[House Document 108-227]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]



From the House Documents Online via GPO Access
[wais.access.gpo.gov]



                              Ronald Reagan


                  Late a President of the United States

                                

                            MEMORIAL TRIBUTES

                          DELIVERED IN CONGRESS


  [GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] T7200.001

Courtesy Ronald Reagan Library      
 
                              Ronald Reagan



      108th congress, 2d session  . . .  house document no. 108-227


              M E M O R I A L  S E R V I C E S  I N  T H E
         C O N G R E S S  O F  T H E  U N I T E D   S T A T E S
              A N D  T R I B U T E S  I N  E U L O G Y  O F
                              Ronald Reagan
               L A T E   A  P R E S I D E N T  O F  T H E
                        U N I T E D   S T A T E S


                   Compiled Under the Direction of the

                       Joint Committee on Printing

                         Chairman Robert W. Ney

                      Vice Chairman Saxby Chambliss

                united states government printing office

                            washington : 2005

Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 135

     (Mr. Frist submitted the following concurrent resolution)

                                     In the Senate of the United States,
                                                          July 22, 2004.

          Resolved by the Senate (the House of 
          Representatives concurring),

          SECTION 1. COMMEMORATIVE DOCUMENT AUTHORIZED.

          A commemorative document in memory of the late 
          President of the United States, Ronald Wilson 
          Reagan, consisting of the eulogies and encomiums 
          for Ronald Wilson Reagan, as expressed in the 
          Senate and the House of Representatives, together 
          with the texts of the state funeral ceremony at 
          the United States Capitol Rotunda, the national 
          funeral service held at the Washington National 
          Cathedral, Washington, District of Columbia, and 
          the interment ceremony at the Ronald Reagan 
          Presidential Library, Simi Valley, California, 
          shall be printed as a House document, with 
          illustrations and suitable binding, under the 
          direction of the Joint Committee on Printing.

          SEC. 2. PRINTING OF DOCUMENT.

          In addition to the usual number of copies printed, 
          there shall be printed the lesser of--
          (1) 32,500 copies of the commemorative document, 
          of which 22,150 copies shall be for the use of the 
          House of Representatives and 10,350 copies shall 
          be for the use of the Senate; or
          (2) such number of copies of the commemorative 
          document that does not exceed a production and 
          printing cost of $1,000,000, with distribution of 
          the copies to be allocated in the same proportion 
          as described in paragraph (1).



                                     

                    --------------------------------
                    A compilation of addresses and 
                      tributes as given in the 
                      United States Senate and 
                      House of Representatives 
                      plus such additional 
                      materials, including the 
                      texts of eulogies, messages, 
                      prayers, and scriptural 
                      selections delivered at the 
                      funeral services held in 
                      Washington, DC, and in Simi 
                      Valley, CA, on the life, 
                      character, and public 
                      service of the late 
                      President Ronald Reagan.
                    --------------------------------


                                Contents

                                                                    Page
      Biography...............................................
                                                                     vii
      Funeral Services for the Late Ronald Reagan, Held at--
        U.S. Capitol Rotunda..................................
                                                                    xiii
        Washington National Cathedral.........................
                                                                   xxiii
        Ronald Reagan Presidential Library....................
                                                                    xlix
      Memorial Tributes in the House of Representatives of the 
      United States...........................................
                                                                       1
      Memorial Tributes in the Senate of the United States....
                                                                     177
      Index...................................................
                                                                     323
Ronald Reagan

Biography


                              Ronald Reagan

                               (1911-2004)

Ronald Wilson Reagan was born on February 6, 1911, in an apartment above 
the general store in Tampico, IL. His family consisted of his parents, 
John and Nelle, and his older brother Neil.
    After a series of homes in Chicago, Galesburg, Monmouth, and 
Tampico, IL, the Reagans moved to Dixon, IL, in 1920. Ronald Reagan 
considers Dixon his boyhood home. There he attended high school where he 
became involved in school football, basketball, and track. He served as 
student body president, participated in school plays and worked on the 
yearbook. For 7 summers he was employed as a lifeguard at Lowell Park, 
and is credited with saving 77 lives.
    Reagan graduated from Eureka College with a bachelor of arts degree 
in economics and sociology. At Eureka College he was also involved in 
extracurricular activities including football, swim team, drama, 
yearbook editor, school newspaper reporter and student body president.
    After graduating college Reagan became a radio sportscaster, first 
at WOC in Davenport, IA, later a full-time staff announcer at WHO in Des 
Moines. While reporting on spring training with the Chicago Cubs in 
California, he made a screen test for Warner Bros. They liked the easy-
speaking, handsome Reagan and signed him to a 7-year contract. Reagan 
worked in Hollywood for the next 27 years and appeared in 53 films.
    His military career began in 1935 with enlistment in the Army 
Reserve. Two years later he was promoted to second lieutenant in the 
Reserve Corps of the Cavalry. In the Cavalry he learned to ride horses, 
which became a love he enjoyed throughout his life. In 1942 he was 
called to active duty in World War II. His eyesight made him ineligible 
for overseas duty, and he was assigned to the U.S. Army Air Corp's First 
Motion Picture Unit attaining the rank of captain. There he appeared in 
numerous training films and starred in films selling war bonds.
    In 1940 he married Jane Wyman, an actress he met while filming 
Brother Rat. Maureen Reagan was born, and Michael Reagan was adopted 
before their divorce in 1949. He then met actress Nancy Davis, they fell 
in love, and were married in 1952. They had two children, Patti and 
Ronald Reagan. Reagan and Davis appeared together in only one film, 
Hellcats of the Navy, made in 1957. In 2002 they celebrated their 50th 
wedding anniversary.
    After World War II, Reagan returned to Hollywood. His interest in 
the entertainment industry waned and he became increasingly more focused 
on political matters. He was president of the Screen Actors Guild for 5 
years, and toured the country giving speeches as General Electric's 
celebrity spokesman. In 1960 Reagan campaigned for Richard Nixon as a 
Democrat for Nixon. In 1962 he switched political parties from Democrat 
to Republican. He co-chaired the California campaign for Barry Goldwater 
for President, and launched his political career with a televised 
speech, ``A Time for Choosing,'' which raised a record $8 million for 
the Goldwater campaign. In 1964 Reagan appeared in his last film, The 
Killers. In 1966 he was elected Governor of California, where he served 
for 8 years from 1967 through 1975.
    In 1975 he announced his candidacy for President of the United 
States, but failed to win his party's nomination. In 1980 he won the 
Republican nomination for the Presidency, was overwhelmingly elected, 
and was inaugurated as the 40th President of the United States in 1981. 
President Reagan was the oldest man to be inaugurated as President, the 
first two-term President since Eisenhower, and the longest living 
President of the United States.
    During his 8 years in office, Reagan was wounded by an assassin's 
bullet, appointed the first woman to the Supreme Court, worked to cut 
inflation and reduce government spending, improved the military, 
negotiated reduction of nuclear weapons with the Soviet Union, defeated 
the takeover of Grenada, and called upon Soviet Leader Mikhail Gorbachev 
to tear down the Berlin Wall.
    At the age of 79 he left the Presidency and returned to California. 
In 1991 the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library was dedicated. In 1994 
President Reagan released a letter to the American people announcing 
that he had Alzheimer's disease, concluding his letter with, ``I now 
begin this journey that will lead me into the sunset of my life. I know 
that for America there will always be a bright dawn ahead. Thank you my 
friends. May God always bless you.''
    Ronald Reagan died on June 5, 2004, and is buried at the Ronald 
Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, CA.

  [GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] T7200.003

Courtesy Ronald Reagan Library      

                Speech at the Berlin Wall, June 12, 1987


  [GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] T7200.002
  
Courtesy Ronald Reagan Library      

  Official family photograph following the inauguration, January 20, 1981



                                     

                          FUNERAL SERVICES FOR

                              Ronald Reagan

                                1911-2004





                           With Gratitude for

                       Your Expression of Sympathy

                         in Honoring the Life of

                          Ronald Wilson Reagan

                        February 6, 1911
                               to
                          June 5, 2004

               Ronald Reagan Presidential Library
                     Simi Valley, California

                                       


                                     
                    --------------    --------------
                                    v

                 R O N A L D   W I L S O N   R E A G A N

                 fortieth president of the united states

                      February 6, 1911-June 5, 2004


                    Wednesday, the 9th of June, 2004
                               The Rotunda
                          United States Capitol
                            Washington, D.C.


                               Ronald Reagan
                      R O T U N D A   S E R V I C E

                          United States Capitol
                    --------------    --------------
                                    v




          PRELUDE                             ``Battle Hymn of the Republic''
                                              ``America''
                                              ``God of Our Fathers''
                                              U.S. Army Brass Quintet

          INVOCATION                          The Reverend Daniel P. Coughlin
                                              Chaplain, U.S. House of
                                              Representatives

          EULOGIES                            Senator Ted Stevens
                                              President pro tempore, U.S.
                                              Senate

          ..................................  Representative J. Dennis Hastert
                                              Speaker, U.S. House of
                                              Representatives

          ..................................  Richard B. Cheney
                                              Vice President of the United
                                              States

          HYMN                                ``America the Beautiful''
                                              U.S. Air Force Singing Sergeants

          WREATHS PLACED                      Senator Ted Stevens



          BENEDICTION                         Dr. Barry C. Black
                                              Chaplain, U.S. Senate

          POSTLUDE                            ``God Bless America''
                                              U.S. Army Brass Quintet


Ronald Reagan

Funeral Services

[Air Force One plane lands at Andrews Air Force Base.]
[The color guard representing all branches of the U.S. military gets 
into position.]
[The honor cordon and the Army band march into position.]
[The color guard carries the casket from the plane.]
[Mrs. Reagan disembarks. Mourners disembark.]
[``Hail to the Chief.'' 21-gun salute. ``America the Beautiful.'']
[The color guard carries the casket to the hearse.]
[The hearse carrying the casket of Ronald Reagan and the motorcade leave 
Andrews Air Force Base.]
[The motorcade travels from Suitland Road to Suitland Parkway, picks up 
I295 north to the 11th Street Bridge, then I395 south into Virginia to 
the George Washington Memorial Parkway north and back into Washington, 
DC, at the Memorial Bridge, to Henry Bacon Drive and Constitution 
Avenue.]
[The motorcade stops at the Ellipse at 16th and Constitution.]
[The casket is transferred from the hearse to the caisson by military 
pallbearers.]
[The funeral procession is comprised of the Honor Cordon; 16 marching 
units of 89 people each; 3 marching bands with 100 pieces each; 3 
Commanders with staff; the cortege--Special Honor Guard, Honorary 
Pallbearers, and the National Color Guard; Clergy; horse-drawn carriage; 
caisson; riderless horse with the boots in the stirrups facing backward; 
personal color bearer; and members of the family. The caisson is 
followed by the honor guard, the color guard, the marching bands, and 
the cortege, the procession of mourners.]
[The procession starts at the Ellipse on Pennsylvania Avenue, and 
travels up Constitution Avenue to Capitol Hill.]
[God Bless America.]
[Flyover of 21 F-15 aircraft at Fourth and Constitution. 21 U.S. 
military F-15 aircraft from the Fourth Fighter Wing, Seymour Johnson Air 
Force Base in South Carolina fly over the Capitol and look like a giant 
V. A single plane flies in the lead position followed by five waves of 
four plane formations at 10-second intervals. At the very end, as the 
last part of the formation, one of the F-15s performs the missing man 
maneuver where that aircraft shoots straight up and leaves the others 
behind.]
[Military band plays.]
[Two 105mm howitzers sound the traditional 21-gun salute.]
[``Battle Hymn of the Republic.'']
[Procession reaches Capitol Hill.]
[The casket is removed from the caisson and carried up the stairs by the 
honor guard and placed inside the Capitol rotunda on the catafalque.]

    REV. DANIEL P. COUGHLIN, HOUSE CHAPLAIN: Let us pray. The poet T.S. 
Eliot wrote, ``neither does the actor suffer nor the patient act, but 
both are fixed in an eternal patience, an eternal act. And the wheel 
turns. The wheel turns and is forever still.'' Ronald Wilson Reagan had 
many roles to play in life: husband, father, Governor, but the most 
notable role on the world stage was that of the 40th President of the 
United States of America. With his style and grace he made it seem easy. 
With his compassion and sense of timing, he brought strength of 
character to the Nation and enkindled hope in a darkened world. As the 
patient, he brought humility to greatness and presided over embracing 
life to its natural end and dying with dignity surrounded by love. To 
you, oh Lord, ever patient with all of us, ever active in all of us, be 
praise and thanks for the life and impact Ronald Reagan has had upon us 
all. Support with your grace the Reagan family, and especially Mrs. 
Nancy Reagan, who stood by him in memorable moments of history and never 
left him in the long moments of difficult performance when the wheel 
turned, ah so slowly. Inspired by President Reagan, empower all of us, 
Lord, to employ our part in crumbling the walls of separation and in 
opening the gates to a globalized world. May our stillness here help us 
to remain faithful and patient with those suffering and to make 
decisions that will renew faith in the future. All powerful God, fix 
America in your eternal patience, in your eternal act, as the wheel 
turns now and forever. Amen.

[Salutes.]

    SENATOR TED STEVENS, PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE: Mrs. Reagan, Patti, Ron, 
Michael, distinguished guests, members of the Reagan family, and friends 
of Ronald Reagan in America and throughout the world:
    Tonight, President Ronald Reagan has returned to the people's house 
to be honored by millions of Americans who loved him.
    Since 1824, under this rotunda, our Nation has paid final tribute to 
many dedicated public servants. President Abraham Lincoln was the first 
President to lie in state under this Capitol dome. In the coming days, 
thousands will come to these hallowed halls to say goodbye to another 
son of Illinois who, like Lincoln, appealed to our best hopes, not our 
worst fears.
    In the life of any nation, few men forever alter the course of 
history. Ronald Reagan was one of those men. He rose from a young boy 
who didn't have much to a man who had it all, including the love of a 
faithful partner and friend he found in his wife Nancy.
    The true measure of any man is what he does with the opportunities 
life offers. By that standard, Ronald Reagan was one of America's 
greatest. He first proved that as Governor of California and later as 
President of the United States.
    When Ronald Reagan was sworn in as our 40th President, this Nation 
was gripped by a powerful malaise. Inflation and unemployment were 
soaring, and the Soviet Union was winning the cold war.
    By the time President Reagan left office, he had reversed the trend 
of ever-increasing government control over our lives, restored our 
defense capabilities, guided us through the worst economic downturn 
since the Great Depression, and set in motion policies which ultimately 
led to the collapse of the evil empire.
    His integrity, vision and commitment were respected by all. But 
history's final judgment, I believe, will remember most his ability to 
inspire us.
    President Reagan put it best when he said, ``The greatest leader is 
not necessarily the one who does the greatest things. He is the one that 
gets [the] people to do the greatest things.''
    This President inspired Americans by reaching out far beyond what he 
could attain. Like a good coach, he understood the value of a goal isn't 
always in achieving it; sometimes it's enough to simply look out into 
the future and remind people what is possible. And often, President 
Reagan achieved the impossible.
    He reminded us that ``government is not the solution.'' The solution 
lies in each of us. True American heroes are ordinary people who live 
their lives with extraordinary character and strength.
    President Reagan showed us freedom was not just a slogan. He 
actually brought freedom to hundreds of thousands of people around this 
globe by opposing oppressive regimes. Those of us from the World War II 
generation looked up to him for his moral courage. In him we saw the 
leadership of great men like Eisenhower who led the way and moved us to 
follow.
    On a wintry day in 1981, Ronald Reagan stood on the steps that lie 
just behind these doors to deliver his first inaugural address. He spoke 
of a journal written by a young American who went to France in 1917 and 
died for the cause of freedom. From that journal he read these words: 
``I will work, I will save, I will sacrifice, I will endure, I will 
fight cheerfully and do my utmost, as if the issue of the whole struggle 
depends on me alone.''
    Throughout his life, Ronald Reagan bore our burdens as if the 
outcome did depend on him alone. We will all remember him as an 
unparalleled leader and an exceptional man who lifted our Nation and set 
the world on a new path.
    President Reagan achieved greatness in his life. Some might even 
argue he transcended it. He could not have accomplished this without 
Nancy. Nancy is one of the finest First Ladies these United States have 
ever known. And the love Ronald and Nancy Reagan shared touched the 
hearts of people everywhere.
    In 1989, President Reagan delivered his farewell address from the 
Oval Office. In that speech, the President spoke of the ``shining city 
on a hill'' that, ``after 200 years, two centuries . . . still stands 
strong and true on the granite ridge.'' Now it is our turn to thank 
Ronald Reagan for making us believe in that shining city. As we say 
farewell, his last words as President echo across this great Nation. If 
we listen, we will hear him whisper the humble words he used to sum up 
his revolution: ``All in all, not bad, not bad at all.''

    REP. DENNIS HASTERT, HOUSE SPEAKER: Mrs. Reagan, Mr. Vice President, 
Members of Congress and distinguished guests:
    Ronald Reagan's long journey has finally drawn to a close.
    It is altogether fitting and proper that he has returned to this 
Capitol rotunda, like another great son of Illinois, Abraham Lincoln, so 
the Nation can say goodbye. This Capitol Building is, for many, the 
greatest symbol of democracy and freedom in the world. It brings to mind 
the ``shining city on the hill'' of which President Reagan so often 
spoke. It is the right place to honor a man who so faithfully defended 
our freedom, and so successfully helped extend the blessings of liberty 
to millions of people around the world.
    Mrs. Reagan, thank you for sharing your husband with us--for your 
steadfast love and for your great faith. We pray for you and for your 
family in this time of great mourning.
    But as we mourn, we must also celebrate the life and the vision of 
one of America's greatest Presidents. His story and values are 
quintessentially American. Born in Tampico, IL, and then raised in 
Dixon, IL, he moved west to follow his dreams. He brought with him a 
midwestern optimism, and he blended it with a western can-do spirit.
    In 1980, the year of the Reagan revolution, his vision of hope, 
growth, and opportunity was exactly what the American people needed and 
wanted. His message touched a fundamental chord that is deeply embedded 
in the American experience.
    President Reagan dared to dream that America had a special mission. 
He believed in the essential goodness of the American people and that we 
had a special duty to promote peace and freedom for the rest of the 
world.
    Against the advice of the timid, he sent a chilling message to 
authoritarian governments everywhere, that the civilized world would not 
rest until freedom reigned in every corner of the globe.
    While others worried, President Reagan persevered. When others 
weakened, President Reagan stood tall. When others stepped back, 
President Reagan stepped forward. And he did it all with great humility, 
with great charm, and with great humor.
    Tonight, we will open these doors and let the men and women whom 
Ronald Reagan served so faithfully, file past and say goodbye to a man 
who meant so much to so many. It is their being here that I think would 
mean more to him than any words that we may say, because it was from 
America's great and good people that Ronald Reagan drew his strength.
    In the years ahead, we will tell our grandchildren about this night 
when we gathered here to honor the man from Illinois who became the son 
of California and then the son of all America. And then our 
grandchildren will tell their grandchildren, and President Reagan's 
spirit and eternal faith in America will carry on.
    Ronald Reagan helped make our country and this world a better place 
to live. But he always believed that our best days were ahead of us, not 
behind us. I can still hear him saying with that twinkle in his eye, 
``You ain't seen nothing yet!''
    President Reagan once said, ``We make a living by what we get; we 
make a life by what we give.'' Twenty years ago, President Reagan stood 
on the beaches of Normandy to honor those who made a life by what they 
gave. Recalling the men who scaled the cliffs and crossed the beaches in 
a merciless hail of bullets, he asked, Who were these men--these 
ordinary men doing extraordinary things? His answer was simple and 
direct: They were Americans.
    So I can think of no higher tribute or honor or title to confer upon 
Ronald Reagan than just to simply say, he was an American. Godspeed, Mr. 
President. God bless you, and God bless the United States of America.

    DICK CHENEY, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Mrs. Reagan, 
members of the President's family, colleagues, distinguished guests, 
members of the diplomatic corps, fellow citizens: Knowing that this 
moment would come has not made it any easier to see the honor guard and 
the flag draped before us, and to begin America's farewell to President 
Ronald Reagan. He said goodbye to us in a letter that showed his great 
courage and love for America. Yet for his friends and his country, the 
parting comes only now. And in this national vigil of mourning, we show 
how much America loved this good man and how greatly we will miss him.
    A harsh winter morning in 1985 brought the inaugural ceremony inside 
of this rotunda. And standing in this place for the 50th Presidential 
inauguration, Ronald Reagan spoke of a Nation that was ``hopeful, big-
hearted, idealistic, daring, decent and fair.'' That was how he saw 
America, and that was how America came to know him. There was a 
kindness, simplicity, and goodness of character that marked all the 
years of his life.
    When you mourn a man of 93, no one is left who remembers him as a 
child in his mother's arms. Ronald Wilson Reagan's life began in a time 
and place so different from our own, in a quiet town on the prairie, on 
the 6th of February, 1911. Nelle and Jack Reagan would live long enough 
to see the kind of man they had raised, but they could never know all 
that destiny had in store for the boy they called ``Dutch.'' And if they 
could witness this scene in 2004, their son, taken to his rest with the 
full honors of the United States, they would be so proud of all he had 
done with the life they gave him, and the things they taught him.
    President Reagan once said, ``I learned from my father the value of 
hard work and ambition, and maybe a little something about telling a 
story.'' That was the Ronald Reagan who confidently set out on his own 
from Dixon, IL, during the Great Depression, the man who would one day 
speak before cameras and crowds with such ease and self-command.
    ``From my mother,'' said President Reagan, ``I learned the value of 
prayer. My mother told me that everything in life happened for a 
purpose. She said all things were part of God's plan, even the most 
disheartening setbacks, and in the end, everything worked out for the 
best.'' This was the Ronald Reagan who had faith, not just in his own 
gifts and his own future, but in the possibilities of every life. The 
cheerful spirit that carried him forward was more than a disposition; it 
was the optimism of a faithful soul who trusted in God's purposes, and 
knew those purposes to be right and true.
    He once said, ``There's no question I am an idealist, which is 
another way of saying I am an American.'' We usually associate that 
quality with youth, and yet one of the most idealistic men ever to 
become President was also the oldest.
    He excelled in professions that have left many others jaded and 
self-satisfied, and yet somehow remained untouched by the worst 
influences of fame or power. If Ronald Reagan ever uttered a cynical, or 
cruel, or selfish word, the moment went unrecorded. Those who knew him 
in his youth and those who knew him a lifetime later, all remember his 
largeness of spirit, his gentle instincts, and a quiet rectitude that 
drew others to him.
    Seen now at a distance, his strengths as a man and as a leader are 
only more impressive. It's the nature of the city of Washington that men 
and women arrive, leave their mark, and go their way. Some figures who 
seemed quite large and important in their day are sometimes forgotten, 
or remembered with ambivalence. Yet nearly a generation after the often 
impassioned debates of the Reagan years, what lingers from that time is 
almost all good. And this is because of the calm and kind man who stood 
at the center of events.
    We think back with appreciation for the decency of our 40th 
President and respect for all that he achieved. After so much turmoil in 
the sixties and seventies, our Nation had begun to lose confidence, and 
some were heard to say that the Presidency might even be too big for one 
man. That phrase did not survive the eighties. For decades, America had 
waged a cold war, and few believed it could possibly end in our own 
lifetimes. The President was one of those few. And it was the vision and 
the will of Ronald Reagan that gave hope to the oppressed, shamed the 
oppressors, and ended an evil empire. More than any other influence, the 
cold war was ended by the perseverance and courage of one man who 
answered falsehood with truth, and overcame evil with good.
    Ronald Reagan was more than a historic figure. He was a providential 
man who came along just when our Nation and the world most needed him. 
And believing as he did that there is a plan at work in each life, he 
accepted not only the great duties that came to him, but also the great 
trials that came near the end. When he learned of his illness, his first 
thoughts were of Nancy. And who else but Ronald Reagan could face his 
own decline and death with a final message of hope to his country, 
telling us that for America there is always a bright dawn ahead? Fellow 
Americans, here lies a graceful and a gallant man.
    Nancy, none of us can take away the sadness you are feeling. I hope 
it is a comfort to know how much he means to us, and how much you mean 
to us as well. We honor your grace, your own courage, and above all, the 
great love that you gave to your husband. When these days of ceremony 
are completed, the Nation returns him to you for the final journey to 
the West. And when he is laid to rest under the Pacific sky, we will be 
thinking of you, as we commend to the Almighty the soul of His faithful 
servant, Ronald Wilson Reagan.
    [Music]

    DR. BARRY C. BLACK, CHAPLAIN, U.S. SENATE: Let us bow for the 
benediction. O giver of every good and perfect gift, accept our 
gratitude for the life of your servant, President Ronald Reagan, whose 
love for freedom summoned our Nation to embrace our best hopes and not 
our worst fears. Thank you for his ability to plant seeds of confidence 
and not doubt and to lift liberty's lamp until totalitarian towers 
tumbled. In the days to come, remind us of America's opportunity to 
remain a ``shining city on a hill.'' Continue to comfort those who 
mourn. In a special way, be near to Mrs. Nancy Reagan and the family. 
May the death of this beloved leader prompt us to see you more clearly, 
to love you more dearly, and to follow you more nearly day by day. Now 
fill us with your peace, as we trust you, so that we may overflow with 
hope by the power of your spirit. Amen.
    [Music]
    [Mrs. Reagan, accompanied by Mr. Cheney, says goodbye to her husband 
at the casket. Michael Reagan also says goodbye. Family and friends file 
out.]
Ronald Reagan

Funeral Services

                                     


                                     
                    --------------    --------------
                                    v

                 R O N A L D   W I L S O N   R E A G A N
                 fortieth president of the united states
                      February 6, 1911-June 5, 2004


                     Friday, the 11th of June, 2004
                  Eleven thirty o'clock in the morning
                      Washington National Cathedral
                            Washington, D.C.

Ronald Reagan

Funeral Services

                    --------------    --------------
                                    v
                                CELEBRANT
                      The Reverend John C. Danforth

                              PARTICIPANTS
                  The Right Reverend John Bryson Chane
             Bishop of Washington and Dean of the Cathedral

               The Right Reverend A. Theodore Eastman
                Vicar, Washington National Cathedral

                   His Eminence Angelo Cardinal Sodano
    Secretary of State, Personal Representative of Pope John Paul II

               His Eminence Theodore Cardinal McCarrick
                    Catholic Archbishop of Washington

                    His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios
             Primate of the Greek Orthodox Church in America

                          Imam Mohamed Magid Ali
         Imam and Director of the All Dulles Area Muslim Society

                                 READERS
                          Rabbi Harold Kushner
                  Temple Israel, Natick, Massachusetts
                    The Honorable Sandra Day O'Connor

                                TRIBUTES
                   The President of the United States
                     The Honorable George H.W. Bush
      The Right Honourable The Baroness Thatcher, L.G., O.M., F.R.S
                   The Right Honourable Brian Mulroney

                          HONORARY PALLBEARERS
                     The Honorable Michael K. Deaver
                            Mr. Merv Griffin
         Brigadier General John E. Hutton, MC U.S. Army, Retired
                  The Honorable Frederick J. Ryan, Jr.
                      The Honorable Charles Z. Wick

Ronald Reagan

Funeral Services

                    --------------    --------------
                                    v
                                MUSICIANS




    Ronan Tynan                           The Cathedral Choir of Men,
    Irish Tenor                                   Boys, and Girls

The United States Marine Chamber          Michael McCarthy, Director of Music
         Orchestra                                Erik Wm. Suter
Colonel Timothy W. Foley, Director        Organist and Associate Choirmaster

       The Armed Forces Chorus                    Scott Hanoian
Lieutenant Colonel John Clanton           Assistant Organist and Choirmaster
         Director
                                                  The Reverend Canon
The United States Coast Guard Band                W. Bruce McPherson
 Captain Lewis J. Buckley, Director       Director for Worship and Liturgy
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
    The Cathedral Vergers                         The Cathedral Ushers
    Stephen Lott, Head Verger                   Michael Heid, Head Usher


Ronald Reagan

Funeral Services

         ---------------- ORDER OF THE SERVICE ----------------




    PRELUDE                                         U.S. Marine Chamber Orchestra
      ``Faire is the Heaven''
      ``Bring Us, O Lord God''
      ``And I Saw a New Heaven''
      ``Ave Maria''                                 Ronan Tynan
    RECEPTION OF THE BODY
      Musical Honors                                U.S. Coast Guard Band
        ``Ruffles and Flourishes''
        ``Hail to the Chief''
        ``Navy Hymn''
          tune: Melita
      Prayers                                       The Right Reverend John Bryson Chane attended by The
                                                     Reverend John C. Danforth, The Right Reverend A. Theodore
                                                     Eastman, and Stephen Lott
    ANTHEM IN PROCESSION                            The Reverend John C. Danforth
    COLLECT FOR BURIAL                              The Reverend John C. Danforth
    A READING FROM THE                              Rabbi Harold Kushner
      HEBREW SCRIPTURES
    READING                                         The Honorable Sandra Day O'Connor
      ``We shall Be as a City Upon a
        Hill,'' by John Winthrop
    ANTHEM
      ``O Love of God, How Strong                   Cathedral Choir
        and True''
    INTRODUCTION OF                                 The Reverend John C. Danforth
      REMEMBRANCES
    TRIBUTES                                        The Right Honourable The Baroness Thatcher, L.G., O.M.,
                                                     F.R.S
    ..............................................  The Right Honourable Brian Mulroney
    ..............................................  The Honorable George H.W. Bush
    ..............................................  President George W. Bush
    ANTHEM                                          Armed Forces Chorus
      ``Battle Hymn of the Republic''               U.S. Marine Chamber Orchestra
    GOSPEL                                          His Eminence Theodore Cardinal McCarrick
    HOMILY                                          The Reverend John C. Danforth
    ANTHEM
      ``Amazing Grace''                             Ronan Tynan
    THE LORD'S PRAYER                               The Reverend John C. Danforth
    PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE                           The Right Reverend A. Theodore Eastman
    HYMN
      ``Sing with All the Saints in
        Glory''
    THE COMMENDATION                                The Reverend John C. Danforth
    THE BLESSING                                    The Right Reverend John Bryson Chane
    THE DISMISSAL                                   The Right Reverend A. Theodore Eastman
    ANTHEM
      ``The Mansions of the Lord''                  Armed Forces Chorus
                                                    U.S. Marine Chamber Orchestra

                 The congregation is asked to remain at their seats until directed by an usher.
                        A full peal, half-muffled, will be rung on the Cathedral bells at
                                         the conclusion of the service.


Ronald Reagan

Funeral Services

[The Color Guard moves up the stairs toward the rotunda, to begin the 
process of transferring the casket of Ronald Reagan from the rotunda to 
the hearse.]
[21-gun salute as the casket is carried down the House steps and loaded 
into the hearse.]

[As the hearse carrying President Reagan's casket leaves the Capitol, 
the bells begin to peel.]
[The drive to the National Cathedral.]

PRELUDE
U.S. Marine Chamber Orchestra

``Faire is the Heaven,'' William H. Harris

``Bring Us, O Lord God,'' William H. Harris

``And I Saw a New Heaven,'' Edgar L. Bainton

``Ave Maria,'' Franz Peter Schubert; sung by Ronan Tynan, Irish tenor

[The motorcade arrives at the National Cathedral. The casket is removed 
from the hearse.]
[The chimes continue to ring once a minute. Afterward there will be a 
much, much louder and sustained chiming of those bells.]

RECEPTION OF THE BODY

Musical Honors, U.S. Coast Guard Band

    ``Ruffles and Flourishes''

    ``Hail to the Chief''

    ``Navy Hymn,'' James Sanderson (tune: Melita)

Prayers

The Right Reverend John Bryson Chane attended by The Reverend John C. 
Danforth, The Right Reverend A. Theodore Eastman, and Stephen Lott

    With faith in Jesus Christ, we receive the body of our brother Ronald 
for burial. Let us pray with confidence to God, the Giver of life, that he 
will raise him to perfection in the company of the saints.

    Deliver your servant Ronald, O Sovereign Lord Christ, from all evil, 
and set him free from every bond; that he may rest with all your saints in 
the eternal habitations; where with the Father and the Holy Spirit you live 
and reign, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

    Let us also pray for all who mourn, that they may cast their care on 
God, and know the consolation of his love.

    Almighty God, look with pity upon the sorrows of your servants for whom 
we pray. Remember them, Lord, in your mercy; nourish them with patience; 
comfort them with a sense of your goodness; lift up your countenance upon 
them and give them peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

[The People stand.]
[The Celebrant is led to the center of the rood screen landing; all 
others to their seats. When at about the midnave cross-aisle, the 
Celebrant begins.]

ANTHEM IN PROCESSION
The Reverend John C. Danforth

I am the resurrection and the life, saith the Lord;

he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live;

and whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die.

I know that my Redeemer liveth,

and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth;

and though this body be destroyed, yet shall I see God;

whom I shall see for myself and mine eyes shall behold,

and not as a stranger.

For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself.

For if we live, we live unto the Lord;

and if we die, we die unto the Lord.

Whether we live, therefore, or die, we are the Lord's.

Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord;

even so saith the Spirit, for they rest from their labors.

[The Celebrant reaches the rood screen landing and faces the 
congregation. The casket is put in position and the bearers depart. The 
family is shown to their seats. President Bush accompanies Mrs. Reagan 
to her seat.]

COLLECT FOR BURIAL
The Reverend John C. Danforth

    Let us pray. O God, whose mercies cannot be numbered: Accept our 
prayers on behalf of thy servant Ronald, and grant him an entrance into the 
land of light and joy, in the fellowship of thy saints; through Jesus 
Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one 
God, now and for ever. Amen.

[The People are seated.]
[The Celebrant goes to his stall as the first and second readers are led 
to the lectern. The first reader steps up to the reading desk.]

