[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 150 (Wednesday, November 28, 2012)]
[House]
[Pages H6474-H6477]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
THOMAS P. O'NEILL, JR. FEDERAL BUILDING
Mr. DENHAM. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (H.R. 6604) to designate the federal building currently known as
Federal Office Building 8, located at 200 C Street Southwest in the
District of Columbia, as the ``Thomas P. O'Neill, Jr. Federal
Building''.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 6604
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. DESIGNATION.
The federal building currently known as Federal Office
Building 8, located at 200 C Street Southwest in the District
of Columbia, shall be known and designated as the ``Thomas P.
O'Neill, Jr. Federal Building''.
SEC. 2. REFERENCES.
Any reference in a law, map, regulation, document, paper,
or other record of the United States to the federal building
referred to in section 1 shall be deemed to be a reference to
the ``Thomas P. O'Neill, Jr. Federal Building''.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
California (Mr. Denham) and the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr.
Capuano) each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from California.
General Leave
Mr. DENHAM. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may
have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and
include extraneous material on H.R. 6604.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from California?
There was no objection.
Mr. DENHAM. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. CAPUANO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
I'd like to thank the majority for bringing this bill up. This is a
nice way to honor the longest-continuously-serving Speaker in the
history of this country.
For those of you who didn't have the pleasure of knowing Mr. O'Neill,
I'd just like to remind everybody that I don't look at him as the
historic figure up on the podium. I look at him as a man that I knew a
fair amount of my adult life, anyway, and as a man who never forgot
where he came from. And I know that's in a phrase that people hear all
the time; but for me personally, when people say that of them, it's
probably the nicest thing they can say. Everyone who serves in Congress
[[Page H6475]]
knows that many of us on a regular basis get treated like something
special. Somebody opens the door for us, somebody calls us
``Congressman,'' people we don't know call us ``sir.'' And that's all
well and good, and it's respectful for the office.
But at the same time, we all came here for the very simple reason of
trying to make the world a little better place for the people that
elected us. It's a simple thing. And we all have different views on how
that gets done. Mr. O'Neill never forgot how to do that, even when he
reached the pinnacle of power in this great body. And I will tell you
that for me that's the most important historic aspect he could ever
leave for us. All the great accomplishments, all the meetings with
Presidents and Kings and Queens are very important. I don't want to
diminish them. But at the end of the day, if you've forgotten who you
represent, then I think you've stayed here too long. Mr. O'Neill never
did.
I knew him even after he retired; and even then he would talk to me
about regular, ordinary people--the barbers, the bakers, the truck
drivers that I now have the privilege of representing in the district
that he once represented. To me, that's the most important reason to
recognize anyone--someone who gave of themselves to fight day in and
day out.
Even then, with all the fighting that we do around here, it's amazing
to me that even at home today, with all the differences of opinion we
have, I get the same questions I'm sure we all get: Well, gee, is it
really as bad as all that, and do you hate each other? And the truth
is, for me, no. I see the Speaker sitting over there. We disagree on
probably most every major point. But I like him. I think he's a good
man. And I think he's here for the exact same reasons that I'm here: to
make this country a better place to live. And I think that way about
virtually everyone in this body.
And Speaker O'Neill not only represented that; he spoke it loudly all
the time. He loved this body not for all the difficulties that it
presents, not for all the messes that we create and then try to fix,
but for the fact that we have a lot of people who come here trying to
work on the most difficult issues in the world with passion and with
commitment and with respect for each other.
I reserve the balance of my time.
{time} 1300
Mr. DENHAM. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the Speaker of the
House, the Honorable John Boehner.
Mr. BOEHNER. Let me thank my colleague for yielding.
I rise in strong support of H.R. 6604, and I commend my colleague,
the gentlelady from California (Ms. Pelosi), for sponsoring this
resolution.
Tip O'Neill needs no introduction to this body. Every Member knows,
respects, and admires Tip's record and the long shadow that he casts
over the people's House.
