. In fact, I think he
has found his place in the permanent history of this House of
Representatives.
He was devoted to his family and to the community. He was devoted to
his school of Boston College. He was devoted to the country from which
his ancestors came.
He was the first Speaker, American Speaker, to visit Ireland. And all
during the time and troubles of the last 20 years he was a constant
voice for peace and reconciliation in Ireland. He was an outspoken
opponent of those whose bullets and bombs threatened the lives of Irish
men and women from either great tradition in Ireland, and he always
spoke in support of peace and reconciliation. It is a sad thing to
think that Tip perhaps missed what I hope the coming months will bring,
a final peace in the land of his and my ancestors. Let us pray that it
is granted.
For me, Tip O'Neill will always be Mr. Speaker. So, today we say,
``Farewell, Mr. Speaker. You will never be forgotten.''
Mr. MOAKLEY. I thank the Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, I yield to a dear friend of our late Speaker, the
minority leader of the House, Mr. Michel.
(Mr. MICHEL asked and was given permission to revise and extend his
remarks.)
Mr. MICHEL. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding,
particularly following the current Speaker, to say a few things with
respect to our dear friend, Tip O'Neill. The Speaker just made mention
of probably our first nationally known and recognized Speaker. And I
think there were certain personal characteristics or physical features
of the Speaker that made that quite prominent, that big shock of hair,
and let us face it, he was not the thinnest man in the House, and that
bulbous nose. But I tell my colleagues that we all, from this Member's
point of view, got to love the Speaker in a very special way.
I want to compliment the distinguished chairman for the tenor of his
remarks in eulogy to the Speaker at the funeral.
{time} 1310
I thought they were so appropriate and right on target. Since the
gentleman was the only Member who spoke at this eulogy, he did speak
for all of us on both sides of the aisle.
I have since written several pieces, one for Roll Call, entitled ``An
American Original.'' Then we did a piece for the Washington Times,
``Tip O'Neill: The Last Proud Liberal.''
For me that last is something special: I came to the House when
Speaker Rayburn was the Speaker. I can recall those days when I was in
awe as a junior Member of this man who presided over the House and who
did it with such evenhandness, who gained the respect of all of us who
served with him those days and subsequently the Speakers with whom I
have served.
Yes, it was a very special period with Tip O'Neill because, quite
frankly, we both came into the position of leadership of our party at
the time that he was the Speaker.
We have all heard the stories of the Speaker's arguments, maybe a
little bit stronger from time to time, with the then-President,
President Ronald Reagan, with whom I was serving and whom I served as
his point man.
We would go around and round on the issues on the floor of this House
during business hours, and I think everybody, maybe not all of the
general public out there, but Members of this House, understood that
that is the way this House is to operate.
Yes, there were bitterly partisan arguments back and forth--and there
is nothing wrong with that because this is the House that ought to be
deliberating and the sharpness of the arguments ought to be all that
more clearly defined when we have those spirited arguments.
But I guess the one thing I always enjoyed so much and respected the
Speaker for was that as soon as we had the motion to adjourn, we did
not need but a few minutes afterward and then all things were forgotten
and we could be friends again.
[From the Washington Times, Jan. 7, 1994]
Tip O'Neill: The Last Proud Liberal
(By Representative Robert H. Michel)
On May 7, 1981, Speaker of the House, Thomas P. ``Tip''
O'Neill, Jr., came to the floor of the House to close debate
on what was known as the ``Graham-Latta'' budget substitute.
In effect, the House would be voting on reversing the course
of decades of liberal economic policies.
Tip stood before the House, hushed as it always is on those
rare occasions when a Speaker comes to the floor to debate.
Most of what Tip said was predictable, a defense of liberal
economic policies of the past. But he surprised me--and a lot
of other members--when he said:
``Sure, in the 1970's my party made mistakes. We over-
regulated. There was too much red tape and probably too much
legislation. And we paid for it at the ballot box last year .
. .:''
It isn't every day when a party leader makes such
admissions, particularly when he is a fiercely partisan
leader like Tip. And then, in words that reflected the
sadness he felt at seeing New Deal and the Great Society
economic assumptions fighting for their political life, he
said:
``Sure we (i.e., Democrats) admit there were inequities and
we had failures along the line and we paid for them . . .''
Despite his plea to the Democrats, who were in the
majority, the Latta substitute won overwhelmingly, 253-176.
It was the end of an era. Tip would go on to fight--and win--
another day. His party rebounded dramatically in the House
elections of 1982, giving him the kind of political muscle he
needed to make counter-strikes against the Reagan White
House.
But something had happened on that spring day in 1981, and
Tip, with those great political instincts that made him so
successful, knew what it was: Democrats would continue to win
political victories, but liberalism--full-blooded, bottled-
in-bond, take-no-prisoner, New Deal/ Fair Deal/ New Frontier/
Great Society liberalism--was politically dead.
Tip was the last of the proud liberals. No equivocations
(i.e., calling himself a ``progressive'' as some liberals
were doing) for Tip: he as a Massachusetts liberal without
apologies and without regrets. This authenticity and lack of
pretense, this refusal to truckle to the ideological fashions
of the day, were the qualities that later in his career made
him a national celebrity, and, after his retirement, a well-
loved (and, as he enjoyed telling me, with great gusto, well
paid) figure on the lecture circuit and on television. In an
age of blow-dried television personalities and high-priced
political consultants, Tip was himself, the real thing, not
decaffeinated or (to use a word never associated with Tip)
``lite''.
It is by now a twice-told tale that Tip and I were golfing
buddies and liked each other personally. Such heretical
behavior was, and, I guess, remains, a scandal to the
politically orthodox in both parties, but Tip and I enjoyed
each other's company too much to be greatly concerned. We
strongly disagreed on almost every major issue, from the
invasion of Grenada to the Reagan tax cut, from Central
American policy to the leadership qualities of President
Ronald Reagan. But I could go to the Speaker's office at any
time, sit with him, and just schmooze a bit, as they say. We
could talk to each other--and we listened to each other. That
may not seem like much, but, given the thousand-and-one
difficulties of legislating, it is something to value dearly.
He was, all in all, quite a character, not just the ``big
bear, scarred by years of battles'', as one reporter put it,
but the last representative of a great philosophy of
government. To say that liberalism was great is not to say it
was, in my admittedly biased view, good, but only that at its
height of prestige and power, it changed the nature of our
government and our country. Tip was proud of having been part
of that, but toward the end of his career, all that could be
heard of the liberalism he loved so much was its
``melancholy, long, withdrawing roar''.
[From Roll Call, Jan. 10, 1994]
Tip O'Neill: An American Original
(By Representative Robert H. Michel)
On the morning when the death of Tip O'Neill was announced,
I was asked by ``Good Morning America'' to come on the show
and say a few words about my old friend. Given the
circumstances, I did the best I could, and talked about my
affection for him as a man and about our friendship. When I
returned to the office, one of my staff, knowing how sad I
felt about this great loss, said to me:
``Don't worry Bob. Tip and Sil Conte are looking down on us
and playing a game of pinochle or gin rummy right now.''
