Tony Hall: “it is with great sadness but deep fondness that I recall the memory of our former colleague and Speaker, Thomas P.…”

“it is with great sadness but deep fondness that I recall the memory of our former colleague and Speaker, Thomas P. ``Tip'' a friend. Tip loved public service and he loved the House. He truly believed in the people he served. Several times he came to my district of Dayton, OH and he was always a hit--not just because he was the powerful Speaker of the House, but because he poured out friendship and warmth. He presided over the House at a time of great change in the direction of our Federal Government. As the Nation's top Democrat, he exercised judgment and compassion in steering Congress in new directions. He never forgot that our purpose was to serve all Americans and that the weak, the poor, and the needy must be remembered. At the end of my first term in the House, Tip appointed me to a coveted spot on the Rules Committee. I was impressed that he put his faith in me when I was no new to this institution. I hope that in the years that followed I have lived up to his trust and his ideals of service.”