We've all borrowed perhaps his best known saying, ``All politics is
local.'' That is certainly true today, as we propose to name a building
right here at the foot of Capitol Hill, a stone's throw from the great
dome, in honor of our 55th Speaker.
This is one of those moments, though, when you wonder how the honoree
would feel, especially when it's someone like Tip who never quite held
back his opinions. Perhaps he would have enjoyed seeing leaders from
opposite sides of the aisle come together to give him a well-deserved
hurrah. Certainly he would have gotten a kick out of being flanked by
buildings named after Hubert Humphrey and Jerry Ford--also leaders from
opposite ends of the political spectrum. Tip actually considered Mr.
Humphrey one of his heroes, and he had one of Humphrey's quotes put up
on the wall in his office.
Now, as for Jerry Ford, well, they didn't, frankly, agree on much of
anything, but Tip counted President Ford as a true friend. And since
friends are always honest with one another, when the new President
would explain what legislation he wanted to pass, Tip would say, well,
Jerry, that's not going anywhere, but sure, send it over anyway if
that's what you want to do. That was Tip, who of course would also be
pleased to see us down here telling an old story or two. Now he will
stand in good company and, ever the representative, provide the folks
back home with yet another source of pride.
Having said all that, Tip might have had one small complaint about
today's occasion. A proud partisan, Tip relished nothing more than a
close vote, one that would give him a chance to do just a little more
wrangling as he tried to secure the vote. Today, when the roll is
called on this bill, however, the outcome is likely to be unanimous, a
reflection of this body's vast gratitude and appreciation for the
gentleman from Cambridge.
So I would urge the whole House to join me in supporting this
resolution.
Mr. CAPUANO. Mr. Speaker, I would like to yield 1 minute to the once,
and future, Speaker of this House, the current minority leader, Ms.
Pelosi.
Ms. PELOSI. I thank the gentleman for yielding, and I thank Speaker
Boehner for his leadership and cooperation in bringing this legislation
to the floor. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Tip O'Neill said the Speaker of the House was Millie, his wife. I had
the privilege of serving in the office that Tip O'Neill had when he was
Speaker of the House and having in my possession the gavel that was
given to Speaker O'Neill when he became the leader--not yet the
Speaker. It's Waterford, Mr. Speaker, so you could only use it one
time, and perhaps he would use it today. But you made this possible.
All of us who admire and love Tip O'Neill are grateful to you for that.
So I thank you, Mr. Speaker, and for your very fine words.
Two weeks ago, Members of Congress joined members of the O'Neill
family and many others to plant a tree in honor of the life of Speaker
Tip O'Neill. Today we honor Tip again by passing a resolution to
inscribe his name on a Federal building, a lasting tribute to his
service and leadership to the State of Massachusetts, to the House of
Representatives, and his leadership for all Americans.
I thank again Speaker Boehner for leading this bipartisan effort to
remember the great Tip O'Neill together on the floor of the House,
where Tip once wielded the Speaker's gavel with courage, dignity, and
grace. And I thank you, Mr. Capuano, for joining the committee to bring
this to the floor of the House. You serve in the same district that Tip
O'Neill did. What an honor. I serve in the office that he had. What an
honor.
It is fitting that the Tip O'Neill, Jr. Federal Building will stand
alongside the office building named for Tip's dear friend, colleague,
and partner in public service, former President and House Minority
Leader, Gerald Ford. As the Speaker indicated, they will be neighbors.
Indeed, reflecting on their long partnership, President Ford once said:
Tip O'Neill is an outstanding political leader and patriot
who always carried the torch for the Congress and the
American people.
Carrying the torch. The statement captured the essence of Tip's
success: his extraordinary leadership; his unflinching patriotism; his
belief in the common good; his devotion to the unending fight to ``form
a more perfect union.'' Yes, Mr. President Ford, Tip carried this torch
for all who believed that the purpose of politics is to improve the
lives of others.
