[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 98 (Monday, July 24, 2006)]
[House]
[Pages H5659-H5660]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          HONORING FORMER MEMBER OF CONGRESS THOMAS J. MANTON

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from New York (Mr. Crowley) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. CROWLEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in sadness to pay tribute to 
my predecessor here in Congress, Tom Manton. In politics, as in life, 
you can only achieve greatness by building on the path that those 
before you have taken.
  Tom was a mentor to me, a friend, a confidante. Tom Manton truly 
loved serving here in this institution, with his friends on both sides 
of the aisle. I will truly miss his friendship, and our city and our 
State of New York will miss his leadership.
  My condolences go out to his wife, Diane, and to all his children and 
his grandchildren on the passing of their husband, their father and 
their grandfather.
  Tom Manton was born in New York City in 1932. He was the son of a 
working class Irish immigrant. His father actually worked here on 
Capitol Hill as a plasterer, laying plaster in the Longworth Building. 
He often talked about that historical note. He would often say only in 
America can a son of someone who built the halls of Congress one day 
serve in the halls of Congress.
  Tom Manton went on to law school at the St. John's University where 
he got his law degree, but before that, he was a police officer, a 
computer salesman, and after law school was elected to the New York 
City Council in 1969, representing what are still parts of today the 
7th congressional district that I have the honor of serving in.
  In 1986, after the death of Donald Manes, Tom Manton stepped up and 
filled the role as chair of the County of Queens Democratic Party. When 
our party in Queens was at its lowest ebb, Tom Manton took the reins of 
control and brought back the image of Democrats in Queens County and in 
New York City and New York State. He instilled discipline from time to 
time, which is part of the role of a county leader, but he worked to 
make the party the preeminent political party, not only of New York 
City and New York State, but many would argue our Nation today.
  Presidential candidates, from Mike Dukakis and Dick Gephardt and 
Fritz Mondale and Bob Kerry, Bill Clinton, and John Kerry, all sought 
his support and the support of Queens Democrats to help propel them to 
higher office and, in the instance of Bill Clinton, successfully 
helping to make him President of the United States.
  But Tom has helped elected officials at every level achieve their 
goals, the firsts of firsts in many respects: the first Indian 
political leader, under his tutelage; the first Bangladeshi American 
political leader, under his tutelage; the first Latino from Queens to 
the New York State assembly; the first openly gay political leader; the 
first woman as Borough president; and the first African American woman 
as Borough president; and the list goes on and on.
  Tom always had the bug for Congress and ran in 1972 against an 
incumbent, James Delaney. He lost that election, but he also ran again 
in 1978 against Geraldine Ferraro. Once again, he lost, but he did not 
let that keep him down. When Geraldine Ferraro was tapped by Walter 
Mondale to run as his running mate in 1984, Tom took the opportunity to 
run for and finally win a seat in Congress.
  In Congress, he was an inside political player who earned a seat on 
the Committee on Energy and Commerce. He fought tenaciously through 
this committee for the interests of New York, bringing countless jobs 
and Federal resources to his district.
  One of his major accomplishments was the establishment of the Ad-Hoc 
Committee of Irish Affairs which he used as a forum to represent one of 
the largest communities of Irish immigrants in the United States.
  As co-chair of this committee, he worked closely with President 
Clinton to urge him to grant a visa to Gerry Adams, and this began the 
peace process that led to the Good Friday Agreement in Northern 
Ireland.

                              {time}  2015

  As a friend and a mentor, I have to say, in addition to being a 
caring husband, grandfather, and father, Tom was a dear friend to many. 
In 1984, my uncle, Walter Crowley, ran against Tom Manton in that open 
primary seat that I spoke of earlier. I worked very hard for my Uncle 
Walter in that campaign, and I remember vividly the heartbreaking loss 
my Uncle endured and that I felt myself. Tom Manton was an unspoken 
name in our household. It was a bad word. You couldn't say that name.
  But not long after that, Tom Manton tapped me on the shoulder at the 
County Cork Association dance on Greenpoint Avenue, and he said to me, 
how would you like to be the next assemblyman from the 30th assembly 
district? Why don't you think about getting in that primary. And I did. 
I won a subway primary, with his support and under his tutelage. In 
1998, I was proud to succeed him here in Congress as the Congressman 
from the Seventh Congressional District.
  I know how proud Tom was to serve in this Congress, and I know how 
proud I am of the work that he did here, and I am proud to succeed him 
here in Congress to this day. There is not a day that I am not grateful 
for the opportunities that Tom Manton created for me and for my life.
  To Tom's wife, Diane; to his four children, Cathy Manton Laurent of

[[Page H5660]]

Schenectady, Tom Manton of London, John Manton of Woodside, Queens, and 
Jeanne of Astoria; and to his four grandchildren, Nicole, Marc, 
Danielle, and Liam Henry, and incidentally, Liam Henry, Tom would 
always remind me, is the same name of my son and how it was a great 
coincidence that he and I would share that as well. It was something 
that in this last year particularly he would always point out to me, 
and it brought a chuckle to him and to me as well. I want you all to 
know that Tom, your granddad, your father, and your husband, is in our 
thoughts and in our prayers.
  But more importantly, Diane, you and your children and your 
grandchildren are in all the prayers of the Members of Congress on both 
sides of the aisle.
  I have to say for the record, I loved Tom Manton, and he is not the 
kind of guy you would say that to. I didn't have to say it to him. He 
knew it. There was an unspoken language between the two of us. He knew 
how I felt about him, and I certainly knew how he felt about me. He 
showed it in so many ways.
  I will miss my good friend, my mentor, Tom Manton, as I know his law 
partners will, as his community will. His legacy will live on in so 
many people but especially in this Member of Congress.
  Mr. Speaker, I submit for the Record the Associated Press article 
regarding Tom Manton's death.