A READING FROM THE HEBREW SCRIPTURES
Rabbi Harold Kushner
Isaiah 40:28-31

    Where does a person find the strength to persevere in difficult times? 
Many people find that strength from the pages of the Bible. Turning to the 
Book of Isaiah, the 40th chapter:

    Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard

    That the everlasting God, the Lord,

    The Creator of the ends of the earth,

    Fainteth not, neither is weary?

    There is no searching of his understanding.

    He giveth power to the faint:

    And to him that hath no might He increaseth strength.

    Even the youths shall faint and be weary,

    And the young men shall utterly fall;

    But they that wait for the Lord shall renew their strength;

    They shall mount up with wings as eagles;

    They shall run, and not be weary;

    They shall walk, and not faint.

[The first reader steps down to the landing and the second reader steps 
up to the reading desk.]

READING
The Honorable Sandra Day O'Connor
``We Shall Be as a City Upon a Hill,'' by John Winthrop

    This is a reading from a sermon delivered in 1630 by the Pilgrim leader 
John Winthrop, who was aboard the ship the Arabella on his way from England 
to the Massachusetts Bay Colony. ``The city on the hill'' passage was 
referenced by President Reagan in several notable speeches.

    Now the only way . . . to provide for our posterity, is to follow the 
counsel of Micah, to do justly, to love mercy, to walk humbly with our God. 
. . . We must delight in each other, make others' conditions our own; 
rejoice together, mourn together, labor and suffer together, always having 
before our eyes our commission and community in the work, as members of the 
same body. . . . The Lord will be our God, and delight to dwell among us, 
as His own people . . . For we must consider that we shall be as a city 
upon a hill. The eyes of all people are upon us. So that if we shall deal 
falsely with our God in this work we have undertaken, and so cause Him to 
withdraw His present help from us, we shall be made a story and a by-word 
through the world.

[The second reader steps down, and both readers are led back to their 
seats.]
[A lectern is placed on the rood screen landing center for Mr. 
Mulroney.]

ANTHEM
``O Love of God, How Strong and True''
Tune: Jerusalem
C. Hubert H. Parry, 1916
arr: Michael McCarthy, 2004
text by: Horatio Bonar, 1858
Cathedral Choir

O love of God, how strong and true

Eternal and yet ever new,

Uncomprehended and unbought,

Beyond all knowledge and all thought!

O love of God, how deep and great,

Far deeper than man's deepest hate;

Self-fed, self-kindled like the light,

Changeless, eternal infinite.

O heav'nly love, how precious still,

In days of weariness and ill,

In nights of pain and helplessness,

To heal, to comfort and to bless!

O wide-embracing, wondrous love!

We read you in the sky above,

We read you in the earth below,

In seas that swell and streams that flow.

We read you best in him who came

To bear for us the cross of shame;

Sent by the Father from on high,

Our life to live, our death to die.

We read your pow'r to bless and save,

E'en in the darkness of the grave;

Still more in resurrection light

We read the fullness of your might.

O love of God, our shield and stay

Through all the perils of our way!

Eternal love, in you we rest

Forever safe, forever blest.

We will exalt you, God and King,

and we will ever praise your name;

We will extol you ev'ry day,

and ever more your praise proclaim

[Toward the end of the anthem, Mr. Mulroney is led to the landing 
lectern for his tribute.]

INTRODUCTION OF REMEMBRANCES
The Reverend John C. Danforth
[The Celebrant stands at his stall, faces the congregation, and 
introduces Baroness Thatcher's videotaped tribute, then takes his seat 
again.]

  President Reagan's deepest long-held wish was that Lady Thatcher should 
participate in this service. But as the years have passed, Lady Thatcher's 
health, too, has suffered its ups and downs. Eighteen months ago, her 
doctors advised her to give up all formal public speaking. But she was 
determined to record her tribute to President Reagan come what may, and 
this she has done. She was equally determined, on learning of the 
President's death, to be with us today. The next voice you will hear will 
be Lady Thatcher's.

TRIBUTE
Margaret Thatcher, former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom

    We have lost a great President, a great American and a great man, and I 
have lost a dear friend. In his lifetime, Ronald Reagan was such a cheerful 
and invigorating presence that it was easy to forget what daunting historic 
tasks he set himself. He sought to mend America's wounded spirit, to 
restore the strength of the free world, and to free the slaves of 
communism. These were causes hard to accomplish and heavy with risk.

    Yet they were pursued with almost a lightness of spirit, for Ronald 
Reagan also embodied another great cause, what Arnold Bennett once called 
``the great cause of cheering us all up.'' His politics had a freshness and 
optimism that won converts from every class and every nation, and 
ultimately from the very heart of the evil empire.

    Yet his humour often had a purpose beyond humour. In the terrible hours 
after the attempt on his life, his easy jokes gave reassurance to an 
anxious world. They were evidence that in the aftermath of terror and in 
the midst of hysteria, one great heart at least remained sane and jocular. 
They were truly grace under pressure.

    And perhaps they signified grace of a deeper kind. Ronnie himself 
certainly believed that he had been given back his life for a purpose. As 
he told a priest after his recovery ``Whatever time I've got left now 
belongs to the big fellow upstairs.''

    And surely it is hard to deny that Ronald Reagan's life was 
providential, when we look at what he achieved in the 8 years that 
followed.

    Others prophesied the decline of the West; he inspired America and its 
allies with renewed faith in their mission of freedom.

    Others saw only limits to growth; he transformed a stagnant economy 
into an engine of opportunity.

    Others hoped, at best, for an uneasy cohabitation with the Soviet 
Union; he won the cold war--not only without firing a shot, but also by 
inviting enemies out of their fortress and turning them into friends.

    I cannot imagine how any diplomat, or any dramatist, could improve on 
his words to Mikhail Gorbachev at the Geneva Summit: ``Let me tell you why 
it is we distrust you.'' Those words are candid and tough and they cannot 
have been easy to hear. But they are also a clear invitation to a new 
beginning and a new relationship that would be rooted in trust.

    We live today in the world that Ronald Reagan began to reshape with 
those words. It is a very different world with different challenges and new 
dangers. All in all, however, it is one of greater freedom and prosperity, 
one more hopeful than the world he inherited on becoming President.

    As Prime Minister, I worked closely with Ronald Reagan for 8 of the 
most important years of all our lives. We talked regularly both before and 
after his Presidency. And I have had time and cause to reflect on what made 
him a great President.

    Ronald Reagan knew his own mind. He had firm principles--and, I 
believe, right ones. He expounded them clearly, he acted upon them 
decisively.

    When the world threw problems at the White House, he was not baffled, 
or disorientated, or overwhelmed. He knew almost instinctively what to do.

    When his aides were preparing option papers for his decision, they were 
able to cut out entire rafts of proposals that they knew ``the Old Man'' 
would never wear.

    When his allies came under Soviet or domestic pressure, they could look 
confidently to Washington for firm leadership.

    And when his enemies tested American resolve, they soon discovered that 
his resolve was firm and unyielding.

    Yet his ideas, though clear, were never simplistic. He saw the many 
sides of truth.

    Yes, he warned that the Soviet Union had an insatiable drive for 
military power and territorial expansion; but he also sensed it was being 
eaten away by systemic failures impossible to reform.

    Yes, he did not shrink from denouncing Moscow's ``evil empire.'' But he 
realised that a man of good will might nonetheless emerge from within its 
dark corridors.

    So the President resisted Soviet expansion and pressed down on Soviet 
weakness at every point until the day came when communism began to collapse 
beneath the combined weight of those pressures and its own failures. And 
when a man of good will did emerge from the ruins, President Reagan stepped 
forward to shake his hand and to offer sincere cooperation.

     Nothing was more typical of Ronald Reagan than that large-hearted 
magnanimity. And nothing was more American. Therein lies perhaps the final 
explanation of his achievements. Ronald Reagan carried the American people 
with him in his great endeavors because there was perfect sympathy between 
them. He indeed loved America and what it stands for: freedom and 
opportunity for ordinary people.

    As an actor in Hollywood's golden age, he helped to make the American 
dream live for millions all over the globe. His own life was a fulfillment 
of that dream. He never succumbed to the embarrassment some people feel 
about an honest expression of love of country. He was able to say, ``God 
bless America'' with equal fervour in public and in private. And so he was 
able to call confidently upon his fellow countrymen to make sacrifices for 
America and to make sacrifices for those who looked to America for hope and 
rescue.

    With the lever of American patriotism, he lifted up the world. And so 
today, the world--in Prague, in Budapest, in Warsaw, in Sofia, in 
Bucharest, in Kiev and in Moscow itself--the world mourns the passing of 
the ``great liberator'' and echoes his prayer: ``God bless America.''

    Ronald Reagan's life was rich, not only in public achievement, but also 
in private happiness. Indeed, his public achievements were rooted in his 
private happiness. The great turning point of his life was his meeting and 
marriage with Nancy.

    On that we have the plain testimony of a loving and grateful husband: 
``Nancy came along and saved my soul.'' We share her grief today. But we 
also share her pride--and the grief and pride of Ronnie's children.

    For the final years of his life, Ronnie's mind was clouded by illness. 
That cloud has now lifted. He is himself again--more himself than at any 
time on this Earth. For we may be sure that the Big Fellow Upstairs never 
forgets those who remember Him. And as the last journey of this faithful 
pilgrim took him beyond the sunset, and as Heaven's morning broke, I like 
to think--in the words of Bunyan--that ``all the trumpets sounded on the 
other side.''

    We here still move in twilight. But we have one beacon to guide us that 
Ronald Reagan never had. We have his example. Let us give thanks today for 
a life that achieved so much for all of God's children.

TRIBUTE
Brian Mulroney, Former Prime Minister of Canada

    In the spring of 1987, President Reagan and I were driven into a large 
hangar at the Ottawa Airport to await the arrival of Mrs. Reagan and my 
wife Mila prior to departure ceremonies for their return to Washington. We 
were alone except for the security details.

    President Reagan's visit had been important, demanding and successful. 
Our discussions reflected the international agenda of the times: the 
nuclear threat posed by the Soviet Union and the missile deployment by 
NATO, pressures in the Warsaw Pact, challenges resulting from the Berlin 
Wall and the ongoing separation of Germany, and bilateral and hemispheric 
free trade.

    President Reagan had spoken to Parliament, handled complex files with 
skill and good humor, strongly impressing his Canadian hosts. And here we 
were waiting for our wives.

    When their car drove in a moment later, out stepped Nancy and Mila 
looking like a million bucks. And as they headed toward us, President 
Reagan beamed. He threw his arm around my shoulder. And he said with a 
grin, ``You know, Brian, for two Irishmen, we sure married up.''

    In that visit, in that moment, one saw the quintessential Ronald 
Reagan: the leader we respected, the neighbor we admired, and the friend we 
loved, a President of the United States of America whose truly remarkable 
life we celebrate in this magnificent cathedral today.

    Presidents and prime ministers everywhere, I suspect, sometimes wonder 
how history will deal with them. Some even evince a touch of the insecurity 
of Thomas D'Arcy McGee, an Irish immigrant to Canada who became a father of 
our confederation.

    In one of his poems, McGee, thinking of his birthplace, wrote 
poignantly,

``Am I remembered in Erin?

I charge you speak me true.

Has my name a sound, a meaning

In the scenes my boyhood knew?''

    Ronald Reagan will not have to worry about Erin because they remember 
him well and affectionately there. Indeed they do.

    From Erin to Estonia, from Maryland to Madagascar, from Montreal to 
Monterey, Ronald Reagan does not enter history tentatively. He does so with 
certainty and panache.

    At home and on the world stage, his were not the pallid etchings of a 
timorous politician. They were the bold strokes of a confident and 
accomplished leader.

    Some in the West, during the early eighties, believed communism and 
democracy were equally valid and viable. This was the school of moral 
equivalence.

    In contrast, Ronald Reagan saw Soviet communism as a menace to be 
confronted in the genuine belief that its squalid underpinnings would fall 
swiftly to the gathering winds of freedom, provided as he said, ``that NATO 
and the industrialized democracies stood firm and united.'' They did. And 
we know now who was right.

    Ronald Reagan was a President who inspired his Nation and transformed 
the world. He possessed a rare and prized gift called leadership, that 
ineffable and magical quality that sets some men and women apart so that 
millions will follow them as they conjure up grand visions and invite their 
countrymen to dream big and exciting dreams.

    I always thought that President Reagan's understanding of the nobility 
of the Presidency coincided with that American dream.

    One day in Brussels, President Mitterand, in referring to President 
Reagan, said, ``Il a vraiment la notion de l'Etat''; rough translation: 
``He really has a sense of the state about him.'' The translation does not 
fully capture the profundity of the observation.

    What President Mitterand meant is that there is a vast difference 
between the job of President and the role of President.

    Ronald Reagan fulfilled both with elegance and ease, embodying himself 
that unusual alchemy of history and tradition and achievement and 
inspirational conduct and national pride that defined the special role the 
President of the United States of America must assume at all times at home 
and around the world.

    La notion de l'etat; no one understood it better than Ronald Reagan. 
And no one could more eloquently summon his Nation to high purpose or bring 
forth the majesty of the Presidency and make it glow better than the man 
who referred to his own Nation as ``a city on the hill.''

    May our common future and that of our great nations be guided by wise 
men and women who will remember always the golden achievements of the 
Reagan era and the success that can be theirs if the values of freedom and 
democracy are preserved, unsullied and undiminished until the unfolding 
decades can remember little else.

    I have been truly blessed to have been a friend of Ronald Reagan. I am 
grateful that our paths crossed and that our lives touched. I shall always 
remember him with the deepest admiration and affection.

    And I will always feel honored by the journey that we traveled together 
in search of better and more peaceful tomorrows for all God's children 
everywhere.

    And so in the presence of his beloved and indispensable Nancy, his 
children, his family, his friends and all of the American people that he so 
deeply revered, I say au revoir today to a gifted leader, a historic 
President and a gracious human being.

    And I do so with a line from Yeats, who wrote, ``Think where man's 
glory most begins and ends, and say, `My glory was that I had such 
friends.' ''

[Choir singing]
[Mr. Mulroney returns to his seat. Mr. Bush is led to the pulpit for his 
tribute.]

TRIBUTE
George H.W. Bush, former President of the United States

    When Franklin Roosevelt died in 1945, ``The New York Times'' wrote, 
``Men will thank God 100 years from now that Franklin D. Roosevelt was in 
the White House.'' It will not take 100 years to thank God for Ronald 
Reagan. But why? Why was he so admired? Why was he so beloved?

    He was beloved, first, because of what he was. Politics can be cruel, 
uncivil. Our friend was strong and gentle. Once he called America 
``hopeful, big-hearted, idealistic, daring, decent and fair.'' That was 
America and, yes, our friend.

    And next, Ronald Reagan was beloved because of what he believed. He 
believed in America so he made it his ``shining city on a hill.'' He 
believed in freedom so he acted on behalf of its values and ideals. He 
believed in tomorrow so the Great Communicator became the Great Liberator. 
He talked of winning one for the Gipper and as President, through his 
relationship with Mikhail Gorbachev with us today, the Gipper, and yes 
Mikhail Gorbachev, won one for peace around the world.

    If Ronald Reagan created a better world for many millions it was 
because of the world someone else created for him.

    Nancy was there for him always. Her love for him provided much of his 
strength, and their love together transformed all of us as we've seen--
renewed seeing again here in the last few days.

    And one of the many memories we all have of both of them is the comfort 
they provided during our national tragedies.

    Whether it was the families of the crew of the Challenger shuttle or 
the USS Stark or the Marines killed in Beirut, we will never forget those 
images of the President and First Lady embracing them and embracing us 
during times of sorrow.

    So, Nancy, I want to say this to you: Today, America embraces you. We 
open up our arms. We seek to comfort you, to tell you of our admiration for 
your courage and your selfless caring.

    And to the Reagan kids--it's OK for me to say that at 80--Michael, Ron, 
Patti, today all of our sympathy, all of our condolences to you all, and 
remember, too, your sister Maureen home safe now with her father.

    As his Vice President for 8 years, I learned more from Ronald Reagan 
than from anyone I encountered in all my years of public life. I learned 
kindness; we all did. I also learned courage; the Nation did.

    Who can forget the horrible day in March 1981, he looked at the doctors 
in the emergency room and said, ``I hope you're all Republicans.'' 
[Laughter]

    And then I learned decency; the whole world did. Days after being shot, 
weak from wounds, he spilled water from a sink, and entering the hospital 
room aides saw him on his hands and knees wiping water from the floor. He 
worried that his nurse would get in trouble.

    The Good Book says humility goes before honor, and our friend had both, 
and who could not cherish such a man?

    And perhaps as important as anything, I learned a lot about humor, a 
lot about laughter. And, oh, how President Reagan loved a good story.

    When asked, ``How did your visit go with Bishop Tutu?'' he replied, 
``So-so.'' [Laughter]

    It was typical. It was wonderful.

    And in leaving the White House, the very last day, he left in the yard 
outside the Oval Office door a little sign for the squirrels. He loved to 
feed those squirrels. And he left this sign that said, ``Beware of the 
dog,'' and to no avail, because our dog Millie came in and beat the heck 
out of the squirrels.

    But anyway, he also left me a note, at the top of which said, ``Don't 
let the turkeys get you down.''

    Well, he certainly never let them get him down. And he fought hard for 
his beliefs. He led from conviction, but never made an adversary into an 
enemy. He was never mean-spirited.

    Reverend Billy Graham, who I refer to as the Nation's pastor, is now 
hospitalized and regrets that he can't be here today. And I asked him for a 
Bible passage that might be appropriate. And he suggested this from Psalm 
37: ``The Lord delights in the way of the man whose steps he has made firm. 
Though he stumble, he will not fall for the Lord upholds him with his 
hand.''

    And then this, too, from 37: ``There is a future for the man of 
peace.''

    God bless you, Ronald Wilson Reagan and the Nation you loved and led so 
well.

[Mr. Bush is led back to his seat as President Bush is led to the 
pulpit.]

TRIBUTE
George W. Bush, President of the United States

    Mrs. Reagan, Patti, Michael and Ron, members of the Reagan family, 
distinguished guests, including our Presidents and First Ladies, Reverend 
Danforth, fellow citizens, we lost Ronald Reagan only days ago but we have 
missed him for a long time. We have missed his kindly presence, that 
reassuring voice and the happy ending we had wished for him. It has been 10 
years since he said his own farewell, yet it is still very sad and hard to 
let him go. Ronald Reagan belongs to the ages now, but we preferred it when 
he belonged to us.

    In a life of good fortune, he valued above all the gracious gift of his 
wife, Nancy. During his career, Ronald Reagan passed through a thousand 
crowded places, but there was only one person, he said, who could make him 
lonely by just leaving the room. America honors you, Nancy, for the loyalty 
and love you gave this man on a wonderful journey and to that journey's 
end. Today, our whole Nation grieves with you and your family.

    When the Sun sets tonight off the coast of California and we lay to 
rest our 40th President, a great American story will close.

    The second son of Nelle and Jack Reagan first knew the world as a place 
of open plains, quiet streets, gaslit rooms and carriages drawn by horse.

    If you could go back to the Dixon, IL, of 1922, you'd find a boy of 11 
reading adventure stories at the public library or running with his brother 
Neil along Rock River, and coming home to a little house on Hennepin 
Avenue. That town was the kind of place he remembered where you prayed side 
by side with your neighbors. And if things were going wrong for them, you 
prayed for them and knew they'd pray for you if things went wrong for you.

    The Reagan family would see its share of hardship, struggle and 
uncertainty. And out of that circumstance came a young man of steadiness, 
calm and a cheerful confidence that life would bring good things.

    The qualities all of us have seen in Ronald Reagan were first spotted 
70 and 80 years ago. As the lifeguard in Lowell Park, he was the protector, 
keeping an eye out for trouble. As a sports announcer on the radio, he was 
the friendly voice that made you see the game as he did. As an actor he was 
the handsome all-American good guy, which in his case required knowing his 
lines and being himself.

    Along the way certain convictions were formed and fixed in the man. 
Ronald Reagan believed that everything happens for a reason and that we 
should strive to know and do the will of God. He believed that the 
gentleman always does the kindest thing. He believed that people were 
basically good and had the right to be free. He believed that bigotry and 
prejudice were the worst things a person could be guilty of. He believed in 
the Golden Rule and in the power of prayer. He believed that America was 
not just a place in the world, but the hope of the world. And he believed 
in taking a break now and then, because, as he said, ``there's nothing 
better for the inside of a man than the outside of a horse.''

    Ronald Reagan spent decades in the film industry and in politics, 
fields known on occasion to change a man. But not this man. From Dixon to 
Des Moines to Hollywood to Sacramento to Washington, DC, all who met him 
remembered the same sincere, honest, upright fellow.

    Ronald Reagan's deepest beliefs never had much to do with fashion or 
convenience. His convictions were always politely stated, affably argued, 
and as firm and straight as the columns of this cathedral.

    There came a point in Ronald Reagan's film career when people started 
seeing a future beyond the movies. The actor Robert Cummings recalled one 
occasion. ``I was sitting around the set with all these people and we were 
listening to Ronnie, quite absorbed. I said, `Ron, have you ever considered 
some day becoming President?' He said, `President of what?' `President of 
the United States,' I said. And he said, `What's the matter? Don't you like 
my acting either?' '' [Laughter]

    The clarity and intensity of Ronald Reagan's convictions led to 
speaking engagements around the country, and a new following he did not 
seek or expect. He often began his speeches by saying, ``I'm going to talk 
about controversial things.'' And then he spoke of communist rulers as 
slave masters, of a government in Washington that had far overstepped its 
proper limits, of a time for choosing that was drawing near.

    In the space of a few years he took ideas and principles that were 
mainly found in journals and books and turned them into a broad, hopeful 
movement ready to govern.

    As soon as Ronald Reagan became California's Governor, observers saw a 
star in the west, tanned, well-tailored, in command and on his way. In the 
sixties his friend Bill Buckley wrote, ``Reagan is indisputably a part of 
America and he may become a part of American history.''

    Ronald Reagan's moment arrived in 1980. He came out ahead of some very 
good men, including one from Plains and one from Houston. What followed was 
one of the decisive decades of the century as the convictions that shaped 
the President began to shape the times.

    He came to office with great hopes for America. And more than hopes. 
Like the President he had revered and once saw in person, Franklin 
Roosevelt, Ronald Reagan matched an optimistic temperament with bold, 
persistent action. President Reagan was optimistic about the great promise 
of economic reform, and he acted to restore the rewards and spirit of 
enterprise. He was optimistic that a strong America could advance the 
peace, and he acted to build the strength that mission required. He was 
optimistic that liberty would thrive wherever it was planted, and he acted 
to defend liberty wherever it was threatened.

    And Ronald Reagan believed in the power of truth in the conduct of 
world affairs. When he saw evil camped across the horizon he called that 
evil by its name. There were no doubters in the prisons and gulags, where 
dissidents spread the news, tapping to each other in code what the American 
President had dared to say. There were no doubters in the shipyards and 
churches and secret labor meetings where brave men and women began to hear 
the creaking and rumbling of a collapsing empire. And there were no 
doubters among those who swung hammers at the hated wall that the first and 
hardest blow had been struck by President Ronald Reagan.

    The ideology he opposed throughout his political life insisted that 
history was moved by impersonal tides and unalterable fates. Ronald Reagan 
believed instead in the courage and triumph of free men and we believe it 
all the more because we saw that courage in him.

    As he showed what a President should be, he also showed us what a man 
should be. Ronald Reagan carried himself, even in the most powerful office, 
with the decency and attention to small kindnesses that also define a good 
life. He was a courtly, gentle and considerate man, never known to slight 
or embarrass others. Many people across the country cherish letters he 
wrote in his own hand to family members on important occasions, to old 
friends dealing with sickness and loss, to strangers with questions about 
his days in Hollywood.

    A boy once wrote to him requesting Federal assistance to help clean up 
his bedroom. [Laughter] ``Unfortunately, funds are dangerously low.'' 
[Laughter] He continued, ``I'm sure your mother was fully justified in 
proclaiming your room a disaster . . .'' [Laughter] ``. . . therefore you 
are in an excellent position to launch another volunteer program in our 
Nation.'' [Laughter] ``Congratulations.'' See, our 40th President wore his 
title lightly, and it fit like a white Stetson.

    In the end, through his belief in our country and his love for our 
country, he became an enduring symbol of our country. We think of the 
steady stride, that tilt of the head and snap of the salute, the big screen 
smile, and the glint in his Irish eyes when a story came to mind. We think 
of a man advancing in years with the sweetness and sincerity of a scout 
saying the pledge. We think of that grave expression that sometimes came 
over his face, the seriousness of a man angered by injustice and frightened 
by nothing.

    We know, as he always said, that America's best days are ahead of us. 
But with Ronald Reagan's passing, some very fine days are behind us. And 
that is worth our tears.

    Americans saw death approach Ronald Reagan twice in a moment of 
violence and then in the years of departing light. He met both with courage 
and grace. In these trials, he showed how a man so enchanted by life can be 
at peace with life's end.

    And where does that strength come from? Where is that courage learned? 
It is the faith of a boy who read the Bible with his mom. It is the faith 
of a man lying in an operating room who prayed for the one who shot him 
before he prayed for himself. It is the faith of a man with a fearful 
illness who waited on the Lord to call him home.

    Now death has done all that death can do, and as Ronald Wilson Reagan 
goes his way, we are left with the joyful hope he shared. In his last years 
he saw through a glass darkly. Now he sees his Saviour face to face. And we 
look for that fine day when we will see him again, all weariness gone, 
clear of mind, strong and sure and smiling again, and the sorrow of this 
parting gone forever.

    May God bless Ronald Reagan and the country he loved.

[Mr. Bush is led back to his seat.]

ANTHEM
``Battle Hymn of the Republic''
William Steffe
arr: Peter J. Wilhousky
text by: Julia Ward Howe, 1862
Armed Forces Chorus
U.S. Marine Chamber Orchestra

Mine eyes have seen the glory

Of the coming of the Lord;

He is trampling out the vintage

Where the grapes of wrath are stored;

He hath loosed the fateful lightning

of His terrible swift sword;

His truth is marching on.

Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!

Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!

Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!

His truth is marching on.

I have seen Him in the watchfires

Of a hundred circling camps

they have builded Him an altar

In the evening dews and damps;

I can read His righteous sentence

By the dim and flaring lamps;

His day is marching on.

Chorus

In the beauty of the lilies

Christ was born across the sea,

With a glory in His bosom

That transfigures you and me;

As He died to make men holy,

Let us die to make men free;

While God is marching on.

Chorus

[During the last chorus, the third reader is led to the lectern for the 
Gospel lesson.]
[The people stand.]

GOSPEL
His Eminence Theodore Cardinal McCarrick
Matthew 5:14-16

    A reading from the Holy Gospel according to Matthew.

    Jesus said, You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill 
cannot be hid. No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel 
basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the 
same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your 
good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.

Reader: The Gospel of the Lord.

People: Thanks be to God.

[As the reader returns to his stall, the Celebrant goes to the pulpit 
for the homily.]

HOMILY
The Reverend John C. Danforth

    May I speak in the name of one God, who created us, who redeemed us, 
who comforts us. Amen. This is a service about Ronald Reagan, and it is a 
religious service. We've gathered to celebrate the life of a great 
President in a church where believers profess their faith. So this is not 
only about a person, but about faith. And the homily is the place to 
connect the two. For President Reagan, the text is obvious. It's from the 
Sermon on the Mount. ``You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill 
cannot be hid.'' It was his favorite theme, from his first inaugural 
address to his final address from the Oval Office.

    For him, America was the ``shining city on a hill.'' His immediate 
source was the sermon preached by John Winthrop just read by Justice 
O'Connor. Winthrop believed that the eyes of the world would be on America 
because God had given us a special commission, so it was our duty to shine 
forth. The Winthrop message became the Reagan message. It rang of optimism, 
and we longed to hear it, especially after the dark years of Vietnam and 
Watergate. It was a vision with policy implications. America could not hide 
its light under a bushel. It could not turn in on itself and hunker down. 
Isolationism was not an option; neither was protectionism. We must champion 
freedom everywhere. We must be the beacon for the world.

    What Ronald Reagan asked of America, he gave of himself. The great 
American theologian Reinhold Neibuhr wrote ``The Children of Light and the 
Children of Darkness.'' If ever we have known a child of light, it was 
Ronald Reagan. He was aglow with it. He had no dark side, no scary, hidden 
agenda. What you saw was what you got. And what you saw was that sure sign 
of inner light, the twinkle in the eye. He was not consumed by himself. He 
didn't need to be President to be a complete person. The only thing he 
really needed was to be with his wife. Mrs. Reagan, you shared him with us, 
and for that we will always be grateful. He shined the light, but not upon 
himself.

    Personally modest, he disclaimed the title the ``Great Communicator,'' 
and claimed only to communicate great things from the heart of a great 
Nation. He liked to laugh, especially at himself. There was nothing petty 
or mean-spirited about him. Even his opponents liked him. I recall sitting 
at a table with President Reagan and Speaker O'Neill listening to their 
jokes. It was the opposite of negative politics. He inspired devotion more 
than fear. Mike Deaver wrote, ``There was something about him that made you 
want to please him and do your best. This applied to everybody.'' It 
certainly applied to those of us who served in Congress.

    His most challenging test came on the day he was shot. He wrote in his 
diary of struggling for breath and of praying. ``I realized that I couldn't 
ask for God's help while at the same time I felt hatred for the mixed-up 
young man who shot me,'' he wrote. ``Isn't that the meaning of the lost 
sheep? We are all God's children and therefore equally loved by him. So I 
began to pray for his soul and that he would find his way back to the 
fold.'' He was a child of light. Now consider the faith we profess in this 
church. Light shining in darkness is an ancient biblical theme. Genesis 
tells us that in the beginning darkness was upon the face of the deep. Some 
equate this darkness with chaos. And God said, ``Let there be light,'' and 
there was light. And God saw that the light was good. Creating light in 
darkness is God's work. You and I know the meaning of darkness. We see it 
on the evening news: terror, chaos, war. An enduring image of 9/11 is that 
on a brilliantly clear day a cloud of darkness covered Lower Manhattan. 
Darkness is real and it can be terrifying. Sometimes it seems to be 
everywhere.

    So the question for us is what do we do when darkness surrounds us? St. 
Paul answered that question. He said we must walk as children of light. 
President Reagan taught us that this is our mission, both as individuals 
and as a Nation. The faith proclaimed in this church is that when we walk 
as children of light, darkness cannot prevail. As St. John's gospel tells 
us, ``The light shines in the darkness and the darkness did not overcome 
it.'' That's true even of death. For people of faith, death is no less 
awful than for anyone else, but the resurrection means that death is not 
the end. The Bible describes the most terrible moment in these words: 
``When it was noon, darkness came over the whole land until 3 in the 
afternoon.'' That was the darkness of Good Friday. It did not prevail. Very 
early on the first day of the week when the Sun had risen, that's the 
beginning of the Easter story. The light shines; the Lord is risen.

    In this service of worship, we celebrate the life of a great President 
and we profess the resurrection faith of this church. It is faith in God's 
victory over darkness. It is faith in the ultimate triumph of light. We 
believe in this victory every day of our lives. We believe it as 
individuals. We believe it as a Nation. There is no better time to 
celebrate the triumph of life than in a service for Ronald Reagan. Amen.

[As the homilist returns to his stall, the orchestra and soloist begin 
the anthem.]

ANTHEM
``Amazing Grace''
Tune: New Britain
text by: John Newton; st. 5 John Rees
Sung by Ronan Tynan

Amazing grace! how sweet the sound,

that saved a wretch like me!

I once was lost but now am found,

was blind but now I see.

'Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,

and grace my fears relieved;

how precious did that grace appear

the hour I first believed!

The Lord has promised good to me,

his word my hope secures;

he will my shield and portion be

as long as life endures.

Through many dangers, toils, and snares,

I have already come;

'tis grace that brought me safe thus far,

and grace will lead me home.

When we've been there ten thousand years,

bright shining as the sun,

we've no less days to sing God's praise

than when we'd first begun.

[During the last verse, the Vicar is led to the bottom of the lectern 
steps.]
[The people stand for the remainder of the service, as they are able.]
[From his stall, the Celebrant leads the Lord's Prayer, said by all.]

THE LORD'S PRAYER
The Reverend John C. Danforth

    Let us stand and say together the Lord's Prayer.

    Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, 
thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily 
bread and forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not 
into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and 
the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen.

[The Vicar steps up to the lectern reading desk to lead the prayers.]

PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE
The Right Reverend A. Theodore Eastman

    In peace, let us pray to the Lord.

    Almighty God, who hast knit together thine elect in one communion and 
fellowship, in the mystical body of the Son Christ our Lord; Grant, we 
beseech thee, to thy whole Church in paradise and on earth, thy light and 
thy peace. Amen.

    Grant that all who have been baptized into Christ's death and 
resurrection may die to sin and rise to newness of life, and that through 
the grave and gate of death we may pass with him to our joyful 
resurrection. Amen.

    Grant to us who are still in our pilgrimage, and who walk as yet by 
faith, that thy Holy Spirit may lead us in holiness and righteousness all 
our days. Amen.

    Grant to thy faithful people pardon and peace, that we may be cleansed 
from all our sins, and serve thee with a quiet mind. Amen.

    Grant to all who mourn a sure confidence in thy fatherly care, that, 
casting all their grief on thee, they may know the consolation of thy love. 
Amen.

    Grant us, with all who have died in the hope of the resurrection, to 
have our consummation and bliss in thy eternal and everlasting glory, and, 
with blessed Peter and Paul and all thy saints, to receive the crown of 
life which thou dost promise to all who share in the victory of thy Son 
Jesus Christ; who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one 
God, for ever and ever. Amen.

[As the Vicar is led back to his stall, the organ begins the hymn 
introduction.]
[During this hymn, those who are required for the departing ceremonies 
outside are unobtrusively escorted from the Cathedral.]
HYMN
``Sing with All the Saints in Glory''
Tune: Ode to Joy
text by: William Josiah Irons, 1873
[Sung by all.]

Sing with all the saints in glory, sing the resurrection song!

Death and sorrow, earth's dark story, to the former days belong.