Tip carried the torch for the underdog, for the person on the street,
for the family struggling to pay the bills. He carried the torch of
opportunity and equality into every budget negotiation, every
legislative battle, every bipartisan agreement. Tip was the personal
manifestation of the American Dream, and he carried the torch for
anyone else who strived to achieve it.
For Tip, standing on principle was not about political gain; it was
about fighting for the voiceless and for the aspirations of the middle
class.
For Tip, the effort to reform and save Social Security was not about
figures on a page; it was about seniors fighting to make ends meet.
That's why we were so proud of what he did with President Reagan to
prolong the life of Social Security.
For Tip, floor debates were not about abstract numbers; they were
about people and the consequences of a policy to their lives.
Those were the values that enabled Tip O'Neill to leave his giant
footprint on the course of American history. This is the spirit that
made him a legend, that allowed him to help the middle class thrive,
that ensured his actions would strengthen the character of our country,
in his time and for future generations.
[[Page H6476]]
By his leadership and his patriotism, Tip O'Neill was a proud
champion of his district, his State, and our Nation. With his gavel in
hand, he was a giant of the Congress. With his record of progress, he
was a bona fide American hero. By adding his name to a Federal building
in sight of the Capitol he loved, we all carry the torch of the legacy
of Tip O'Neill.
I hope that we have not the close vote that would have been fun maybe
at that time, but a unanimous vote that shows that we share Tip's
values and take pride in his leadership as he stands as a neighbor to
President Gerald Ford.
Mr. DENHAM. I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. CAPUANO. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the ranking member of
the Transportation Committee, Mr. Nicky Joe Rahall.
Mr. RAHALL. I thank the distinguished gentleman from Massachusetts
for yielding me the time, and I join with our Democratic leader and
with the Speaker of the House in supporting the pending measure.
{time} 1310
Speaker Thomas P. O'Neill, otherwise known as Tip, was first elected
to represent the 11th Congressional District of Massachusetts in 1952,
and he continued to serve for 17 terms. During his 34 years in
Congress, he served as a chair of the Select Committee on Campaign
Expenditures, majority whip, majority leader and, finally, Speaker of
the House.
Speaker O'Neill holds a special place in my own congressional career
because when I was sworn in at the beginning of my first term in
Congress in 1977, it was also Tip's first year as Speaker of this body.
He held that post for a decade, making him the second-longest-tenured
Speaker in the history of the House of Representatives.
Now, there is a litany of legislative accomplishments that could be
described as defining the career of Thomas P. O'Neill. However, his
most remarkable guidepost was his dedication to Federal programs that
addressed the needs of the poor, the middle class, the sick, the
fallen, and our working men and women across this great country.
Speaker O'Neill was an unabashed supporter of the New Deal and
believed that the government had the ability and the responsibility to
provide for those in need. And he championed programs like public
education, Social Security, unemployment insurance, Medicare, Medicaid,
and Supplemental Security Income for low-income people with
disabilities. And that is just the tip of the iceberg.
Part of his success in protecting and growing these programs was
Speaker O'Neill's talent in forging political consensus--we've heard
that described already--his superb political instincts, and being a
pragmatic deal-maker which allowed him to take on the day-to-day
responsibilities of holding his caucus together while advancing his
commitment to liberalism.
We've heard the Speaker reference Speaker O'Neill and his popular
saying that ``all politics is local.'' And believe you me, that was my
first bit of advice in coming to this body; and it's the advice that,
to this very day, I've taken to heed.
He had over 50 years of combined public service to both the
Massachusetts State House and our House of Representatives, a true
public servant in every sense of the word. So because of this and his
dedicated service, I am sure that my colleagues will join in a
bipartisan round of support for the naming of this Federal building
after Thomas P. ``Tip'' O'Neill.
Mr. DENHAM. I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. CAPUANO. I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Massachusetts
(Ms. Tsongas).
Ms. TSONGAS. I thank my colleague, Mr. Capuano, for yielding to me.