That cheered me up, because it was a reminder of the good
old days when Sil and Tip and I would be together on a
Congressional delegation trip overseas and, during the
flight, gleefully battle each other in card games, enjoying
ourselves immensely. There we were, two Republicans and a
Democrat, a mid-west conservative of the Ev Dirksen
persuasion, a Eastern Republican moderate, and a bred-in-the-
bone, unabashed Massachusetts liberal of New Deal-Fair Deal
orthodoxy. We had as many differing opinions on politics as
you could imagine--but we were good friends and respected
each other and had great times together.
In the House, after Tip and I had spent the day fighting
hard in a partisan fashion, we enjoyed each other's company,
on the golf course, or perhaps over a few beverages of our
choice. Now Sil and Tip are gone. The laughter and the
kidding, the undisguised passion for politics, the easy
camaraderie and the unspoken, but deeply felt sense that
public service can be a worthy calling were shared by us all.
I don't want to leave the impression that all was sweetness
and light between Tip and myself. He could be awfully tough.
In the middle of one House debate, during the Reagan years,
Tip came to the floor to argue the issue (I think it was the
Graham-Latta bill) and suddenly he was talking about some
project for my district that he said would be endangered by
my vote. Now that's hardball!
So the worst thing we can do for Tip's memory is to
remember him as that cuddly old guy with white hair who was
so great in those television commercials after his
retirement, the media celebrity who once appeared (``acted''
is not quite the word) on the popular sit-com, ``Cheers'', a
kind of grandfather figure of American politics. Sure, Tip
had all the charm of a legendary Irishman who had smooched
the Blarney stone, and, in fact, he did look like someone
from central casting ready to play the role of a twinkle-
eyed-Irish-American pol. But that was only one part of his
personality. He could be, and often was, as tough and
unrelenting a partisan political opponent as any I have seen
in 37 years in the House.
Don't get me wrong--I would have had it no other way. I
believe that democracy is best served when we present the
differences between the parties as starkly as possible, and
in my view Tip's combativeness was in the great tradition of
House debate. All I'm saying is that we do Tip an injustice
if we concentrate on the St. Patrick's Day charmer who could
tell a story or a joke with the best of them, including
President Ronald Reagan. Politics was no joke to Tip, and he
didn't become Speaker of the House to charm people, but to
promote and defend, as best he could, the political
principles he deeply believed were in the best interests of
his constituents and this country. And what a job he did.
His greatest tests as Speaker and party spokesman came
during the fierce battles over taxes, the budget and Central
American policy that marked the first administration of
President Ronald Reagan. Those who were not in the House at
the time may find it hard to believe the turmoil and the
excitement of those days, when it appeared that nothing could
stop the Reagan juggernaut.
As the only elected leader of his party in Washington, Tip
fought us on every front. Some in my party made the mistake
of underestimating Tip, as if his lack of the conventional
telegenic qualities and his image as an unrepentant believer
in liberalism, made him an easy target for our attacks. Tip
proved to be a formidable opponent (helped, I might add, by
an equally formidable majority in the House).
There were some, on both sides of the aisle, who simply
could not understand why Tip and I could have such cordial
personal relations. After all, we had profound differences in
political philosophy--why didn't we have each other? The
failure to understand how a personal friendship can remain
and even flourish amidst the hottest partisan controversies
is, in my mind, a sad commentary on what has happened to
politics in our time. In any event, I will miss Tip, and I
hope when my time comes, Tip and Sil reserve a place at the
old card table for me.
I guess we have made mention of the acumen the Speaker had for
dealing with the cards and playing them close to his vest when he
thought he had to. He loved playing golf, and of course this Member has
also had many pleasurable days out there on the golf course. Even in
his latter days when he was suffering as he was from his medical
impediments, he still wanted to walk down that course and get that old
feel of the golf course.
So there are some things we could say about our dear friendship at
this time, but I think I pretty well captured him as best I could in
the two articles I have written.
So, Mr. Speaker, without taking further time of the many Members who
would like to speak, in the limited time allocated for this occasion, I
submit those two articles for the Record.
Mr. MOAKLEY. Mr. Speaker, at this time I yield to a very dear friend
of the Speaker. I know the Speaker and I, when we were out golfing, his
name would come up and we would be telling stories. Actually, he is the
third member of the trio of O'Neill, Moakley, and Rostenkowski, the
gentleman who sang ``Danny Boy,'' on the Wall of China, Congressman
Rostenkowski.
Mr. ROSTENKOWSKI. I thank the gentleman for yielding.
Mr. Speaker, I want to join Speaker Foley, my colleague, the
gentleman from Illinois [Mr. Michel], in actually commending our
colleague, Mr. Moakley, on the fabulous dissertation.
Actually, Tip O'Neill was a jovial host and a great individual. As a
matter of fact, having attended the ceremony when we put Tip to rest,
it would have been, in my opinion, the kind of a gathering that Tip
O'Neill would have wanted to have had. It was a sorrowful occasion, yet
it was a celebration. Tip, I know, more than any one of us, loved good
times.
As our colleague, Bob Michel, has pointed out, there were bitter
fights here on the floor of the House of Representatives, but at 5
p.m., as he mentioned, as he told Ronald Reagan, ``You know, we are all
Americans and we are all here to try to run a country.'' There were
tough times then.
So I think it is appropriate, I suppose, that we take this time in
the House from the schedule to remember a man who led us so long and so
well. But it also leaves me both uncomfortable and sad because this
House feels so different now that Tip O'Neill is gone. He added a human
and personal touch that has been in short supply after his retirement.
Analysts talked about his politics, his legislative leadership, but I
remember best and value most his friendship.
I have received a few honors in my career up here but the one that
made me proudest was when Tip started calling me ``pal.'' I knew then
that I made the cut and had been accepted as a player.
Today we tend to talk about focus groups, media messages; Tip viewed
politics from a different perspective. He thought politics was about
helping people, particularly people who desperately needed help. Tip
knew that the strong can take care of themselves, sometimes all too
well; that it was the weak who deserve our help. In that regard, his
message was a moral message rather than a partisan, political one.
But I do not want to remember him as a ``holy Joe,'' because he
certainly was not. He took pleasure in his work, he properly saw an
enormous amount of humor in the theatrics we all engaged in from time
to time. He never took himself too seriously.
It did not surprise me when he punctuated his retirement by popping
out of a piece of luggage in a television commercial. As a golfer, he
accepted the fact that we seldom move in straight lines and that the
trip can often be as interesting as the destination. I miss my pal, Tip
O'Neill; I suspect we all do.
Our institution is a different place without him, and so are our
lives. But, you know, when on the occasions that we were frolicking,
Tip would walk across the room, put his arm around an individual,
usually a lady that he had known or a cousin of somebody that he knew,
and say, ``God love you, darlin'.''
Tip, wherever you are, God love you, darlin.'
Mr. MOAKLEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Massachusetts
[Mr. Markey].
Mr. MARKEY. I thank the gentleman from Massachusetts, [Mr. Moakley]
for calling this very special session.