All around the clouds are breaking, Soon the storms of time will cease;

In God's likeness, we awaken, Knowing everlasting peace.

O what glory, far exceeding. All that eye has yet perceived!

Holiest hearts for ages pleading, Never that full joy conceived.

God has promised, Christ prepares it, There on high our welcome waits;

Ev'ry humble spirit shares it, Christ has passed th' eternal gates.

[During the last verse, vergers lead the Bishop of Washington, the 
Vicar, and the Celebrant to the foot of the casket, the Celebrant at the 
foot, the Vicar to his left, and the Bishop to his right, where they 
face the congregation.]
[The Celebrant then says the commendation responsively with the people.]

THE COMMENDATION
The Reverend John C. Danforth

    Give rest, O Christ, to thy servant with thy saints,

    All:

      where sorrow and pain are no more,

      neither sighing, but life everlasting.

    Thou only art immortal, the creator and maker of mankind; and we are 
mortal, formed of the earth, and unto earth shall we return. For so thou 
didst ordain when thou createdst me, saying, ``Dust thou art, and unto dust 
thou shalt return.'' All we go down to the dust; yet even at the grave we 
make our song; Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.

    All:

      Give rest, O Christ, to thy servant with thy saints,

      where sorrow and pain are no more,

      neither sighing, but life everlasting.

    [The Celebrant faces the body.]

    Into thy hands, O merciful Saviour, we commend thy servant Ronald. 
Acknowledge, we humbly beseech thee, a sheep of thine own fold, a lamb of 
thine own flock, a sinner of thine own redeeming. Receive him into the arms 
of thy mercy, into the blessed rest of everlasting peace, and into the 
glorious company of the saints in light. Amen.

THE BLESSING
The Right Reverend John Bryson Chane

    The God of peace, who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus 
Christ, the great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the 
everlasting covenant, makes you perfect in every good work to do his will, 
working in you that which is well-pleasing in his sight; and on this day 
may the blessing of God Almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, 
be with you, and remain with you forever. Amen.

THE DISMISSAL
The Right Reverend A. Theodore Eastman

Vicar: Let us go forth in the name of Christ.

People: Thanks be to God.

[As the introduction to the anthem begins, the three clerics are 
escorted back to their stalls.]
[During the last verse, the acolytes take their positions at the rood 
screen, and vergers take positions by their charges.]

ANTHEM
``The Mansions of the Lord''
Nick Glennie-Smith
text by: Randall Wallace
Sung by the Armed Forces Chorus with the U.S. Marine Chamber Orchestra

To fallen soldiers let us sing

Where no rockets fly nor bullets wing

Our broken brothers let us bring

To the Mansions of the Lord.

[The pallbearers come from the north transept, rotate the casket, and 
prepare to take it out.]

No more bleeding, no more fight

No prayers pleading through the night

Just divine embrace, eternal light

In the Mansions of the Lord.

Where no mothers cry and no children weep

We will stand and guard though the angels sleep

through the ages safely keep

The Mansions of the Lord.

[Procession of clergy leaving cathedral. The casket is taken out of the 
cathedral. Mourners follow casket.]
[``Ruffles.'' ``Hail to the Chief.'' ``God Bless America.'']
[The hearse drives to Andrews Air Force Base.]
[Solo bagpipe performance of ``Amazing Grace.'']
[Bells toll around the country.]
[The casket is taken out of the hearse, and escorted aboard the 
Presidential aircraft.]
[21-gun salute.]
[Air Force band plays the spiritual ``Going Home.'']
[Applause as the plane takes off.]




                        I n     H o n o r     O f

                          Ronald Wilson Reagan


                 Fortieth President of the United States

                    February 6, 1911 to June 5, 2004

                                       

                   Ronald Reagan Presidential Library

                         Simi Valley, California

Ronald Reagan

Funeral Services


                           Interment Services


                          Friday, June 11, 2004

                             at six o'clock

                     ``Whatever else history may say about me when I'm gone, I hope it 
        will record that I appealed to your best hopes, not your worst 
        fears; to your confidence rather than your doubts. My dream is 
        that you will travel the road ahead with liberty's lamp guiding 
        your steps and opportunity's arm steadying your way.
                                                         --Ronald Reagan
                                                             August 1992

                                       

                    ``I                           

           know in my heart that man is good, that what is right will 
        always eventually triumph, and there is purpose and worth to 
        each and every life.
                                                         --Ronald Reagan
                                                        November 4, 1991

                                       

Ronald Reagan

Funeral Services

                                                 Order of Services



    Instrumental Prelude                                U.S. Air Force Band of the Golden West

    Musical Honors                                      U.S. Air Force Band of the Golden West

    ``Amazing Grace''                                   Solo Bagpiper, Eric Rigler

    Invocation                                          The Reverend Doctor Michael H. Wenning

    ``Battle Hymn of the Republic''                     U.S. Army Chorus
                                                        U.S. Air Force Band of the Golden West

    Words of Remembrance                                Michael Reagan
                                                        Patti Davis
                                                        Ronald Prescott Reagan

    Scripture: Psalm 23                                 The Reverend John C. Danforth

    Musical Honors                                      U.S. Air Force Band of the Golden West

    ``My Country 'Tis of Thee''                         U.S. Air Force Band of the Golden West

                                 Guests should stand and remain at their seats.


    Brief Witness on Life, Death,                       The Reverend Doctor Michael H. Wenning
      and Everlasting Life

                                                        11th Marine Artillery Regiment

    Benediction                                         The Reverend Doctor Michael H. Wenning

    Three Volleys of Musketry                           U.S. Army Firing Party

    ``Taps''                                            U.S. Army Band Bugler

    Flyover                                             U.S. Navy

    ``America the Beautiful''                           U.S. Air Force Band of the Golden West

    Flag Presentation                                   Capt. James A. Symonds, Commander
                                                        USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76)

    ``God Bless America''                               Congregation and U.S. Army Chorus
                                                        U.S. Air Force Band of the Golden West

    Guests are invited to file by the casket to pay final respects and attend a reception in Albritton Hall.



                                       

Ronald Reagan

Funeral Services

[The Presidential jet flies over the Presidential library in Simi Valley 
on its way to Point Mugu Naval Air Station.]
[The funeral party arrives at Point Mugu Air Station Airport.]
[``Hail to the Chief.'' 21-cannon salute. Marine band plays ``God Bless 
America.'']
[Honor guards carry the casket to the hearse.]
[The motorcade leaves the naval air station at Point Mugu, to travel to 
the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library.]
[The casket is removed from the hearse and transported through the 
courtyard of the library, through the library itself, and out into the 
backyard for the ceremony.]
[Instrumental Prelude, U.S. Air Force Band of the Golden West, ``Hail to 
the Chief.'']
[Musical Honors, U.S. Air Force Band of the Golden West.]
[``Amazing Grace,'' solo bagpiper, Eric Rigler.]

    REV. MICHAEL H. WENNING: Please pray with me. Eternal and Almighty 
God, we began this day and it seemed the heavens were weeping as we paid 
our farewell to your servant Ronald Reagan. We eulogized him. We 
worshipped under the arches of that stately cathedral. We have come from 
sea to shining sea to this soil, which he loved so much, and where his 
body will remain. Gracious Lord God, turn our tears of sorrow into the 
hope of the resurrection. Comfort our hearts and especially the Reagan 
family and the Nation for we celebrate his life and we do it through 
Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

[``Battle Hymn of the Republic,'' U.S. Army Chorus, U.S. Air Force Band 
of the Golden West.]

    MICHAEL REAGAN, RONALD REAGAN'S SON: Good evening. I'm Mike Reagan. 
You knew my father as Governor, as President. But I knew him as Dad. I 
want to tell you a little bit about my dad. A little bit about Cameron 
and Ashley's grandfather because not a whole lot is ever spoken about 
that side of Ronald Reagan. Ronald Reagan adopted me into his family 
1945. I was the chosen one. I was the lucky one. In all of his years, he 
never mentioned that I was adopted either behind my back or in front of 
me. I was his son, Michael Edward Reagan. When his families grew to be 
two families, he didn't walk away from the one to go to the other. But 
he became a father to both. To Patti and then Ronnie, but always to 
Maureen, my sister, and myself. We looked forward to those Saturday 
mornings when he would pick us up, sitting on the curve on Beverly Glenn 
as his car would turn the corner from Sunset Boulevard and we would get 
in and ride to his ranch and play games and he would always make sure it 
ended up a tie. We would swim and we would ride horses or we'd just 
watch him cut firewood. We would be in awe of our father. As years went 
by and I became older and found a woman I would marry, Colleen, he sent 
me a letter about marriage and how important it was to be faithful to 
the woman you love with a P.S.--``you'll never get in trouble if you say 
I love you at least once a day,'' and I'm sure he told Nancy every day 
``I love you'' as I tell Colleen. He also sent letters to his 
grandchildren. He wasn't able to be the grandfather that many of you are 
able to be because of the job he had. And so, he would write letters. He 
sent one letter to Cameron, said, ``Cameron, some guy got $10,000 for my 
signature. Maybe this letter will help you pay for your college 
education.'' He signed it, ``Grandpa. P.S., your grandpa's the 40th 
President of the United States, Ronald Reagan.'' He just signed his 
sign. Those are the kinds of things my father did. At the early onset of 
Alzheimer's disease my father and I would tell each other we loved each 
other and we would give each other a hug. As the years went by and he 
could no longer verbalize my name, he recognized me as the man who 
hugged him. So when I would walk into the house, he would be there in 
his chair opening up his arms for that hug, hello, and the hug goodbye. 
It was a blessing truly brought on by God. We had wonderful blessings of 
that nature. Wonderful, wonderful blessings that my father gave to me 
each and every day of my life.
    I was so proud to have the Reagan name and to be Ronald Reagan's 
son. What a great honor. He gave me a lot of gifts as a child. Gave me a 
horse. Gave me a car. Gave me a lot of things. But there's a gift he 
gave me that I think is wonderful for every father to give every son. 
Last Saturday, when my father opened his eyes for the last time, and 
visualized Nancy and gave her such a wonderful, wonderful gift. When he 
closed his eyes, that's when I realized the gift that he gave to me, the 
gift that he was going to be with his Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. He 
had, back in 1988 on a flight from Washington, DC, to Point Mugu, told 
me about his love of God, his love of Christ as his Saviour. I didn't 
know then what it all meant. But I certainly, certainly know now. I 
can't think of a better gift for a father to give a son. And I hope to 
honor my father by giving my son Cameron and my daughter Ashley that 
very same gift he gave to me. Knowing where he is this very moment, this 
very day, that he is in Heaven, and I can only promise my father this. 
Dad, when I go, I will go to Heaven, too. And you and I and my sister 
Maureen that went before us, we will dance with the heavenly host of 
angels before the presence of God. We will do it melanoma and 
Alzheimer's free. Thank you for letting me share my father, Ronald 
Wilson Reagan.

    PATTI DAVIS, RONALD REAGAN'S DAUGHTER: Many years ago, my father 
decided to write down his reflections about death, specifically his own, 
and how he would want people to feel about it. He chose to write down 
the first verse of an Alfred Lord Tennyson poem ``Crossing The Bar'' and 
then he decided to add a couple of lines of his own. I don't think 
Tennyson will mind. In fact, they've probably already discussed it by 
now. Tennyson wrote, ``sunset and evening star and one clear call for 
me. And may there be no moaning of the bar when I put out to sea.'' My 
father added, ``we have God's promise that I have gone on to a better 
world where there is no pain or sorrow. Bring comfort to those who may 
mourn my going.'' My father never feared death, he never saw it as an 
ending. When I was a child, he took me out into a field at our ranch 
after one of the Malibu fires had swept through. I was very small on the 
field, looked huge and lifeless, but he bent down and showed me how tiny 
new green shoots were peeking up out of the ashes just weeks after the 
fire had come through. ``You see,'' he said, ``new life always comes out 
of death. It looks like nothing could ever grow in this field again, but 
things do.'' He was the one who generously offered funeral services for 
my goldfish on the morning of its demise. We went out into the garden 
and we dug a tiny grave with a teaspoon and he took two twigs and lashed 
them together with twine and formed a cross as a marker for the grave. 
And then he gave a beautiful eulogy. He told me that my fish was 
swimming in the clear blue waters in Heaven and he would never tire and 
he would never get hungry and he would never be in any danger and he 
could swim as far and wide as he wanted and he never had to stop, 
because the river went on forever. He was free. When we went back inside 
and I looked at my remaining goldfish in their aquarium with their pink 
plastic castle and their colored rocks, I suggested that perhaps we 
should kill the others so they could also go to that clear blue river 
and be free. He then took more time out of his morning, I'm sure he 
actually did have other things to do that day, and patiently explained 
to me that in God's time, the other fish would go there, as well. In 
God's time, we would all be taken home. And even though it sometimes 
seemed a mystery, we were just asked to trust that God's time was right 
and wise.
    I don't know why Alzheimer's was allowed to steal so much of my 
father before releasing him into the arms of death, but I know that at 
his last moment, when he opened his eyes, eyes that had not opened for 
many, many days and looked at my mother, he showed us that neither 
disease nor death can conquer love. He may have in his lifetime come 
across a small book called ``Peace of Mind'' by Joshua Loth Liebman. If 
he did, I think he would have been struck by these lines, ``then for 
each one of us, the moment comes when the great nurse, death, takes man, 
the child, by the hand and quietly says, it's time to go home, night is 
coming. It is your bedtime child of Earth.''

    RON REAGAN JR., RONALD REAGAN'S SON: He is home now. He is free. In 
his final letter to the American people, Dad wrote, ``I now begin the 
journey that will lead me into the sunset of my life.'' This evening, he 
has arrived. History will record his worth as a leader. We here have 
long since measured his worth as a man. Honest, compassionate, graceful, 
brave. He was the most plainly decent man you could ever hope to meet. 
He used to say, a gentleman always does the kind thing. And he was a 
gentleman in the truest sense of the word. A gentle man. Big as he was, 
he never tried to make anyone feel small. Powerful as he became, he 
never took advantage of those who were weaker. Strength, he believed, 
was never more admirable than when it was applied with restraint. 
Shopkeeper, doorman, king or queen, it made no difference, Dad treated 
everyone with the same unfailing courtesy, acknowledging the innate 
dignity in us all. The idea that all people are created equal was more 
than mere words on a page, it was how he lived his life. And he lived a 
good, long life. The kind of life good men lead. But I guess I'm just 
telling you things you already know.
    Here's something you may not know, a little Ronald Reagan trivia for 
you, his entire life, Dad had an inordinate fondness for earlobes. Even 
as a boy, back in Dixon, IL, hanging out on a street corner with his 
friends, they knew that if they were standing next to Dutch, sooner or 
later, he was going to reach over and grab ahold of their lobe, give it 
a workout there. Sitting on his lap watching television as a kid, same 
story, he would have a hold of my earlobe. I'm surprised I have any 
lobes left after all of that. And you didn't have to be a kid to enjoy 
that sort of treatment. Serving in the Screen Actors Guild with his 
great friend William Holden, the actor, best man at his wedding, Bill 
got used to it. They would be there at the meetings, and Dad would have 
a hold of his earlobe. There they'd be, some tense labor negotiation, 
two big Hollywood movie stars, hand in earlobe.
    He was, as you know, a famously optimistic man. Sometimes such 
optimism leads you to see the world as you wish it were as opposed to 
how it really is. At a certain point in his Presidency, Dad decided he 
was going to revive the thumbs up gesture. So he went all over the 
country, of course, giving everybody the thumbs up. Dory and I found 
ourselves in the Presidential limousine one day returning from some big 
event. My mother was there and Dad was of course, thumbs upping the 
crowd along the way, and suddenly, looming in the window on his side of 
the car was this snarling face. This fellow was reviving an entirely 
different hand gesture. And hoisted an entirely different digit in our 
direction. Dad saw this and without missing a beat turned to us and 
said, you see? I think it's catching on.
    Dad was also a deeply, unabashedly religious man. But he never made 
the fatal mistake of so many politicians wearing his faith on his sleeve 
to gain political advantage. True, after he was shot and nearly killed 
early in his Presidency, he came to believe that God had spared him in 
order that he might do good. But he accepted that as a responsibility, 
not a mandate. And there is a profound difference. Humble as he was, he 
never would have assumed a free pass to Heaven. But in his heart of 
hearts, I suspect he felt he would be welcome there. And so he is home. 
He is free. Those of us who knew him well will have no trouble imagining 
his paradise. Golden fields will spread beneath a blue dome of a western 
sky. Live oaks will shadow the rolling hillsides. And someplace, flowing 
from years long past, a river will wind toward the sea. Across those 
fields, he will ride a gray mare he calls Nancy D. They will sail over 
jumps he has built with his own hands. He will at the river carry him 
over the shining stones. He will rest in the shade of the trees. Our 
cares are no longer his. We meet him now only in memory. But we will 
join him soon enough. All of us. When we are home, when we are free. 
[Applause]

[Scripture: Psalm 23, The Reverend John C. Danforth.]
[Musical Honors, U.S. Air Force Band of the Golden West. ``Star Spangled 
Banner.'' ``Amazing Grace.'']
[Procession.]
[Casket is moved. Flag is lifted.]
[U.S. Air Force Band of the Golden West.]

    REV. MICHAEL H. WENNING: Mrs. Reagan, members of the Reagan family, 
distinguished and honored guests, it is a wonderful, awesome 
responsibility for me to be able to give these final parting words on 
this long journey of this week of sadness. I want to thank you for the 
privilege of being your pastor and chaplain to the President. Little did 
I think that four and a half decades ago, when Frieda and I came to this 
country to study in college, that one day I would end up as the chaplain 
to the President of the United States--only in America. Dear Nancy, 
thank you for bearing your grief so nobly. Thank you for the dignity 
that you have shown this week. Our hearts have gone out to you. So many 
people have commented on the picture where you and I are together as we 
began this week. And I think the reason for its poignancy was that the 
whole American Nation was putting its arms around you. And so we love 
you and care for you. Thank you for caring for the President in his 
declining years. Thank you for the wonderful example of your marriage 
that you modeled throughout your life together and especially in the 
White House years. Yours was truly a glorious friendship, based on 
mutual love and respect. And we love you for it. And thank you for it. 
To you, Michael, and Patti, and Ron, thank you for those very, very 
touching and moving words, a little humor, but the heartfelt love of 
children who loved their father and respect him so much. We gathered at 
the beginning of this long day in the National Cathedral and heard so 
many wonderful words from the Nations' leaders and also from a beloved 
friend. I have never heard Lady Margaret Thatcher speak more eloquently 
in all her life. The last time I heard her speak, I had the privilege of 
being present as she was awarded the Ronald Reagan Freedom Award. And I 
remember her saying particularly, ``when Ronnie spoke about the Soviet 
Union as the evil empire, even I blanched.'' Thank God that neither she, 
nor your husband, shirked in the face of communism, but saw its demise. 
He touched us all. When I went back to the land where I was born in 
South Africa, I went to see my aging father. And, as I sat in his study, 
he pointed to a huge picture behind me framed. It was of your husband. 
And he said, ``This is my President''; 10,000 miles away, he identified, 
as we all do and shall do through time to come. It now remains for me to 
talk about the man and his faith. Indeed, he was a gift from God to us 
all. He made us feel good and confident about ourselves, about our 
country, and about our future. And I believe it's because he gained his 
confidence from the psalm which I read at the beginning of this week, 
Psalm 46. The psalm says, ``God is our refuge and strength, a very 
present help in the time of trouble.'' When you attended church, so many 
people noticed that he could sing the hymns without looking at the 
hymnal. He loved hymns. And it was appropriate that it was sung in the 
cathedral this morning and played on the bagpipes this evening. That 
hymn speaks about God's amazing grace. And Ronald Reagan knew of the 
grace of his Lord, Jesus Christ, for he lived with and on and in that 
grace. I think of that one particular stanza of that hymn which says, 
through many dangers, toils and snares, I have already come. 'Tis grace 
hath brought me safe thus far and grace will lead me home. Grace has led 
him home this day. He was a man who exhibited graciousness with all that 
he met, from the highest in the land to the lowliest.
    On one occasion, when Alzheimer's was beginning to rob that 
beautiful mind and he no longer came to Bel Air Presbyterian Church, you 
know that I came to the office regularly and brought the church to him 
and then to your home. And, on one occasion, his secretary said, Mr. 
President, your pastor is here. Come and sit in the corner of his 
office. And he said, ``No, I think I'll just sit here at the desk.'' I 
looked at her. She looked at me. We knew he wasn't going to budge. So I 
sidled up and sat on the edge of the desk. And I said, ``Mr. President, 
you're still boss. I'll sit where you are.'' And so I read scripture and 
prayed. Shortly afterward, his secretary ushered in my wife and he stood 
up immediately and went over to her and shook her hand. You see, the 
gentleness, the kindness, the love, the gifts, the fruit of the holy 
spirit was deeply embedded in his DNA.
    As Ron has already said, in 1994, he wrote that letter saying, ``I 
now begin my journey into the sunset of my life.'' But I believe that, 
last Saturday, he began a new journey into the glorious presence of 
Almighty God, and he is basking in the sunshine of his love. And I 
believe he's touching the face of God, as he said during the Challenger 
disaster. And the Lord is saying to him, ``Well done, my good and 
faithful servant.'' Let me close with just one thought. In the ancient 
nation of Israel, when the Temple had been built, the Lord appeared to 
King Solomon and said to him these words: ``If my people who are called 
by my name humble themselves and turn from their wicked ways and pray 
and seek my face, I will hear from Heaven and forgive their sin and heal 
their land.'' God was reminding his ancient people that the glory of the 
Nation was not in power or prestige, in wealth or in might. Ronald 
Reagan knew that as a cardinal truth, that ultimately, our strength is 
not in our might, but it is as we depend upon Almighty God and trust in 
him and walk humbly before God. Ronald Reagan lived and believed that. 
And thank God that he did. Mr. President, I salute you.
    NANCY REAGAN, FORMER FIRST LADY: Thank you.

[21-gun Salute, 11th Marine Artillery Regiment.]

    REV. MICHAEL H. WENNING: Please pray with me. Now, Eternal God, we 
commend into your hands the spirit of your servant, Ronald Wilson 
Reagan. We commend him into your care and keeping. And as we do so, we 
commit ourselves afresh into your love and care. Teach us to so live 
that we shall never, ever be afraid of death, nor ever ashamed to see 
you face to face, but grant that your love and peace may rest with us 
now and always. The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make his face 
to shine upon you and be gracious unto you, the Lord lift up the light 
of his countenance upon you and grant you his peace now and forever 
more, in the name of the father and of the son and of the holy spirit. 
Amen.

[Three volleys of musketry, U.S. Army Firing Party.]
[``Taps,'' U.S. Army Band bugler.]
[Flyover, U.S. Navy, missing man formation.]
[``America the Beautiful,'' U.S. Air Force Band of the Golden West.]
[Flag Presentation, Capt. James A. Symonds, Commander, USS Ronald Reagan 
(CVN-76).]
[``God Bless America,'' Congregation and U.S. Army Chorus, U.S. Air 
Force Band of the Golden West.]
?


                                     

                                     

                            Memorial Tributes


                               I N   T H E


                        House of Representatives

                          of the United States


                         I N   E U L O G Y   O F


                              Ronald Reagan

    
          In the House of Representatives of the United States


  Tuesday, June 8, 2004 CR: June 8, 2004 (House) Page H3787-H3788 
                               08jn04-66


                            Hon. David Dreier


                              of california

  Mr. Speaker, not 24 hours after Ronald Reagan had passed away, I had 
the opportunity to talk to a great American, Ronald Reagan's Secretary 
of State, George P. Shultz. He already by Sunday afternoon had penned a 
statement, which was so moving that I asked him if I could share it with 
my colleagues. Secretary Shultz agreed, so I would like to do that at 
this point, Mr. Speaker.
  He entitles this ``Remembering Ronald Reagan.'' It reads as follows:

                        Remembering Ronald Reagan


                          (By George P. Shultz)


  We have lost Ronald Reagan, but his ideas remain with us, as vital as 
ever. We can remember the gifts he gave us, his advocacy of freedom, his 
contributions to our security, his belief in America and his restoration 
of our belief in ourselves.

  When he took office as Governor of California, Ronald Reagan took 
responsibility for a State that was in rocky shape; when he left office, 
California was golden again. When Ronald Reagan took office as the 
President of the United States, the country was adrift, inflation was 
out of control, the economy was in the doldrums, and the cold war was as 
cold as it had ever been. When he left office, inflation was under 
control, the economy was expanding, the cold war was all over but the 
shouting, and America once again stood tall.

  Ronald Reagan brought so much to this country. He started with 
carefully thought out ideas and he put them to work effectively. He had 
a strong and constructive agenda, much of it labeled impossible and 
unattainable in the early years of his Presidency. He challenged the 
conventional wisdom: On arms control, on the possibility of movement 
toward freedom in the communist-dominated world, on the need to stand up 
to Iran in the Persian Gulf, on the superiority of market- and 
enterprise-based economies. The world learned when Ronald Reagan faced 
down the air traffic controllers in 1981 that he could dig in and fight 
to win. The world learned in Grenada that he would use military force if 
needed. He did not accept that extensive political opposition doomed an 
attractive idea. He would fight resolutely for an idea, believing that, 
if it was valid, he could persuade the American people to support it. He 
changed the national and international agenda on issue after issue. He 
was an optimist; he spoke the vocabulary of opportunity. He had a vision 
of what he stood for and what we aspire to as a nation.

  Ronald Reagan had and could express a clear and simple view of a 
complex world. Every Sunday, he brought acorns down from Camp David to 
feed the squirrels outside the Oval Office. The squirrels at the White 
House hadn't had it so good since Ike cleared the area to put in a 
putting green. His most endearing aspect was his fundamental decency. He 
appealed to people's best hopes, not their fears; to their confidence, 
rather than their doubts.

  Ronald Reagan was a doer, a pragmatist, a man who enjoyed hard 
physical tasks, as in the ranch work he loved to do. But that brush 
clearing and fence fixing was a symbol, too; he wanted to be doing it 
himself because from the land came not only strength and clarity, but a 
vision, the vision of the West and the endless horizon. The American 
people liked Ronald Reagan and reelected him in one of the biggest 
landslides in history because he trusted them and he conveyed to them 
that they need not be bound, tied down by class or race, or childhood 
misfortune, or poverty, or bureaucracy. They, the people, could make 
something of themselves; indeed, they could remake themselves endlessly.

  But beneath this pragmatic attitude lay a bedrock of principle and 
purpose with which I was proud to be associated. He believed in being 
strong enough to defend our interests, but he viewed that strength as a 
means, not an end in itself. Ronald Reagan had confidence in himself and 
in his ideas and was ready to negotiate from the strength so evident by 
the mideighties.

  He was a fervent anticommunist who could comprehend and believe that 
people everywhere would choose to throw off the communist system if they 
ever had the chance. And he worked hard to give them that chance. He 
favored open trade because he had confidence in the ability of Americans 
to compete, and he had confidence that an integrated world economy would 
benefit America. He stuck to his agenda.

  The points he made, however consummate the delivery, were unmistakably 
real in his mind and heart, an American creed: Defend your country, 
value your family, make something of yourself, tell government to get 
off your back, tell the tyrants to watch their step. Ronald Reagan 
conveyed simple truths that were especially welcome because ``nowadays 
everything seems so complicated.'' What he said ran deep and wide among 
the people.

  Reagan as President was a Republican, a conservative, a man of the 
right. But these labels will mislead historians who do not see beyond 
them, for Americans could see some of Ronald Reagan in themselves. You 
couldn't figure him out like a fact, because to Reagan, the main fact 
was a vision. He came from the heartland of the country, where people 
could be down-to-earth, yet feel the sky is the limit, not ashamed of or 
cynical about the American dream.

  Not far from Ronald Reagan's small town of Dixon, IL, is Jane Addams' 
small town of Cedarville; not far from Cedarville is Ulysses Grant's 
small town of Galena. And not far from Galena is Carl Sandburg's 
Galesburg. Reagan had something of them all: His heart going out to the 
people; his will ready to fight for the country; his voice able to move 
the Nation. And, as Carl Sandburg wrote it, ``The republic is a dream. 
Nothing happens unless first a dream.'' CR: June 8, 2004 (House) Page 
H3788 08jn04-67


                              Hon. Jim Ryun


                                of kansas

  Mr. Speaker, there are few leaders who we can look to who truly embody 
the characteristics of what a leader should be. Ronald Reagan embodied 
them all.
  He was a man of principle; he was a man of action. Unlike many who 
just talk about their convictions, he was a man who acted upon them. As 
a man of deep faith, he brought conviction to the Presidency, knowing 
what he believed and why he believed it. Yes, he was ``Mr. President;'' 
and indeed a role model, a man of conviction and courage.
  He once said:

  A leader, once convinced a particular course of action is the right 
one, must have the determination to stick with it and be undaunted when 
the going gets rough.

  It was this conviction and courage that enabled him to lead the world 
out of the cold war into an age when communism no longer thrived. As he 
put it, ``We did not seek the role of leadership that has been thrust 
upon us. But whether we like it or not, the events of our time demand 
America's participation.''
  My wife Anne and I had the privilege of meeting President Reagan at 
the White House for a St. Patrick's Day event in 1982. As we chatted for 
a few minutes, I remember being in the presence of someone great. I told 
him that we were praying for him. He shook my hand, and in a genuine, 
soft-spoken voice, he thanked us.
  His convictions guided him on social issues as well. In 1983, on the 
10th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, he wrote a 9 page article to the 
American people laying out his opposition to the abominable practice of 
abortion. In it he wrote:

  [W]e cannot survive as a free nation when some men decide that others 
are not fit to live and should be abandoned to abortion or infanticide. 
My Administration is dedicated to the preservation of America as a free 
land, and there is no cause more important for preserving that freedom 
than affirming the transcendent right to life of all human beings, the 
right without which no other rights have any meaning.

  Our Founders believed in the idea of America. It was an idea of 
freedom and justice for all. Reagan believed in America, and, more 
significantly, he believed in the American people. Rather than simply 
imposing his principles upon others, he redefined the mainstream by 
giving them something to believe in. It was this quality of principled, 
caring leadership that inspired many, including me, to act upon our 
convictions, believing that the American way was just and right.
  As we mourn the passing of our 40th President, we must not allow his 
legacy to die with him. His legacy is a continued belief in the idea of 
America. To carry it on, we must not only look to what has been, but we 
must look forward to what will be. Because of the work of Ronald Reagan, 
the idea has prevailed. It is up to us to ensure that we continue his 
optimism for the future. President Reagan left us a legacy to uphold. 
Page H3788 08jn04-70

                                 PRAYER

  The Reverend John Boyles, National Capital Presbytery, Washington, DC, 
offered the following prayer:
  O Lord God, we come before You on this day to ask that You would be 
with all here today as servants of Your will, and that of this Nation's 
people, in giving honor for service to country, this land of the free. 
And strengthen all here today in the work of this body, to establish 
steadfast and righteous rules of law to guide and direct the way of this 
Nation.
  O Lord God, that here would be frontiers of freedom just as there were 
in foreign fields on beachheads of liberation which are remembered and 
honored in these days.
  O Lord God, before You, and gathered here, we are met to lift up to 
You and remember those who have given of themselves in highest service 
to this Nation. O Lord, You have been our dwelling place in all 
generations and now this House, this Chamber would prepare to receive 
under its dome, a hallowed place of honor for one who served as highest 
leader of this Nation. Prepare here now, O Lord, those assembled to give 
honor for service and dedication to America of Ronald Reagan, that in 
honoring his service, that the service to Nation given by those here in 
this House might be rededicated and strengthened; that in honoring the 
grace and goodness of a man who served his Nation's people, that all 
here would be renewed in their dedication to the good of all, and the 
building up of all, and even then knowing, before You, O God, that if 
this earthly house of a tabernacle were desolved that there is a 
building of God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. 
May you, O God, bless the work of our hands here today. Amen. Page 
H3789 08jn04-73

                         MESSAGE FROM THE SENATE

  A message from the Senate by Mr. Monahan, one of its clerks, announced 
that the Senate has passed a concurrent resolution of the following 
title in which the concurrence of the House is requested:

  S. Con. Res. 115. Concurrent resolution authorizing the use of the 
rotunda of the Capitol for the lying in state of the remains of the late 
Ronald Wilson Reagan, 40th President of the United States. Page H3789 
08jn04-74


                           Hon. Frank R. Wolf


                               of virginia

  Mr. Speaker, I join with others in the House in expressing the deepest 
condolences to Nancy Reagan and the Reagan family on the passing of 
Ronald Wilson Reagan, the 40th President of the United States of 
America, and in paying tribute to President Reagan as we remember his 
Presidency and what he meant to our country and, indeed, to the world.
  I deeply admired and respected President Reagan. I had the good 
fortune to run for the 10th Congressional District of Virginia seat in 
Congress in November 1980 when he was elected to his first term. Some 
called my victory then ``on Reagan's coattails.'' I have no doubt that I 
am in Congress today because of President Reagan.
  I will always be grateful that after my two successful bids for 
Congress Ronald Reagan led the ticket I was on and I became a member of 
the class of 1980. I am sure all members of the class of 1980 would 
agree, President Reagan made us feel good again. He gave us hope. He 
inspired us. He gave us optimism because he was an optimist. His legacy 
belongs not only to America but to the world.
  I saw a woman in California being interviewed. She was holding a 
bouquet of flowers and tears were streaming down her face. She had a 
broken English accent and identified herself as a Russian immigrant. She 
said she had to come to the makeshift memorial outside the funeral home 
where President Reagan was resting because, ``I owe my life to President 
Reagan.''
  Mr. Speaker, I will close by sharing his own words spoken in August 
1992 about how he wanted to be remembered. President Reagan said:

  [W]hatever  else  history  may  say  about  me  when  I'm gone, I hope 
it will record that I appealed to your best hopes, not your worst fears, 
to your confidence rather than your doubts. . . .

  May all of you as Americans never forget your heroic origins, never 
fail to seek divine guidance, and never lose your . . . God-given 
optimism.