I rise today in strong support of H.R. 6604, which recognizes and
honors the legacy of former Speaker of the House Tip O'Neill. Tip
O'Neill had a long and distinguished career in public service, as we've
heard. And this was clearly an O'Neill family value, as so many have
carried on with such distinction.
Tip, a friend and a mentor to me and my late husband, Paul, when Paul
served with him in the House, is often remembered for coining the
phrase ``all politics is local,'' as we in Massachusetts are so often
reminded. His imprint has shaped the thriving Boston of today and
protected the glories of Cape Cod for tomorrow.
And we treasure his innate ability to bring together, with good humor
and unwavering purpose, people from both sides of the aisle, a singular
aspect to his legacy which is most embodied in his work with President
Reagan to strengthen Social Security, protecting this critically
important program for decades.
I thank Speaker Boehner and Leader Pelosi for introducing this
legislation that will name a building in the shadow of this great
Capitol after a great Speaker, Tip O'Neill.
Mr. DENHAM. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. CAPUANO. Mr. Speaker, I would like to yield 2 minutes to the
gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. McGovern).
Mr. McGOVERN. I thank the gentleman for yielding and for his
leadership.
I know those of us in the Massachusetts delegation always welcome the
opportunity to pay tribute to Tip O'Neill, a giant of this House and a
legend in Massachusetts politics. For decades, Tip O'Neill represented
the people of his district with distinction, hard work, and wit. And
for 10 years, he led this House as Speaker.
Tip got into politics for all the right reasons: to help people. As a
New Deal Democrat, he believed that while government doesn't have all
the answers, it can and should be a force for good. And while he may be
best remembered for his admonition that ``all politics is local'' and
he always put his constituents first, he also made a great mark in
national and international affairs. He fought to protect and preserve
Social Security and the safety net. He worked for peace in Northern
Ireland and against the war in Vietnam.
And he was a great source of advice to me and so many others: when
you're running for office, always ask for someone's vote, and always
say thank you. Never judge a beauty pageant or pick a raffle number
because you'll make one person happy and hundreds of people mad.
In his second term, Tip was appointed to the House Rules Committee.
When he entered the Democratic leadership, my old boss and mentor Joe
Moakley took that seat. And when Joe Moakley died, I was given the
honor of taking his place on the Rules Committee. So I feel a strong
personal responsibility to maintain Tip O'Neill's legacy.
I want to thank the leadership for bringing this bill to the floor
and for the effort to designate this Federal building in honor of Tip
O'Neill.
Finally, Mr. Speaker, I want to say this: Tip O'Neill believed that
politics was an honorable profession. He believed that government
should be there for the poor and the vulnerable and the elderly, and he
believed in extending ladders of opportunity so that everyone--
regardless of their background--could succeed. And I hope that all of
us--the Congress and the White House--as we enter these discussions on
our budget, I hope we will remember Tip O'Neill's example. Tip O'Neill
was a champion for all those who had no voice. We should be too.
Mr. DENHAM. Mr. Speaker, I continue to reserve the balance of my
time.
Mr. CAPUANO. Mr. Speaker, I would like to yield 2 minutes to the
gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Markey), the dean of our delegation.
Mr. MARKEY. I thank the gentleman so much for holding this special
session.
Mr. Speaker, I was elected to Congress 36 years ago. And on my first
day in Congress, my first vote in Congress in January of 1977 was a
vote for who would be the Speaker of the House. The Republicans were
all going to vote for John Rhodes, a very good man. The Democrats were
going to vote for Tip O'Neill.
The tradition is that on that first vote, on that first day, the
Member has to stand to actually say the name of the person for whom
they are voting. So the first word I ever uttered on the floor of the
House, standing at my chair at the top of my voice was just saying one
word, O'Neill. And with that, I had voted for Tip O'Neill to begin his
first term as Speaker of the House.
[[Page H6477]]
He was a wage-and-hour Democrat. He was a Social Security Democrat,
but he could work with Ronald Reagan to save Social Security. He was a
man committed to ending the nuclear arms race, and he led that fight
here on the House floor; but he did so while ensuring that there would
be a complete preservation of the security of the United States of
America.