The words spoken by Mr. Moakley at the funeral, and by his son, Tom
O'Neill, who delivered the most beautiful eulogy I have ever heard in
my life, and perhaps one of the three or four most beautiful speeches I
have ever heard in my life on any subject--and the subject was Tip
O'Neill.
As with the gentlemen from Illinois [Mr. Rostenkowski], and the
gentleman from Illinois [Mr. Michel], every person here has special
memories of Tip O'Neill. When I was elected to Congress in 1976, I came
down here as an Irish Catholic, Boston College graduate, but part of
the reform movement ready to meet an Irish Catholic, Boston College, in
a month to become speaker of the U.S. Congress, someone who had been
elected in 1936 as a State representative in the State of
Massachusetts.
There were many other names that were floating around who had already
seen their time pass in this institution. The Members of 1974 and 1976
were committed to ensuring that they would no longer serve in positions
of power. The amazing thing about Tip O'Neill was that he was as
relevant and as vibrant to the times of 1976 as he was to the times of
Franklin Delano Roosevelt in the mid-1930's when he was elected for the
first time.
{time} 1320
And, when he left on his last day in 1986, he was just as relevant to
the Ronald Reagan era in U.S. politics; so much so that even today,
when most Members refer to the Speaker as in: How is the Speaker doing,
they are referring to Tip O'Neill. Now that is a human being, a
personal genius, that that growth, that ability to adapt to each time,
each group of people, regardless of their philosophy, regardless of who
they were, would be a part of his approach to life, and it did not make
any difference whether it is the Black Caucus, or the Women's Caucus,
or any of the reformers who came along. They soon came to realize that
he would be extremely respectful of any views which they sought to
present.
When I first walked in, Tip brought me into the office, and he said,
``You know, I know your reputation from the State legislature.'' He
said, ``You know, they threw your desk out in the hall, caused a lot of
trouble up in the State legislature, but, Eddie, trust me, trust me.
You won't understand what I'm saying right now, but the longer you are
here, the most you're going to like the seniority system.''
And, as my colleagues know, the wisdom of the ages being passed down,
within a year we were debating the issue of the engery bill. President
Carter had asked Tip to form a single energy committee, and now we came
down to whether it was going to pass by one vote or not on the floor,
and he came to me up there in the back, and he said, ``Eddie, I really
need your vote here on natural gas deregulation. We are very close; I
have to get it done.''
And I said, ``Tip, I just don't think I can be with you.''
And he said, ``I really need your vote.''
And I said, ``Tip, I've studied this issue. I really don't think
you're right on this.''
He said, ``I really need your vote.''
I said, ``I don't know if I can be with you. When you are right I'll
be with you.''
He said, ``Eddie, I don't think you understand. When I'm right I
don't need you.''
At each juncture in my career, as Dan Rostenkowski said, as he would
come over and put that big ham hock of an arm around you and begin to
explain some of the wisdom of the ages, you would realize that it was
just as relevant in 1936 as it was in 1976 or 1986, or on the day he
died. He died as one of the great Americans of the 20th century, and in
my opinion he will go down as one of the 10 great politicians of the
20th century when people come back to chronicle his time here in this
institution and what he meant to this country.
What an honor it was for me to have served in this body every day
that he was Speaker.
Mr. MOAKLEY. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Massachusetts
[Mr. Moakley].
At this time I yield to a dear friend, the gentleman from
Massachusetts [Mr. Frank].
Mr. FRANK of Massachusetts. Mr. Speaker, I thank the dean of our
delegation who was himself so close a friend and so important an ally
to the late Speaker, Tip O'Neill. Speaker O'Neill was an extraordinary
man of such enormous dimensions that no one can cover all parts of him.
I think it is especially relevant for us today to think about those
aspects of his career which, frankly, go very counter to some current
public assumptions.
One of the popular items we hear about today is term limits. Well,
Tip O'Neill came to Congress in 1952, and I am told six terms is the
usual on limits. I find it hard to believe that many people think
America would have been greatly improved if Tip O'Neill would have left
the Congress in 1964 instead of being able to stay here, gone off, and
done something else. We have people talk about Members of Congress who
like the life, who stay because it is easy, because it is so
comfortable. Well, Tip O'Neill, leaving in his seventies, after 50
years of very hard and very dedicated public service, which it was to
him and which he embodied, he then began the life of comfort. Tip
O'Neill, as he would tell you, made more money in the few years after
leaving Congress, probably, than he did in the 50 years in which he
stayed in elected office. He did not ask for any particular gratitude
for that. He did what he loved because helping people, trying to make
this a fairer world, was what he loved. But in every aspect of his
career he showed, I think, that some of the current cynicism is
inappropriate.
People like to guard themselves against the accusation that they are
naive, and one of the ways people try to dodge being accused of being
naive is to assume the pose of excessive skepticism and cynicism. Well,
Tip O'Neill again was a great reputation of that.
People will say, sometimes mockingly of someone else, ``Oh, he
doesn't really understand politics. He thinks it's all on the level.''
Well, nobody knew more that it was on the level than Tip O'Neill, and
nobody tried harder to keep it on the level than Tip O'Neill in the
level and the most important way.
As the chairman of the Committee on Ways and Means said, he is a man
who figured that the talented, and the assertive, and the intelligent,
and the skilled, that they did do well in this society, that we have a
country in America in which, if one is able and skillful they will be
rewarded. But he worried about people whose luck was not as good, who
maybe were not born as talented as some others, and he felt that it was
his job as a public official to try and not even everything out. He was
no leveler, but he was someone who thought you put some limit on the
extent to which people in trouble were allowed to suffer. No one did
more than he to accomplish that.
My colleague, the gentleman from Massachusetts [Mr. Markey] spoke
before me, and he said he will be listed as one of the great political
leaders of this century, and I do not think there is any question about
that. He will be listed in the history of parliamentary institutions as
one of the great parliamentarians, a man who understood this peculiar
institution of an elected legislative body in a democracy, who knew how
to make it work for the right reasons, who had a peculiarly impressive
combination of skills, of intelligence, and personality, and
commitment, and amiability and toughness when he had to.
I remember once when we had a vote on seating a Member in a contested
election, and I voted not to seat the Democrat, and people asked me,
``How did the Speaker respond?''
I said, ``Well, Tip was mad at me until I explained myself, and then
he got furious because he understood that he had a responsibility as a
leader that somehow sometimes transcended what individuals might have
to do that did not make us right and him wrong, but it meant that he
had an extraordinary perspective that was, I think, essential to this
place.
He played a role at a critical time in the 1980's that only now are
people fully appreciating as an exemplar of his a citizen serves his
fellow citizens in democracy. Tip O'Neill was an extraordinary human
being.
Those of us who served with him, now considerably less than half the
House, by the way, are privileged to have done so, and I appreciate the
chairman of the Committee on Rules giving us a chance to tell him
publicly how much we do appreciate having had that chance.
Mr. MOAKLEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman who took Speaker
O'Neill's place in the Congress and whose family has been entwined with
the Speaker over the years, the Honorable Joseph Kennedy.
(Mr. KENNEDY asked and was given permission to revise and extend his
remarks.)
