Charles Rangel: “in 1976 Congressman Tip O'Neill from Massachusetts was selected by the House to serve as Speaker; and while for most of…”

“in 1976 Congressman Tip O'Neill from Massachusetts was selected by the House to serve as Speaker; and while for most of us that was an exciting era, most people did not know that when he came to Washington and brought his family, he brought the wonderful and the beautiful Mildred O'Neill with him. All of us have heard and talked about so often the partnerships and the sacrifices that wives and children make for those of us who have offered ourselves for public service, but I do not think that was so with Millie and Tip O'Neill because they just seemed like a perfect movie Hollywood couple that just loved each other and did not mind expressing that love in front of everybody. I had the opportunity for 12 consecutive years to travel with Tip O'Neill as he was invited around the world as Speaker; but I do not know whether it was Tip or Millie, but one thing was abundantly clear, that they were not Democratic trips. They were not Republican trips. It was traveling with Millie and Tip O'Neill, and they made everyone feel like just one big congressional family, representing this great body and representing these great United States.”