TLIAW: Follow The Speaker
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Thomas P. "Tip" O'Neill (Democrat-Massachusetts)
55th Speaker of the House
January 4, 1977 – March 30, 1981
Tip O'Neill was elected Speaker in 1977, the same year that Jimmy Carter became President. Growing up in an Irish middle-class neighborhood in Cambridge, O'Neill championed the interests of his constituents and was a rock solid New Dealer.
With Democrats in control of both houses of Congress and the White House, O'Neill hoped that Democrats would be able to implement Democratic-favored legislation, including universal health care*and jobs programs. The Democrats, however, lacked party discipline, and while the Carter administration and O'Neill started out strong with the passage of ethics and energy packages in 1977, there were major stumbles. Troubles began with Carter's threats to veto a water projects bill, a project of many members of Congress.
Carter was a reform-minded executive who often clashed with O'Neill on legislation. The Speaker wanted to reward loyal Democrats with rewarding projects at a time when Carter wanted to reduce government spending. A continuing weak economy and the*Iran hostage crisis*made prospects bleak for Carter and the Democrats in the 1980*congressional*and presidential*elections. Ronald Reagan defeated Carter in a landslide and carried Republicans to a majority in the Senate. Republicans also gained seats in the House but the Democrats hung on to their majority.
Despite his criticism of the Reagan agenda, O'Neill and Reagan had a cordial relationship in private. In his autobiography, O'Neill wrote that they were friends after 6 PM. The potential of that relationship in the long term would never be known thanks to a fatal bullet from the gun of John Hinckley, Jr.
Upon hearing the news, Vice President Bush took rushed to Air Force Two at Fort Worth, Texas. Sadly, Bush would never learn the fate of Reagan. Five minutes after Reagan was pronounced dead at George Washington University Hospital, the engines in the plane carrying Bush malfunctioned causing the plane to crash at an empty field outside of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. There were no survivors. By 4:30 PM, O'Neill was sworn in as the 41st President of the United States.
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Glenn67, you too have jumped aboard the Timeline in a Day/Week/Month bandwagon?
Yes. And I am off from work for the rest of this week.
Are you the same guy that wrote Double Tragedy?
I plead guilty as charged.
We already saw the decks shuffled with US Presidents, British Prime Ministers, Australians Prime Ministers, Soviet Communist Leaders....
Hold your horses. I'm not shuffling the deck with the Speakers of the House. Not gonna do it.
Trying to go Dana Carvey on me?
Shut up. Just know your role and SHUT YOUR MOUTH!!!
Okay.
Thank you. Now that's better.
It has been awhile since your last TL on AH.com. This should be interesting and I look forward to it.
I hope you will enjoy reading it.
Phillip Burton (Democrat-California)
56th Speaker of the House
March 30, 1981 – April 10, 1983
Prior to becoming Speaker, Burton had been the House Majority Leader since 1977 and a vociferous critic of Reagan. Burton proved to be an effective advocate for President O'Neill who pledged to run a bipartisan administration. Burton successfully lobbied the Democratic caucus to vote to confirm former President Gerald Ford for the Vice Presidency.
Although O'Neill retained most of Reagan's cabinet, he fired Secretary of State Alexander Haig and replaced him with Senator Charles Percy (R-IL). Donald Regan would follow suit and resign as Secretary of the Treasury on May 1, 1981. He was succeeded by Felix Rohatyn.
In his short tenure as Speaker, Burton and his counterpart Senate Majority Leader Howard Baker were able to pass a stimulus bill with modest tax relief that targeted the middle class and cut the top income tax rate down to 42 percent. In addition, Burton's pet project, a landmark AIDS research funding bill also became law. Back home, Burton had de facto control of legislative redistricting in California and succeeded in protecting most Democratic incumbents (including his own brother Congressman John Burton) and redrawing a few Congressional districts at the expense of a few Republicans. The Democratic-controlled state legislature passed and Governor Jerry Brown signed Burton's redistricting plan.
While the Democrats achieved modest gains in the 1982 midterm elections, they still fell short of regaining control of the Senate. In California, Maureen Reagan ran on the memory of her assassinated father and won the Senate race there.
After over two years as Speaker, tragedy would strike again when Burton died of an aneurysm. His successor would become the youngest Speaker of the House since Henry Clay.
William J. Clinton (Democrat-Arkansas)
57th Speaker of the House
April 10, 1983 – June 30, 1988
Elected to Congress in 1974 at the age of 28, Bill Clinton was part of the Watergate Class of '74. While most of these young freshman were nicknamed “Tip's toddlers”, Clinton was jokingly described by others as “Phil's toddler”. And he did share an apartment in Washington, DC with fellow freshman John Burton. While Clinton and his fellow classmates pushed to reform Congress, he also championed the numerous spending projects back home in Arkansas.
Dubbed a rising young star in the Democratic party, Clinton was touted as a future Governor or US Senator. In 1978, he chose to seek reelection instead of running for Governor or Senator. Governor David Pryor was elected Senator that year and Congressman Jim Guy Tucker was elected Governor of Arkansas.
While Reagan easily won Arkansas in 1980, all incumbent Congressmen, Senator Dale Bumpers and Governor Tucker were easily reelected. The Republicans did not even run a candidate against Clinton.
After the 1980 elections, Clinton's fellow Democrats (with help from Burton and the California delegation) elected him as House Majority Whip. His opponent Thomas Foley remained chairman of the House Agriculture Committee. His tenure in that post would be short-lived. After O'Neill became President, Clinton followed Phil Burton as House Majority Leader at the age of 34 and Speaker of the House at the age of 36.