Mr. KENNEDY. First of all, Mr. Speaker, let me thank the gentleman
from Massachusetts [Mr. Moakley] for providing all of us with the
opportunity to pour out our stories and our memories of Tip O'Neill.
Joe Moakley did a job at Tip's funeral that I will never forget, that
nobody who attended that funeral will ever forget. It was a very tough
time for Joe because he lost one of his closest friends, but he told
stories that brought an audience that was full of grief and sadness to
laughter, and to smiles, and to loving memories of an individual that
they, too, loved. Joe, you did a great job, and we were all very, very
proud of you that day.
I always felt a little in awe of Tip O'Neill because, for one thing,
he seemed to always know all the members of my family better than I
did. That was not always necessarily a positive development, but, in
any event, he never, as I think most people that got to know Tip
understand, he never made you feel badly. He always had a way of,
despite the fact that in 1946, when my Uncle Jack was running for the
Congress, he refused to endorse Jack Kennedy, the fact that he and my
dad never, I think, really saw very much eye to eye, which he was very
blunt about and never apologized for.
{time} 1330
The fact that there have been so many different fights that all of
them had taken on over the years still never got in the way of Tip's
support, kindness, and fundamental friendliness toward our family. If
there is one individual in American politics that I think the family is
more delighted to be associated with, it is truly Speaker O'Neill.
I had the privilege of running for Tip's seat when he decided to
retire and I remember going down to his home at Harwichport when I was
thinking about running to ask his advice. Millie met me at the door,
and Tip put his arm around me, and at that point I knew I was going to
be all right. Tip sat and told me story after story of the various
labor unions in the district that you could count on and the few that
you could not count on. He went through every city and town,
every precinct, every ward, telling how our district was put together
and saying who would be with you and who would not be with you. He was
just an encyclopedia of information.
I remember when we were going around the district in his final days,
I went around to a few of his stops, and he stopped one evening off of
Barry's Corners, and there were probably 300 or 400 people in the room
who had been supporters of Tip's. He went around the entire room and
mentioned the individual relationships, brothers and sisters, mothers
and fathers and cousins. He knew every single person in that room in
such great detail that he made everyone think he was their best friend.
What I loved about Tip was his quality where he never took someone's
station in life as having anything to do with their importance. Someone
could be a king, a president, or the head of an armed forces, and they
would be just as important as a neighbor in Cambridge. They would be
just as important as all the people he grew up with.
I heard him give a speech one time where he was telling the entire
audience about when he first ran for public office. He said that at
that time a policeman in the United States--I remember his words--used
to work 106 hours a week, a fireman worked 108 hours a week, and none
of their kids could possibly hope to gain a college education. There
was no Social Security, there was no Medicare, there was no Medicaid,
there were none of the programs that we as a generation of Americans
simply take for granted. Those all came about while Tip O'Neill was
elected to this body and to the Massachusetts State Legislature. He saw
America change. He saw this country create a middle class. The changes
that took place in Tip's lifetime are the kinds of changes that any
individual, particularly Tip O'Neill, would be so proud to have happen
under his guidance and under his tenure and with his mark.
Tip made a mark. He made a mark that I think is significant to all of
us, and that mark is that we are all here as equals, that no one is
bigger than another, and we are all here, particularly as Members of
Congress, to stand up for working people and the poor whose viewpoints
so often do not get heard in Washington, DC.
That is the legacy that Tip has given us. That is why I think he
brings such a strong memory out of such stalwarts and strong
individuals who have gone through so much and who have stood up for so
much, such as Danny Rostenkowski and Joe Moakley. These are not people
who easily come to the funeral of another politician and come to their
memories with a tear in their eye. Both of them have shed tears for Tip
O'Neill.
For the memory that you have given us and for the memories that Tip
gave us, I thank you all.
Mr. MOAKLEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Massachusetts
[Mr. Meehan].
Mr. MEEHAN. I witnessed a tremendous tribute to Speaker O'Neill at
his memorial service in North Cambridge. Joe Moakley told stories that
made everyone watching understand why theirs was a friendship that
stood the test of decades in the House. Tip's son, Tommy, delivered a
powerful eulogy that evoked the human side of Tip: a great father, a
great politician, and as a great friend of ordinary working men and
women.
I first met Tip O'Neill in 1979. I was a staff assistant for a young
Congressman from my district, Jim Shannon. Jim Shannon had been elected
to the Congress at the age of 26. He came to Washington, as Tip
O'Neill's protege. In fact, he had written his thesis on Tip O'Neill.
Jim went over to the Speaker's office to ask him about his committee
assignment, and Tip O'Neill asked him what he would like. He said, ``I
would like a seat on the Ways and Means Committee.'' He was a 27-year-
old freshman. Tip said, ``We'll see what we can do.''
Tip was retired by the time I was elected to Congress, but that did
not stop him from teaching me a thing or two about Congress and public
service. A little more than 1 year ago, just after I had won the
Democratic primary, I was at a fund raiser for the State committee up
in Massachusetts, and my job was to introduce Tip O'Neill.
I started talking about how Tip had served under five Presidents.
That seemed to me pretty impressive, and I meant it as a compliment.
But Tip then got up, he looked out at me and said, ``Marty, I know you
are just starting out and I know you have just won your first primary
and your first election, but with all due respect, I have to correct
you. I didn't serve under any Presidents; I served with five
Presidents.''
So he made me think about our obligation as Members of the
legislative branch to preserve the power of Congress as a co-equal
partnership with the executive, and more generally he made me think
about the importance of exercising independent judgment on behalf of
our constituents.
He will be remembered as a great father, a great politician, and a
great friend of ordinary working men and women.
Mr. Speaker, I again thank Congressman Moakley for providing this
opportunity for giving such a tremendous tribute to former Speaker Tip
O'Neill.
Mr. MOAKLEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Massachusetts
[Mr. Blute].
Mr. BLUTE. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my friend from Massachusetts
[Mr. Moakley] for giving me this time to pay tribute to Tip O'Neill.
I want to join all the members of the delegation to pay tribute to a
man the likes of which we may not see again in our lifetime, former
Speaker Tip O'Neill. I join with my colleagues from the Bay State in
putting forth this resolution expressing the profound sorrow of the
House of Representatives upon his passing.
Although I am a Republican, I am also an Irish-American who cut his
political teeth in the Massachusetts House of Representatives over
which Tip O'Neill presided many years ago. The Speaker's legacy is long
and great in the State House in Boston, and those who serve in the
legislature there to this very day feel the power and the influence of
the gentleman from Cambridge.
The mark he left on that body will not soon fade from memory, but
what is even more impressive is for me to come down here to the
Nation's Capital and to the floor of the U.S. House each day and
reflect on the stature of such political giants as Tip O'Neill, the
power he wielded for so many years and the wisdom and passion with
which he wielded that power earned him the respect and admiration of
his fellow citizens of the United States and moreover of people all
over the world. He was one of the most recognizable figures in the
annals of American politics in the 20th century, and he was also one of
the most revered.
As a graduate of Boston College, the Speaker's beloved alma mater, as
a former State representative at the statehouse in Boston, and now a
Congressman from Massachusetts, I am truly saddened at the loss of
``Tip'' O'Neill. He set the standard for what public service should be,
and he will be sorely missed.