  Mr. Speaker, we thank God for the life of Ronald Wilson Reagan. Page 
H3789 08jn04-75


                          Hon. Joseph R. Pitts


                             of pennsylvania

  Mr. Speaker, last week as I reflected on the anniversary of D-day, I 
recalled President Reagan's speech on the 40th anniversary of that first 
day of liberation of Europe on June 6, 1984. President Reagan spoke of 
``the men of Normandy'' who ``had faith that what they were doing was 
right, faith that they fought for all humanity, faith that a just God 
would grant them mercy on this beachhead or on the next.''
  As he so often did, his conviction and passion, his grace and 
sincerity connected a distant event to the struggle each and every human 
being faces every day, fighting to know what we are doing is right.
  Later that day he told a different audience, ``We will always 
remember. We will always be proud. We will always be prepared, so we may 
always be free.''
  Newsweek called this freedom, which President Reagan mentioned in 
1984, the freedom ``from self-doubt, from the Soviet threat, from 
uneasiness about our national power and capacity to do great things.''
  This was Reagan's gift to his country. He knew that America was great 
and that our greatness had not come without a price. Indeed, we will 
always remember, Mr. President. We will always remember so that we may 
always be free. Page H3789 08jn04-76


                             Hon. Nick Smith


                               of michigan

  Mr. Speaker, I was farming and in the Michigan Legislature when Ronald 
Reagan took office. With President Reagan, he not only led the country 
but restored America's confidence. He renewed our sense of America's 
goodness and America's greatness. And with that assurance, the American 
people achieved great things.
  When Ronald Reagan came into office, we had Watergate, defeat in 
Vietnam, we surrendered control over the Panama Canal. Vietnam fell to 
communism and Cambodia soon followed. The Sandinistas took control of 
Nicaragua. The Ayatollah Khomeini held 52 American hostages for more 
than 1 year at our Embassy in Tehran.
  Inflation stood at 13.5 percent and interest rates reached 21 percent. 
People in America had lost their optimism and pride in our country, and 
it was Ronald Reagan that brought us back. It was Ronald Reagan who 
turned it around. He never lost faith in the American people, and he had 
enough optimism to restore our lost confidence and get America back on 
its feet.
  That is what impressed me so much in those days, that tremendous 
turnaround from so many being down to being proud again of America. He 
believed that we could cut taxes and restore our economy, and we did. By 
the end of his term, the U.S. economy had grown by a third.
  He believed we could stand up proudly for American values around the 
world and stand up to the Soviet Union, and we did. It was President 
Reagan's resolve that halted the march of communism in Central America 
and Afghanistan. It was Reagan's resolve that nurtured the Solidarity 
movement in Poland, and gave heart to the dissidents of the Soviet bloc.
  Ultimately, it was President Reagan's faith in American ideals and his 
steadfast determination that led to the fall of the Berlin Wall and the 
liberation of Eastern Europe.
  In conclusion, Mr. Speaker, it was that leadership and vision for 
America that made Ronald Reagan special. And now the country mourns and 
the world remembers in the death of a great world leader. Page H3789-
H3790 08jn04-79

                COMMUNICATION FROM THE CLERK OF THE HOUSE

  The SPEAKER laid before the House the following communication from the 
Clerk of the House of Representatives:


                                                 Office of the Clerk    

                                           U.S. House of Representatives


                                           Washington, DC, June 8, 2004.


Hon. J. Dennis Hastert,

The Speaker, U.S. House of Representatives, Washington, DC.

  Dear Mr. Speaker: Pursuant to the permission granted in Clause 2(h) of 
Rule II of the Rules of the U.S. House of Representatives, I have the 
honor to transmit a sealed envelope received from the White House on 
June 8, 2004 at 2:37 p.m. and said to contain a message from the 
President whereby he notifies the Congress of the death of Ronald 
Reagan.

  With Best wishes, I am

      Sincerely,


                                                          Jeff Trandahl,


                             Clerk of the House.Page H3790 08jn04-80

             MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES

  The SPEAKER laid before the House the following message from the 
President of the United States; which was read:

To the Congress of the United States:


  By this Message, I officially inform you of the death of Ronald 
Reagan, the fortieth President of the United States.

  Ronald Reagan was a great leader and a good man. He had the confidence 
that comes with conviction, the strength that comes with character, the 
grace that comes with humility, and the humor that comes with wisdom.

  Through his leadership, spirit, and abiding faith in the American 
people, President Reagan gave our Nation a renewed optimism. With his 
courage and moral clarity, he enhanced America's security and advanced 
the spread of peace, liberty, and democracy to millions of people who 
had lived in darkness and oppression. As America's President, he helped 
change the world.

  The sun has now set on Ronald Reagan's extraordinary American life. 
Just as he told us that our Nation's best days are yet to come, we know 
that the same is true for him.


                                                         George W. Bush.


                      The White House, June 8, 2004. Page H3790-H3792 
                                                             08jn04-81

   EXPRESSING PROFOUND REGRET AND SORROW OF THE HOUSE ON THE DEATH OF 
  RONALD WILSON REAGAN FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

  Mr. DeLAY. Mr. Speaker, I offer a privileged resolution (H. Res. 663) 
and ask for its immediate consideration.
  The Clerk read the resolution, as follows:

                               H. Res. 663


  Resolved, That the House of Representatives has learned with profound 
regret and sorrow of the death of Ronald Wilson Reagan, former President 
of the United States of America.

  Resolved, That the House tenders its deep sympathy to the members of 
the family of the former President in their bereavement.

  Resolved, That in recognition of the many virtues, public and private, 
of one who served with distinction as President, the Speaker shall 
appoint a committee of the House to join with such Members of the Senate 
as may be designated, to attend the funeral services of the former 
President.

  Resolved, That the Sergeant-at-Arms of the House be authorized and 
directed to take such steps as may be necessary for carrying out the 
provisions of these resolutions, and that the necessary expenses in 
connection therewith be paid out of the applicable accounts of the 
House.

  Resolved, That the Clerk communicate these resolutions to the Senate 
and transmit a copy of the same to the family of the former President.

  Resolved, That when the House adjourns today, it adjourn as a further 
mark of respect to the memory of the former President.


                             Hon. Tom DeLay


                                of texas

  Mr. Speaker, he was a gift to us: the healthy, hearty child handed 
down from God to John and Nelle Reagan in Tampico, IL, in 1911; the 
strong, athletic young man handed up from the bustling, laughing, big-
shouldered Midwest of his youth; the underrated actor, the underrated 
labor leader, the underrated politician; and the visionary who foresaw 
America's victory in the cold war and brought about that victory with 
wit, will, and undaunted valor for 8 heroic years.
  Everything that America is, and everything that mankind can be, was in 
our 40th President: wisdom, mercy, humor, honesty, honor, and courage.
  In an hour of doubt and fear, Ronald Reagan rose in the West, reminded 
his Nation of its unique mission in history, and with the help of a few 
million friends, worked the great miracle of the age. And he did it all 
smiling through the condescending insults of his critics, who, bless 
their hearts, could never quite get past his infuriating optimism.
  They said Ronald Reagan could ruin the economy, but in fact he led it 
to heights of strength and prosperity never before witnessed in history.
  They said Reagan would provoke our enemies to war, but in fact he bent 
our enemies to surrender without firing a single shot.
  They said Ronald Reagan was an ``amiable dunce,'' but in fact he was a 
fearless intellectual warrior, who marshaled words like soldiers to 
fight battles of ideas across a table or across a continent, and won.
  Which is why his death, even after a decade of slow, agonizing 
decline, comes as a shock to all of us. For Ronald Reagan was not just a 
man. He was the personification of an idea. And not just an idea, but 
the idea: the irreducible American idea that this Nation, founded by a 
generation of heroes upon the self-evident truth of equality under God, 
is possessed of a special commission in the affairs of men.
  According to Ronald Reagan, and according to Washington, Lincoln, 
Roosevelt, and Kennedy before him, America is not just another nation. 
Instead, we are the ``last, best hope of man on Earth''; ``the torch of 
freedom'' guiding mankind through the darkness; the living promise to 
all times and men that despite the relentless march of tyranny, the 
ultimate victory of liberty is assured.
  And people wonder where he got his optimism. Of course Ronald Reagan 
was an optimist. He was an American. In his life, the United States 
pulled the world through the Great Depression, two great world wars, and 
back from the brink of nuclear holocaust. And all the while, despite all 
the hardship, indeed perhaps because of it, America got stronger, 
richer, and, as far as he was concerned, better.
  Reagan's confidence and optimism in his country were simply extensions 
of his confidence and optimism in his countrymen. He knew the things 
Americans had done, repelling the British, freeing the slaves, settling 
the West, liberating Europe, shooting for the Moon, and simply could not 
see this arc of history as anything but the irresistible advance of 
freedom against oppression; or as Reagan sublimely put it: ``We win, and 
they lose.''
  ``We'' are those who seek to defend human dignity, and ``they'' are 
those who seek to stifle it. This was not a mere political calculation. 
To Ronald Reagan, the innate dignity of man was a spark of the Divine, a 
light created in God's image that the darkness could not overcome. He 
saw it as his role in our Nation and America's role in the world, for 
that matter, to liberate people from the shackles of government, so that 
they might first enjoy their right of self-determination, and then share 
with their neighbors the blessings of faith, hope, and charity.
  Reagan knew these were the virtues that built our Nation and remain 
the essential ingredients of American achievement, the tonic that has 
sustained the United States for more than 200 years, in Emerson's words, 
as ``the country of tomorrow.''
  Reagan loved that quote, and the idea behind it; that even as we stand 
today as the oldest democracy on Earth, we remain the youthful champion 
of liberty and justice, best poised of all nations to lead mankind in 
the uncertain future. He believed it was true because he knew it had to 
be.
  He knew that without the American Nation, that is without the American 
people and their steadfast adherence to the true and the good, the West 
could fail in the cold war and fail the cause of freedom around the 
world. And so he never let failure become an option.
  From the earliest days of his administration, President Reagan stood 
before the world and proclaimed the United States' commitment to 
freedom. He called the Soviet Union the evil empire and declared that 
``regimes planted by bayonets do not take root.'' He met with Pope John 
Paul II and pledged to assist and equip the Solidarity movement in 
Poland. He called the Soviet's bluff at Reykjavik and went to the 
Brandenburg Gate to challenge Soviet Leader Mikhail Gorbachev to ``tear 
down this wall!''
  Around the world, his words and deeds filtered down to the oppressed 
citizens behind the Iron Curtain who knew, for the first time, that the 
American President and his people were coming to the rescue; that the 
truth about the evils of communism was being exposed to the world, and 
that the West had made a conscious decision that the cold war was not to 
be managed, but fought and won.
  To Ronald Reagan, the answers to the world's problems were not 
simplistic, but they were simple. In foreign policy, evil must be 
confronted. Domestically, more government is not the solution; it is the 
problem. Publicly, honesty is the best policy. And privately, follow the 
golden rule.
  This was not merely the recipe for a spectacular career, which 
dominated and forever altered the map of the world, or for the national 
pride he restored to an America that, under his watch, became freer, 
stronger, and more prosperous than any nation in history. It was also 
the recipe for a full life of love and friendship, an ineffable romance 
with his wife, Nancy.
  In short, he left the world a better place than he found it and left 
his country with policies in place to solve problems great and small. It 
is for us, then, who inhabit the world he shaped, to finish the work he 
began. For we honor him best not by our words today, but our deeds 
tomorrow, and the next day and the next, to do right by each other, 
right by our Nation, and right by our responsibilities to history.
  Though he may no longer be with us, Mr. Speaker, we still live in an 
Age of Reagan. Come Friday afternoon, he will be laid to rest, after 
making one final journey home to his beloved California coast. But even 
as we say our tearful goodbyes that evening, and the Sun sets out West 
over the Pacific, we will find in ourselves the strength to carry on 
without our hero.
  We will simply do as Reagan did at the end of any long and difficult 
day. We will turn and look to the East with anticipation and wonder, and 
wait for another hopeful dawn.


                            Hon. Nancy Pelosi


                              of california

  Mr. Speaker, with the death of Ronald Reagan and the dignity with 
which he left us, there is truly mourning in America. If the meaning of 
a life can be measured by the hearts touched by one's death, the 
outpouring of grief at the death of our 40th President speaks to the 
distinctly American life that was Ronald Wilson Reagan.
  We Californians mourn Ronald Reagan as our Governor; all Americans 
mourn Ronald Reagan as our President; and people the world over mourn 
Ronald Reagan, the passionate voice for freedom.
  Today a grateful Nation remembers Ronald Reagan the man. We remember 
his indomitable optimism and abiding love of country. Ronald Reagan 
understood the greatness of America has always been the character of the 
American people. As Americans, we have always dared to dream. And so 
President Reagan appealed to the enduring belief that sustains us as a 
people: That America's best days are yet to come.
  We remember his leadership. Those of us on this side of the aisle may 
not have always stood with him on matters of policy, but we always knew 
where he stood, as he did us, when it came to matters of principle. And 
though firm in his convictions, President Reagan was not afraid of 
compromise. Indeed, the lifelong crusader against communism will be 
remembered for signing the first agreement with the Soviet Union to 
actually destroy nuclear weapons.
  We remember his eloquence. After the loss of our Challenger 
astronauts, President Reagan consoled a grieving Nation. And whether in 
front of the Berlin Wall, or overlooking the beaches of Normandy, he 
echoed the democratic aspirations of freedom-loving people everywhere.
  We remember his grace and humor. This is a story that perhaps our 
colleague, the gentleman from California (Mr. Lewis), understands and 
appreciates better than most in the Chamber. When Ronald Reagan was 
Governor of California, he came to the legislative chamber to deliver 
the State of the State Address. Because it was near the time of his 
birthday, they wheeled in a birthday cake and sang ``Happy Birthday'' to 
then-Governor Reagan. I have to add at that time, the speaker of the 
Assembly of California was a giant of a man, Jess Unruh, and who 
sometimes did not see eye to eye with then-Governor Reagan. They sang 
``Happy Birthday,'' and Governor Reagan blew out the candles. Someone 
said, ``Governor, did you make a wish?''
  Mr. Speaker, the Governor looked up and said, ``Yes, I made a wish, 
but it did not come true; he is still there,'' as he spoke to the then-
Speaker.
  At the end of the day, though, President Reagan knew whatever may 
divide us by party is dwarfed by what unites us as Americans. Speaker 
Tip O'Neill famously told of how he and the President clashed by day, 
but were friends after 6 p.m., prompting the President to begin his 
phone calls, ``Tip, is it after 6 p.m.?''
  We remember Ronald Reagan's faith in his country, in his family, and 
in his God. In that poignant letter 10 years ago announcing his battle 
with Alzheimer's disease, President Reagan wrote:

  When the Lord calls me home, whenever that may be, I will leave with 
the greatest love for this country of ours and eternal optimism for its 
future.

  . . . I know that for America there will always be a bright dawn 
ahead.

That dawn was referenced by the gentleman from Texas (Mr. DeLay).
  We remember Ronald Reagan's dignity, the dignity with which he lived 
and led our country, and the dignity with which he died, turning the 
long goodbye of his final years into a lesson for all of us.
  And all Americans, and I know everyone who serves in the Congress of 
the United States for sure, have been touched by the dignity, private 
strength and public grace of Nancy Reagan and the Reagan family to whom 
we offer our prayers and deepest condolences. Our Nation is in your debt 
for the care and love you gave our President and the dignity with which 
you held his hands at the end.
  I hope it is a comfort to Mrs. Reagan and the Reagan family that the 
whole world mourns their loss and is praying for them at this sad time.
  For his eloquent defense of freedom, for his leadership style of 
conviction and compromise, for his eternal optimism for the future, 
America pays tribute to President Ronald Wilson Reagan.
  May God bless Ronald Reagan, may God bless this country that he loved 
and led, may Ronald Reagan rest in peace.


                         Hon. J. Dennis Hastert


                               of illinois

  Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and the legacy of our 
Nation's 40th President, Ronald Wilson Reagan.
  He was born in the small town of Tampico, IL, which is in my 
congressional district, and grew up in Dixon, another town some of my 
constituents call home. It was there that he learned the common-sense 
values and virtues that helped him reshape not only our Nation, but also 
the world.
  When I first ran for public office in 1980, for the Illinois 
Legislature, Ronald Reagan was running for President. Back then people 
did not have a lot of faith in America and what America could do. What 
made him so special was his willingness to step forward at a time when 
the rest of the world was stepping back and remind us what made America 
the ``shining city on the hill.'' He restored our faith in America, and 
he made us proud to be Americans again.
  His easygoing personality and a sense of humor endeared him to the 
people he served. His word was his bond. It was genuine. His honesty and 
sincerity were the foundation of his strength while working with 
Democrats and Republicans in both Houses of Congress.
  The world struggled against communism, but our country stood tall as 
Ronald Reagan's perseverance led the world to freedom. As a former 
history teacher, I have taught students about George Washington and 
Thomas Jefferson. I have taught them about our fellow Illinoisan, 
Abraham Lincoln, and I have taught them about FDR and JFK. History has 
now called Ronald Reagan to take his place alongside the most noble of 
our countrymen. Here in the People's House, thousands of Americans will 
file in the Capitol rotunda to honor the people's President.
  He will be remembered as a symbol of ``peace through strength,'' but 
most of all we will remember him for the hope he gave to the rest of the 
world that freedom was possible. His grit, his sheer willpower made it 
possible for more people to walk in freedom today than at any other time 
throughout history.
  Not only was he an ambassador of the American people and the American 
way of life, President Reagan was an ambassador of faith. He reminded us 
of his faith when America grieved the loss of the seven astronauts of 
the Challenger space shuttle. He said:

  We will never forget them, nor the last time we saw them, this 
morning, as they prepared for their journey and waved good-bye and 
``slipped the surly bonds of earth'' to ``touch the face of God.''

  Tonight, as we honor the man who believed America was a ``shining city 
on the hill,'' we should remember his words to the students of his alma 
mater, Eureka College in Illinois. He said:

  Live each day to the fullest. Live each day with enthusiasm, optimism 
and hope. If you do, I am convinced that your contribution to this 
wonderful experiment we call America will be profound.

  With Godspeed, Mr. President. God bless Ronald Reagan. God bless 
America.Page H3794-H3818 08jn04-90

             MOURNING THE PASSING OF PRESIDENT RONALD REAGAN

  Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to the order of the 
House of today and as designee of the majority leader, I call up the 
resolution (H. Res. 664) mourning the passing of President Ronald Reagan 
and celebrating his service to the people of the United States and his 
leadership in promoting the cause of freedom for all the people of the 
world, and ask for its immediate consideration.
  The Clerk read the resolution, as follows:

                               H. Res. 664


  Whereas President Ronald Reagan reminded us that our great Nation was 
founded and built by people with great dreams and the courage to take 
great risks;

  Whereas President Reagan reminded his countrymen of the Nation's 
calling in world history: ``From our forefathers to our modern day 
immigrants, we've come from every corner of the earth, from every race 
and every ethnic background, and we've become a new breed in the world. 
We're Americans, and we have a rendezvous with destiny.'';

  Whereas President Reagan championed freedom and democracy throughout 
the world, bringing courage to millions of people suffering the bondage 
of tyranny and oppression;

  Whereas on June 12, 1987, President Reagan stood at the Brandenburg 
Gate, the symbol of communism's brutal oppression, and demanded: 
``General Secretary Gorbachev, if you seek peace, if you seek prosperity 
for the Soviet Union and eastern Europe, if you seek liberalization: 
Come here to this gate. Mr. Gorbachev, open this gate! Mr. Gorbachev, 
tear down this wall!'';

  Whereas on November 9, 1989, the Berlin Wall was torn down, signifying 
the end of the Cold War;

  Whereas President Reagan, and his wife Nancy, brought dignity and 
respect to the White House and dedicated their lives to promoting 
national pride and to bettering the quality of life in the United States 
and throughout the world;

  Whereas on May 16, 2002, Congress bestowed the congressional gold 
medal in recognition of their service to the Nation;

  Whereas Ronald Reagan's eloquence united Americans in times of triumph 
and tragedy;

  Whereas on January 28, 1986, President Reagan comforted a grieving 
nation as Americans mourned the death of seven American astronauts who 
``slipped the surly bonds of earth to touch the face of God'';

  Whereas President Reagan spent the twilight of his life as he always 
lived, leading a fight against Alzheimer's disease with faith, courage, 
and dignity, with the greatest love for the Nation and eternal optimism 
for its future;

  Whereas by opening his heart to the Nation about his affliction with 
Alzheimer's disease, President Reagan promoted greater awareness of this 
condition; and

  Whereas President Reagan appealed to the best hopes of the American 
people, not their worst fears, and to their confidence rather than their 
doubts: Now, therefore, be it

  Resolved, That the House of Representatives--

  (1) expresses its deepest appreciation for the profound public service 
of President Ronald Reagan;

  (2) expresses its condolences to Nancy Reagan and to Patti, Michael, 
Ron, and the entire Reagan family;

  (3) calls on the people of the United States to reflect on the record 
of President Reagan during this national period of remembrance and to 
remember always his encouraging words: ``We have every right to dream 
heroic dreams.''; and

  (4) directs the Clerk of the House of Representatives to transmit a 
copy of this resolution to the family of President Reagan.


                            Hon. Jerry Lewis


                              of california

  Mr. Speaker, through the years of having the opportunity to know 
President Ronald Reagan, one could go down many a pathway in recalling 
his greatness. My first recollection of Ronald Reagan, I can recall 
clearly I was lying on the living room floor, and he was giving this 
speech on behalf of Barry Goldwater. The remarks in that speech 
entitled, ``A Time for Choosing,'' never to forget:

  You and I have a rendezvous with destiny. We will preserve for our 
children this, the last best hope of man on earth, or we will sentence 
them to take the first step into a thousand years of darkness.

  I will never forget rolling over on the floor and saying to my family, 
``This guy ought to be Governor of California.'' And, by golly, just 2 
years later, he was: Governor Ronald Reagan, elected in 1966 by the 
people of California.
  Two years after that, a group of seven Republican freshmen legislators 
were invited to the Governor's home for a little dinner. They had a set 
of card tables in the living room, a couple sat down at one card table, 
I sat on an extra chair, and, lo and behold, the Governor sat down 
beside me. The gentleman from California (Mr. Waxman) may remember that 
I was a bit more brash in those days than I choose to be now.
  And so almost immediately, I raised the subject of interest to me to 
the then-Governor Reagan. I asked him what he thought about preschool 
and child care. It did not take 30 seconds for me to begin to understand 
that I had asked the right question, for Governor Reagan knew an awful 
lot more about preschool and child care than I ever thought of knowing. 
He and Nancy had been thinking about this subject for some time. And 
indeed, as a result of that beginning point of working together in this 
very special area of education, the Child Development Act was signed in 
1972 by Governor Reagan and became the first major State quality day 
care programming that included health components and education 
components and involved parental responsibilities as well.
  The Governor was way ahead of the curve, as one might see; for some 25 
years later, Washington discovered the importance of child care.
  Another illustration of an interesting side of the Governor who by 
many was considered to be some way out there, far out on the right; but 
quickly those who would observe carefully recognized that this Governor 
was looking out for the benefit of all people of California and because 
of that, he soon became very well known as an environmental Governor. He 
joined quickly with Governor Laxalt of Nevada, and together hand in hand 
they literally saved Lake Tahoe.
  A leader way ahead of his time, it was my privilege to spend so much 
time in those early days with Governor Ronald Reagan. At another time in 
this evening's discussion I would like to spend a moment discussing with 
all of you my first experience with Governor Reagan when he became 
President of the United States.


                          Hon. Henry A. Waxman


                              of california

  Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to President Ronald Reagan. 
President Reagan has been a part of my entire political life. President 
Reagan got his start in politics when he was elected Governor in 1966. 
Two years later, I got my start in politics when I was elected to the 
California Legislature. I served in the State legislature until 1974, 
the last year of Governor Reagan's term. And, of course, I served in the 
Congress of the United States for the entire 8 years of his Presidency.
  I knew from those early days that President Reagan had remarkable 
political skills. He is known as the Great Communicator and, truly, he 
was. President Reagan knew how to connect with people. And he could 
articulate values and resonate across America and around the world with 
his ideals. He was also likable and charming.
  For many years, President Reagan was actually my constituent. 
Hollywood, the place and the industry associated with it, had a great 
impact on his life. It refined his communication skills and honed his 
sense of drama and delivery. And it gave him something that many people 
do not fully appreciate--an understanding that in America, with hard 
work and honest values Hollywood endings really can come true.
  President Reagan thought our Nation should be a shining example to the 
world. And under his leadership, we were really admired and respected 
around the world. He viewed America as a ``city on the hill,'' a beacon 
for freedom and a model for democracy.
  And here is another thing many people do not fully appreciate: 
President Reagan was a pragmatic leader. He had strong convictions, but 
if he learned that those convictions were taking America in the wrong 
direction, he had the confidence and the wisdom to change course.
  As everyone knows, President Reagan was afflicted with Alzheimer's 
disease in the last 10 years of his life. President Reagan struggled 
with this terrible condition with great dignity. And with great courage 
he and his wife Nancy shared his struggle with the American people. It 
is a true tragedy that this country lost the opportunity to have this 
elder statesman involved and seek his advice and leadership in the last 
years of his life.
  I know that all of us in this body would like to find a fitting way to 
honor President Reagan's life. For my part, I can think of no better 
tribute than an accelerated effort to address the horrific disease known 
as Alzheimer's. Mrs. Reagan, the President's beloved wife, bravely spoke 
out about this just last month. In her moving words she said:

  Science has presented us with a hope called stem cell research which 
may provide our scientists with many answers that for so long have been 
beyond our grasp. We have lost so much time already. I just really 
cannot bear to lose any more.

  Well, it is past time for us to seize the potential that Nancy Reagan 
identified. There could be no important or more lasting legacy to her 
husband.
  America has lost a devoted citizen and a dedicated leader. I want Mrs. 
Reagan and the Reagan family to know they are in my heart and in my 
thoughts. President Reagan's passing is truly felt among Democrats and 
Republicans, by all Americans, and people of goodwill all around the 
world. We will certainly miss him.


                            Hon. Jerry Lewis


                              of california

  President Reagan came to Washington at a moment when our country was 
in great malaise. Interest rates had risen as high as 21\1/2\ percent. 
Inflation was raging the country. Jobs were very, very difficult to come 
by. And in typical Ronald Reagan fashion, the President for whom the 
glass was always more than half full, he began setting forth policies 
that reduced interest rates, that impacted inflation, and created jobs. 
He set a stage for tomorrow that would lead us all to believe in America 
again and have new hope and opportunity within our country.


                             Hon. Roy Blunt


                               of missouri

  Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman from California (Mr. Lewis) 
for yielding this time to me and leading this important recognition 
today.
  I also want to thank you, Mr. Speaker, for your special understanding 
of President Reagan from your work in the military serving alongside him 
in his days in the White House.
  What all of those that served with the President or watched him from 
afar were able to see was how his optimistic leadership reinvigorated 
the American spirit and how it redefined the politics of his time. Born 
in a small town near the middle of America, this son of a shoe salesman 
rose to heights of gigantic proportion and lifted his countrymen along 
with him.
  After facing his last great challenge with courage and patience, 
Ronald Reagan now takes his place where his vision is once again clear, 
his faith rewarded, and his storied sense of humor returned. He placed 
his faith in God along with economic and permanent freedom. And the 
world is a better place because of those beliefs.
  President Reagan helped raise individuals up and helped tear down the 
Berlin Wall. He inspired us, and he was inspired by us. President 
Reagan's leadership inspired more current members of our conference on 
my side of the aisle than any other political figure in the 20th 
century.
  When I became the majority whip in this Congress, I named the 
conference room in the whip's office the Reagan Room for the brief time 
I am privileged to make that designation. And I hope many of my 
colleagues come by that room during this week on the third floor of the 
Capitol and view the photographs there chronicling the life of this 
remarkable man from his days as a radio announcer to those that 
foreshadowed the end of the Soviet Union.
  President Reagan said:

  We are a powerful force for good. With faith and courage we can 
perform great deeds and take freedom's next step, and we will.

  America is taking freedom's next step, and we are doing so in large 
part because of President Ronald Wilson Reagan.
  Today America's light shines a little dimmer because he is gone, but, 
Mr. Speaker, it shines much brighter than it would have if he had not 
been here. He made a difference in America. He made a difference in the 
world. Today people all over the world are remembering and recognizing 
that difference.


                           Hon. Danny K. Davis


                               of illinois

  Mr. Speaker, I rise today to join with my colleagues as we pay tribute 
to the life and legacy of President Reagan. A bigger-than-life screen 
actor and television personality, Ronald Reagan moved from being 
Governor of California in the sixties to President of the United States 
and dominating American politics in the eighties. He was the first 
President to be reelected to a second term since Dwight D. Eisenhower.
  Media-made and media-presented, President Reagan got millions of 
Americans to feel proud of their Nation. America's 40-year cold war with 
the Soviet Union cooled considerably and perhaps actually ended during 
Reagan's Presidency. Many Americans credit him with having achieved that 
significant outcome.
  Born the son of a shoe salesman in smalltown Illinois, President 
Reagan's impoverished but loving parents instilled in him a sense of 
optimism that carried him through college as an average student. After 
graduation, he worked for a few years as a sports broadcaster in 
midwestern radio before landing a film contract with Warner Brothers, 
which took him to Hollywood in 1936.
  Over the next 30 years, President Reagan made scores of films, 
including Army films produced during World War II. He hosted two popular 
television series and was actively engaged in politics as president of 
the Screen Actors Guild.
  In the fifties, President Reagan changed from being a Roosevelt New 
Deal Democrat to a conservative Republican. In 1966, he became Governor 
of California and was reelected in 1970. Using his popularity in 
California, he unsuccessfully challenged President Gerald Ford for the 
Republican nomination in 1976. He tried again and won the nomination in 
1980 and thereafter defeated the incumbent Democrat Jimmy Carter. With 
his 1984 reelection victory, President Reagan became the most 
politically successful Republican President since President Eisenhower.
  In his last years, as President Reagan battled Alzheimer's disease, 
our Nation went from having zero drugs for this devastating disease to 
today having five new prescriptive drugs to help manage and treat the 
progression of Alzheimer's. Today it is even possible to diagnose 
Alzheimer's with more than 90 percent accuracy. It is clear that 
Alzheimer's does not discriminate on whom it affects, regardless of 
gender, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, political ideology or if one 
worked in the fields, in the factories or in the Oval Office.
  With now more than 4.5 million people suffering from this disease, the 
upsetting effects of Alzheimer's are growing faster than modern medicine 
can manage. This is only likely to become more complicated with the 
aging of the baby boomers, boosting the number of Alzheimer's patients 
to an astounding 11 to 16 million people by the middle of the century.
  As a way to honor President Reagan, let us make the greatest 
commitment that we can to real investment in research for Alzheimer's 
disease and follow through with clinical trials to translate the 
research into treatments. We must now act to make the lives of all 
Alzheimer's patients more comfortable with a better quality of life, 
while hopefully being able to prevent this disease in the future.
  Mr. President, as one might say in a western movie, you had a good 
ride and our country is proud to say, ``Much obliged.''


                           Hon. Elton Gallegly


                              of california

  President Reagan's impact on America and the world is immeasurable. He 
ended the cold war and restored America's confidence. His Republican 
administration rebuilt our economy with the help and support of a 
Democratic House of Representatives.
  President Reagan achieved such successes because when you sat in a 
room with him, there could be over 1,000 people in the room, yet you 
felt like there was only the 2 of you, and his wonderful wit would put 
you at ease. That was a tremendous gift.
  That is why some of his biggest political enemies were among his 
closest personal friends. It is why a staunch anticommunist could 
negotiate with the President of the Soviet Union. President Reagan 
reached across and connected with people.
  President Reagan is now at rest. We mourn his passing, but we are 
grateful for the gifts he gave us: a safer world, a strong economic 
base, and a renewed belief in America's greatness.
  Mr. Speaker, President Reagan will be laid to rest at his Presidential 
library in Simi Valley, CA. It is where I began my political career as 
mayor and city councilman. It has been my home for more than 35 years.
  President Reagan often spoke about a ``shining city on a hill.'' The 
Ronald Reagan Presidential Library is such a place. President Reagan 
will be laid to rest at the edge of a high hill where his library 
stands. His grave overlooks the farmlands, ranches and chaparral of the 
Tierra Rejada Valley. On a clear day, one can see the Channel Islands in 
the Pacific Ocean more than 30 miles away. It is a fitting place for 
America's greatest son.
  Mr. Speaker, it is the end of an era, but it is the beginning of a 
legacy that will last forever. We will miss him.


                            Hon. David Scott


                               of georgia

  Mr. Speaker, today we remember a true leader, a statesman and a great 
man who led our country with dignity, with grace and with strength. 
President Reagan was the quintessential American who exemplified 
unbridled optimism, a strong sense of faith and the idea that our Nation 
was a true beacon for the world.
  There is no doubt that among his greatest achievements was his resolve 
to end the cold war so that other Nations could experience the glory of 
freedom and the power of democracy. His combination of political 
strength and personal appeal, his ability to communicate set the forces 
in motion for the walls of communism to crumble, and for this he will 
always be remembered.
  However, President Reagan should also be remembered, especially in 
this House, for his willingness to fight in the political arena with 
dignity, with respect for his opponents, and his strong belief that 
democracy was for all of our citizens, even those with whom he might 
have disagreed. President Reagan exemplified civility and honor in an 
arena that is often lacking in both, and because of that he earned the 
goodwill not only of his supporters, but often of his friendly 
adversaries. In the end we remember a man, Ronald Reagan, not only as a 
great leader, but as a good and decent man.
  My condolences and prayers are with his family and with his wife 
Nancy, who shared him with our country.
  Mr. Speaker, we are all called by God for a special purpose with this 
turn at light that he gives us. Some nobility of purpose is embedded in 
each of us with that calling, and as it is the case with Ronald Reagan, 
there will be on his tombstone 1911-2004, but the most important thing 
on his tombstone will be the dash in between. For the fundamental call 
from God is always what we will do with the dash.
  Ronald Reagan did great things with his dash. For those 93 years in 
that dash was actor, head of a union, the breakdown of the barriers of 
communism, the star wars defense system, and his legacy of rebuilding 
the Republican Party.
  Yes, Ronald Reagan was a great man, and he, as so many of us, have 
heeded the call, and as I think of Ronald Reagan, I am reminded of the 
great prophet Isaiah who said in that great conversation when God called 
and said, who will go for us and whom shall we send, that great prophet 
Isaiah said, at no hesitation, Here I am, Lord, send me.
  Ronald Reagan responded the same way. I can almost see it. When the 
Lord called and said, who will go for us and who will we send to perform 
that nobility of purpose in life that Ronald Reagan did, which is the 
legacy of his Presidency, I can see him standing at attention and 
saying, Here I am, Lord, send me.
  God bless Ronald Reagan.