A week after Burton's funeral, President O'Neill announced that he would not run for the Presidency in his own right in 1984.
The rest of 1983 would see the passage of the Jobs Training Partnership Act (also known as the Kennedy-Quayle-Ferraro Act) and a welfare reform package which included a requirement that able-bodied males pay child support to their biological children (championed by Speaker Clinton) and a suicide bomb attack on French peacekeeping troops in Beirut. In his autobiography, O'Neill expressed relief that he decided not to send US Marines “into that quagmire.”
On the 20th anniversary of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, Vice President Ford announced his retirement after the 1984 elections. Senator Paul Tsongas (D-MA) also announced his retirement for health reasons. Congressman Ed Markey announced his candidacy to succeed Tsongas (which he would win in 1984).
Other pet projects passed during Speaker Clinton's tenure included the Education Reform Act of 1984 which included national competency examinations for teachers, block grants for high school sports programs and aid to vocational education; a reorganization of the US military; a civil rights bill for the handicapped; and a major overhaul of the Federal tax code. These efforts continued under President Howard Baker.
When Baker stunned the nation in November 1987 with his announcement that he would not seek reelection, Clinton decided to throw his hat in the ring. So did Vice President Pete Domenici, former Secretary of State Haig, and Senators Dole and Hart.
When the dust settled, Clinton and Domenici clinched their respective parties' Presidential nominations. On June 30, 1988, Clinton resigned as Speaker of the House. The election of the next Speaker would again make history.
Clinton's selection of Senator Ed Markey as his running mate was criticized in part because they were about the same age (they were both 42 years old). In hindsight, it appeared to be a smart move. Especially when it the revelation came out that Domenici fathered a child out of wedlock with the daughter of former Senator Paul Laxalt. Domenici admitted to infidelity in his marriage but would not admit to this specific affair but lost his lead in the polls. Clinton would easily win the election and became the nation's youngest President since JFK. Domenici's running mate, Senator Maureen Reagan would succeed Tom Bradley as Governor of California in 1990.
The holidays and my busy work schedule delayed the continuation of this TL but I am back. So without further ado,
Prior to his election to Congress in 1978, Gray was an ordained minister. He was the first African-American to chair the House Budget Committee and the first to serve as Majority Leader (1987-1988). As the committee chairman, Gray introduced H.R. 1460, an anti-Apartheid bill that prohibited loans and new investment in South Africa and enforced sanctions on imports and exports with South Africa. This bill was instrumental to passage of the Comprehensive Anti-Apartheid Act of 1986 (popularly known as the “Gray-Lugar Act”).
Gray would remain Speaker of the House until the Republicans won control of the House for the first time in 36 years. Gray resigned from the House early in 1991 to become President of the United Negro College Fund. He resigned in 2005 to become Secretary of Education. After President Howard Dean was reelected in 2008, Gray retired and returned to private life. His autobiography topped the New York Times Best Seller list in 1992 and would remain on the best seller list after his death on May 1, 2013.
William H. Gray III (Democrat-Pennsylvania)
58th Speaker of the House
June 30, 1988 - January 4, 1991
58th Speaker of the House
June 30, 1988 - January 4, 1991
Prior to his election to Congress in 1978, Gray was an ordained minister. He was the first African-American to chair the House Budget Committee and the first to serve as Majority Leader (1987-1988). As the committee chairman, Gray introduced H.R. 1460, an anti-Apartheid bill that prohibited loans and new investment in South Africa and enforced sanctions on imports and exports with South Africa. This bill was instrumental to passage of the Comprehensive Anti-Apartheid Act of 1986 (popularly known as the “Gray-Lugar Act”).
Gray would remain Speaker of the House until the Republicans won control of the House for the first time in 36 years. Gray resigned from the House early in 1991 to become President of the United Negro College Fund. He resigned in 2005 to become Secretary of Education. After President Howard Dean was reelected in 2008, Gray retired and returned to private life. His autobiography topped the New York Times Best Seller list in 1992 and would remain on the best seller list after his death on May 1, 2013.
Richard B. Cheney (Republican-Wyoming)
59th Speaker of the House
January 4, 1991 - January 4, 1993
A political insider dating back to his employment at the Ford White House, Dick Cheney had ambitions to climb up the House political ladder from the moment he was first elected to Congress back in 1978. Close to former House Minority Leader Robert Michel and Senator Rumsfeld, Cheney's political skills and Machiavellian intrigues led him to the top of the Republican political heap after his closest rival Newt Gingrich was forced to resign his Georgia Congressional seat in 1989 due to an extramarital affair and subsequent divorce from his second wife.
When the Republicans ousted the House Democrats from power in the 1990 midterm elections, Cheney became the first Republican Speaker of the House since Joseph Martin in 1954.
Unfortunately for Cheney, it would be the Federal Government shutdown of 1991 that would define his tenure as Speaker. President Clinton and the Democrats were able to define the shutdown as Republican obstruction. A few critics of Cheney lambasted him for leading an “imperial Speakership.” An editorial cartoon by Herblock showed Richard Nixon losing his temper and spewing his venom at his enemies before turning back into Dick Cheney when he calmed down.
Clinton would win reelection in a landslide against his Republican opponent, Senator Donald Rumsfeld. The Democrats won back the House. Seeing the writing on the wall, Cheney resigned from Congress after completing his term as Speaker. The Democrats would keep control of the House for the rest of the 1990s.
Cheney would return to investment banking and sit on a few corporate boards. His candidacy for President in 1996 was short-lived. After finishing next to last in the Iowa caucuses, Cheney was hospitalized for emergency bypass surgery which effectively ended his campaign and political career. Cheney suffered another heart attack which ended his life in October 14, 2000.