I urge unanimous passage of this resolution, and I thank the
gentleman from Boston [Mr. Moakley] for allowing me this opportunity.
Mr. MOAKLEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the
honorable gentleman from Massachusetts [Mr. Torkildsen].
Mr. TORKILDSEN. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the gentleman from
Massachusetts, [Mr. Moakley], the chairman of the Committee on Rules,
for yielding time to me.
Mr. Speaker, it is with certain sadness that I rise to honor a giant
in politics in my home State of Massachusetts and throughout America,
Thomas P. ``Tip'' O'Neill, Jr.
Here, as in Massachusetts, Speaker O'Neill was known by his nickname,
``Tip,'' even as he held one of the most powerful positions in the free
world. That tells a lot about the man. He sat with leaders of nations
around the world, yet treated everyone the same, with compassion,
concern, and respect.
Tip's most famous remark was ``All politics is local,'' and he
remembered that. Tip knew that government ought to be caring, and that
all the regulations in the world didn't give anyone in government an
excuse to be uncaring.
Even though he didn't say so, Tip knew that all politics was
listening, too. He would listen to anyone who wanted to speak with him,
not only Presidents and colleagues, but also to the people he loved,
police officers and cobblers, teachers and retired folks. No matter who
you were or what you had to say, Tip listened.
I did not know Tip as well as many people here. But the few times I
spoke with him, Tip always listened, and recalled a story or two. The
first time I met him, I mentioned I was from the town of Danvers. Tip
immediately recalled the name of a friend of his from Danvers, a friend
who had helped him out some 30 or so years before. I thought it
remarkable that after all those years, Tip would remember someone, and
not someone who Tip had helped, because even then Tip had helped
hundreds of people. Tip remembered someone who had helped him.
Tip also didn't shy away from controversy, or a fight, if that was
what was needed. As the current Speaker of the House mentioned, Tip
O'Neill was the first Speaker of the Massachusetts House of
Representatives, ever. He did not become Speaker because he rode on
someone else's coattails, but because he worked at it, even when a lot
of so called experts said it could not be done.
Perhaps our best tribute to Tip will be to remember not only him, and
the stories he loved to tell, but also to remember what Tip practiced.
All politics is local. All people deserve to be treated with respect.
Mr. MOAKLEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the
honorable gentleman from Massachusetts, Mr. Olver.
Mr. OLVER. Mr. Speaker, I would like to start by thanking the dean of
our Massachusetts delegation, Mr. Moakley, for organizing this
opportunity to join with my colleagues from Massachusetts in tribute to
a great speaker and a truly great man, Thomas P. ``Tip'' O'Neill.
For those of us who live in Massachusetts his passing is especially
sad.
I offer my condolences to his entire family.
As a young man growing up on the streets of his beloved North
Cambridge neighborhood, Tip learned the compassion, the caring and the
integrity that were the hallmarks of his long and distinguished career
in public service.
He rose to become the first Democratic speaker of the Massachusetts
great and general court, a body in which I served for 22 years. From
his election in 1952 to his retirement in 1987, the people of the
Eighth Congressional District of Massachusetts chose Tip O'Neill to
represent their interests in the U.S. House of Representatives.
It has been said that the Speaker never forgot his roots. The sting
of his defeat in an election to the Cambridge city council spawned his
often repeated quote ``All politics is local.'' The famous quote, that
came from his father, served as his guiding principle. He always asked
for your vote and offered his record as evidence for why he deserved
it. He may have been the Speaker of the House, but he was still the
same man the people sent to Washington. To say that Tip O'Neill never
forgot his district is too simplistic, because although his job took
him out of North Cambridge, North Cambridge was never taken out of the
man. The Speaker never forgot that the people of Eighth Congressional
District of Massachusetts depended on him. He was a true champion of
the people. Whether it was helping a veteran receive a due benefit or
making sure that legislation moved in the House, Tip O'Neill was a man
of action. He believed that the Government could help those that needed
help and fought every day for those that were left behind by the
American dream.
It has been said that the Speaker was the last of a kind, that his
type of personal politics has been cast aside. I hope that on the
streets of the Eighth Congressional District there is a young man or
woman who uses the Tip O'Neill Library on the campus of Boston College,
or is taught by a Tip O'Neill Professor of Political Science at
Northeastern University, or even plays golf on the Tip O'Neill course
in Cambridge and is spurred to act, spurred to study the man, his
actions, his deeds and most importantly his enormous heart. If just one
man or woman tries to fill the enormous void left in public service by
his passing then his work will truly be done. The next generation of
political leaders will come of age when they study the man from North
Cambridge who we will always lovingly remember as Mr.
Speaker.
Mr. MOAKLEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the
gentleman from New York, the Honorable Ben Gilman.
(Mr. GILMAN asked and was given permission to revise and extend his
remarks.)
Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding. I want
to commend the gentleman from Massachusetts [Mr. Moakley] for giving us
an opportunity to reflect on the public service of a great man, a great
Speaker, Thomas ``Tip'' O'Neill.
Speaker Tip O'Neill left his mark not only on our Nation, but
virtually on all of us, on both sides of the aisle, who served with him
in the Congress.
I had the privilege of serving in the House with Tip during the last
14 years of his public service.
Tip always had a good word and sound advice for all of us as he
helped to enhance the reputation of this great body.
I among with many of our colleagues will long remember Tip's good
humor, his warmth for his colleagues, his touching renditions of
``Danny Boy,'' his bear hugs for our spouses, and his Solomon-like
leadership in conducting the business and judiciously moderating the
rancorous debates of this House
Some observers have called him the last of the old time politicians
and, at the same time, the first of the new political leaders. His
colorful style and his strong convictions made him an admired effective
leader.
``Tip'' O'Neill had a framed saying on the wall of his office which
proclaimed that the main responsibilities of Government were to take
care of people at the dawn of life--our children, at the twilight of
life--our senior citizens, and in the shadows of life--the ill, the
needy, and the handicapped.
We will long remember and long miss this giant of a man.
Mr. FRANK of Massachusetts. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may
consume to the gentlewoman from Connecticut [Mrs. Kennelly].
Mrs. KENNELLY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to remember another Speaker,
and a dear friend, Tip O'Neill. I know I express what is in so many of
our hearts when I say that not one person who served with Tip was
untouched by his warmth, his humor, and his kindness.
Tip O'Neill was a special kind of public servant. He took tremendous
joy in the game of politics. But he respected--no, he revered--the
institutions of our democratically elected, representative government.
Rough and tumble as this House can be at times--and rough and tumble as
Tip himself could play--Tip never forgot that this is the people's
House. Our business is the public's business; our mission the public
good.
Tip knew in his bones that was that our U.S. Government was of the
people, by the people, and for the people. And people weren't some
abstraction. Economic statistics weren't people. Long-term projections
weren't people. Pie charts and bar charts and flow charts weren't
people.
People were the men and women he met everyday--whether he met them in
the marble Halls of the Congress or on the streets and sidewalks of
Cambridge. His mission was to do the best he could for them, and to
make sure that Government existed to serve them and their needs.