                     (From Newsday, July 23, 2006)

         Thomas Manton, Former Congressman From New York, Dies

                          (By Devlin Barrett)

       Washington--Thomas Manton, a former congressman who for 
     years wielded his influence to shape New York City's 
     political landscape, has died. He was 73.
       The seven-term congressman died Saturday, said Rep. Joseph 
     Crowley, who took Manton's Queens congressional seat when he 
     retired.
       Crowley declined to discuss the cause of death but Michael 
     Reich, the Queens Democratic Party's executive secretary and 
     Manton's spokesman, told the (New York) Daily News that 
     Manton died of an undisclosed and lengthy illness.
       Elected 20 years ago to his post as Queens Democratic Party 
     chair, Manton was known as a behind-the-scenes politician who 
     fostered the careers of City Council Speaker Christine Quinn 
     and other local political figures.
       When he announced his retirement from Congress in 1998, he 
     successfully hand-picked Crowley, then a state assemblyman, 
     as his successor, and he played a role in the selection of 
     the two most recent City Council speakers.
       ``He was a great man and a great friend and he'll be 
     terribly missed,'' Crowley said Sunday. ``He's left the 
     Queens Democratic party in a very strong position.''
       New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg said he had reached 
     out to Manton when he first began considering entering 
     politics.
       ``He was a classy guy. It's a sad day,'' said the 
     Republican mayor, a former Democrat. ``We really did lose 
     someone who made a difference.''
       Manton served 15 years on the New York City Council before 
     taking over Geraldine Ferraro's congressional seat when she 
     ran for vice president in 1984. As a congressman, he had 
     little problem getting re-elected, winning with 87 percent of 
     the vote in 1994.
       He said his years as a city councilman made him sensitive 
     to the needs of constituent service and set the tone for his 
     congressional career, which was focused on local concerns and 
     New York City politics.
       As the head of the county party, he helped choose the 
     city's leaders and, Crowley said, helped open up the party 
     leadership to minority groups.
       ``He was a steady rudder of the ship who brought the Queens 
     party back from its lowest ebb. He diversified the leadership 
     of the county, welcoming minority leaders,'' said Crowley.
       Born in 1932 to Irish immigrant parents in Manhattan, 
     Manton carved a colorful career path, serving as a New York 
     City police officer, an IBM salesman and a flight navigator 
     for the U.S. Marine Corps. He worked as a lawyer for decades, 
     reportedly retiring just months before his death.

  Mr. WEINER. Mr. Speaker, this past Saturday the House of 
Representatives lost one of its own and New York City lost a great 
civil servant when Congressman Thomas J. Manton died at the age of 73.
  Mr. Manton embodied the American dream and his story is one of 
integrity, hard work and dedication to community service.
  The most important lesson we learn from our former colleague is that 
you don't have to be born into a political or influential family, nor 
do you have to have lots of money to succeed in politics. Mr. Manton's 
formula for success was honesty and coalition building.
  His parents, Thomas Manton and Margaret Manton emigrated from Ireland 
in search of a better life. On November 3, 1932, they had their first 
and only son, Thomas J. Manton in a Manhattan hospital.
  Mr. Manton's father supported the family working as a plasterer and 
the family moved from Manhattan to the borough of Queens where Mr. 
Manton lived until he passed away.
  Mr. Manton demonstrated his commitment to public service very early 
on hen he served our country as a Sergeant in the United States Marine 
Corps.
  Upon returning, he worked his way through law school, serving the 
city as a police officer with the New York Police Department.
  In the same spirit of service he was elected to the New York City 
Council and served there for 14 years.
  In 1984, the voters from the 7th Congressional District chose Mr. 
Manton, to represent their interests in Washington. He served with 
distinction on the Commerce Committee and as Co-Chairman of the Ad-Hoc 
Committee on Irish Affairs.
  As the son of immigrants, Mr. Manton never forgot what makes this 
country great. As Chairman of the Queens Democratic Party, he embraced 
the growing diversity in Queens and recruited candidates of all 
ethnicities, including from the Asian and Hispanic communities.
  Mr. Manton maintained his position as District Leader for the Anoroc 
Democratic Club in his home district until the day that he died, which 
further demonstrates his commitment to being accessible to the public 
and the value he placed on being in touch with the community.
  Over 2 million people are lucky enough to call the borough of Queens 
home. Queens is an exceptional borough largely because of Thomas J. 
Manton, and we can all only hope to do what he did--leave the world a 
better place than we found it.
  I, with the entire City of New York, mourn the loss of the honorable 
and distinguished Congressman Thomas J. Manton and send my heartfelt 
condolences to his beloved wife Diane, their four children, and four 
grandchildren.

                          ____________________