He always asked two questions on every issue out here on the House
floor: Is it fair, and does it work? And he said that if it could not
pass that two-part test, then it should not become a law in the United
States of America.
He passed a comprehensive energy plan off the floor of this House,
protected Social Security, and advanced so many other issues. In my
opinion, Tip O'Neill was the Albert Einstein of politics. He knew what
it took in order to make this institution work. He knew what it took to
reach across the aisle to find people of goodwill, to make this Chamber
work, and to advance the agenda for this country.
So for me, it's a great honor to be here because buildings, as we
name them, also embody that person. And it is my hope that as people
walk in and out of this building in the 21st century that they think
about who Tip O'Neill was, they think about--yes, how much he loved
political war; but at the same time, he brought his own personal warmth
to that so that it was not separated here on the House floor. And it's
my hope that in naming this building, perhaps this process, this great
institution can be animated by his great legacy.
{time} 1320
Mr. DENHAM. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. CAPUANO. Mr. Speaker, I apparently have no more speakers, but I'd
just like to close out by thanking those Members who spoke on behalf of
Mr. O'Neill. Thank you very much to the Speaker and the minority leader
for bringing this bill to the floor and congratulating the O'Neill
family.
I will tell you that I know most of the O'Neill family, and I will
tell you that Tip would be proud of them. He was proud of the ones that
he knew. But of the ones he didn't know as well, I will tell you he
would be proud of them. Every one of them that I know is good, solid
stock people who know what they're doing and know who they represent in
their lives because they see me on a regular basis. And I want to thank
them for being so tenacious in trying to remind us of Tip O'Neill, who
he was and what he was, and for living in his shadow and living the
type of life that he would have been proud of.
I would also like to just close out by simply saying ``thank you'' to
this Congress for providing, not just me, but for all of us, the
opportunity to come have these debates, have these discussions, have
these fights. There's nothing wrong with a good fight over important
issues and to understand that each of us brings to this body exactly
what Tip O'Neill brought to this body and what the people who come
after us will bring to this body: a commitment to this country, a
commitment to their State, a commitment to their district and the
people they represent. Tip O'Neill epitomized it all, and that's why
we're there today, to say ``thank you'' to him, to recognize through
him what this entire body stands for.
With that, Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. DENHAM. Mr. Speaker, I support passage of this legislation and
urge all of my colleagues to do the same.
With that, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. TIERNEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the bill to name
the federal building located at the foot of Capitol Hill in honor of
former Speaker of the House Tip O'Neill.
I understand that above his desk Speaker O'Neill kept a framed copy
of the famous Hubert Humphrey quotation--``The moral test of government
is how it treats those who are in the dawn of life, the children; those
who are in the twilight of life, the aged; and those who are in the
shadows of life, the sick, the needy and the handicapped.'' So it seems
particularly fitting that this building being named after Speaker
O'Neill is adjacent to the Department of Health and Human Services
headquarters which bears Senator Humphrey's name.
Speaker O'Neill fought to expand opportunities for the poor, the
disadvantaged and those working people who get up every day and do
their best to provide a better life for their children and
grandchildren.
Among Speaker O'Neill's many legacies is his commitment to public
service--and I think public service has become his family's business.
Speaker O'Neill's children and grandchildren have continued his
legacy of helping others and making the world a better place. Here in
the House we have the pleasure of working with Speaker O'Neill's
granddaughter, Catlin, who serves as Leader Pelosi's Chief of Staff.
I congratulate Speaker O'Neill's children--Tom, Kip, Susan, and
Rosemary--and their entire extended family on this great honor, which
comes just days before what would be Tip's 100th birthday.
And I hope this kind of bipartisan effort is not a one-time thing but
a sign of how the majority will conduct legislative business in the
113th Congress.
I urge support of this bill.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from California (Mr. Denham) that the House suspend the rules
and pass the bill, H.R. 6604.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
____________________