Tip's kindness was legendary. I myself arrived in Washington after a
special election. I was the single-most junior Member. But Tip made it
his business not only to welcome me, but to get to know me.
Because Tip loved people, he listened to them. We know that he
listened to his own children enough to believe them about the Vietnam
war, and to oppose a President of his own party as a result. He
listened to the new Members of Congress after the watershed election of
1974, and so was able not only to recognize, but to be part of the
changes that swept the Congress. And he listened to his colleagues and
his constituents, and so was able to be a successful and beloved
Speaker.
His love of people infused all his relationships, and no one who
served with Tip will ever forget his warmth. I will miss him
enormously. Thank you, dear friend of Speaker O'Neill--Joe Moakley.
{time} 1350
Mr. FRANK of Massachusetts. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may
consume to the gentleman from South Carolina [Mr. Derrick].
(Mr. DERRICK asked and was given permission to revise and extend his
remarks.)
Mr. DERRICK. Mr. Speaker, I rise to say a few words about Tip
O'Neill.
Tip left Congress 7 years ago, much longer ago than it seems. It's
almost a shock to think about. Measured by a congressional timeframe, 7
years is almost an eternity. Here in the House we get things done, put
them behind us, and move on to the next thing--we do it over and over
again. The years can seem like a headlong rush with little chance to
look back and ruminate. Things change fast while we're immersed in the
daily tussle and wrangling our work propels us into. Even between
sessions our time and energy is occupied with work back in the home
district.
When Tip stepped down from the Speaker's chair we said our
farewells--and hit the ground running. He had been Speaker for 10 years
and had left his indelible mark on this institution, but we still had
the work of Congress to do. We didn't look back for long. More than
most things could, Tip O'Neill's death stopped us cold.
Those still here today who worked with him or against him have their
personal memories of the man. As an institution we have his portrait
hanging as a memento. There are the accounts and testaments of his
career recently published in newspapers and magazines, broadcast on
radio and television, and recorded in our own Congressional Record.
Sad as it may seem, as time passes all that will remain of the man
who we remember so vividly and personally will be these sort of public
records. He will become part of our Nation's public history, a sort of
collective identity, remembered the same way we remember a Longworth or
Sam Rayburn.
However, his presence as a man and his life's work will live on with
a vigor and vitality rarely achieved by any man or woman. Who he was,
what he believed, and how he expressed it lies encoded in the House of
Representatives as it exists today and in the public laws of the land.
The man he actually was has become an actual part of collective
political identity reembodied every time we come together
for business. It may be an anonymous, more diffuse existence, but Tip
O'Neill hasn't stopped being with us since he left 7 years ago.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Klink). Without objection, the gentleman
from Massachusetts [Mr. Frank] is recognized for an additional 60
minutes.
Mr. FRANK of Massachusetts. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may
consume to the gentleman from Michigan [Mr. Bonior], the majority whip.
Mr. BONIOR. Mr. Speaker, I, too, would like to add my praise to my
chairman, the gentleman from Massachusetts [Mr. Moakley] for his eulogy
and his celebratory tone and his capturing of the man at Tip's funeral.
It was an incredibly moving experience to hear him and Tip's son.
I got to know Tip in a very strange way. I would like to share that
with my colleagues, if I could, for just a second.
When I got here in 1976-1977, Tip had just become Speaker. I was
advised that a good way to learn how this place worked would be to go
the whip meetings down in Congressman Brademus' office, which is my
office now. And I felt, as a new freshman, really uncomfortable and out
of place and wondering what this place was all about.
I would wander down there, and I would bring a newspaper and kind of
sit in the corner. And Tip would be sitting up front, and he would also
be reading the newspaper. He had that big stogie in his mouth, and it
occurred to him, at one point, that we were reading the same part of
the newspaper. We were both reading the sports section.
Eventually, he figured out that I was reading the same part of the
sport section he was reading, and that was what the spreads were on the
football games that were coming up on Saturday.
So we got to talking about whether BC was favored or whether Iowa was
favored or Michigan was favored or ``who do you like in this game, who
do you like in that game.''
We developed a relationship based on something that was very common
but satisfying to both of us.
After about a year of this, I got up enough nerve to ask Tip to come
to my district to do a little bit of campaigning for me. He agreed to
do it. So when he flew in, I did not know how to meet him, because I
did not have a big car. My father did not have a big car. And so we had
this big debate on how to pick Tip O'Neill up at the airport.
So my father said to me, ``Why don't you just get Stan Shultz to pick
him up?''
I said, ``Okay.'' Stan Shultz is the undertaker in town. He buried my
father and my family, good friends. Sure enough, Stan shows up with the
hearse, big Cadillac, and we picked Tip up. He actually got a big kick
out of that.
On the way to the fundraiser, my dad, who loves sports and is as fond
of the ponies as Tip was, occasionally, got to talking about horse
racing. And I was sitting in the back seat with my father. Tip was in
the front seat with Stan. And they were reminiscing about politics and
horse racing.
And all of a sudden, Tip was trying to remember the name of this
great horse that won the Kentucky Derby in 1970-something, 1972. He
said it was a Canadian horse.
I do not know horses from beans. But for some reason, the name of
Northern Dancer popped into my head. And I said, ``It was Northern
Dancer, Mr. Speaker.''
And he turned around in the front seat of the car, and he looked at
me as if to say, you are on the right track, young man. And we had a
wonderful, close relationship for all these many years.
I think to me the story that best sums up what Tip O'Neill was all
about comes from Frank Minelli. Back in his Boston neighborhood, Frank
Minelli was also known as ``Frank the Barber.'' And he is the guy who
cut Tip's big white mop for over 40 years.
One time Tip invited Frank and his wife to come to Washington to
visit, and he would take them around on a tour. As they were touring
the Capitol and walking around, a colleague of Tip's came up to him and
said, ``Tip, I have got this important big city mayor waiting in my
office. I would like you to come and meet him.''
Tip looked at the Congressman. Then he looked at Frank and his wife.
And he turned back to the Congressman with the big city mayor waiting
and said, ``Not now, I have got more important people.''
That story, I think, says just about all one needs to say about Tip,
as so many Members have so eloquently said before me this afternoon,
because to Tip O'Neill, ordinary people, ordinary citizens were the
most important part of his life, of his constituency.
He, as the gentleman from Massachusetts [Mr. Kennedy] has pointed
out, and as the gentleman from Massachusetts [Mr. Frank] and others, he
was not there to fight for the rich and the powerful. They have got
enough friends around here to do that for them. He figures they could
pretty well fend for themselves.
Tip was here to fight for the Frank Minelli's of the world. He paid
attention to ordinary people. He listened to them. He worked for them,
and he gave them a voice when they had no other.
Tip called his book ``Man Of The House.'' But I have always thought
that a more accurate title would have been ``Man Of The People,''
because he dedicated his life to leaving that ladder of opportunity up
for all Americans to climb. And he was so proud to talk about how he
was present and active in Government when the American middle class was
made.