                         Hon. William M. Thomas


                              of california

  Mr. Speaker, we are all going to talk about President Reagan, 
Commander in Chief Reagan, leader of the free world Reagan. Some of us 
were privileged to know him in a different context. My friend from 
California (Mr. Lewis), the chairman, has talked about his relationship 
with him when he was Governor of California.
  I knew him in a number of different contexts, and I was always amazed 
at one thing, and that was he was the same person regardless of the 
context in which you met him, worked with him or were led by him.
  In 1974, I decided that I would run for public office. He was then in 
the last year of his governorship, and he decided to come to 
Bakersfield, and so I planned an event for the Governor. We decided that 
we would charge what seemed to be an appropriate amount, $25 a head, and 
almost 500 people came to see the Governor. I had no doubts about why 
they were coming.
  We picked him up at the airport, and when we got in the car, he 
started quizzing me about myself, and so I was visiting with him. But as 
we got closer, I said, ``Well, do you want to take just a little time 
now so that you can get ready for the event?'' He said, ``Bill, if I am 
not ready now, 5 minutes will not make any difference.''
  He was always prepared. He was always on time, whether it was a minor 
event or a debate with other leaders of the world.
  And you see him in a bunch of different contexts and you say, well, of 
course, because he was a movie star and he is supposed to carry himself. 
And the point I want to make, if I do not make any other point, is he 
was that way because of who he was, not because of what he did. Because, 
frankly, if you tried to write a script and went to Hollywood on Ronald 
Reagan's life, you would last about 2 minutes in the room. Because 
people are willing to suspend belief, but not that much.
  And what I like most about the juxtaposition of Ronald Reagan and his 
career, which was kind of molded out of the context that he found 
himself in, was that the American people were wise enough, first of all 
to choose him as Governor of California for the traditional two terms, 
had he chosen to run for a third term he probably could have gotten 
elected; and the American people chose him for two terms as President, a 
now constitutionally limited period of time. Were it not for that 
constitutional limit, he may have been elected again.
  And so when you watch people recognizing Ronald Reagan as they pass 
the casket, as they did in California, many people will have an 
individual memory, perhaps a general shared one, and perhaps a personal 
one. For me, Ronald Reagan's life means that any American can do 
anything any American wants to do. For Ronald Reagan, the public person, 
it means he made sure that he set up a structure which allows any 
American to do whatever any American wants to do; and his justification 
and enabling of that is, he would tell you, ``because I did.''
  You are going to hear him called the Great Communicator a lot. What 
you also need to know was he was a great compromiser. It can be put no 
more clearly than a comment he made when he was Governor of California, 
because he became Governor with an enormous debt at that time for the 
State of California. California did not have a withholding tax, and he 
needed to create a frontload for money to solve the problem that he was 
facing. He had, however, made a statement earlier that his feet were in 
concrete over not having a withholding tax. Once he looked at the 
options in front of him and he realized he did not have any options 
other than instituting a withholding tax, having worked with the 
legislature, he then went to the microphone and said, ``That cracking 
sound you hear is the cement breaking away from my feet.''
  And so when you wonder why Ronald Reagan could get along with so many 
different people in so many stages of life, whether small or great, it 
was because Ronald Reagan was the same person regardless of the job the 
American people gave him. He was always prepared, he was always on time, 
and he was a very, very sincere man. He was also quite smart, in ways 
that many people never understand.
  So what I want to do tonight is to just share briefly the memoirs of 
someone who, if you are looking for an example, he certainly stands out, 
not just in what he did but the way in which he lived his life and the 
way in which he recognized his condition later in life and the way in 
which he concluded his life. All of us should pause and remember that he 
was an amazing person. He was an American.


                           Hon. Steny H. Hoyer


                               of maryland

  I am particularly pleased that the gentleman from Texas is managing 
the time, because I think if Ronald Reagan were here, he would say 
Charles Stenholm was one of those who stood with me on principle, who 
believed that we needed to get this country moving, and believed that we 
needed to have sound policy; and Charles Stenholm stood with me. And as 
the gentleman from California (Mr. Thomas) just related, for Ronald 
Reagan the concrete cracked again, frankly, when he viewed the program 
adopted and thought that perhaps some changes needed to be made.
  Mr. Speaker, like every Member of this House, I offer my sincere 
condolences to the family and friends of former President Reagan, 
particularly, of course, his beloved wife, Nancy, and his children. What 
a wonderful example Nancy Reagan set for our country. Ronald Reagan and 
Nancy Reagan clearly loved one another deeply and cared for one another, 
and Nancy Reagan has shown extraordinary courage and fidelity not only 
throughout the course of their marriage but particularly in the course 
of Ronald Reagan's final illness.
  Mr. Speaker, Ronald Reagan loved this Nation and served it with 
distinction; and he will ever be remembered for his humor, his grace, 
his irrepressible optimism which mirrored the American spirit and buoyed 
it in periods of difficulty.
  The last decade, when this man who had lived life with such physical 
vigor slowly slipped away, was an especially cruel blow. However, let us 
be comforted today that he has been summoned to a far better place.
  Having been elected to Congress just 4 months after he took office, 
and just 6 weeks after an assassin's bullet nearly claimed his life, I 
had a front-row seat during President Reagan's 8 years in Washington. He 
was a man I both liked and respected. I liked him for his warmth and for 
the respect that he accorded others, and I respected him for the honesty 
of his convictions and the intellectual integrity that he displayed in 
pursuing them.
  After signing into law what was then the largest tax cut in American 
history in 1981, President Reagan had the fortitude to face fiscal 
reality, just as the gentleman from California (Mr. Thomas) reflected 
upon. His policies caused yawning deficits and spiraling debt, 
consequences that he subsequently tried to address, although not as 
successfully as I am sure he would have hoped. Without question, Ronald 
Reagan held strong ideological beliefs. But one of his real strengths 
was his willingness to put pragmatism above ideology, to make sure that 
his country had programs that were working.
  I also remember him as a person who early in life committed to 
equality and justice for all, and later in life to the success of 
freedom and democracy around the world. I believed he was right in that 
endeavor, and like the gentleman from California (Mr. Lewis), supported 
his efforts to build up our defenses, to deploy those Persian and cruise 
missiles, to, yes, even provide for multiple warheads on the MX missile, 
and say to the Soviet Union, if you want to compete, we are prepared to 
compete; but we would rather seek peace together. And he had the courage 
to build up, and he had the courage to make peace.
  While Democrats disagreed with and strongly opposed much of his 
domestic agenda, our political differences never hardened into 
paralyzing personal animosity on his side or on ours. We were blessed by 
the fact that we were led by two great Irishmen, Ronald Reagan and Tip 
O'Neill. They were friends. And they had a third friend, his name was 
Michel, Bob Michel, an extraordinary leader of this House. And they, 
together, believed that country was more important than partisanship and 
party.
  For the most part, they worked together. On those matters that they 
disagreed on, they took their own separate ways. But when they could 
agree, they did. The Social Security reform of 1983 was probably the 
most stark example of that cooperative spirit. It was good for the 
country, it was good for Social Security, and they came together, worked 
together, and succeeded together.
  That was due in great measure to the leadership styles and 
personalities of President Reagan and Speaker O'Neill. These two men, 
the most powerful political figures in our Nation in the eighties, one a 
Republican, the other a Democrat, demonstrated to all Americans that our 
elected leaders could disagree politically without being disagreeable 
personalities or personally. They reminded all of us that cynicism and 
mean-spiritedness are inimical to American democracy, and that our real 
adversaries lie beyond our shores, not here.
  The surest tribute that we can pay to Ronald Reagan today is to commit 
ourselves to recapture the generosity of spirit that always guided him. 
In a very real way, Ronald Reagan's life was the embodiment of the 
American dream. Both President Reagan and President Clinton, like Harry 
Truman, gave credence to the promise that in America neither privileged 
birth nor economic advantage is necessary to enable one to become the 
President of the United States of America. It was, for them, and for 
millions to follow their example, the land of opportunity.
  President Reagan's leadership renewed the conviction that the future 
would be better, better than the past, and that America's best days were 
still ahead. That is a philosophy that all of us should embrace and 
convey to our fellow citizens. I believe it is the case, Ronald Reagan 
believed it was the case, and may God bless his soul and comfort his 
beloved wife, Nancy.


                          Hon. Dana Rohrabacher


                              of california

  Mr. Speaker, it is a blessing that Ronald Reagan did not die 
immediately after leaving office in 1989. In these last 16 years that we 
have had Ronald Reagan with us, it has given America a chance to take a 
look at who Ronald Reagan was and what he meant to our country. And now, 
with 16 years that have passed, we can look back and see what an 
enormous difference Ronald Reagan made not only to our lives as 
Americans but to the entire world.
  Let me note that Ronald Reagan was 56 years old when I first met him, 
and that was when he was running for the first time for public office. 
And all of these things we are talking about, a man who accomplished so 
much and changed the world for the better, happened after he was 56 
years old. He had already had a successful life, a full career.
  And he did come from a relatively poor family. I know his first job 
was being a lifeguard. That affected his way of looking at things his 
entire life. He saved 77 people's lives as a lifeguard. And having 
gotten to know him as President and also during his campaigns, I think 
he always had that consciousness, that he was there to save the day for 
the people who were in some type of a crisis.
  He was a sports broadcaster, and he was a moderately successful film 
actor. But all of that seemed to be over when he was 50 years old. And 
then, when he was 56, he jumped into political life. Now, why did he do 
that? Because California was a mess in 1966.
  And he came and stepped forward because he felt he had a contribution 
to make. He jumped into the political waters to save the day.
  I was a youth volunteer in that first campaign, and I got to meet him 
personally, and it was one of the joys of my life.
  Let me note that years later after I got finished with school, I 
became a journalist, and I covered Ronald Reagan's last 2 years as 
Governor as a journalist. I remember that he had a press conference one 
day, it was near the end of his term, where he was announcing the 
findings of his law and order task force. One of their findings was an 
expanded use of the death penalty. And just as I am now, I was then 
always trying to get to the heart of the matter and ask the tough 
questions, and I asked President Reagan, who was then Governor, well, 
how can you be in favor of expanding the use of the death penalty when 
you are a committed Christian? And, you know, he sat forward, and he 
leaned forward to the mike, and said:

  I take that question very seriously. I prayed about this, about using 
the death penalty more frequently and taking people's lives. I have 
sought help. I have read the scripture, and I have talked to other 
people about this, and I have come to the conclusion that if we are 
executing people for revenge, that it is inconsistent with the 
principles that Jesus Christ taught us, but if we are executing 
murderers in order to deter people from killing other human beings, we 
are doing it then to save people, to save innocent people, and that is 
totally consistent with Christianity.

  At that point Evelle Younger, who was the attorney general of the 
State, reached over and grabbed the mike and said, ``oh, this religious 
and philosophical stuff does not mean anything. The voters of this State 
voted for the death penalty, and they are going to get it.'' Well, in my 
opinion of Ronald Reagan's sword, I knew that he was a man who did not 
take these things lightly, a man of strong conviction, but a man who 
deeply cared about people enough to think about it and to pray about 
decisions like this. He was not just a Great Communicator, and I worked 
for him as a speechwriter for 7 years in the White House. He was, yes, 
someone who understood the fundamentals of communication, but that is 
not what made him great. He was not the Great Communicator. He was 
America's great leader. He had ideals that helped direct his decisions.
  We have heard about his strong convictions. We know today that most 
people with strong convictions are not very pleasant to be around. When 
they talk about people with philosophies, there is a saying that you 
cannot change somebody's mind, and he will not change the subject. 
Ronald Reagan was a person who taught me that you can have strong 
principles and have a solid philosophy, but be a pleasant person and 
care about people at the same time. It was that type of humane approach 
that permitted Ronald Reagan to capture the hearts of the American 
people and inspire us.
  When our country was in such terrible peril economically and in 
retreat internationally, and our spirit had been destroyed, people were 
not even waving the American flag back in the late seventies, Ronald 
Reagan dove into the political waters again to save the day. And he 
saved us. He was the lifeguard who saved us, and he saved the world.
  Jim Bruelte, a political person in California, noted on D-day the 
American soldiers liberated half of Europe. Ronald Reagan liberated the 
other half of Europe and did it without firing a shot.
  We live in a more prosperous country, a safer country, and hundreds of 
millions of people now live in relative freedom than if he had not been 
here. We are so grateful to Ronald Reagan for having dove in to save us, 
and he did. He saved America, and he saved us personally.
  I am now 56 years old, the same age Ronald Reagan was when he first 
entered politics. I am so grateful that he spent those years of his life 
making this a better world for my children. I just had three children, 
and I am so grateful that he made it a better world for them.


                          Hon. Rodney Alexander


                              of louisiana

  Mr. Speaker, it is with great sadness that we devote this week to 
honor the memory and the contributions of our 40th President Ronald 
Reagan. My thoughts and prayers are with President Reagan's family and 
all of the Americans who grieve this week.
  Mr. Speaker, President Reagan was a true patriot, committed to the 
ideals of a democratic nation, and dedicated to maintaining the strength 
of America as a world power. His abilities as a strong leader and a 
communicator gave Americans confidence and strength during a time of 
economic hardship and struggling with the Soviet Union.
  President Reagan once said, ``There is no limit to what a man can do 
or where he can go if he does not mind who gets the credit.'' We should 
follow this example and remember that public service is not about 
partisan battles or taking credit, it is about serving the American 
people to the best of our ability.
  I am honored to be here in Washington during this week of memorial 
services. I am grateful to all of those involved with arranging the 
safety and logistics during a week when thousands of Americans will 
journey to our Nation's Capital to pay their respects to President 
Reagan.
  Mr. Speaker, as we face a new decade and new challenges, let us honor 
the life and contributions and remember the debt of gratitude we owe our 
40th President, Ronald Reagan.


                     Hon. Randy ``Duke'' Cunningham


                              of california

  Mr. Speaker, we rise to honor and mourn Ronald Reagan.
  But first I would like to thank Mrs. Nancy Reagan. The wisest of men 
knows it takes a good woman to make a good man, and what a good wingman 
she has been, both in sickness and in health. This Nation also owes 
Nancy Reagan a debt of gratitude; both of them good and decent people. 
Ronald Reagan was one of the most respected and effective Presidents in 
American history.
  Mr. Speaker, the Irish have a toast, and it goes like this. It is to 
those who support Ronald Reagan, and everybody lifts their glass; to 
those who may support Ronald Reagan, and everybody lifts their glass; 
and to those that will never support President Ronald Reagan, may God 
strike them in their shins so we shall know them by their limping. But 
there are not many of those, Mr. Speaker.
  President Reagan said:

  You know, the United States was never meant to be a second-best 
nation. . . . [W]e set our sights [high for] . . . the stars, and we're 
going for the gold.

  He said that back in the eighties. He came to the job with one 
underlying goal, and that was freedom. Freedom for you, Mr. Speaker, and 
people all over the world, much to the same challenges that we have 
today; the freedom in Bosnia, in Kosovo, in Afghanistan and in Iraq, and 
with the United Nations signing a resolution today following in suit 
much as Ronald Reagan guided us through troublesome times when he was 
President.
  Ronald Reagan restored the economy of a double-digit inflation, 
interest rates the same thing. He gave this Nation tax relief, much as 
President Kennedy and President Bush did. He increased the coffers by 
three times the amount. Unfortunately, it was Congress that spent a lot 
of that money.
  He followed his pledge to restore our military. Ronald Reagan believed 
in ``peace through strength,'' and I think it showed through. He 
eliminated an entire class of nuclear weapons. He is responsible for 
bringing down the Berlin Wall, ending the cold war, and challenging 
governments to have a new way of life to bring freedom to their people, 
also a task that we face today in this body and in this Nation.
  For his imprint on history, for his legacy which will be felt for 
generations to come, this Nation owes President Reagan and Nancy Reagan 
a debt of gratitude.
  One of the President's many legacies is the Navy's newest nuclear 
carrier, the USS Ronald Reagan which will reside in San Diego. That 
aircraft carrier will travel all over the world, much as Ronald Reagan 
did, and serves as a symbol of the respect and elegance of his family. 
Throughout his political career, President Reagan always concluded his 
campaign in San Diego. He called it his lucky city. We feel fortunate 
that he considered San Diego so. It is only fitting that this great new 
``shining city on the hill,'' San Diego, will be called the home of the 
USS Ronald Reagan, our latest and newest nuclear aircraft carrier.
  Mr. Speaker, we bid Ronald Reagan adieu and thank the Reagan family 
for what they have given to this Nation. God bless you, Nancy Reagan, 
and your family and the President.


                         Hon. Sheila Jackson-Lee


                                of texas

  I imagine this time is the reason why so many of us, in fact I would 
say this entire House, cherishes this body and cherishes this 
institution, because it allows us to come at a time like this and shed 
our Democratic and Republican labels and simply approach this tribute as 
Americans. I would imagine that is what these times, although sad, allow 
us to do.
  I am proud as an American to come forward and to salute an American 
President, and to be able to join the millions of Americans mourning the 
passing of President Ronald Reagan and celebrate his service to the 
people of the United States and his leadership in promoting the cause of 
freedom for all of the people of the world.
  Protest has its place, protest is good in life, but protest has no 
place in death, and so this opportunity is to acknowledge the principles 
by which this President lived and stood for during his Presidency. The 
love that President Reagan had for this Nation was infectious to the 
point that it reflected on everyone who listened to him, here in America 
and abroad.
  Even when his actions did not agree with the policies and initiatives 
of many of us who wear a different political hat, he maintained himself 
with integrity and engaged in honest and open debate. We have heard 
repeatedly over these last couple of days that despite partisan 
disagreements, former President Reagan followed the tenet that when the 
day ends, we are no longer Democrats or Republicans; rather, we are 
Americans, families and friends.
  I am reminded of the stories told about him and Speaker of the House 
Tip O'Neill, who shared in their Irish heritage a bit of good 
conversation and maybe a little bit of drink.
  The differences may have been real; but because of the way President 
Reagan led, he taught us that there is a big difference between strong 
beliefs and bitter partisanship. As the Commander in Chief, he was the 
voice of America in imparting both good news and bad news. As we mourned 
the loss of our brave astronauts in the Challenger tragedy, it was 
President Reagan who reminded us, ``Nothing ends here; our hopes and our 
journeys continue.'' We in Texas at that time appreciated his strong 
leadership and that in fact even in spite of the Challenger tragedy at 
that time, we would prevail and we would go forward.
  President Ronald Wilson Reagan was an American who will always be 
remembered. He will be forever remembered for the warmth and the respect 
with which he accorded others. Furthermore, our thoughts and prayers are 
with Nancy and his children at this difficult time.
  Strong beliefs and a love of our country are the only way to bring 
this country forward as we face a costly and difficult war in Iraq and a 
budget that is struggling to survive. Strength and leadership is what we 
need now. Strength and leadership will be required to bring this Nation 
back to the standards by which we have always been known.
  President Reagan himself admitted that he was an optimist and he 
believed that this Nation had an optimistic future, and so he was always 
able to rise to the occasion and share words of encouragement. President 
Reagan always stressed that America is a can-do country. I would say to 
you that we Democrats agree. We can and will get back on the right 
track, largely through his legacy of integrity and hard work. With 
strong leadership and a real commitment to confronting the problems 
facing American families, we can improve upon our weaknesses.
  It was interesting to hear over these last couple of days the number 
of young people, then young people, who were amazed that they had the 
opportunity to work in President Reagan's administration. Sixty-nine 
years old when he took office, it seemed that he gravitated toward young 
people. Now being able to recite their wonderful experiences again, a 
tribute to a man who had a great history.
  We will always remember him as the man who tore down the Iron Curtain. 
He did it with a kind of leadership and integrity but sternness and 
determinedness. I will simply say no one will ever forget him 
challenging Mr. Gorbachev by saying, ``open this gate!'' and, ``Mr. 
Gorbachev, tear down this wall!'' We are better for it. He did it with a 
sternness but also with an attitude of peace.
  I am grateful also for the shining example of the wonderful 
relationship between him and his wife Nancy, the great love that they 
shared and the fact that they were married for some 52 years. Might I 
share with you some words that he wrote in 1983 on their 31st wedding 
anniversary as he was riding on Air Force One, and might I commend to 
you Nancy's book, ``I Love You, Ronnie,'' published in 2000, but hear 
these words. He wrote:

  I more than love you, I'm not whole without you. You are life itself 
to me. When you are gone I'm waiting for you to return, so I can start 
living again.

That is a true testament to the value of marriage and partnership and 
they did it unabashedly and without fear.
  Mrs. Reagan wrote in 1989, ``Some of the reporters who wrote about me 
felt that our marriage was at least partly an act. But it wasn't and it 
isn't.'' And I believe her.
  Finally, in 1998 she told Vanity Fair:

  Our relationship is very special. We were very much in love and still 
are. When I say my life began with Ronnie, well, it's true. It did. I 
can't imagine life without him.

  Mr. Speaker, I started by saying that is why I cherish this 
institution, because it allows us now to come together again, not 
wearing any partisan hat but simply saying that we are Americans. I do 
not know if she would mind me saying this, but my daughter is now 24, I 
remember her as a small girl, very small, and she always used to refer 
to Ronald Reagan as the grandfather. I had to kind of clarify that for 
her, but it was out of the mouth of a child that described him as such.
  And so I simply leave you with the idea of why we have come today to 
be able to honor this American President. It is because he did leave us 
with a sense of optimism and an ability to go forward, to look at the 
troubles that we might be facing both to the left and to the right and 
forward and back but yet to say that we are determined to succeed. I 
would only say that in his passing, let us maintain the legacy of 
optimism for this country. ``We are the showcase of the future. And it 
is within our power to mold that future, this year and for decades to 
come. It can be as grand and as great as we make it. No crisis is beyond 
the capacity of our people to solve, no challenge too great,'' the words 
of Ronald Reagan on January 5, 1974.
  With that, Mr. Speaker, I simply say, farewell. And though we say 
farewell to a great and wonderful American President, his legacy will 
live on--that America's future is founded on our optimism, our belief in 
freedom and democracy and, certainly this day on our understanding that 
we all are Americans.
  So when we return to work next week, I hope this House will be 
inspired by the leadership of Ronald Reagan instead of mired in the 
partisan politics and a lack of integrity that have too often affected 
our work as of late. We should be inspired by his patriotism and 
devotion to our country. Moreover, we should remember his faith, his 
optimism, and his unwavering commitment to his convictions as we do the 
work of the American people.
  President Reagan had a calm speaking voice and forceful diction that 
earned him the title of the Great Communicator. This task was surely the 
work of a leader of fortitude and commitment to the betterment of our 
diplomatic relations with that Nation.
  Mr. Reagan's efforts and tenacity contributed greatly to the end of 
the cold war. His policies included strong support of the U.S. military 
and the doctrine of ``peace through strength.''
  In a few days it will be exactly 17 years to the day that President 
Reagan stood at the Brandenburg Gate in what was then West Berlin, 
Germany, in which he famously proclaimed:

  General Secretary Gorbachev, if you seek peace, if you seek prosperity 
for the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe, if you seek liberalization: 
Come here to this gate! Mr. Gorbachev, open this gate! Mr. Gorbachev, 
tear down this wall!''

  The speech was made to the free people of West Berlin, but it was 
clearly audible on the East side of the Wall, and soon those words would 
help make it possible that the people of East and West Berlin could 
finally hear each other. For all of his achievements and acclaim, I am 
certain that President Reagan's greatest accomplishment will be the 
demise of the Soviet Union. As Margaret Thatcher said, he was the man 
who ``won the cold war without firing a shot.''
  The world President Reagan faced when he came into office in 1981 was 
very different from the world we see today. Today the United States is 
the unquestioned superpower of the world, but two decades ago this world 
was dominated by the struggle between two superpowers: the United States 
and the Soviet Union. President Reagan came into office with his own 
vision on how this great struggle could be dealt with. He succeeded in 
maintaining the standoff with the Soviet Union so that the world did not 
have to witness the consequences of a brutal nuclear war. He fought the 
Soviet Union indirectly wherever they sought to threaten the freedom of 
the world's people. In Afghanistan he mobilized our allies and our 
resources in the region to ensure that the Soviets would not have a 
stranglehold on the continent of Asia. The Reagan doctrine succeeded in 
a time where grave danger not only threatened our Nation, but indeed the 
fate of the world as we know it.
  President Reagan used his great communication skills to help end the 
cold war without the necessity of another world war. As with his speech 
at the Brandenburg Gate, President Reagan inspired people throughout the 
world to believe that freedom and prosperity were indeed possible.
  President Reagan made Americans believe again that our Nation was the 
greatest on Earth and that we would indeed be victorious. Finally, his 
words made the leadership of the Soviet Union believe that they were 
fighting from a side of weakness, that the good of our beliefs and our 
national system would prevail. His words were inspirational two decades 
ago, but today they have been proven true. The Soviet Union no longer 
threatens our world, and we must always pay tribute to President Reagan 
for that accomplishment.
  At a time when war and bloodshed are one of the biggest thoughts on 
the minds of Americans, the history of President Reagan's relationship 
with his wife is a refreshing thought that has restored a feeling of 
compassion in our hearts.
  Relationships--whether they be diplomatic, spousal, or platonic, have 
not been placed in the greatest light as of late in America. We have 
been marred by accounts of human rights abuse and other examples of a 
disregard for the rights and personhood of our neighbors.
  In contrast, the relationship between Ronald and Nancy Reagan was one 
of the greatest love stories in U.S. Presidential history. The two were 
utterly devoted to each other, and Nancy was said to have been a key 
adviser and confidante during her husband's two-term Presidency from 
1981 to 1989. Though they were married 52 years, Nancy has told with 
great pain how her husband did not recognize her during the final years 
of his struggle with Alzheimer's disease.
  Mr. Speaker, I support the resolution offered by my colleague, 
Representative Lewis of California, saluting a leader whose influence 
and positive legacy will live on with not only the American people but 
the entire international community. Thank you, Mr. President, and may 
you rest in peace. May your family find strength and courage through 
these very difficult days.
  I conclude now by reciting some of President Reagan's spirited words 
to us as Americans:

  The house we hope to build is . . . not for my generation, but for 
yours. It is your future that matters. And I hope that when you're my 
age, you'll be able to say as I have been able to say: We lived in 
freedom, we lived lives that were a statement, not an apology.

  The challenge of statesmanship is to have the vision to dream of a 
better, safer world and the courage, persistence, and patience to turn 
that dream into reality.


                                                         --March 8, 1985

  We have every right to dream heroic dreams. Those who say that we're 
in a time when there are no heroes, they just don't know where to look.


                                                      --January 20, 1981

  We are the showcase of the future. And it is within our power to mold 
that future--this year and for decades to come. It can be as grand and 
as great as we make it. No crisis is beyond the capacity of our people 
to solve; no challenge too great.


                                                       --January 5, 1974

  Again, farewell, Mr. President. May your optimism live on.


                            Hon. Jerry Lewis


                              of california

  Mr. Speaker, the eloquence of our colleagues from both sides of the 
aisle reflects the best of Ronald Reagan. His leadership indeed 
recognized that there was little partisanship when you were really 
working toward solving problems for America's people.


                            Hon. Wally Herger


                              of california

  Mr. Speaker, some of my first impressions of Ronald Reagan were back 
in the fifties when I was yet in grammar school, and I observed him as 
he hosted ``General Electric Theater.'' And then again I remember him 
just after graduating from high school in 1964 when he campaigned and 
spoke out for Barry Goldwater. Ronald Reagan stood for ideals that 
simply were not being expressed anyplace else.
  The appropriately named ``Reagan revolution'' was precisely that. He 
was one of the main reasons I ran for political office. In the late 
seventies, we heard our leaders talk about lowering expectations and 
that the good times were over and that our Nation was in a ``general 
malaise.'' This was mirrored in high inflation that reached 10 to 12 
percent, unemployment rates that were over 10 percent, and a prime 
interest rate that reached as high as 21.5 percent.
  But then in stepped Ronald Reagan saying America could do better and 
America would do better. When Ronald Reagan said it, you believed it. 
His vision of the ``shining city on the hill'' gave hope to countless 
millions of Americans. Back then, for me, as a small business owner who 
grew up on a ranch, the American dream appeared endangered by high taxes 
and big government. In California, property taxes were doubling and 
tripling. With Ronald Reagan, there was someone we could rally around. 
His hope, his direction, and his moral clarity gave us all renewed 
energy. Ronald Reagan had the great ability to say what so many of us 
were thinking, what we were thinking about our national budget, about 
our national defense, about taxes; and, yes, about a better America.
  The first time I ever met Ronald Reagan was in 1980 when I was running 
for the State assembly in California and I journeyed to Simi Valley to 
get my picture taken with him. I can remember growing up hearing my 
mother talking about President Franklin Roosevelt, how she would listen 
to President Roosevelt on the radio during the Great Depression and 
during World War II. President Roosevelt gave hope to her generation. 
Ronald Reagan was to my generation what FDR was to my parents.
  In Congress I had the privilege of meeting Ronald Reagan six or seven 
times. Just being around President Reagan was inspiring. He lit up the 
room. To those of us who believed strongly in the American dream, in 
traditional values and the Judeo-Christian faith, Ronald Reagan was 
indeed a shining light in the city when there seemed to be none. His 
spirit will live on in the hearts of Americans. He was truly one of our 
Nation's greatest Presidents.
  Ronald Reagan, thank you for all you have done for me. Thank you for 
all you have done for our great Nation.


                            Hon. Steve Israel


                               of new york

  Mr. Speaker, I rise in joining my colleagues on both sides of the 
aisle in mourning the loss of President Reagan. I did not agree with the 
President on every issue, but there were three values that he exuded 
which I do share deeply: first, a respect for the democratic process and 
the building of consensus to move us forward and to make us safer; 
second, a fundamental belief in a strong military and a strong defense; 
and third, as we have heard before, a boundless optimism about America's 
capacity and our potential and our role in making the world safe for 
democracy.
  I never had the privilege of personally meeting President Reagan, but 
I did work here in Congress during his administration for a former 
Member of Congress, and I have a sense that even tonight, President 
Reagan and former Speaker Tip O'Neill are looking down upon this House 
with rather wry and proud smiles wishing us the best as we join 
together--as they joined together--to move our country not to the left, 
not to the right but forward, and they guide us not from the left, not 
from the right, they guide us from above.
  Several months ago, I had the privilege of participating in an issues 
forum in New York with Ronald Reagan, Jr. Tonight my thoughts and 
prayers are with him and the entire Reagan family as they mourn the loss 
of a father and a husband and as America mourns the loss of a President.


                            Hon. David Dreier


                              of california

  Mr. Speaker, let me say at the outset I think it is extraordinarily 
appropriate that the gentleman, the former mayor of Simi, CA, the home 
of the Ronald Reagan Library and what will be the final resting place 
for Nancy and Ronald Reagan, is presiding over this institution at this 
moment. I would also like to thank my friend, the true dean of our 
California congressional delegation, for yielding me this time.
  A generation was inspired by Ronald Reagan is what we have been 
hearing, but it was really a generation, and then some, inspired by 
Ronald Reagan. The gentleman from California (Mr. Lewis) heard Ronald 
Reagan's speech on behalf of Barry Goldwater in 1964. Two years later, 
Ronald Reagan was elected Governor of California, and 2 years after that 
the gentleman from California (Mr. Lewis) was elected to the California 
State Assembly, serving 6 of the 8 years that Ronald Reagan was Governor 
of California. In fact, he is the only Republican Member here who did 
serve while Ronald Reagan was Governor of California. He went on to 
inspire many others. I am among them. Page H3802
  I was pleased this morning to be able to include in the Record very 
thoughtful remarks that were provided by a great American, George 
Shultz, who Sunday afternoon read his statement to me and I read it into 
the Record this morning, and I would like to commend it to my colleagues 
because it talks about the vision and the perspective that Ronald Reagan 
offered in a wide range of areas. Ronald Reagan made it very clear that 
the Republican Party is the party of ideas. We constantly hear about 
Ronald Reagan being the Great Communicator, but he had a message to 
communicate. Members on both sides of the aisle have talked about that 
message.
  To me it embraced four very simple points: his commitment to a free 
economy, limited government, a strong national defense, and personal 
freedom. Those are the bases from which Ronald Reagan made his decisions 
on public policy issues, but he had those deeply rooted principles. And 
because they were so deeply rooted, he was able to communicate them 
extraordinarily well. Why? Because it came right from the heart. It came 
right from his heart.
  We have heard a lot of very serious statements made about Ronald 
Reagan; but, of course, one of the most memorable things as people 
talked about his ability to communicate was his ability to communicate 
with that amazing sparkle, that twinkle in his eye. There were some 
wonderful things that he said that were able to, in fact, break the ice 
and really entertain all of us. Remember, it was Ronald Reagan who said, 
``Hard work never killed anybody, but I figured, why take the chance?'' 
It was Ronald Reagan who after he had been hit by that bullet, right up 
Constitution Avenue here at the Washington Hilton when the statement was 
made to him shortly thereafter that the government was working as usual 
and he looked up and said, ``Why would that make me happy?''
  There was, of course, his last speech which really stuck with me. It 
was February 3, 1994, and the Republican National Committee was having a 
dinner over here at the Pension Building, and Ronald Reagan was 
obviously quite elderly then, and the speech was delivered literally 
months before he wrote his famous letter in November of that year to the 
American people stating that he had Alzheimer's. So when he stood up at 
this meeting, I remember that Bill Clinton had been elected President of 
the United States the year before, and as we Republicans were gathering, 
we were poised to win our majority, and Ronald Reagan stood up without a 
great deal of strength for this speech.
  He stepped up to the lectern, and he looked out at the audience, and 
he said:

  Well, I flew into town today to give this speech this evening, and as 
we came in, we circled the White House, and as I looked out the window, 
I looked down there, and there was everything just as I remembered it, 
the South Lawn, the Rose Garden, David Gergen.

