[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 140 (Tuesday, October 7, 2003)]
[House]
[Pages H9255-H9256]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




MOURNING THE LOSS OF MILDRED A. O'NEILL AND CELEBRATING GREAT AMERICANS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Porter). Under a previous order of the 
House, the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Hoyer) is recognized for 5 
minutes.
  Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I had the great privilege of coming to 
Congress in 1981. Some of my colleagues on the floor were here when I 
came. The gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Frank) and I came in the 
same class. The gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Markey), the dean of 
the Massachusetts delegation, was already here. Those who came after 
1987 lost an extraordinary experience, and that experience was to serve 
in this House with one of America's great political leaders, so defined 
by Bob Dole. His name, of course, was Thomas P. O'Neill. He was a large 
man physically, but his heart was much larger, and his commitment to 
people even larger still.
  Those of us who came to the Congress at that time obviously met Tip, 
serving under Speaker O'Neill and with him. But shortly thereafter, we 
had an extraordinary privilege, and that privilege was to meet his 
partner. Mildred A. O'Neill, affectionately known to all of us as 
Millie, became, in many respects, at least for those who were young 
enough to consider her as such, as sort of the den mother of the 
Democratic House. She was a wonderful, warm, committed, devoted human 
being. She was the kind of human being that everybody would want to be 
born and have as their grandmother or their mother, period, because she 
was filled with love and caring for humankind. And my, how she loved 
our Speaker. And my, how our Speaker loved her.
  We talk about family values. It is easy to talk about family values, 
but I suggest that no one has lived family values any more than Tip 
O'Neill and Millie O'Neill.
  Millie O'Neill was born in 1914, the same year that my mother was 
born. My mother, unfortunately, passed away in 1975 at a too-young age. 
Millie O'Neill lived until just a day ago. She died at the age of 89, 
having seen extraordinary history in her State and in her country and, 
indeed, with her husband, had impacted on that history in a most 
positive way.
  When Tip O'Neill left the Congress, or shortly before, there was a 
poll taken in the South. And the two most popular figures in the United 
States, political figures at that time, were Ronald Reagan and Tip 
O'Neill in the South.
  Now, obviously, they disagreed on many issues. So what was the cause 
of that support and popularity? It was because they were both viewed as 
two men of principle and the courage of their convictions. People could 
disagree with either one, but there was that respect for their 
character that was reflected. Millie O'Neill was a critical component 
of the character of her husband. They had been married for over half a 
century. Tip in his book referenced how loyal, how important Millie was 
to his life, both at times of triumph and times of trial.
  Mr. Speaker, I count myself uniquely privileged to have come to 
Congress in time to know and become a friend of Mildred A. O'Neill. I 
believe she loved each and every one of us; and there is no doubt in my 
mind, Mr. Speaker, that each and every one of us loved her.
  Let me say that I was also advantaged because, on the other side of 
the aisle, there was a leader who shared the compassion and commitment 
to this institution that Tip had, and that was Bob Michel. Bob has a 
wonderful wife, Corrine. She is ill today, and I know that she, too, 
and Bob Michel will grieve for the loss of their friend. It was a time, 
frankly, I say to my colleagues, when Bob Michel and Tip O'Neill knew 
that they were friends, knew that they had different views; but both 
were committed to this institution, and their wives, Millie and 
Corrine, were fast and true friends as well. America has lost a great 
American, a great grandmother, a great

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mother, and a great supporter of this institution.

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