{time} 1400
When we think about it, he was quite an incredible part of the
history and the dynamics of modern history, to have been present in
this society, particularly, when the middle class was created, not with
his finger in the wind, but with his feet planted firmly in stone. He
never wavered on those basic principles for ordinary folks.
In the months ahead, as we head into this Nation's difficult times,
crime, welfare, health care, job creation, I hope we can all carry on
where our ``Tip'' O'Neill left off, and dedicate ourselves to improving
security in the lives of all Americans. If we do that, in the end, that
will be our highest tribute that we can pay.
Mr. FRANK of Massachusetts. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may
consume to the gentleman from North Carolina [Mr. Rose].
Mr. ROSE. Mr. Speaker, I first want to say that at the funeral in
Boston of my late friend, ``Tip'' O'Neill, I witnessed one of the most
beautiful outpourings of love and affection for one of the most real
people that we have every had the pleasure to know in the Congress of
the United States. However, the crowning glory of that entire day, for
me, was the speech of the gentleman from Massachusetts, Joe Moakley,
about his best friend, ``Tip'' O'Neill.
Joe Moakley is the successor to the legacy of ``Tip'' O'Neill. We all
share parts of that legacy. Joe was his best friend in this House. The
way the words came out of his mouth and, through smiles and tears, as
all of us were choking up, he painted the beautiful story of a real man
who was not afraid to help his friends, who was not afraid to put a
family together within the House of Representatives, to treat us like
we were around the table as his children, at the dining room table, and
moderate between us the things that we needed versus the things that we
wanted.
He led this House by example, as a strong father leads a large
family. I will always love him and remember him for that. I will always
love the gentleman from Massachusetts, Joe Moakley, for putting down
for posterity the greatness and the love of this man that he was so
close to.
I came here in 1972. After the election I came here to look the place
over. Hale Boggs had just had a tragic accident and death in Alaska.
``Tip'' O'Neill was quietly seeking freshman votes to be the new
majority leader of the 93d Congress.
I went to his office, and back in a corner, Leo Diehl in his chair
with his crutches at his side, ``Tip'' O'Neill in another chair, all
the freshmen pictures laid out on the table, mine over in the corner, I
could see it.
I said, ``Mr. Whip, I have a problem. I need to be on the Committee
on Agriculture to properly represent my district.'' He said, ``Son, I
got a problem, too. I want to be the majority leader of the House. If
you will help me become the majority leader of the House, I will see
the best I can that you get on the Committee on Agriculture.''
I was the first freshman in the 93d Congress to endorse ``Tip''
O'Neill for majority leader. He never forgot that. He made me an
example of things that he would give me an opportunity to do.
His passing is a tragic loss to all of us, but we must keep his
memory alive and the spirit of this man ever before us, as we seek to
rescue this House of Representatives from its lowest public opinion
rating that it has probably ever had.
Mr. Speaker, subject always to the final approval of the chairman,
the gentleman from Massachusetts, Mr. Moakley, I have introduced today
House Resolution 329, a resolution that designates 1994 as a year to
honor the memory and leadership qualities of the Honorable Thomas P.
``Tip'' O'Neill, Jr., the late Speaker of the House of Representatives:
Whereas the death of the late Speaker of the House of
Representatives, Thomas P. ``Tip'' O'Neill, Jr., on January
5, 1994, has created not only a personal loss to his many
friends and colleagues, but also a great loss to the Nation;
Whereas Speaker O'Neill, is remembered by all for his
dedication to good government and his love for the people of
the United States;
Whereas Speaker O'Neill's compassion and goodness of heart
and his spirit of cooperation and conciliation were evident
to all who knew him;
Whereas in the House of Representatives and in his life,
Speaker O'Neill's personal charm and political skill
transcended differences of personality and party;
Whereas Speaker O'Neill presided over the House of
Representatives from the Ninety-fifth Congress through the
Ninety-ninth Congress and emerged as one of the greatest
American political leaders of this century; and
Whereas it is appropriate that the House of Representatives
rededicate itself to the principles of leadership personified
by Speaker O'Neill: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That 1994 is designated as a year to honor the
memory and leadership qualities of the Honorable Thomas P.
``Tip'' O'Neill, Jr., the late Speaker of the House of
Representatives.
I hope that my colleagues will consider joining me in this. I plan to
speak at a time for myself reserved tomorrow just to go into this again
and explain it further.
I want to thank the delegation from Massachusetts, and especially its
dean, for giving me the opportunity to speak here today. We all need to
remember what ``Tip'' O'Neill stood for.
Mr. FRANK of Massachusetts. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may
consume to the gentleman from New Mexico [Mr. Richardson] a Member
whose roots are from a similar place but who strayed from Boston, but
who is forgiven.
(Mr. RICHARDSON asked and was given permission to revise and extend
his remarks.)
Mr. RICHARDSON. Mr. Speaker, what is very obvious is that while
``Tip'' O'Neill passed away, the ``Tip'' O'Neill family is very much
alive. We see it evidenced here in the gentleman from Massachusetts
[Mr. Moakley] and the Massachusetts delegation, and many other
political figures around the country who ``Tip'' O'Neill baptized in
politics, with the axiom that all politics is local.
What we also get in the seal of approval with the ``Tip'' O'Neill
family is a variety of very capable staff people. We get folks
downtown, we get Irish figures with many talents from not just the
Northeast but here in Washington, DC. We get an extended family that
takes care of us.
If ``Tip'' O'Neill put his arm around you, then that family always
was with you, not just his wife, Millie, but his son, Kip. Mr. Speaker,
it was Kip O'Neill that probably did the most important thing for me
politically. That is, because of our friendship, he got his father, the
Speaker, to campaign for me in New Mexico at a time when I had
absolutely no chance of winning.
My first race I lost, but ``Tip'' O'Neill came to New Mexico. We made
him ring doorbells. He was not pleased with that. When I was elected, I
was with trepidation fearing ``Tip'' when he told the story that I made
him ring doorbells and left him on a tarmac without a private plane, as
I had promised. Both stories were embellished a little bit. Over the
years they were embellished a little more.
However, when he put his arm around me when I was elected and sworn
in, I knew that the O'Neill mantle of approval was there, and with that
you got this enormous wealth of people and kindnesses, and entrees into
this city.
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman from Massachusetts, Joe
Moakley, and I want to thank the O'Neill family, especially Kip, and
the extended political family that includes Andy Athy and many others,
for their courtesies. ``Tip'' O'Neill lives on through them.
Mr. FRANK of Massachusetts. Mr. Speaker, before the very
distinguished majority leader wraps up for us on behalf of the House, I
yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from New Hampshire
[Mr. Zeliff].
{time} 1410
Mr. ZELIFF. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the opportunity to just say a
couple of words about a good friend, Tip. I did not serve here in this
great body until 1990, so I did not have a chance to be here while Tip
was Speaker of the House. But I certainly saw what he did for Boston
and what he did for New England, and especially what he did for New
Hampshire.
And I had the privilege 2 years ago to be out at Andrews Air Force
Base at a congressional golf tournament. We had two Democratic
lobbyists, and there was supposed to be a second Republican who did not
show up. And Tip came on board and came up and said, ``Bill, do you
mind if I join you?'' And I said, ``I would be honored, Mr. Speaker.''