  David Gergen was at that moment working for President Bill Clinton. 
And we knew then that even though the President was obviously not in the 
most robust of health, that sparkle continued. He still had that 
amazingly wonderful sense of humor.
  I see my friend from San Diego, Mr. Lowery, here on the House floor. I 
was very pleased to, along with Bill Lowery and 51 others, be part of 
the Reagan revolution. We came here to the House of Representatives, 
elected in November 1980, and we made Ronald Reagan an honorary member 
of our class in 1980, and that is because he was leader of the 
revolution that brought all of us here and allowed us to vigorously 
pursue those goals that we shared in common.
  We stand on his shoulders. George W. Bush stands on his shoulders. The 
similarities, to me, are so striking. The ``ism'' that Ronald Reagan 
stood up to was communism. The ``ism'' that George W. Bush is standing 
up to is terrorism. Ronald Reagan had broad, across-the-board tax cuts 
to stimulate economic growth. That is exactly what we have done. He did 
it in 1981. George W. Bush started it in 2001. The party of ideas is 
strong and vibrant. It is doing extraordinarily well, and it is the 
vision that Ronald Reagan put forward.
  I thank my friend for taking this time, and I thank my colleagues on 
the other side of the aisle who are joining in this very important 
recognition of one of our Nation's greatest leaders.


                        Hon. Charles W. Stenholm


                                of texas

  Mr. Speaker, it is not just nostalgia that makes us remember President 
Ronald Reagan especially so fondly upon the occasion of his death. 
Politics, ideology, geography aside, there is a mark of leadership and 
charisma which undeniably stamps some men and women.
  Ronald Reagan was one of those men whose leadership was felt by all 
who encountered him. When President Reagan first came to office, he 
quickly understood that enacting his economic agenda would require 
bipartisan support in Congress, which was under Democratic control, 242 
to 192 and 1 absent. It took 52 bipartisan votes to enact anything, and 
President Reagan understood that.
  I met with the President on several occasions as he sought to build 
that bipartisan coalition to pass his legislation. I met with President 
Reagan one on one in the Oval Office as well as on Air Force One, and 
for a second-termer in 1981 that was pretty tall cotton for a Jones 
County cotton farmer.
  In 1981, I was just in my second term and was a member of the 
Conservative Democratic Forum better known as the Boll Weevils, the 
precursor to today's Blue Dogs. In the very first month Reagan was in 
office, he had to pass into law an increase in the debt limit, and so he 
invited me to meet with him. Now, mind you, this was the first major 
piece of legislation of the Reagan administration. In the past, prior to 
President Reagan's being elected, Republicans had always opposed 
increasing the debt limit. Republicans had denounced Democrats for 
voting to increase the debt limit. So here was the first Republican 
President in many years coming to ask conservative Democrats for support 
in passing this very thing into law, something members of his own party 
had opposed on many occasions in the past.
  We had a lengthy talk. The twinkle in the eye that many of those who 
had known him much better from California was there, and we finally 
struck a deal. We had an understanding that if the President could 
deliver 100 votes from Republicans, then we would do our best to deliver 
the necessary Democratic votes. President Reagan more than held up his 
end of the bargain. He ultimately delivered 150 Republican votes. So in 
the spirit of bipartisanship and on a very tough issue, Reagan 
successfully secured the votes he needed, from Democrats and 
Republicans, and got the increase in the debt limit, just as he and we 
needed it.
  I was proud to have several opportunities to work with the President 
in the months and years ahead to build bipartisan coalitions, especially 
on his economic agenda. I still proudly display a picture in my home in 
Abilene, TX, of President Reagan signing the 1981 tax bill. I got one of 
the pens and it's one I treasure.
  Reagan had very strong principles and very strong values. We know what 
they were. But he also understood that in order to govern, it was 
important to find a middle ground. And I was lucky enough to be in the 
middle of many of those compromises.
  One of his greatest strengths was his ability to communicate, a skill 
that he used to great effect when courting votes in Congress. His 
courting of Members of Congress was the best of any President I have 
served with, and I have now been privileged to serve with five. If the 
Members can imagine a second-termer sitting in the Roosevelt Room in the 
White House talking about some issues with the President's Cabinet 
members and others and having the President walk in unannounced and put 
his hands on his shoulder; some telephone calls that we had many times 
when there was a vote and the President had to work the phones like no 
President that I have seen since, rounding up the votes, and he was very 
effective at doing that.
  President Reagan's private and public demeanors were the same. What 
one saw was what one got. That is the mark of a great leader.
  Ronald Reagan was a very decent man, and he understood how he could 
use his office to make a difference in countless lives. This aspect of 
his personality was always very clear to me because it was this decency, 
this understanding of the power of the office that gave me the most 
rewarding opportunity I had to work with President Reagan.
  The context was very personal. In May 1983, I was contacted by the 
grandfather of Ashley Bailey, a baby girl in Abilene, TX, who needed a 
liver transplant to survive. At that time organ donations and organ 
transplants were not as common as now, and the organ donation system was 
not organized to the extent it is today.
  I spoke to President Reagan's folks about it to ask for his help in 
getting the baby girl a new liver. Shortly after receiving my letter, 
President Reagan used his weekly radio address to publicize Ashley's 
situation and encourage all Americans to fill out organ donor cards. He 
also called Ashley's mother, Annette.
  Unfortunately, the President's plea did not result in finding a liver 
in time to save Baby Ashley, but it did end up saving the lives of 
dozens of other babies who needed liver transplants. President Reagan 
later started a national organ donor awareness program, which led to the 
designation of National Organ Donation Awareness Week every April. To 
this day I consider this one of the highlights of my 25 years in 
Congress.
  Reagan knew how to disagree without being disagreeable, to rise above 
politics, and these qualities, unfortunately, are rare today. President 
Reagan and House Speaker Tip O'Neill, the Massachusetts liberal, were 
good friends who got along very well during their years of service 
together. They never lost their philosophical convictions, and they 
never let those philosophical convictions hijack their understanding 
that America's democracy requires respect for all opinions and a 
practical determination to work out our differences for the good of the 
country.
  President Reagan spoke of hope and a better tomorrow. He reminded us 
that we live in the greatest country in the world, and he made us 
believe it and believe in ourselves. He believed that we, as Americans, 
had a special duty to promote peace and freedom for the rest of the 
world. He always told us that for America, the best was yet to come.
  It is good for all of us to remember Ronald Reagan's optimism, his 
kindheartedness, and his cordiality. As we remember this great man this 
week, it would do us good to remember how we should behave today and in 
the future.


                          Hon. Darrell E. Issa


                              of california

  Mr. Speaker, on this second week of June, 17 years ago, President 
Ronald Reagan stood in the then-divided city of Berlin and called on 
Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev to ``tear down this wall!'' Then, as 
perhaps now, critics did what they so often do. They cast aside the 
genuineness of his statement and, in fact, said that his speech was a 
publicity ploy. The Soviets and East Germans called it an infringement 
of East German sovereignty, an unwarranted meddling by the American 
President.
  Two years later the wall came down.
  Mr. Speaker, President Reagan was a leader with the foresight and 
strong conviction to get things done. He believed in America so much 
that he made America believe in itself again. He valued freedom, 
especially for those who had none. He understood that for America to be 
great, it first had to be good. He understood that America's problems, 
the malaise of the years preceding his Presidency, were simply America's 
not understanding how great it was and how great it could be.
  Mr. Speaker, I was just a soldier during the period leading up to Mr. 
Reagan's becoming President Reagan, but I was a businessman starting a 
business from scratch when President Reagan came to office, and I 
recognized overnight that this was a special time to be an American, a 
time when we had a President who was saying that an American hero was 
somebody who took chances, who made a difference for the world, but 
particularly somebody who cared enough to work those extra hours and to 
care enough about his country.
  Ronald Reagan knew America. He knew what was right about our Nation. 
What was right about our Nation and what was right about America would 
set the world in a better direction. Ronald Reagan led America, and the 
rest of the world became a freer place. Under his leadership we headed 
toward more than 400 million people in 27 countries finding a freedom 
they did not have. Today the soldiers of some of those democracies now 
fight side by side in Iraq and Afghanistan.
  President Reagan showed us that our freedom and our determination can 
tear down walls.
  Many Speakers will come here tonight, and they will talk of how 
profoundly President Reagan affected them, and I would be no different, 
but perhaps I can be slightly different tonight by saying that the only 
way to honor President Reagan's legacy is to take it to the next step. 
Today we are trying to do that for people in the Arab and Muslim world, 
and we have not finished that job. Today communist China still denies 
rights to the people of its own country and is attempting to stifle the 
freedom and independence of Hong Kong. Today Cuba, to our south, is 
still a communist nation, having little or no respect for the rule of 
law and for its people.
  All of these and more need to be part of the American struggle 
because, Mr. Speaker, only if we determine that America's greatness will 
be in our willingness to set a course for the world in a positive way, 
not to dominate, but, in fact, to liberate, I think that is the legacy 
that Mr. Reagan would want.
  And if I can take a personal liberty on behalf of Mrs. Reagan, I 
believe that continuing to look for a cure to the terrible illness that 
plagued President Reagan for his last 10 years of life and promote and 
continue stem cell research consistent with what this body has passed 
would also be a tremendous addition to the Reagan legacy.
  I am determined to work for both of these, and I ask this body to take 
those steps to free those who were not freed under President Reagan, and 
to commit itself to the research to end the terrible illness that the 
Reagan family has suffered under for 10 long years.


                          Hon. Melissa A. Hart


                             of pennsylvania

  I think like most of us, we all have our own different, but very 
similar, inspirations from President Reagan. I first heard about Ronald 
Reagan probably around the dinner table when I was a kid when he was 
Governor of California and when he first decided to run for President. 
But I had grown up in an era that was pretty difficult. I grew up 
thinking assassinations were normal, remembering the assassinations of 
Martin Luther King and Robert Kennedy; that government corruption was 
normal, remembering Watergate; and that a failure of government to 
properly serve its people was normal. Very high inflation, for example.
  But I remember also the things that my dad and my mom and my 
grandfather, who was an immigrant, told me about America. They were 
patriotic people. Ronald Reagan was a patriotic man. And I heard his 
message, and it resonated with me, because it was something that I had 
always heard at home, but, unfortunately, had not seen much in practice 
in government. I became interested, and, as I guess somewhat of a 
precocious seventh-grader, wrote an editorial in my middle school 
newspaper supporting Ronald Reagan for President. He did not win that 
time, but it was not because I did not try. But that legacy and what he 
stood for stuck with me.
  My family paid attention. I was very fortunate. Our normal dinner 
conversation often dealt with politics. So when I turned 18 in 1980, 
Ronald Reagan was running for President, and I volunteered. I found out 
that politics is a means of achieving a greater good and could be 
respected. I was hooked. He showed for us the America that we all knew 
could exist. It was the America that my parents believed in. It was the 
America we knew we could get back.
  Ronald Reagan said:

  [I]t's not my intention to do away with government. It is rather to 
make it work--work with us, not over us; to stand by our side, not ride 
on our back. Government can and must provide opportunity, not smother 
it; foster productivity, not stifle it.

  Government is to walk with us. That is the most important thing, and 
it is important because it is the American dream.
  After 10 years of volunteering on campaigns, and after Ronald Reagan 
was elected that first time, through law school, through the private 
practice of law, I took part in the process in a big way, to dream big 
dreams, and to take some risks. So at 28 I ran for the State senate, 
unseated an incumbent, and had the opportunity to pursue the same dream.
  Ronald Reagan said America is too great for small dreams. There are 
many of us here in Congress today who agree with him. Let us in 
government remember him and his legacy and act on that legacy.


                           Hon. Ralph M. Hall


                                of texas

  Mr. Speaker, I came to the U.S. Congress in 1981, the same year 
President Reagan was sworn in as our President. I examined the brochures 
that he ran on and looked at the brochures that I ran on, and I found 
them to be almost identical: jobs and security, and jobs meant dignity; 
a strong military; a concern for the unborn; strong second amendment 
rights. All of those things we totally agreed upon. At that time I was a 
Democrat. I was a member of the Boll Weevils and the Conservative 
Democratic Forum.
  We have heard others speak here before us tonight and know of the 
respect and admiration that we all had for President Reagan. I had the 
pleasure of going out to Camp David with him and spent times and hours, 
and had the opportunity for discussions, and we discussed everything 
from the problems of the day to his times in the movies. He was a good, 
down-to-earth guy that you could talk to.
  I just know that he knew of our needs. He knew that our military had 
atrophied away. He knew that we needed to have an injection there, and 
that United Airlines could employ one of our pilots the minute they 
graduated and had spent their time. He knew that the enlisted men, 35 
percent of them were eligible for food stamps, and he knew something had 
to be done there. I think he is responsible for the strong position that 
we have, the strong financial position we have, the strong geopolitical 
position we have in the world.
  I know that I have had a lot of occasions to visit with him. Jim Baker 
was in his Cabinet at that time, and Jim and I had been longtime friends 
when I was 10 years in the Texas Senate. I knew Jim Baker, Hines Baker, 
Rex Baker and all of his folks. That gave me access to President Reagan. 
I had been a Navy pilot with George Bush. He was his Vice President, so 
I had access to the President, and I enjoyed that access, enjoyed visits 
with him over there.
  One time I went in and the President said, ``Congressman Hall, what 
would it take to get you to vote for my budget cuts?'' I said, ``Well, 
Mr. President, I have a brother who always wanted to be a Federal 
judge.'' He said, ``Well, that should not be any problem.'' He turned to 
George Bush and he turned to Jim Baker and said, ``Can you get one of 
Ralph's brothers approved by the Senate and go through confirmation 
there?'' They said, ``I think we can.'' I said, ``Well, wait just a 
minute, Mr. President; he is not a lawyer.'' And the President got a big 
kick out of that. He never really forgot that. Any time he would see me 
out in a group, he would come shake hands with me. But he liked me. 
Sometimes he really could not think of my name, but he would say, how is 
your brother. He liked my brother because he was not a lawyer.
  I just think that this country is stronger today and this country is 
great today because of the gifts of Ronald Reagan, for the time he gave 
us, for the honesty that he brought to the office, for the common man 
background that he had, that he understood frailty of men and women and 
their need for help.
  I am honored to have known him. I am very lucky to have been a friend 
of Ronald Reagan.


                            Hon. Jerry Lewis


                              of california

  Mr. Speaker, we appreciate the comments of our colleague from Texas. I 
am reminded of that tragic day when Ronald Reagan, shortly after he 
became President in March 1981, and the assassination attempt took 
place. As they rolled him on a gurney into the emergency room, he looked 
up and said to his wife, ``Honey, I forgot to duck.'' Ronald Reagan, a 
man who was always ready to try to calm down the other person and make 
sure they felt OK, our President.


                           Hon. Bob Goodlatte


                               of virginia

  Asked in 1980 what Americans saw in him, Ronald Reagan replied, 
``Would you laugh if I told you that I think maybe they see 
themselves?'' Mr. Speaker, hardly would we laugh.
  A few years ago I had an opportunity to visit Rancho del Cielo, 
President Reagan's beloved ``Ranch in the Sky.'' The home reflects the 
man. It does not feel like a museum; quite the opposite, with Nancy's 
and his TV trays still standing by their respective recliners, both 
facing the old black-and-white television. It seems they have just gone 
out for an afternoon ride and will return at any moment.
  At purchase the ranch was a mere 600 square feet. Reagan labored 
diligently with his own hands to remodel and expand it. Even so, the 
only grand thing about it is the natural surroundings. Asked once to 
explain the ranch's almost magnetic appeal for him, Reagan replied with 
a quote from Psalms: ``I look to the hills from whence cometh my 
strength.''
  Mikhail Gorbachev, Margaret Thatcher, and Queen Elizabeth were among 
the notables that he hosted there. Gorbachev is said to have been 
disappointed by the humble ranch, knowing the lavish palaces of European 
leaders. However, it is fitting that the place at which Reagan felt most 
at ease disarmed the world's dignitaries.
  He always related best with the common man, yet he was far from 
ordinary. To the contrary, he lived an extraordinary life which had a 
profound impact on the landscape of our Nation and the greater span of 
human history.
  He left us on the eve of the 60th anniversary of the D-day liberation, 
and almost 20 years ago to the day of one of his most beloved speeches 
on the cliffs overlooking the beaches of Normandy. Looking out at faces 
wizened by time, calling them the ``boys of Pointe du Hoc,'' Reagan 
offered a compelling picture of how these young men, freedom's army, 
struck a death knell to the nazism and fascism which had a stranglehold 
on formerly-free Europe.
  He extended this same moral clarity to the great conflict of his day, 
possessing a steadfast commitment not just to containing communism, but 
to transcend it, and transcend it he did.
  Bursting on the national political scene during the 1964 Presidential 
campaign with his now famed ``A Time for Choosing'' speech, he spoke to 
a divided and searching Nation:

  You and I have a rendezvous with destiny. We will preserve for our 
children this, the last best hope of man on earth, or we will sentence 
them to take the first step into a thousand years of darkness. If we 
fail, at least let our children and our children's children say of us we 
justified our brief moment here. We did all that could be done.

  These words reflected his eternal optimism not just in America, this 
great experiment in self-governance, but in Americans.
  In 1979, we were in the throes of a nationwide recession, the Soviets 
had invaded Afghanistan, and the hostage crisis in Iran dominated the 
nightly news. Yet Reagan saw us as a ``shining city on a hill,'' the 
hope of the world.
  Reflecting on his death, may we find consolation in his own words 
spoken to a grieving Nation in the wake of the Challenger disaster, 
whose crew perished on his watch. They, and now he, has `` `slipped the 
surly bonds of earth' to `touch the face of God.' ''
  In his farewell address from the Oval Office, a place where he refused 
to remove his suit jacket out of a humble respect for the post he held, 
Reagan described how he envisioned the shining city he had invoked 
countless times. He went on to observe this of his time in office:

  We weren't just marking time. We made a difference. We made the city 
stronger. We made the city freer, and we left her in good hands. All in 
all, not bad, not bad at all.

  ``Not bad'' reflects the modesty of the man, but not the magnitude of 
his accomplishments. In rebuilding the military and facing down the 
tyranny of communism, calling the Soviet Union the evil empire that it 
was, and calling on President Gorbachev to tear down the Berlin Wall, in 
restoring our faith in the free enterprise system through cutting taxes 
and encouraging innovation, and, most important, in raising our spirits, 
he made us proud to be Americans.
  He set this Nation on a new course that still inspires us today. We 
have a right to dream great dreams, he said, because after all, we are 
Americans. Yes, Mr. President, we do see ourselves in you. We still 
dream great dreams of freedom and opportunity around the world. And I am 
honored to pay tribute tonight to President Reagan, the greatest 
President of the last century.


                            Hon. Jerry Lewis


                              of california

  Mr. Speaker, I very much appreciate my colleague from Texas joining 
with us in this discussion this evening of perhaps America's greatest 
President, Ronald Reagan. In his words, Ronald Reagan said:

  Some argue that we should encourage democratic change in right-wing 
dictatorships, but not in Communist regimes. Well, to accept this 
preposterous notion--as some well-meaning people have--is to invite the 
argument that once countries achieve a nuclear capability, they should 
be allowed an undisturbed reign of terror over their own citizens. We 
reject this course.

  As Ronald Reagan rebuilt America, his defense budget designed to 
restrengthen our country's ability to defend itself, he stared down the 
evil empire and negotiated a nuclear arms treaty with Gorbachev. As two 
enemies became close friends, think of that, two enemies became close 
friends, Gorbachev was heard to say, ``Who would have thought it?''


                            Hon. Dave Weldon


                               of florida

  Mr. Speaker, I was a young intern in 1984. I had been through medical 
school and college and had not really followed politics much, but I was 
rotating through the cardiologist service. And I remember asking one of 
our attendees who he was going to vote for in the 1984 election. Ronald 
Reagan was running against Walter Mondale. He said he was voting for 
Ronald Reagan because he had a wife and three kids at home and the tax 
cuts that Reagan had put through were putting about $200 a month more in 
his pocket. And it was just making it easier for him to take care of his 
family.
  I had not followed politics much, but I was very much impressed by 
Rick Monsor's comments and began to read more and more about the 
policies of Ronald Reagan. And over time I came to realize, like 
millions of other Americans, that his economic policies had been 
reducing taxes on Americans, actually had precipitated a great economic 
recovery. It had resulted in a doubling of revenue into the Federal 
Treasury, a dramatic reduction in unemployment. It was essentially the 
right economic policy. And it is an economic policy that we still follow 
to this day.
  Of course, Ronald Reagan is most well-known for ending the cold war, 
precipitating the breakup of the Soviet Union, and allowing millions of 
people in Eastern Europe to taste freedom--freedom of speech, freedom of 
religion, freedom of assembly--for the first time in their lives. 
Millions of people besides those of us here in America were positively 
affected by the policies of Ronald Reagan.
  But what is most dear to my heart about Ronald Reagan was his 
indefatigable optimism, belief in the power of American ingenuity, the 
American spirit, the can-do attitude. At the time that he took office, 
we were facing, as many of us know, terrible problems with inflation and 
a declining economy and as well our defenses were in decline. It was not 
only his policies that moved us in a positive direction but his 
attitudes and beliefs that lifted our Nation and helped us to move on to 
better things.
  And he once said the following:

  [W]hatever else history may say about me when I'm gone, I hope it will 
record that I appealed to your best hopes, not your worst fears, to your 
confidence rather than your doubts. My dream is that you will travel the 
road ahead with liberty's lamp guiding your steps and opportunity's arm 
steadying your way.

  President Reagan, your desire has become a reality. You did appeal to 
our best hopes and not our worst fears. And your confidence in us is 
leading us in the right direction today. We salute your great 
accomplishments.


                         Hon. Sherwood Boehlert


                               of new york

  Mr. Speaker, earlier today I joined my colleagues in voting for a 
resolution expressing the profound regret and sorrow of the House of 
Representatives on the death of Ronald W. Reagan, former President of 
the United States of America. I did not cast that vote as one Member of 
this, the people's House, nor as a Congressperson for 654,000 New 
Yorkers who it is my privilege to represent here in our Nation's 
Capital. Rather, that vote reflected the profound regret and sorrow felt 
far beyond the borders of one district, one State, one Nation.
  It is illustrative of the sincere sentiment of a world community in 
collective mourning. President Reagan was so much more than a head of 
state. He was an inspiration to all whose lives he touched, not just by 
his words, which reached across the great divides that separate people, 
but by his deeds which always sought to bring people together in common 
cause.
  The President's noble achievements, and there were so many, have been 
and will continue to be chronicled by historians for time immemorial.
  So many of my colleagues who preceded and those who will follow have 
been and will be eloquent in their tributes to the lasting legacy of 
this great man, and deservedly so. For my part, I simply want to add a 
listing of the words which come immediately to mind when recalling 
President Reagan: words like integrity, conviction, honor, faith, grace, 
dignity, friendship, humor, values, honest, humble. The list of 
positives in the life of this man of principle and character is endless.
  To President Reagan and his beloved partner, Nancy, who was always at 
his side and in his heart, I am but one of so many who say a heartfelt 
thank you for leading by example and serving so many so well for so 
long. You will always be an inspiration and you will always be in our 
thoughts and prayers.


                             Hon. Joe Barton


                                of texas

  Mr. Speaker, I was driving down to Corpus Christi last Saturday 
afternoon with my wife, Terry, and her daughter Lindsey and her cousin 
Jackie and Terry's family for a brief family vacation when my staffer 
Andy Black called me on the telephone and asked, ``Have you heard the 
news that President Reagan died this afternoon?'' And I said, ``No, I 
have not heard that,'' but we immediately switched on the radio; and 
sure enough, there was a news bulletin from California that President 
Reagan had passed away.
  And so as we continued to drive down to Corpus, I began to reminisce 
about the President. My mind went back to the late seventies when this 
country was mired in recession and interest rates were sky high and we 
had hostages in Iran and there was a spirit of pessimism that America 
could not be great anymore. And Governor Reagan came out of California 
and announced for the Presidency and said that there was hope, that not 
only could we be great, but we would be greater again. And that inspired 
me to campaign for him to be President of the United States in the 1980 
election.
  And the night that he won in November 1980, I dusted off an old White 
House Fellows application and changed the date and signed it and mailed 
it in. White House Fellows is a program that takes young men and women 
from all over the country and puts them in positions to observe the 
workings of the Federal Government either in the White House or in the 
Cabinet agencies. The year that I applied there were about 1,600 
applications, and I was fortunate enough to be 1 of like 15 or 16 that 
got selected.
  I worked in the Department of Energy as a White House Fellow for 
Secretary of Energy James P. Edwards. In spring 1982 the Secretary 
called me into his office and said, ``Joe, I am going over to the White 
House this afternoon for a Cabinet meeting. Would you like to go with 
me?'' I said, ``Mr. Secretary I would love to go with you.'' He said, 
``There is one thing: you cannot say anything. You can only sit in the 
back of the room and listen.'' So I said, ``I promise.''
  We went to the White House, and they walked us into the Cabinet room, 
and I was seated directly behind Vice President Bush, who was seated 
directly across from President Reagan. The President came in from the 
Oval Office and shook hands with his Cabinet, and he reached over and 
got a handful of jellybeans out of a jar in the middle of the Cabinet 
table and ate the jellybeans and asked if anybody wanted them.
  Then he said, ``Gentlemen, what is the agenda for the day?'' And a 
Cabinet Secretary said, ``It is the Caribbean Basin Initiative and what 
to do about sugar quotas.'' The Secretary of Agriculture Jack Block 
raised his hand, he said, ``Mr. President, you have tasked me to try to 
help the American farmers and we are doing the best that we can, but 
sugar prices are low in the world market. And I think it would be 
disastrous for American farmers if you let more sugar into our 
country.'' And the President said, ``Thank you, Mr. Secretary.''
  Then the Secretary of State, I think it was General Haig, raised his 
hand and said, ``Mr. President, I am the Secretary of State and you have 
tasked me with creating this Caribbean Initiative to help the emerging 
democracies in the Caribbean. Their largest export crop is sugar. It 
would really help my job as Secretary of State if you allowed more sugar 
to come into the United States.'' And the President said, ``Thank you, 
Mr. Secretary.''
  He said, ``Is there any other discussion?'' The rest of the Cabinet 
just sat there. The President said, ``Well, what we ought to do is take 
American wheat and Caribbean sugar and create cookies and create a 
cookie export, cookies for peace program maybe, to the Third World.'' 
The Cabinet chuckled about that; but he said, ``Really, I have heard 
what is best for the State Department and I have heard what is best for 
the Agriculture Department, now I want you gentlemen to tell me what is 
best for America.'' And there were no cameras and he really said that.
  And I just was absolutely inspired when he said it. I was sitting 
directly across from him behind Vice President Bush. Of course, I had 
been told I could not say anything, but when the President said that, 
``Gentlemen tell me what is best for America,'' it kind of jumped out 
from me, I said, ``Right. That is why I voted for you.'' And, of course, 
the Secretary of Energy was aghast that I had said something. But the 
President looked over and he looked around the Vice President, he looked 
at me with a twinkle in his eye, did not say anything, he just smiled. 
And I knew then that that is why the American people trusted him, 
because he wanted to do whatever the issue was, what was right for 
America.
  So when I finished my White House Fellows Program, I went back to 
Texas. And in 1984, John Tower announced that he was not going to run 
for the U.S. Senate, and Congressman Phil Gramm of the Sixth District 
announced that he was going to run for the Senate and Joe Barton 
announced that he was going to run for the Sixth District as a 
Republican. I wanted to be a part of the Reagan revolution in 
Washington.
  I was very fortunate that I got elected that year. I primarily got 
elected because my entire campaign was Reagan-Gramm-Barton. And when 
people went to vote for President Reagan and Senator Gramm, they also 
voted for me.
  So now as a senior member of the majority in the House of 
Representatives, I simply hope that I can do what little I can to help 
foster the Reagan vision for America, which is always do what is right 
for America.


                          Hon. Earl Blumenauer


                                of oregon

  As we observe the news, we have commentators rushing to give an 
assessment of the legacy of Ronald Reagan. Conservative commentators 
will credit him with the fall of the former Soviet Union, new approaches 
to the economy, especially with tax-cutting strategies. And, in large 
measure, the rise of today's Republican Party can trace its roots to his 
leadership. His was a strong voice for the conservative perspective from 
corporate spokesperson to the governorship of our country's largest 
State, to two terms as our President.
  There were, of course, areas of policy disagreement, some of which I 
had strong feelings about. There were also areas of mistakes, blunders 
for which President Reagan characteristically and clearly assumed 
personal responsibility.
  Balanced commentary will spotlight his pragmatic approaches as 
Governor and President; his ability to reach across party lines, to 
listen, to work, to add a human touch. There was his willingness to 
protect the economy and work with moderates, for instance, in both 
parties, even to the point of significant tax increases when he was 
faced with spiraling budget deficits and felt that it was important for 
our country.
  I personally am content for history and the passage of time to sharpen 
the focus and place his entire career in perspective, but I am thinking 
this evening of how he became a leader and a symbol in his last years as 
he made a stark admission that he suffered from Alzheimer's disease. His 
wife Nancy became a champion in this great struggle to help lead the 
fight against Alzheimer's.
  At a time when there are some who would put ideology ahead of meeting 
the needs of victims and families, Nancy Reagan stood tall and spoke out 
forcefully on the needs and benefits of stem cell research. Because of 
the affection for President Reagan and the strength of Nancy Reagan, 
millions will someday be spared this suffering.
  My personal memory of President Reagan will be dominated by his almost 
magic ability to reach out and touch the American people. Along with 
Franklin Roosevelt and John Kennedy, Ronald Reagan stands out as someone 
who could truly communicate with the American people. Would that the 
American public today be able to hear his calm, confident, friendly 
voice.
  He has earned our respect and our thanks. The American people send 
their condolences and best wishes to Mrs. Reagan and the entire family.


                            Hon. Tom Osborne


                               of nebraska

  I would like to express my appreciation to President Reagan for his 
adherence to principle rather than to expediency; for standing firm 
against America's enemies when so many urged containment and 
conciliation; for displaying a sense of humor when events were grim; for 
being decent when indecency was so common; for realizing that an 
offensive strategy is superior to defense when confronted by grave 
danger; for restoring a troubled economy by putting more resources in 
the people's hands and less in the government's hands; for promoting 
optimism when many were discouraged; for his capacity to disagree 
without being disagreeable; for his willingness to reach out to members 
of both parties in uniting, rather than dividing, this country; for 
showing kindness in the face of hostility; for communicating so clearly 
with words from his own heart and mind, written by his own hands; for 
inspiring courage in others through his own courage; and finally, for 
displaying trust in God, rather than human institutions, through an 
unwavering faith in God's sovereignty and mercy.


                            Hon. Phil Gingrey


                               of georgia

  Mr. Speaker, I am humbled to be one of the many Americans from all 
across our Nation who is paying tribute to President Ronald Reagan this 
week.
  Members of Congress, including myself, came to this floor in February 
to celebrate President Reagan's 93d birthday, but it is with a sad heart 
tonight that we come to the floor of the House of Representatives to 
eulogize one of our greatest Presidents.
  It was appropriate that Ronald Reagan, a smalltown American from 
Dixon, IL, would make a career and a home in California, would represent 
the very best of American life. As Governor of California, President 
Reagan became adept at representing the diverse nature of our country 
and cared deeply for all Americans.
  As he is laid to rest, Ronald Reagan's legacy for America will carry 
on eternally in the annals of history. Not since Lincoln and Roosevelt 
has one man touched the core of what it means to be an American: Through 
unity and strength, we can achieve peace; and through self-
determination, responsibility and character, we can live the American 
dream.
  Ronald Reagan restored faith in America during one of our darkest 
hours of self-doubt. He gave us hope and promise when we needed it most. 
Reagan's true legacy is the restoration of the dream that is America. 
Even with his passing, Reagan's sense of hope and strength lives on.
  As someone who has been inspired by his leadership and courage in the 
face of the evil empire of the Soviet Union, I deeply thank President 
Reagan for restoring our Nation's confidence and our hope.
  God bless you, Ronald Reagan, and may God continue to bless the 
America whose spirit of eternal optimism you helped renew.


                            Hon. John Linder


                               of georgia

  On an October evening in 1975, before he announced that he would seek 
the Republican nomination for President, Ronald Reagan addressed the 
20th birthday celebration of the National Review. It was an uplifting 
and humorous speech until the end, when he somberly quoted Whittaker 
Chambers. Two decades earlier, Chambers had written:

  It is idle to talk of preventing the wreck of Western civilization, it 
is already a wreck from within. That is why we can do little more now 
than snatch a fingernail of a saint from the wrack, or a handful of 
ashes from the fagots, and bury them secretly in a flower pot against 
that day, ages hence, when a few men begin again to dare to believe that 
there once was something else, that something else is thinkable, and 
need some evidence of what it was, and the fortifying knowledge that 
there were those who, at the great nightfall, took loving thought to 
preserve the tokens of hope and truth.

