[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 142 (Friday, October 10, 2003)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2025]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      HONORING MILDRED A. O'NEILL

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. ROSA L. DeLAURO

                             of connecticut

                    in the house of representatives

                        Friday, October 10, 2003

  Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, it is with deep sadness that I rise today 
to mark the passing of Millie O'Neill, the beloved wife for 52 years of 
our late, and also beloved Speaker, Tip O'Neill. At the same time, I am 
honored to stand before you to pay tribute to a truly remarkable woman, 
who was widely admired for her warmth, her unbiased honesty and her 
uncommon sense of perspective.
  Tip O'Neill dedicated his autobiography, Man of the House to her: 
``For Millie--The Speaker of My House.'' And she was. She had such a 
strong sense of family. Together they had five children and many more 
grandchildren, and no one doubted where her priorities lay. Millie 
never failed to make the point to members and their spouses that while 
the all-encompassing work that we do here is significant, it is our 
families to whom we owe our first loyalty and responsibility. She lent 
that critical perspective to new members. It was good advice, and it 
was greatly appreciated.
  It was common knowledge that Millie was her husband's equal in 
political judgment. She was his eyes and ears, always in touch with the 
politics back home, providing advice and helping him become the 
immensely popular and effective Speaker that he was for so many years. 
As the Washington Post pointed out, ``She scouted the opposition and 
reported on the grassroots. In 1966, she hosted a tea for 800 and ran 
120 women volunteers on shifts for a phone bank.'' She was a very good 
judge of character, and more than a political wife, she was her 
husband's political partner ensuring his success throughout their long 
and remarkable marriage.
  But it is important to point out that Millie O'Neill followed her own 
compass. She had her own set of priorities about how government should 
serve the needs of people--and that was recognized by the people who 
knew and worked with her. She graciously volunteered her time on behalf 
of people less fortunate, and served as chairman or executive board 
member for the March of Dimes, the Congressional Wives Club, the 
International Club and an organization called So Others Might Eat. She 
was the chair of the Ford's Theatre and was awarded the theatre's 
Lincoln Medal in 1984 for her fundraising efforts.
  Millie O'Neill was not one to be taken for granted, least of all by 
her powerful husband. As the Washington Post reported in her obituary, 
``She kept her own counsel about voting. Her husband made a habit, on 
Election Day, of asking his wife for her vote as they left the house 
for the polls. She always replied, `I'll give it every consideration.' 
''
  One measure of a legacy is the family that one leaves behind. Her 
children Susan, Rosemary, Tommy, Kip, and Michael before he died--all 
succeeded and achieved in their own right. They carry the family name, 
and the solid values instilled by their strong and loving mother.
  Millie O'Neill was a role model on so many levels--as a wife, a 
mother, a politician, a manager and a volunteer. She led a life of 
fulfillment and she was an inspiration to us all.

                          ____________________