And he came on board. And he had on the end of his putter a little
suction cup. And I did not know what the suction cup was until he got a
couple of long putts, but some of them were 6 feet, some of them were 8
feet. And I knew I was supposed to be representing the Republican side
of this thing. But I found out a different meaning for the phrase
unanimous consent, Mr. Speaker, and that old suction cup went to work.
And I tell Members, about the 9th or 10th hole, I came up to him and we
got to know each other pretty good. And I said, ``Mr. Speaker, how's
life treating you?'' He put his arm around me and he said, ``Billy,
anytime the good Lord lets you open your eyes you are treated very,
very well.'' We had a chance to talk about Millie and his family and
politics, and everything is local, and politics is local, and toward
the end he called to the photographer and he had a picture taken. And
he put his arm around me and he said, ``Some day you might be able to
use this.'' And I just feel very honored that Tip spent that little bit
of quality time with me as a Republican.
He was not plastic; he was very real. That probably is one of the
most wonderful occasions I have had since I have been a Member of
Congress, and I am proud to say that I had a little bit of time with
him. And I put him right up on the top of my mantle of people that I
want to strive to be like because I think he is everything that we all
should be about.
I thank the gentleman for letting me take this small part.
Mr. FRANK of Massachusetts. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from
New Hampshire.
Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume, and I yield
to the gentleman from Missouri [Mr. Emerson].
Mr. EMERSON. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding, and
appreciate this opportunity to say a final word of farewell to Speaker
O'Neill.
My memory of him goes back many, many years. I first arrived here as
a page in the last Republican Congress. I do not think there is anyone
here on the floor who may even remember when that was. But it was in
1953, and Massachusetts was then very much in the limelight. The
Speaker of the House, Joe Martin, was from Massachusetts, and the
Democratic whip was then John McCormack, Sam Rayburn being the minority
leader.
I do not remember a lot about Speaker O'Neill when he was a freshman
Congressman. That was the year in which I was a freshman page. But over
the years I became a staffer, and ultimately a Member. I can remember
many, many things about him.
As a student of the House, I always loved it when he was in his
story-telling mode and would talk about the great characters of the
House. But I will always remember an act of personal kindness that he
extended to me when I was a very, very freshman congressman. I think I
had not been here more than 6 months, when one day I was sitting on the
floor and the Speaker's page came to get me and said, ``The Speaker
would like to have a word with you.'' And I said, ``My goodness, what
have I done? Why should I be summoned by the Speaker?''
So I went to the Speaker's chair, and he said to me, ``I just wanted
to tell you I met your daughter the other day and what a charming girl
she is.'' And it turned out that she worked as a waitress at a club
where Speaker O'Neill liked to play golf. And she had introduced
herself to him, and he had remembered that and took the time when he
came back here to tell me about it.
Ever after, whenever I would see the Speaker in the lobby, or walking
through the corridors around here, or whereever, I would say, ``Hello,
Mr. Speaker,'' and he would always say, ``And how's your charming
daughter?'' He never forgot, for all of the years that intervened, he
never forgot my charming daughter. And I will remember long and well
his attention to such small details, which I am sure are a part of what
made him the great Member of Congress, the great public servant, that
he was.
Mr. FRANK of Massachusetts. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman
from California [Mr. Fazio].
(Mr. FAZIO asked and was given permission to revise and extend his
remarks.)
Mr. FAZIO. Mr. Speaker, much has been said about the fact that Tip
O'Neill was a man who knew where he stood. He knew what he believed in,
and he voted his district.
He was a man who was rooted in his community of Cambridge, and a man
who came from a strong family and a tradition of public service.
He was partisan without being rancorous. He was the kind of leader
who actually appealed to every Member of this body during the 10 years
he was Speaker and the many years he served before then.
He will be greatly missed not just by his wonderful family from his
wife Millie, children Susan and Rosemary, Kip and Tommy and Michael,
but all of us whom he made feel as if we were family. We were all his
pals, his darlings.
He was the kind of man who rarely finds a home in public office, but
when he does, makes a mark that will never be erased.
My wife Judy and I loved him and will miss him very much.
Mr. FRANK of Massachusetts. Mr. Speaker, to finish this well-deserved
tribute, it is certainly appropriate that another great leader of the
House of Representatives, the distinguished majority leader, the
gentleman from Missouri [Mr. Gephardt] be yielded the balance of our
time.
Mr. GEPHARDT. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding, and I
am very happy to be part of this event of paying our respects to such a
great American who has left us in the last days. A number of us were
involved in a mission and trip to Asia at the time of Speaker O'Neill's
death, and we were not able to be at his funeral in Boston as we would
have liked to have been. And so on behalf of all the Members who were
unable to be there that day I want to rise today to pay our respects to
this great American.
I came to the Congress in 1977, January, when Tip O'Neill became
Speaker. I would simply say that he had an enormous influence not only
on his constituents in Massachusetts and in his State, but he had an
enormous influence on all of us who served with him in the House and on
generations of people who met him and knew him here in the House of
Representatives, and as my friend from Missouri just said, even pages
who met him in their time here.
There were two kinds of values or ideas that he stood for that I will
never forget. One was that he always told us, both Republicans and
Democrats, but all of us as public servants that all of politics is
local. He was famous for that phrase because it is such a true phrase.
All of us understand that what we do here is interesting and important,
but if it does not relate directly to what people see, feel and hear at
home, it really is of no relevance to the people who are our boss, our
constituents. And that contribution of just that phrase and that
sentiment, that idea I think is a very, very important thing in
America's political life.
The second thing about him that I think is an everlasting influence
was that he was a man of great compassion, a man of great caring, a man
of great kindness, and really human love. There was not a person who
served with him who did not feel that warm compassion. He was a friend
of every Member that he ever served with.
I can still, as if it were yesterday, see him sitting in one of these
chairs right over here where he would do office hours on the floor. He
never refused to talk to anyone. He was always an open ear. He was
always full of counsel and advice and good will, and for that everyone
truly loved their relationship with him.
Finally, because of that human characteristic that he had of
responding so warmly to his fellow colleagues, he had an ability that I
think is very much needed in any legislative body, and certainly in
this one, and that is the ability when the time comes as the leader
that he was to listen to all of the fractious viewpoints, to hear
everybody out, but then to say I have heard you all but this is what we
are going to do, and then importantly to be able to get enough of us to
come in behind him to do it, not always because we agreed with him, but
because we liked him, we trusted him, and we trusted his leadership. We
knew that he had given us a fair hearing and that he had made the best
decision he could.
Harry Truman once said leadership is getting people to do things they
do not want to do. Tip O'Neill was a leader because he had the human
characteristic, the personality, and the character that all of us could
respond to when we needed to, and therefore he was a magnificent leader
of this institution and this Congress.
{time} 1420
He will be missed by his family. He will be missed by his
constituents. And he will be missed by everyone here who knew him.
He was a great American, a great Speaker, a great leader, and we will
always remember the contribution and the human kindness and love that
he brought to everything he did in his life.
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