  Chambers spent 13 years in the service of the Soviet Union as a spy. 
He always believed that the world was engaged in a battle between the 
two great religions, communism and freedom. He believed that communism 
could not survive in a world where people believed in a higher power. 
Freedom, on the other hand, could not survive in a world where people 
did not. A nascent faith took hold in Chambers, and in 1937 he left 
communism for freedom. As he did so, he told his wife that he feared 
they were moving to the losing side.
  This is what Ronald Reagan was thinking of in October 1975. Communism 
was ascendant, and free people were losing their confidence, becoming 
fearful and timid of the future, and over the following 4 years, the 
Soviet Union increased its influence in 14 sovereign nations around the 
globe.
  I was privileged to travel in his campaign plane in 1976 when he was 
in the Southeast, and in several meetings thereafter, with large numbers 
of people or small numbers of people, he always spoke less than anyone 
else in the room, enjoyed watching others have it out, and indeed, the 
next day he may not have remembered the name of everyone in the room, 
but he never forgot who he was.
  Michael Deaver tells a wonderful story about walking on a street with 
Ronald Reagan in 1978. By this time, he was easily recognized. A fellow 
kept inching close to him on the street wanting to say hello. Reagan saw 
him, looked over, reached out his hand and said hello. The man said, 
``May I have your autograph, Mr. Milland?'' Reagan wrote Ray Milland on 
his paper and walked on. Michael Deaver said, ``Why didn't you tell him 
who you were?'' Reagan said, ``I know who I am. He wanted to meet Ray 
Milland.''
  That was pure Ronald Reagan. He was not interested in making sure a 
stranger knew of his importance. He cared about making this one stranger 
happy.
  Four years later he was President. He faced a military where one-third 
of our fleet was in dry dock, one-third of our planes could not fly for 
lack of spare parts. Our soldiers were practicing with pretend bullets. 
The economy had a 21 percent interest rate and a 14 percent inflation 
rate, and we were in trouble.
  On January 20, 1981, President Reagan addressed these challenges and 
then said this:

  [T]ogether with God's help we can and will resolve the problems which 
now confront us. And after all, why shouldn't we believe that? We are 
Americans.

  Over the next 8 years, his economic policies took an economy from $2.5 
trillion to $5 trillion. Revenues to the Federal Treasury went from $519 
billion to $1.054 trillion. We created 20 million new jobs, and on the 
foreign front Reagan was the first President since 1917 to ignore the 
bureaucracy and speak truth to evil. Eight years later the evil empire 
was crumbling, and the cold war was over.
  I always thought that the biggest missed opportunity of the past 60 
years was to not have celebrated the end of the cold war. Ronald Reagan 
deserved that, and now he takes his leave.
  It has been a very difficult decade for Mrs. Reagan and the family, 
but for those of us who love freedom, we remember a man who dared to 
believe that there once was something else, that something else was 
thinkable. He gave us evidence of what it was in the fortifying 
knowledge that he would be there at the great nightfall to take loving 
thought to preserve the tokens of hope and truth, and he was there. Not 
a bad final act for a B actor from Dixon, not bad at all.


                             Hon. Joe Wilson


                            of south carolina

  Mr. Speaker, the world is grieving this week over the loss of a true 
American hero, President Ronald Wilson Reagan. Words cannot describe the 
admiration and respect that I have for this great man. He led a 
revolution for free enterprise, for victory of democracy over communism 
and for national political realignment. Page H3808
  For many Americans in mourning, including myself, Ronald Reagan was 
not just a good President, he was our President. He defined the honor 
and dignity of the Office of the Presidency, and he lifted the spirit of 
a Nation with his hope and joyfulness that sprang from an abiding faith 
in God and deeply held belief in the American dream.
  I am grateful to have lived the Reagan revolution as a foot soldier 
promoting his vision of a dynamic economy, creating jobs through tax 
cuts and free markets, his support of America's military to achieve 
success in liberating millions by victory in the cold war, and his 
transformation of developing the Republican Party which today holds the 
majority of State legislative seats across America for the first time 
since 1952. He reinvigorated the Republican Party with optimism and 
vision.
  He entered office during a time of doubt and despair and malaise, with 
the economy sputtering in a looming cold war that threatened our 
families. With these seemingly insurmountable problems he faced, many 
critics underestimated the former California Governor. Yet President 
Reagan brought with him his conservative principles of individual 
freedom, limited government, personal responsibility, and ``peace 
through strength.'' He also brought an optimism that America's greatest 
days were ahead of us.
  Proving all of his detractors wrong, President Reagan won the cold 
war, spurred the economy to robust growth and restored our national 
confidence and patriotism. As author and former Presidential staffer 
Peter Robinson said recently, ``Ronald Reagan was great, because Ronald 
Reagan was right.''
  His straightforward speeches began to change minds across America, and 
many became Reagan Democrats. Today in my home State, Republicans hold 
most statewide offices, a complete turnaround that has occurred 
throughout the South thanks to the leadership of Ronald Reagan.
  He started a revolution where in 1980 Republicans in South Carolina 
held only 16 seats in the statehouse, and now there is a Republican 
supermajority of 76 out of 124 members. In the State senate, Republicans 
soared from 3 members in 1980 to now a supermajority of 27 of 46 
members.
  For 2 years I was honored to work in the Reagan administration as 
Deputy General Counsel to the Secretary of Energy Jim Edwards. I am a 
proud Reagan alumni association member, and in 1990, because of his 
efforts to win the cold war and bring freedom to the oppressed people of 
the Soviet Union, I was asked by former Republican National Committee 
Chairman Lee Atwater to observe the first democratic elections in 
Bulgaria.
  I saw first-hand the Reagan legacy of peace and freedom, as Central 
and Eastern Europe rose from the ashes of communism to become strong 
democracies and American allies. The people I have met over the years 
from Bratislava, Slovakia, to Novosibirsk, Russia, regard President 
Reagan as their own hero, a man who was unafraid to tell the truth about 
the evil empire.
  While we mourn his passing, President Ronald Reagan will never be 
forgotten. Children will read for centuries to come about the ``Happy 
Warrior'' who helped liberate tens of millions from totalitarian 
communism and restored America's position in the world as the ``shining 
city on a hill.''
  Democracy is more widespread today in the world than any time in 
history due to President Reagan's success of ``peace through strength.''
  We cannot help but be reminded of his legacy as America faces similar 
battles today against the oppression of terrorism, and his critics 
deride our President, much as they did President Reagan 20 years ago. 
America is under attack because we are a symbol of liberty in the world, 
and we must meet this challenge with the same courage and conviction 
that Ronald Reagan had.
  As he said in the 1964 Goldwater campaign in what has simply become 
known as ``The Speech'' and was earlier referenced by Chairman Lewis:

  You and I have a rendezvous with destiny. We will preserve for our 
children this, the last best hope of man on Earth, or we will sentence 
them to take the last step into a thousand years of darkness.

  May God bless the Reagan family, God bless our troops, and may God 
continue to bless America.


                            Hon. Jerry Lewis


                              of california

  Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Wilson) 
very much for those very eloquent comments. I am reminded of the fact 
that in very simple form, Ronald Reagan challenged the world on behalf 
of liberty, on behalf of peace. He had this remarkable relationship that 
developed over time with Mikhail Gorbachev. After he described the evil 
empire in straightforward terms, they began to communicate as leaders of 
two great countries. Indeed, together over time they reduced the nuclear 
threat by coming to agreement with one another.
  It has been said earlier, but let me repeat the words of Ronald 
Reagan:

  [Mr.] Gorbachev, if you seek peace, if you seek prosperity for the 
Soviet Union and Eastern Europe, if you seek liberalization: Come here 
to this gate! . . . open this gate! Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!

  And indeed, within a couple of years, that wall came down. The East-
West confrontation began to thaw; and between these two leaders, the 
world has seen a different kind of opportunity for peace. Today we face 
the challenge that involves the war on terrorism; and, indeed, that 
struggle is bound to last for years to come. It was the legacy of Ronald 
Reagan that laid the foundation for America to best be prepared to 
defend itself for liberty and for freedom.


                            Hon. Ken Calvert


                              of california

  Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to one of the greatest 
Presidents in the history of our Nation, Ronald Wilson Reagan, the 40th 
President of the United States.
  He was a leader when our country needed it most, at a time when many 
Americans, including myself, had found ourselves disaffected by 
politics. His optimism gave our Nation the confidence and motivation to 
resume its place as a world leader.
  I well remember the seventies after President Nixon's resignation and 
the pessimism that followed, when many Americans disassociated 
themselves from public service. Ronald Reagan came onto the Presidential 
scene and reminded us that the ``best was yet to come,'' that we are not 
to blame for the world's problems; and yet, as a great Nation, we had a 
place of responsibility and a role to play.
  President Reagan believed, as our Declaration of Independence states, 
``all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with 
certain unalienable rights, life, liberty and the pursuit of 
happiness.'' Additionally, he knew better than most that strength comes 
from within, from the people. Therefore, first and foremost, Reagan used 
his first term as President to bring these rights back to Americans 
starting with what was then known as Reaganomics.
  He sought to restore America to the people by giving them back control 
of their pocketbooks. Uncle Sam was put on a diet of lower taxes, sound 
money and fewer regulations, allowing us the benefits of hard work. By 
the time that Reagan left office, only two income brackets existed, with 
a top rate of 28 percent, compared to the 14 income brackets, with the 
top rate of 70 percent, that existed when he took office. Additionally, 
government was scaled back and redtape eliminated, allowing Americans to 
take care of themselves. As Reagan was apt to say. ``Government is not 
the solution to our problem; government is the problem.''
  He saw the rebuilding of America's military. After years of low morale 
and interest in the armed services, President Reagan made a return to 
the pre-Vietnam days of faith and professional appeal in our military. 
As Commander in Chief, he oversaw the largest peacetime buildup of 
military spending in history, leading to the collapse of the Soviet 
Union and the end of the cold war. His revolutionary policies regarding 
investment in military technology, good training, and pay laid the 
foundation for a strong military that later claimed victory in Operation 
Desert Storm and continues to protect our national security well into 
the 21st century and, now, in the war on terror.
  Ronald Reagan lived a life worth living. He saw both the birth and 
death of communism. He won the hearts of Americans and world leaders. 
How? He believed in ``peace through strength,'' and he lived his 
convictions based on experience, intuition, and love of life.
  I will end with one of my favorite quotes:

  Above all, we must realize that no arsenal or no weapon in the 
arsenals of the world is so formidable as the will and moral courage of 
free men and women.

  Thank you, President Reagan. May God bless you and your family, and 
may God bless America.


                           Hon. Chris Chocola


                               of Indiana

  Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time, and I 
join my colleagues tonight and rise in tribute to a great man, President 
Ronald Reagan.
  In 1980, I turned 18, and the first person I ever voted for was Ronald 
Reagan. With that vote, the world changed. It changed because President 
Reagan clearly understood that the greatest strength of this Nation is 
the American people. He believed in us so much that he inspired us to 
believe in ourselves.
  And in his typical humble fashion, during his last speech from the 
Oval Office, he said:

  I wasn't a great communicator, but I communicated great things, and 
they didn't spring full bloom from my brow, they came from the heart of 
a great nation.

  Mr. Speaker, President Reagan captured the hearts of the American 
people and he unleashed the power, the hope, and the optimism that comes 
with a sincere understanding and love of freedom and democracy. 
President Reagan changed the world by simply reminding us all of exactly 
who we are. He inspired us to become the Nation we were all along. He 
always saw the ``shining city on the hill,'' and he gave us the vision 
to see it with him.
  Although we deeply mourn his passing, Ronald Reagan's life was a gift 
to the world, a gift that will never be forgotten by all who love 
freedom and the shining example he gave us.
  Thank you, Mr. President, and God bless Ronald Reagan.


                            Hon. Robin Hayes


                            of north carolina

  Mr. Speaker, first let me thank my dear friend and colleague, the 
gentleman from California (Mr. Lewis), for his leadership tonight in 
honoring such a wonderful man. President Ronald Reagan was a good man 
who became a great President. His leadership has inspired me throughout 
my career in public service, as I am sure Reagan inspired many folks 
presently serving in the public arena.
  One of my favorite Ronald Reagan quotes comes from his 1986 State of 
the Union Address:

  Government growing beyond our consent had become a lumbering giant, 
slamming shut the gates of opportunity, threatening to crush the very 
roots of our freedom. What brought America back? The American people 
brought us back with quiet courage and common sense, with undying faith 
that in this nation under God the future will be ours; for the future 
belongs to the free.

  That is one of my favorite Reagan quotes for a number of reasons. 
First, it addresses one of the main reasons I switched parties. Like 
President Reagan, I began my career not as a Republican but as a 
Democrat; and, like Reagan, I switched parties because I felt that big 
government was ``slamming shut the gates of opportunity, threatening to 
crush the very roots of our freedom.''
  Ronald Reagan's conservative principles, put into successful action, 
changed our Nation's attitude on the role of government and personal 
responsibility. Without President Reagan, there would not have been a 
bipartisan effort to reform welfare and end that vicious cycle of 
government dependency.
  The other thing I like about this quote is that it reveals so much 
about the character of Ronald Reagan: his unbridled optimism, his belief 
in the American people, and his humbleness. He was too humble to take 
sole credit for the United States' return to greatness, even though had 
his measures failed he would have assumed the blame. Instead, he gave 
the credit to the American people, because he believed in the American 
people.
  One of his favorite quotes was: ``There is no limit to what you can 
accomplish if you don't care who gets the credit.'' And he lived that 
quote on a daily basis.
  One of the other things I admired about Ronald Reagan was his 
steadfast determination to stand up to communist aggression. Even though 
he knew such a determined view may not be popular, he never backed away 
from his firm belief that communism was wrong. In 1982, speaking before 
the British Parliament, Reagan said:

  It is the Soviet Union that runs against the tide of history. . . . 
[It is] the march of freedom and democracy which will leave Marxism-
Leninism on the ash-heap of history as it has left other tyrannies which 
stifle the freedom and muzzle the self-expression of the people.

  No truer words have been spoken. I believed it then, and I believe it 
now. We all saw Reagan's words validated when the Soviet Union fell 
apart shortly after President Reagan left office.
  Finally, even when facing a devastating diagnosis, President Reagan 
still delivered the news with his typical optimism for America and his 
belief for the American people. On November 5, 1994, he wrote a letter 
to the American people announcing that he had Alzheimer's disease:

  In closing let me thank you, the American people for giving me the 
great honor of allowing me to serve as your President. When the Lord 
calls me home, whenever that may be, I will leave with the greatest love 
for this country of ours and eternal optimism for its future.

  I now begin this journey that will lead me into the sunset of my life. 
I know that for America there will always be a bright dawn ahead.

  I do believe that the United States does face a bright dawn. And 
President Reagan and his leadership can take a large part of the credit 
for that fact. While I am saddened that President Reagan is no longer 
with us, I rejoice knowing that he has met his Maker, and his Maker is 
looking him in the eye and saying, President Reagan, the Gipper, you are 
a good and faithful servant.
  He is now in a far better place. He is looking down on the country and 
the people that he loved. May God bless and protect America and the 
vision that was Ronald Reagan's for us and our future; that freedom 
belongs to the free.


                           Hon. Duncan Hunter


                              of california

  Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from California (Mr. Lewis) for 
yielding me this time, and I want to thank my great friend also for not 
only helping to preside over this special tribute, but for everything 
that he did in helping to lead the California delegation to be a source 
of strength for President Reagan when he put forth those monumental 
changes in the direction of our government.
  I have listened to his statements and just now to the statement of the 
gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Hayes), and many others, in talking 
about this wonderful American, Ronald Reagan; and I thought I might just 
touch on a couple of the things he did in the way of national security.
  We have short memories, Mr. Speaker; and President Reagan was not 
always popular, especially with the media and often with our European 
allies. I can remember in the eighties, when he responded to the Soviet 
Union's ringing Western Europe with the SS-20 missiles and he started to 
move those Persian missiles and ground launch cruise missiles into 
Europe to offset the Soviet strength of their strategic programs and 
their intermediate range ballistic missiles that they were moving in. 
And there were massive demonstrations against Ronald Reagan and against 
those who supported him in Europe and lots of sniping by the press in 
this country.
  And yet because of that strength and because he rebuilt national 
security, especially after the Reykjavik summit, he refused to give up 
the Strategic Defense Initiative, that is, missile defense, the right of 
Americans to defend themselves against incoming ballistic missiles. 
After he did that, there was lots of hand wringing among the elite media 
and lots of our European allies who said, there it goes, the last chance 
for peace, and lo and behold, the Russians picked up the phone and said, 
Can we talk?
  Ronald Reagan at that point started to negotiate with the Soviet 
Union, and not just to negotiate a peace, but to negotiate the 
disassembly of the Soviet empire, the tear-down of the Soviet empire, 
which is manifest today in numerous free states where once there was one 
state ruled by tyranny.
  Mr. Speaker, I remember the gentleman from California (Mr. Lewis) was 
present as one of our senior Members, and the gentleman from California 
(Mr. Herger) had not been elected yet, along with the gentleman from 
California (Mr. Thomas) and the gentleman from California (Mr. Dreier), 
and Bob Lagomarsino, and John Rousselot, and Chip Pashayan, and my 
colleague Bill Lowery, and Bobby Fever, new Republicans who had come in 
in the Reagan win of 1980, and the President invited us to Blair House 
even while President Carter was still in the White House. We were 
standing in the foyer, celebrating this victory of our Commander-in-
Chief-to-be because he had not been sworn in yet, and the President-
elect came down the stairs, and he talked to us about being up on his 
ranch in Santa Barbara and killing an especially big rattlesnake the day 
before while he was cutting brush. We had a great time talking with the 
President-elect. After a while he said, ``I am tired, I am going to go 
upstairs and hit the hay.'' He said, ``you guys turn off the lights when 
you leave.'' He went right upstairs; we continued to have a good time. 
That represented that western hospitality, that great charm that Ronald 
Reagan had that brought so many people, attracted so many people, even 
people of very different political persuasion.
  My son Sam was not even born in those days when we first came in. I 
remember the picture of the cowboy that the President drew for my other 
son Duncan, who is now a U.S. Marine and deployed overseas.
  I think the one thing that this President sold in boatloads was 
inspiration. He was great at inspiration. He realized a little secret, 
and that is this country runs on inspiration. Whether it is the markets 
or the economy or people deciding whether or not they are going to join 
the uniformed services, inspiration is the fuel that this country runs 
on, and that is something that Ronald Reagan had an endless supply of.
  He was tough during the tough times. You have to have good endurance 
to be a good President, and he had great endurance. He was able to 
handle the difficult times, the times when he was not real popular, and 
outlast his critics. It has been kind of fun in the last couple of days 
to watch people who criticized him very severely to seem now to remember 
that he was not such a bad guy after all. Not only was he not such a bad 
guy, but he brought this country together as a family. He was, of 
course, the head of the family.
  It is a time for us to mourn this President, but also to celebrate his 
great life and the big piece of this life that he gave to our Nation. I 
will never forget when I was first running for Congress, I was 
practicing law on behalf of a barbershop on the waterfront in San Diego. 
My dad came in and said, ``You can be a Member of Congress.'' He said, 
``Ronald Reagan is running. He is going to run on a platform of national 
defense and jobs, and in San Diego that is the same thing.'' I said, 
``What do I need to start running?'' He said, ``We need one thing; you 
need a picture with Ronald Reagan, and we are going to go up and get 
it.'' And we went up and got it in Los Angeles. That launched my foray 
into politics. So many of us won that year who had no chance of winning 
because we were riding along with a guy named Ronald Reagan.
  Let us take a message and a lesson from this great American and 
proceed ahead with optimism and with dedication to the idea that you get 
``peace through strength.'' That was a trademark of Ronald Reagan's 
foreign policy. I think we are following it with this President. I think 
we need to stay the course and stay steady.


                            Hon. Jerry Lewis


                              of california

  Mr. Speaker, the gentleman from California (Mr. Hunter) reminds me of 
another time when Ronald Reagan was trying to bring together Republicans 
to form a majority. It was 1969, and there was a majority for 
approximately 2 years in the California lower house for the assembly, 
and Ronald Reagan was then Governor of California. He came into this 
room, and here were 41 members of the new majority sitting there in 
front of him. He was sitting at a table in front of us, his legs 
dangling from the table, and he had argyle socks on.
  He said:

  I was trying to think about what I should say to you all. We have not 
had a majority before. We have to govern . . . it is possible from time 
to time we may disagree with each other as we go about making decisions 
on public policy.

  As I was thinking about what to say to you, I was reminded of my 
father-in-law, who is a dentist. It seems he had this fellow sitting in 
the chair, and the guy had an abscessed tooth which had to come out. And 
my father-in-law began to put this needle in his jaw. About that time my 
father-in-law felt kind of a groping at the lower part of his abdomen. 
He looked down startled, and the fellow looked back up and said, ``we 
are not going to hurt each other, are we, Doc?''

  For those who knew Ronald Reagan, he would get just to the edge of 
color, but nonetheless, he knew how to make a point to bring people 
together in a very special way; a man never to be forgotten, recognizing 
how important it is that we work together.


                           Hon. Jeb Hensarling


                                of texas

  Mr. Speaker, this week millions of Americans and people around the 
globe mourn the loss of one of our Nation's greatest heroes, Ronald 
Reagan. From the time that he took the oath of office until he left the 
White House, few American Presidents ever enjoyed the popularity, 
support and love that Ronald Reagan engendered. He developed a special 
bond with the American people, and one can see from the tremendous 
outpouring of sympathy and support across our great Nation that that 
special bond still endures today.
  More than any other person, President Reagan is responsible for 
winning the cold war. He engaged his communist adversaries in the battle 
of ideas and achieved victory by winning the war for the hearts and 
minds of people. In his heart he knew these people. He knew the 
Bulgarian student who was never allowed to read Thomas Jefferson. He 
knew the East German mother who wanted a better life for her children. 
He knew the Polish factory worker who longed to be free of Soviet 
subjugation.
  One 65-year-old Czech who lived under the Soviet regime said:

  For us, Reagan was important because we knew he was really 
anticommunist, emotionally anticommunist. For us, he was a symbol of the 
United States' genuine determination to bring communism to an end.

  A Romanian man who was recently interviewed struggled to find the 
words to describe President Reagan's legacy, and then he simply said, 
``It is due to him that we are free.''
  Thanks to Ronald Reagan's determined leadership, untold millions were 
liberated from communist tyranny and from the palpable fear of nuclear 
annihilation.
  America was fortunate to have Ronald Reagan. At a time when our 
country needed a hero, Ronald Reagan was able to rekindle the American 
spirit. He inspired us with his powerful words and unwavering optimism. 
He had a steadfast belief in the goodness of America. No amount of 
pessimism, strife or tragedy could discourage that thinking or blur his 
vision of America as a ``shining city on a hill.''
  I was one of perhaps hundreds of thousands of people that had the 
privilege to shake the hand of the former President, look him in the 
eyes and thank him for all he did for America. Frankly, next to my 
marriage and the birth of my children, it was one of the most profound 
moments in my life. An earlier generation was inspired to public service 
by Barry Goldwater. Many in my generation were inspired to serve by 
Ronald Reagan.
  A woman in Santa Monica recently stated, ``When I think of him, I 
think of America. What is that saying, American, like Mom and apple pie. 
He should be in that, too, because he represented what this country is 
all about.''
  President Reagan was what this country is all about. He believed in 
the American dream. He believed in the power of free men and free 
markets. He championed less government, lower taxes and lifting 
regulation. He believed in our country's ability to produce boundless 
possibilities and limitless opportunity. His policies ushered in a new 
age of entrepreneurship and innovation, and led to one of the greatest 
economic expansions in our Nation's history.
  We believed in President Reagan because he believed in us. He always 
saw the best in us, and he never stopped believing in the decency and 
ingenuity of the American people. He believed deeply in the strength of 
democracy and never lost hope of America realizing its ``rendezvous with 
destiny.''
  Our Nation will deeply miss Ronald Reagan. Undoubtedly future 
generations of Americans will remember him among the pantheon of 
America's great leaders, among the names of Washington, Jefferson and 
Lincoln, but there will never be another President Reagan.
  Let us remember his words the way he wished to be remembered:

  [W]hatever else history may say about me when I'm gone, I hope it will 
record that I appealed to your best hopes, not your worst fears, to your 
confidence rather than your doubts. My dream is that you will travel the 
road ahead with liberty's lamp guiding your steps and opportunity's arm 
steadying your way.

  Mr. Speaker, today should serve more than just a memorial, it should 
serve as a reminder. As President Reagan also said, ``there's much work 
before us: . . . Not easy tasks perhaps. But I would remind you . . . 
they're not impossible, because, after all, we're Americans,'' and 
perhaps none more so than Ronald Reagan.


                            Hon. Judy Biggert


                               of illinois

  Mr. Speaker, unlike many other Members of this body, I never had the 
great privilege of serving with Ronald Reagan. When President Reagan was 
elected in 1980, I was raising my four children and running a law 
practice out of my home in Hinsdale, IL. Back then I did not follow 
world events or political developments like I do now. In those days, it 
was all I could do to keep up with kids' soccer games, make it to the 
school board meetings on time, and ensure that I did not miss a court 
deadline for an important client.
  This week, like most Americans, I revel in the stories that my 
colleagues and others who knew him well have recounted about their 
special moments with our 40th President. Like most Americans, I cannot 
get enough of Ronald Reagan.
  What strikes me as I think back through the years of those Reagan 
times of the eighties are two very important things. They are the things 
that he said that touched my life and my interests as a busy mother and 
a died-in-the-wool Republican.
  First is what later became known as the Reagan 11th commandment. 
Ronald Reagan said, and practiced this principle, ``Speak no ill of a 
fellow Republican.''
  Second was the Reagan rule for success: ``There is no limit to the 
good a man can do in this world if he does not care who gets the 
credit.''
  Mr. Speaker, tonight my thoughts and prayers go out to the Reagan 
family. It is true I never met him, but they will never know how much 
his words, his deeds and his common sense have influenced and will 
continue to positively affect the generations of leaders that will 
follow him.


                          Hon. Roger F. Wicker


                             of mississippi

  Mr. Speaker, I too rise and join so many of my colleagues on both 
sides of the aisle in paying tribute to Ronald Wilson Reagan, the 40th 
President of the United States. I agree with so much of what has been 
said here today and throughout the Nation in the past few days about the 
incredible legacy of Ronald Reagan and what he left to America and to 
the world. Ronald Reagan will always be larger than life to millions of 
people around the world who were freed from the shackles of communism 
because he stood firm against what he so correctly called the evil 
empire. Ronald Reagan's determination and leadership forced an end to 
the cold war. His philosophy of cutting taxes and easing Federal 
regulations brought about one of the largest periods of economic growth 
in American history. And his eternal optimism and hope for a brighter 
day lifted the spirits of a Nation.
  Much has been said about Ronald Reagan's charisma, quick wit and 
ability to put people at ease. He was also blessed with a great asset 
for anyone in public life, a sense of timing. Whether it was one of his 
famous one-liners or the ability to do just the right thing at the right 
time, he always seemed to disarm a tough national press corps or defuse 
a difficult political issue.
  Mr. Speaker, I had the privilege of witnessing an example of his 
instinctive timing and humor in 1980 in Mississippi when then-candidate 
Ronald Reagan and his wife, Nancy, came to the Neshoba County Fair in 
Philadelphia, MS. The Neshoba County Fair is called Mississippi's 
largest house party and has been the premier gathering for political 
speeches during the hot Mississippi summers for more than a century. 
Ronald Reagan's visit was the first ever by a Presidential candidate to 
this most celebrated political event in my home State.
  One of the issues that had surfaced in Mr. Reagan's Presidential 
campaign was the question of his age. He was 69 years old. Some 
questioned whether he might be too old for the job. At the Neshoba 
County Fair an incident occurred which could have potentially 
exaggerated the issue of his age. After Mr. Reagan's speech, a local 
craftsman, Gary Harkins of Mississippi, presented Mr. Reagan with a 
rocking chair. I am sure some of the candidate's advisers and staff were 
horrified to think of the prospect that the one image coming from this 
appearance was a picture of the 69-year-old former Governor sitting in a 
rocking chair. But without hesitation, Ronald Reagan sat down in the 
chair, grabbed his wife, Nancy, by the hand and pulled her onto his lap. 
They appeared at that moment to be the very picture of vitality and 
energy. The widely distributed photograph and film footage which 
followed went around the Nation and nobody seeing that image thought 
Ronald Reagan was too old to be President.
  Mr. Reagan's quick thinking probably boosted his candidacy and 
dispelled doubts in the minds of some voters. The incident also changed 
the life of Greg Harkins, the craftsman who made the rocking chair and 
whose fledgling business was energized by his short encounter on the 
national stage. Mr. Harkins soon began receiving hundreds of requests 
for chairs from across the Nation and around the world. His business is 
still going strong today nearly 25 years later, and Ronald Reagan 
provided the spark for that little bit of business success. Harkins was 
quoted recently as saying, ``What they did was give me a foothold on 
something that I can be able to carry on for the rest of my life.''
  Mr. Harkins represents just one small example of how Ronald Reagan 
touched the lives of people in ways that are hard to quantify. We may 
not know all of their names or their unique stories, but his fellow 
citizens gained inspiration from Ronald Reagan's leadership and his 
attitude that it really was ``morning in America.''
  Whether it was a young American answering a call to public service or 
becoming involved in the growing conservative movement or simply taking 
the initiative to exercise their rights and register to vote for the 
first time, Ronald Reagan energized many Americans to action. They 
followed him because they trusted this man of principled beliefs and 
because he captured their imagination, and they simply liked him.
  Ronald Reagan, some people said, would be limited because he was only 
an actor. He was perhaps the best example of an actor turned politician; 
but he ended up being the real thing, the true article, the genuine 
American; and, Mr. Speaker, I believe he will be recorded as being the 
greatest President of our time.


                        Hon. Virgil H. Goode, Jr.


                               of virginia

  The death of President Reagan reminded Americans and many around the 
world of the achievements of his 8 years in office. A significant part 
of his legacy is that he helped the United States to feel good about 
itself again and the tax cuts that he advocated in the early eighties 
stimulated the economic boom that lasted until the end of the century.
  History may well show that President Reagan's greatest accomplishment 
was reestablishing our military strength and bringing about the collapse 
of the Soviet Union, which had been the principal adversary of the free 
world in the cold war that had raged since the close of World War II. 
The strengthened military was the one that waged Desert Storm 
successfully and laid the foundation for the U.S. military that is 
leading the war on terrorism. President Reagan rekindled the American 
spirit and patriotic fervor in this country. We shall never forget the 
grace and style with which President and Mrs. Reagan represented 
America. Our country will always remember Ronald Reagan.


                             Hon. Zach Wamp


                              of tennessee

  Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for taking the leadership tonight. 
The previous speaker, the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Goode), myself, 
and President Reagan all shared one thing in common as many do in this 
House and that is we used to be Democrats and now we are Republicans. 
That brings me to what I want to share tonight, which is the change in 
the political landscape brought about by the life and service of Ronald 
Wilson Reagan; but I want to start by saying that I believe, and I think 
this honors his memory, that neither party has an exclusive on integrity 
or ideas, neither party always has it right or always has it wrong, and 
the two-party system continues to serve our country extremely well.
  I am proud of the first half of my life when I was a Democrat and 
proud of the second half of my life as a Republican, but the story in my 
life as a southern conservative Democrat goes way back for generations. 
My father's great-great-grandfather, Enoch Alldredge, served in the 19th 
century in the Alabama General Assembly for over 40 years. My mother's 
great uncle Reuben Alldridge served in the 20th century in the Alabama 
General Assembly for a number of years, both very prominent political 
figures from the northern part of Alabama, all as Democrats. So I grew 
up honestly as a southern conservative Democrat.
  As a matter of fact, my first real memory of it all as a young person 
was watching my parents be involved in local campaigns and then, in fall 
1976, going to Woolen Gym at the University of North Carolina at Chapel 
Hill as a 19-year-old freshman and voting for Jimmy Carter as President 
of the United States and then having my parents attend the inaugural in 
Washington here with Franklin and Emmy Haney, two of the biggest 
Democrats in the State of Tennessee and being proud that my parents were 
here and saluting the new President, Jimmy Carter.
  But the years that followed in my formative years certainly gave me an 
opportunity and hope when I saw Ronald Reagan. I saw the malaise we were 
in. Let me say that Jimmy Carter has proven what a fine and outstanding 
man he is over these last 24 years since leaving office. It was a low 
point in our country's history, but he is a good and decent man; and 
frankly I will stand by that vote as a Democrat at that time, but over 
those next 4 years at the University of North Carolina, we saw a real 
low in our country's history and then all of a sudden there was a new 
day in 1980, and it seemed like someone came from the West and actually 
kind of showed us the hope and opportunity that you heard repeated on 
this floor over and over and over again.
  I can remember as the campaign generated momentum in 1980 at UNC, my 
fraternity, the Sigma Nu house, got real energized about the campaign 
and by the convention when they had that strong conservative Governor 
from the West team up with maybe the best person on paper that had run 
in 100 years, George Herbert Walker Bush. It was like that did it. That 
sealed the deal. What a great team. And on election night in fall 1980 
we loaded up in cars from UNC. It was Lee Ives and Tom Nesbit and Tony 
Floyd and Allen Miller and Lyn Thornburg and a group of us, and we drove 
to Washington, DC, and we were here that night in 1980 when Ronald 
Reagan was elected President of the United States.
  I was a southern conservative Democrat who became a Republican. Our 
entire family shifted from our party identification over the hope, the 
opportunity, the fresh start that Ronald Reagan brought to the political 
process. That changed the political landscape in the United States of 
America, and it moved our country from what was more left of center to 
slightly right of center.
  The Founding Fathers did not want things to change dramatically. This 
is like a big ship of state. If you turn it one degree, you arrive at a 
different destination. The country went from being left of center to 
right of center over the leadership, the strength and what I would say 
is the constancy of Ronald Reagan. He stood for something, and he simply 
articulated to this country what he stood for, and he never wavered. 
When people elect a President, they want a strong leader who can make a 
decision, who will stand his ground. When the wind blows, he stands 
firm. Ronald Reagan did that.
  That is why the 8 years is a legacy beyond measure. As the previous 
speaker said, in our lifetime, the model, the great leader is Ronald 
Reagan. I salute him. He made a Republican out of me, and I have been in 
the House of Representatives as a Republican elected official for 10 
years. I ran once and lost to get here, and I am proud of the whole 
story. I am very typical of a lot of southern boll weevil conservatives 
that believed in that simple limited government, personal 
responsibility, traditional values, strong national defense, lower 
taxes, take care of yourself and your family first and your extended 
family, look to the government last, but do it with a smile on your face 
and love in your heart. He is like a father, a big brother, a great 
leader who we could trust and have confidence in. Today we remember a 
truly great American President, Ronald Wilson Reagan.


