[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 58 (Thursday, March 30, 2023)]
[House]
[Page H1679]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 MASSACHUSETTS DELEGATION MOMENT OF SILENCE TO REMEMBER FORMER MEMBERS 
                     JOHN OLVER AND BRIAN DONNELLY

  (Mr. NEAL asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. NEAL. Madam Speaker, I join with my Massachusetts colleagues to 
mourn the passing of two of our former colleagues, Congressman John 
Olver and Congressman Brian Donnelly.
  John Olver, an MIT-trained chemist, dedicated his life to public 
service, working as an educator at the University of Massachusetts 
before beginning his political career. He spent 12 years in the 
Massachusetts Legislature prior to his election to Congress.
  Over the course of his 22 years in the U.S. House of Representatives, 
John was an effective leader and a steadfast advocate for the people of 
western and central Massachusetts.
  His approach to policymaking was a good lesson for all. It wasn't 
about tweeting or texting or cable TV appearances. He lacked any malice 
whatsoever, and he always had the purest of intentions, focusing solely 
on delivering for the people he felt privileged to represent. In 
addition, I don't know anybody who mastered the details of public life 
and complicated policy more than John Olver.
  He was a devoted husband to his wife, Rose, of 55 years and a loving 
father to their children.
  Madam Speaker, we send our best wishes to them at this difficult 
time.
  Madam Speaker, I likewise rise to honor our former colleague Brian 
Donnelly, a close personal friend of mine for the years that we served 
together in this institution.
  He was a steadfast public servant, a son of Massachusetts, and, 
perhaps more importantly, a son of Dorchester.
  From his days in the Boston Public Schools to the State legislature 
to the hearing rooms of the Ways and Means Committee, Brian lived the 
American Dream.
  I will forever be grateful to him for his retirement plan that opened 
up a seat on the Ways and Means Committee for me, understanding that 
for 70 years, Massachusetts, in straight order, has had a seat on the 
Ways and Means Committee.
  He grew up in a working-class, Irish-American household. He never 
forgot his ancestral roots in Galway, and he used his time in Congress 
to advocate for Irish nationals both in Ireland and the United States.
  Thousands of young immigrants secured visas through what is known as 
the Donnelly visa program, giving countless families the opportunity to 
live out the same American Dream that he knew so well.
  Our thoughts and prayers are with the entire Donnelly family during 
this difficult time, and I appreciate, Madam Speaker, you providing us 
the time for a moment of silence.

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