                            Hon. Kay Granger


                                of texas

  Mr. Speaker, I am tempted to begin by saying that I come to honor the 
life of Ronald Reagan; but the truth is nothing I can say, nothing 
anyone can say can speak more loudly than do Reagan's own achievements. 
His legacy will endure and his memory will remain.
  Many leaders have changed history. Ronald Reagan changed the future. 
How soon we forget the environment he inherited in 1981, double-digit 
inflation, high interest rates at home, and Soviet aggression combined 
with American malaise abroad. Yet through his conviction, his courage, 
and his commitment, Ronald Reagan changed the Nation and the world.
  The story of Ronald Reagan is the story of America. He was an ordinary 
man who led a most extraordinary life. Born in poverty, Reagan rose to 
the greatest political office in the world. Along the way he did not 
merely argue for American values, he lived them. His determination was 
matched only by his decency, his leadership equaled only by his love of 
country.
  He was a great President who was also a good man, and he was a man so 
unlike any other in politics. Politics is filled with people who go with 
the flow, change with the times, and exchange principles for polls. 
These politicians are like tugboats, pushed back and forth by the waves. 
Not Reagan. He was like a battleship, always moving forward in its 
destination, always certain of victory.
  Though he has now left us, his impact never will. Every time we see a 
free person in a foreign land vote in a democratic election, Ronald 
Reagan is there. Every time we see a new job created through innovation 
and creativity, Ronald Reagan is there. And every time we see an 
American taking pride in his country, Ronald Reagan is there.
  Ultimately we mourn for ourselves, not for Reagan, for his life was 
one of victory. Like few other leaders in history, he lived to see his 
vision vindicated. Just as he had predicted, he saw communism repudiated 
and freedom spread across the globe.
  Ronald Reagan always knew who he was and what he believed. He knew why 
America was great and why America must lead. We recognize tonight his 
achievements and his legacy, but also let us also remember his style and 
his self-deprecating humor. We give him the credit he did not seek or 
think important.
  At the end of his Presidency, Reagan was asked if he objected to all 
the favorable press coverage that Mikhail Gorbachev got. ``Good Lord, 
no,'' Reagan responded. ``I co-starred with Errol Flynn once.''


                            Hon. Trent Franks


                               of arizona

  Mr. Speaker, tonight it is my deepest heartfelt honor to remember and 
to celebrate the life of Ronald Wilson Reagan. President Reagan was a 
man of unfettered principle. He was not afraid to do what was right. And 
not only was he not afraid, he was tenaciously committed to doing only 
that what he thought was right in his own heart.
  Mr. Speaker, President Reagan warned us all ``to beware [of] the 
temptation . . . to ignore the facts of history and the aggressive 
impulses of an evil empire, to simply call the arms race a giant 
misunderstanding and thereby remove [ourselves] from the struggle 
between right and wrong and good and evil.'' Mr. Reagan understood that 
some things were worth fighting, even dying, for, and he was resolute 
about them in his heart.
  President Reagan made us all believe that America still had what it 
takes to be victorious, to rise above and out of difficult 
circumstances, and to face devastating challenges. He said:

  Every promise, every opportunity is still golden in this land. And 
through that golden door our children can walk into tomorrow with the 
knowledge that no one can be denied the promise that is America.

  Her heart is full; . . . her future bright. She has arms big enough to 
comfort and strong enough to support.

   By the grace of God, those words are still true today.
  Mr. Speaker, President Reagan on so many occasions simply shared his 
wisdom and experience with us. He stated that ``The future doesn't 
belong to the fainthearted; it belongs to the brave.'' I believe he 
would want us to continue to make this Nation great by preserving its 
goodness. He would want us to continue in the struggle between right and 
wrong and good and evil.
  Mr. Speaker, Ronald Reagan's life was a transformed one, one that 
reflected the light from within, and he shared that light with all of us 
in the brightness and warmth of his smile and in his grace and good 
humor.
  Mr. Reagan said this of his Saviour: ``He promised there will never be 
a dark night that does not end. And by dying for us, Jesus showed how 
far our love should be ready to go: all the way.'' Ronald Reagan's dark 
nights on this Earth have ended, and he is at this moment in the 
presence of his precious Saviour. And now for Mr. Reagan each day has a 
bright new dawn and a shining sunset, and while he was here, he went all 
the way. And, Mr. Speaker, if he could speak to us one last time, I 
truly believe that he would tell us the same message that he told us so 
many times before when he said:

  You and I have a rendezvous with destiny. We will preserve for our 
children this, the last best hope of man on earth, or we will sentence 
them to take the first step into a thousand years of darkness. If we 
fail, at least let our children and our children's children say of us we 
justified our brief moment here. We did all that could be done.

  Thank you, Mr. President, for your life, and thank you for reminding 
us all of our rendezvous with destiny.


                          Hon. Marsha Blackburn


                              of tennessee

  It is an amazing thing to join our colleagues tonight and to thank 
President Reagan and his family for their decades of service. And as I 
have listened to our colleagues tonight, I thought about the first time 
I had the opportunity to see and hear President Reagan, and this was 
back in the early seventies, and he had come into Jackson, MS, for a 
Republican Party event. And I attended that event with my parents and 
was absolutely amazed at several things as I listened to and watched 
Ronald Reagan. It was his warmth, his ability to communicate, the way he 
used simple words for a very strong message, one that really showed his 
principle and his commitment in those still convictions that never ever 
wavered.
  And one of the things that really impressed me was that this was a man 
who really loved America. He loved everything that America stood for. 
And I think that it is fitting that we have a world that stands in awe 
today as they look back and they remember those commitments and 
accomplishments. Page H3814
  Mr. Speaker, I had the opportunity to return today with some of my 
colleagues from being in Normandy to celebrate and to commemorate the 
60th anniversary of D-day and the fight for freedom that was so 
important to our allies and also to our Nation, and to have an 
opportunity to share with so many of those individuals their love of 
President Ronald Reagan. And I think they all saw in him something that 
we appreciated and maybe could not always put into words. But he 
promised a renewal of American spirit for us, and by sheer willpower, he 
made that happen. And I think, yes, that he believed in us more than we 
believed in ourselves as he became the President of this great country, 
and he taught us how to enact that belief.
  He also taught us that tax relief would make our economy boom, and 
that indeed happened with an unprecedented economic expansion. He also 
showed us how one could say, I am not going to hide behind diplomatic 
platitudes, and I am not going to allow the Soviet Union to slowly eat 
away at the West. He simply communicated the truth about communism and 
exposed it for what it was: a cruel system built by thugs and murderers.
  And President Reagan truly was the quintessential American hero, the 
smalltown boy with the can-do attitude who set out with a dream and 
ended up changing the world. He had courage, he had wisdom, and he 
believed in the best that there was with America. God bless, Ronald 
Reagan. He was a true American original.


                            Hon. Jerry Lewis


                              of california

  Mr. Speaker, from the days I knew Ronald Reagan as Governor, and he 
was a key leader who sponsored early development of child care in our 
State, recognizing the importance of quality daycare in terms of the 
future of America's children, the environmental Governor who saved Lake 
Tahoe, to the days that I had a chance to watch him rebuild America's 
strength by building our defense, he always was straightforward, candid 
with the American people.
  And not so long ago he was heard to say:

  In closing let me thank you, the American people for giving me the 
great honor of allowing me to serve as your President. When the Lord 
calls me home, whenever that may be, I will leave with the greatest love 
for this country of ours and eternal optimism for its future.

  I now begin this journey that will lead me into the sunset of my life. 
I know that for America there will always be a bright dawn ahead.

  God bless you, Ronald Reagan. To Nancy and their family, all of us 
share with you our prayers for our great President, Ronald Wilson 
Reagan.


                             Hon. Jim Saxton


                              of new jersey

  Mr. Speaker, I rise today to support this resolution, a fitting 
tribute to a personal hero of mine, the 40th President of these great 
United States, President Ronald Wilson Reagan.
  Mr. Speaker, President Reagan was, and is today, the personification 
of all that is good in America. All that knew him have commented on the 
eternal optimism he exuded, much like the hope America presents to the 
rest of the world.
  He was a beacon of light for freedom and for freedom-loving people 
everywhere. The fact is that today there are not hundreds, not 
thousands, but millions of people in the world who live in freedom, and 
these people are free because of the leadership of President Ronald 
Reagan. He had a vision that set this Nation down a path of greatness 
that historians shall look back on as a vital turning point for not only 
this country, but indeed the world as well.
  There is an old military axiom that there are no bad battalions only 
bad leaders. As a corollary, I propose that there are no great nations, 
only great leaders.
  President Reagan was indeed one of this country's greatest leaders. 
During the 8 years he was President, he turned this country around 
militarily, economically and diplomatically. And as a result, he stands 
with many of the great leaders of our country's past--like George 
Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Franklin Roosevelt, and Dwight D. 
Eisenhower.
  What he left most importantly was a legacy of optimism and a restored 
faith in the American Presidency. In 1984, the year I was elected to 
Congress, President Reagan said while speaking to students at Fudan 
University in Shanghai, China, ``We're an optimistic people. Like you, 
we inherited a vast land of endless skies, tall mountains, rich fields, 
and open prairies. It made us see the possibilities in everything. It 
made us hopeful.'' He made us hopeful even in the face of adversity.
  Who can forget that cold, grim day the hours after the Challenger 
disaster, when our Nation was stunned and weeping? He comforted us with 
these words:

  We will never forget them, nor the last time we saw them, this 
morning, as they prepared for their journey and waved good-bye and 
``slipped the surly bonds of earth'' to ``touch the face of God.''

  And today we, as American people, are comforted for it is most certain 
that as he heads on his final journey, we wave goodbye to our 40th 
President as he `` `slip[s] the surly bonds of earth' to `touch the face 
of God.' '' Well done, Mr. President. I will miss you and America will 
miss you, but we will never forget you.


                       Hon. Madeleine Z. Bordallo


                                 of guam

  Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Ronald Reagan--a beloved 
President who changed America and the world.
  I first want to express my deepest condolences to Former First Lady 
Nancy Reagan and the Reagan family. An entire Nation shares your sadness 
over the loss of our former President, a man of humble beginnings who 
rose to capture our hearts and minds, our hopes, and our aspirations.
  Ronald Reagan embodied the spirit of what it means to be an American. 
As much as he was a leader of the people, he was also a product of the 
people, which helped him to relate with people from all different 
backgrounds. He was born to a working family in a small rural town, and 
brought up to respect traditional values such as family, hard work, God 
and country. Blessed with an unmistakably entrepreneurial spirit, he set 
out to pursue the American dream.
  Ronald Reagan lived through and endured tremendous economic hardship 
during the Great Depression. Despite these challenges, he put himself 
through college by earning a scholarship, washing dishes, waiting 
tables, all while sending some of his earnings home to his parents to 
help support his family. His strong character was forged by hard work.
  Driven by the belief that all people should be able to live freely, 
Ronald Reagan joined the American people and the world community to 
rally against the tyrannical oppression of the Axis powers and to defeat 
Nazism in Europe. United behind the many brave soldiers fighting for 
freedom in Europe and the Pacific, Ronald Reagan volunteered his talents 
to create instructional videos critical to the training of Army recruits 
during World War II. A staunch defender of freedom and democracy, Ronald 
Reagan would, after the defeat of the Axis powers, turn his attention to 
vanquishing from the world another threat to liberty: communism.
  Ronald Reagan began his political ascendancy in 1966 during his 
campaign for Governor of California. He would go on to win the first of 
two terms as California's Governor before reaching the White House in 
1980. His conservatism appealed to many across political and cultural 
lines. We will always remember his optimism and confidence in America's 
future.
  From ``sea to shining sea,'' President Reagan recognized the 
importance and value of every individual and every community to our 
country's strength. On two separate occasions, President Reagan visited 
Guam, America's most distant territory. On these occasions, I had the 
honor of hosting President Reagan as First Lady of Guam along with my 
husband Governor Ricky Bordallo, experiences I remember fondly. Donning 
island wear rather than more formal business attire, President Reagan 
was approachable and personable and put those around him at ease. His 
charm and grace left a lasting impression on those he came into contact 
with. He was as genuine and real in person as he was behind the podium 
or in front of the camera.
  He recognized the importance of Guam in promoting American values in 
the region, calling our island ``America's flagship in the western 
Pacific.'' President Reagan declared:

  It's said that it's here on Guam each morning that the Sun first casts 
its rays upon the Stars and Stripes. Well, my friends, I can't think of 
a more beautiful way for America's day to begin.

  While these words are recorded in history, it is the grace and 
sincerity with which he delivered those words that are remembered by the 
people of Guam.
  The outpouring of love and affection President Reagan has received 
from family, friends and the entire American family is a testament to 
his life and all of those he touched. Through courage, clarity and 
compassion, he led the people of this great Nation and the entire world 
from the perils of the cold war to the hope of liberty, freedom and 
dignity. His spirit will continue to live in the hearts and minds of all 
of us for whom he dedicated his life of public service. The advent of 
freedom in the former Soviet bloc and the spread of democracy throughout 
the world will forever be linked to his famous challenge, ``Mr. 
Gorbachev, tear down this wall!'' On behalf of myself and the people of 
Guam, I want to say ``Adios, esta ki.'' Goodbye until we meet again.


                             Hon. Gene Green


                                of texas

  Mr. Speaker, Americans and people across the world respect and admire 
Ronald Reagan. My greatest admiration is for his steadfast opposition to 
communist threats to our national security and the security of our 
allies.
  Many credit Ronald Reagan for winning the cold war, a bipartisan war 
begun under President Truman and lasting 45 years under bipartisan U.S. 
Governments. When President Reagan spoke out against the evils of 
communism, as he often did, he spoke out for all Americans: Republican, 
Democrat, and Independent.
  In this long-running struggle, President Reagan excelled by working 
with America's strong belief in freedom and our patriotic love for our 
country.
  He was instrumental in keeping the Nation united against the threat 
that Soviet communism posed to our national security, an important and 
difficult task after the domestic and foreign policy conflicts of the 
sixties and seventies.
  President Reagan's ability to lead a united America during 8 years of 
bipartisan government is conclusive proof that he was a natural leader 
who knew to treat all Americans with dignity and respect. The sincerity 
of his patriotism and his beliefs were crucial for uniting America 
against the threats of communism. Any American leader could learn from 
him.
  Reagan was also inspiring for an America hit by tragedy. His 
underlying faith in America and Americans shone through in a powerful 
speech after the Challenger tragedy.
  He made it clear, when directly addressing the millions of American 
schoolchildren who had watched the disaster, that tragedy was a painful 
setback, but was no reversal. The President said on January 28, 1986: 
``The future doesn't belong to the fainthearted; it belongs to the 
brave. The Challenger crew was pulling us into the future, and we'll 
continue to follow them.'' That also applies today.
  By bringing America to common terms during international tyranny and 
national tragedy reinforced the strong, shared goals of the American 
people: to live in freedom, to excel in technology, and to believe in 
something larger than ourselves.
  Today we mourn the passing of an American giant.


                             Hon. Tim Holden


                             of pennsylvania

  Mr. Speaker, this weekend marked the passing of one of the most 
influential Presidents of our era. Our thoughts and prayers are with his 
wife, Nancy, and his children at this difficult time.
  President Reagan was an American icon. No matter what your politics, 
he had a special way of making every citizen feel good about their 
country. He made us proud to be Americans. He will be forever remembered 
for his warmth and the respect he accorded others.
  Even when he disagreed with those who did not share his political 
philosophy, President Reagan lived by the noble ideal that at the end of 
the day, partisanship ended and we are all fellow Americans and friends. 
He taught us that there is a big difference between strong beliefs and 
bitter partisanship.
  President Reagan is credited with many great accomplishments, not the 
least of which is ending the cold war. In spite of all he achieved, he 
once said, ``that the greatest leader is not the one who does great 
things--it is the one who gets the people to do the greatest things.'' 
Ronald Reagan's glass was always half full. His optimism, his patriotism 
and his sense of duty inspired several generations of Americans to do 
great things.
  In life, President Reagan enjoyed the affection of a grateful Nation. 
We all join together to mourn the passing of this great American.


                              Hon. Joe Baca


                              of california

  Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor the life of Ronald Reagan, the 40th 
President of the United States. I am proud to be a co-sponsor of 
Congressman Lewis' resolution. Today, Republicans and Democrats alike 
honor in unity the life of a man who left a permanent mark on the 
history of our Nation and the world.
  Today we praise the life and accomplishments of the Great 
Communicator, and we give our condolences to Nancy, and the entire 
Reagan family. President Ronald Reagan was a man who meant much to all 
free peoples in the world through his many noble accomplishments. 
President Reagan's policies, many of which I disagreed with, were 
nevertheless motivated by a commitment to preserve and enhance our 
Nation's greatness. I remain firm in my admiration of this great leader 
whose intellectual integrity was always unquestioned.
  As the oldest serving President in American history, President Reagan 
was an inspiration for seniors. He showed us that youthfulness can be 
found in people of all ages, and that life does not expire at 65. When 
President Reagan was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, he brought 
awareness and understanding to an illness that is too often ignored.
  President Reagan will be remembered for his dedication to the American 
dream. Although many Americans may have disagreed with his policies, 
they were still inspired by his enthusiasm and optimism.
  President Reagan should be remembered not just for his role in 
Washington, but for his hard work in the State of California as well. As 
Governor of California for 8 years, he led the State with dedication and 
commitment to his convictions. As an actor, he provided us with 
entertainment in over 50 motion pictures.
  On behalf of myself, the residents of the 43d Congressional District 
in California, and a grateful world that is safer and freer, I pay 
homage to President Ronald Reagan--leader, statesman, actor, father, 
husband and American hero.
  And now, let's make this resolution ``one for the Gipper.''


                        Hon. Lincoln Diaz-Balart


                               of florida

  Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a man whom I believe to be the 
greatest President of the 20th century.
  President Ronald Reagan succeeded in defeating the most powerful and 
dangerous military empire in the history of humanity without firing a 
single shot. Reagan knew instinctively that, despite the imperfections 
inherent in every human enterprise, the United States of America 
represents good and communism represents evil.
  President Reagan never wavered in his conviction that freedom is the 
birthright of all mankind. His firm belief that freedom is the 
inalienable right of all people changed the world, and is his most 
enduring legacy. However he also realized the liberties we hold sacred 
must be constantly protected against the forces of tyranny and 
oppression. President Reagan proved that when one fights for justice, 
for human rights, and for the liberty of those suffering under 
repression, one must persevere in spite of the strength of the 
opposition and the apparent magnitude of the obstacles one must 
confront.
  The enemies of the United States never forgave him for his firmness, 
for his character, for his faith in the people of the United States and 
in the cause of liberty. Even in his death they continue to attack him. 
This hatred is evidenced by the declaration made by the tyrannical 
regime in Havana yesterday, ``He, who never should have been born, has 
died.'' That monstrous statement illustrates the ultimate evil of the 
tyrant who has enslaved the Cuban people for over 45 years. President 
Reagan knew that Castro, and every communist tyranny, represents the 
antithesis of liberty, freedom and human dignity.
  At home, Ronald Reagan forever changed the political landscape of 
America. He was a union leader. In fact, he was the only President in 
the history of the United States to have been a union leader. He was 
also at first a member of the Democratic Party, having campaigned for 
Franklin Roosevelt and Harry Truman. However, ideas and times change. 
When he became a Republican at the age of 52, he convinced millions of 
members of his former party that the superior ideas and the better 
reforms of our age belonged to the Republican Party. Inspired by his 
leadership and his example, my brother, Congressman Mario Diaz-Balart 
and I proudly became Republicans.
  May Ronald Wilson Reagan, apostle of freedom, democracy and human 
rights, rest in peace.


                          Hon. Darrell E. Issa


                              of california

  Mr. Speaker, on this second week of June, 17 years ago, President 
Ronald Reagan stood in the then-divided city of Berlin, and called on 
Soviet Leader Mikhail Gorbachev to, ``tear down this wall!'' President 
Reagan's critics at home called his speech a publicity ploy. The Soviets 
and East Germans called it an infringement of East German sovereignty--
unwarranted meddling by the American President. Two years later, the 
wall came down.
  President Reagan was a leader with foresight and strong conviction. He 
believed in America--then he made America believe in itself again. He 
valued freedom--so he brought it to those who had none.
  Through wise policies, force of will, and a kind demeanor, President 
Reagan conveyed strength and determination alongside reason and optimism 
to America and those who yearned for freedom behind the Iron Curtain. He 
never doubted what America could do--and he wouldn't let us doubt 
ourselves. When tragedy struck, he told us to move forward--and we 
listened.
  Ronald Reagan knew America. He knew what was right about our Nation, 
what was right for our Nation, and what America could set right in the 
world. Ronald Reagan led America and the rest of the free world against 
communism. When his work was finished, the free world had expanded by 
over 400 million people in 27 countries.
  Today, soldiers from these new democracies fight side by side with 
Americans against the new enemies of freedom in Iraq and Afghanistan. 
President Reagan showed us that freedom can tear down walls. He 
reaffirmed for us that America is a force for good in the world, and 
that our proudest achievements will never come without criticism or 
sacrifice.
  I never had the opportunity to meet Ronald Reagan, but knew him, like 
most Americans, as someone who had faith in our ability to achieve great 
things for ourselves and the world.
  Mr. Speaker, history will remember Ronald Reagan for bringing freedom 
to more people throughout the world than has ever been done before. The 
America and the world Ronald Reagan leaves behind is a better place 
because of him.
  President Reagan, we still carry the confidence you gave our Nation 
and will never forget what we accomplished together. A grateful Nation 
thanks you.


                             Hon. Steve King


                                 of iowa

  Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the memory of President Ronald 
Reagan.
  Ronald Reagan leaves an enduring legacy of character and a dedication 
to the American ideal of liberty. His philosophy and values were not 
political calculation; they were inscribed in his heart.
  I recognize Ronald Reagan as a true leader that remained true to 
American principles of the individual over government, sense of duty 
toward neighbors, and expansion of freedom.
  Moreover, Reagan was a man with vision on a grand scale. He knew 
America's greatest achievement was spreading democracy throughout the 
world. He was resolute in this endeavor and faced each challenge with 
both vigilance and grace. No American did more to spread the gift of 
liberty and respect for human dignity to people who had never enjoyed 
them. No American did more to persuade our Nation that the contribution 
of democracy and human rights to all is the proper goal of the United 
States.
  Throughout our history, when evil and iniquity has been the common 
enemy, Americans have displayed a resolve to create a better country and 
a better world. Ronald Reagan personified that American trait. Reagan's 
service is considered recent in history's timeline, but his character 
and deeds are a model of leadership for all time. We need to remember in 
our hearts the dedication to higher purpose. We are dutybound to advance 
each society to Ronald Reagan's ``shining city on the hill.''
  Thank you Mr. Speaker. I conclude by saying that this week's passing 
should not be seen as the loss of a man but rather the beginning of a 
legend.


                         Hon. Ginny Brown-Waite


                               of florida

  Mr. Speaker, I rise today to add my voice to the chorus extolling the 
life of Ronald Reagan. On a similar occasion over a century ago, Lincoln 
said of Washington, ``How do you add glory to the Sun?'' And I must 
confess, I feel the same futility at trying to add my few words to a 
life and legacy that shines so bright.
  Ronald Reagan came to the stage when it appeared that America was 
grasping at the complexities of modernity. Inflation, recession, and 
unemployment appeared permanent and the light of freedom appeared to be 
dim. Europe was enthralled with socialism and communism and the American 
exception was denounced as arrogant and on the edge of failure. Much 
like today, we were told what we needed was more government not less; 
higher taxation, not less; more regulation, not less. Reagan saw all of 
this and he smiled.
  I was at his inauguration. When he said ``It is time for us to realize 
that we're too great a nation to limit ourselves to small dreams,'' my 
spine stiffened. I got goose bumps when he called out ``that peace is 
the highest aspiration of the American people. We will negotiate for it, 
sacrifice for it; we will not surrender for it, now or ever.''
  From that day, I knew America was back. You see many people speak of 
the Reagan revolution. I like to think of it as the Reagan restoration. 
Reagan restored our optimism, our belief in our ability to create, and 
the belief that God put man on this Earth to be free and made America to 
prove it.
  I was in Washington the day Reagan was shot. I held my breath and was 
glued to the television. The humor, strength and courage that were 
Reagan's came through and, along with the rest of America, I laughed 
when he said, ``Honey, I forgot to duck.''
  Ronald Reagan changed the paradigm. He changed America's foreign 
policy from one of benign containment to active confrontation and for 
the first time since communism began extending its sinister reach, we 
saw its hand pushed back, and that gave us hope.
  Reagan confronted the evil he saw in the world and he did it without 
apology. He battled communism. He armed the resistance in Afghanistan; 
he sent troops to Grenada; Lebanon; and Pershings to Europe. In a 
courageous move he walked away from negotiations at Reykjavik. To the 
cries of the left and chattering classes he held firm to the belief that 
America never should and never would surrender her right to defend 
herself. Mikhail Gorbachev has said Reykjavik was the turning point. His 
strength broke the back of the Soviets.
  Before the British Parliament, Reagan envisaged that the last pages of 
communism were being written and in those famous words predicted that 
totalitarianism would be consigned to the ``ash heap of history.'' He 
was derided. Yet few could know how prophetic his words would be, or how 
fast the fall would come.
  In 1989, Soviet citizens voted for the first time. Prodemocracy 
demonstrations were held in Tiananmen Square. Lech Walesa was elected 
president of Poland. Shortly thereafter, the Eastern European Soviet 
bloc closed the door on communism for democracy. In November, the Berlin 
Wall was opened and, as Reagan would have it, an anonymous German struck 
the first blow at tearing down the wall. The following year, free 
elections defeated the communist Sandinistas and the Soviet Union was 
dissolved. The light of freedom extended its reach.
  Reagan has been so often called the Great Communicator, but I like to 
think about his time in office and his legacy in a different way. His 
victory was not of communication, but a triumph of content--the content 
of his ideas. He reignited the light of freedom. He cut taxes and 
regulation and in 8 years created 19 million jobs. He reminded us that 
the path to prosperity was one of individual freedom and personal 
responsibility. As Reagan has said, these were not his ideas, but they 
were American ideas. Reagan thought his revolution was ``more like the 
great rediscovery, a rediscovery of our values and our common sense.''
  So, as we honor President Reagan let us remember his humility, his 
dignity, his kind words and most of all his courage. Let us honor the 
legacy of President Reagan with a renewed commitment to the 
exceptionalism that makes us American. Let us renew freedom's promise to 
those who live in oppressive tyranny. Let us renew our determination, 
our courage, and our strength. And let us renew our faith and our hope.
  There are many who stand against freedom and peace. There are many who 
criticize and compromise, but let us honor Ronald Reagan by standing 
firm, with resolve, in this time of war.
  We can do it. Why? As Reagan would say, ``after all, . . . [we] are 
Americans.''


                             Hon. Nick Smith


                               of michigan

  Mr. Speaker, I share with my colleagues a poem by Albert Carey 
Caswell.

                             And to This End


                        (By Albert Carey Caswell)

And to this end

Approach Heaven, our True American Hero . . . America's finest of all true 
friends

Rest now . . . our Great American Patriot . . . as up to Heaven your 
magnificent soul as so ascends.

And to this end

And oh, what to this our Country you have so been

With that, your warm smile and that thick brown hair . . . and what your 
heart of gold has so meant.

And to this end

The promise, and your gift . . . the pride and the respect . . . believing 
in us as if . . . as you'd begin

Bringing your Nation back to shore, our savior . . . rescuing & seeing the 
light that others so ignored.

And to this end

Breaking down walls, hearing the children's calls . . . wearing your heart 
on your sleeve

To believe . . . In God and Country, and in all of those things which made 
us free . . . all in you we see.

And to this end

To dream . . . to start from nothing, as it would so seem

As was yours . . . this The Great American Dream . . . as is this, our 
Nation's greatest of all themes.

And to this end

Returning and The Pride and The Respect . . . to America's greatest of all 
assets

Her fighting Women & Men . . . her one true fine reason why we all can 
dream, you'd not let us forget.

And to this end

As you brought the light, into that battle against the darkness . . . this 
your courageous fight

As you have brought us hope, where there was none . . . as your journey 
begun . . . for what was right.

And to this end

Yes, Ron . . . there are jelly beans up in Heaven my dear friend

And to you, I so salute . . . this one's for you Gipper . . . as the 
swollen tear drops so roll down my chin.

And to this end . . . ``Well, There You Go Again''

And now, and forever . . . whenever, I look into our flag . . . I'll see 
your face

For such men of heart, such men of warmth & character & grace, Heaven . . . 
so surely holds a place.

  Mr. Speaker, people say that a truly great athlete is not only gifted 
himself, he makes those who play with him better. The same is true of 
President Reagan, who not only led the country, but restored America's 
confidence. He renewed our sense of America's goodness and America's 
greatness. And with that assurance, the American people achieved great 
things.
  When Reagan came into office, America was demoralized. President 
Carter had even spoken of our malaise. Watergate and our defeat in 
Vietnam shook our self-confidence. We surrendered control over the 
Panama Canal which we had built. Page H3817
  The Soviet Union was at the height of its power and communism seemed 
to be on the march. After Vietnam fell to the communists, Cambodia 
followed. The Sandinistas took control in Nicaragua and communist 
insurgencies were under way in Ethiopia, Angola, and Mozambique. The 
Soviets invaded Afghanistan in 1979 and were in the process of 
suppressing the Solidarity movement in Poland.
  At the same time, the Shah fell in Iran, and supporters of Ayatollah 
Khomeini held 52 Americans hostage for more than a year at our Embassy 
in Tehran. Worse, the American military expedition to free them failed 
in the desert, with the crash of two helicopters and the death of eight 
servicemen.
  The economic situation was just as dire. In 1980, inflation stood at 
13.5 percent, and interest rates reached 21 percent. The turmoil in the 
Middle East sparked gasoline shortages. People waited for hours in line 
just to fill up their cars and worried about people stealing the gas out 
of their tanks.
  People lost their optimism. America no longer seemed special, or a 
world leader. It felt like the divine spark at the center of the 
American experiment had gone out.
  It was Ronald Reagan who turned it around. He never lost faith in the 
American people. And he had enough optimism to restore our lost 
confidence and get America back on its feet.
  He believed we could restore our economy--and we did. By 1990 the U.S. 
economy had grown by a third, or roughly the size of the entire German 
economy. And 35 million jobs were created.
  He believed we could stand up proudly for American values around the 
world and stand up to the Soviet Union--and we did. It was President 
Reagan's resolve that halted the march of communism in Central America, 
and in Afghanistan. It was Reagan's resolve that nurtured the Solidarity 
movement in Poland, and gave heart to the dissidents of the Soviet bloc. 
Ultimately it was President Reagan's faith in American ideals that led 
to the fall of the Berlin Wall and the liberation of Eastern Europe and 
the Soviet Union.
  It was that leadership and vision for America that made Ronald Reagan 
special. Like FDR during the Depression, he taught us that there was 
nothing to fear but fear itself. Like Winston Churchill during World War 
II, he spoke for an entire nation at a time of stress. It restored our 
confidence, and that made all the difference.
  Let us remember Ronald Reagan. Let us remember what Ronald Reagan 
wanted for America. He wanted us always to be that ``shining city on a 
hill.'' And he wanted us to know that America's best days always lie 
ahead.
  May God bless Ronald Reagan and Mrs. Reagan and may God bless America.


                           Hon. Frank R. Wolf


                               of virginia

  Mr. Speaker, I join today with others in the House in expressing 
deepest condolences to Nancy Reagan and the Reagan family on the passing 
of Ronald Wilson Reagan, the 40th President of the United States of 
America, and in paying tribute to President Reagan as we remember his 
Presidency and what he meant to our country and indeed to the world.
  I deeply admired and respected President Reagan. I had the good 
fortune to run for the 10th District of Virginia seat in Congress in 
November 1980 when he was elected to his first term. Some called my 
victory then ``on Reagan's coattails.'' I have no doubt I'm in Congress 
today because of him.
  I will always be grateful that after my two unsuccessful bids for 
Congress, Ronald Reagan led the ticket that I was on and I became a 
member of the class of 1980.
  As we remember President Reagan today, I have been moved by the 
outpouring of love and support we have been seeing over the past few 
days across our Nation and especially in California, where he served the 
Golden State as Governor for two terms.
  ``Thank you, President Reagan. You made us proud again.''
  That was the sentiment on one of the many posters and other mementos 
in memory of President Reagan placed outside the entrance to his 
Presidential library in Simi Valley, CA, the day after his death on June 
5. And that sentiment could well sum up the legacy of President Reagan, 
who lost his 10-year battle with Alzheimer's disease at age 93.
  He was the leader of our Nation when Americans needed to know and more 
importantly to believe that indeed it was ``morning again in America,'' 
and the best was yet to come for our great country--that we could be 
proud to stand up and be called Americans. He made us feel good again. 
He gave us hope. He inspired us. He gave us optimism because he was an 
optimist.
  And when we needed to be comforted at a time of our own Nation's 
mourning in the wake of the space shuttle Challenger disaster in 1986, 
he was there for us, speaking to us much like a father, telling us it 
would be all right:

  It's all part of the process of exploration and discovery. It's all 
part of taking a chance and expanding man's horizons. The future doesn't 
belong to the fainthearted; it belongs to the brave. . . . Nothing ends 
here; our hopes and our journeys continue.

  The June 7 edition of National Journal's Hotline headlined, ``Ronald 
Wilson Reagan,'' described Mr. Reagan's Presidency well:

  The optimism of Morning in America left little room for mourning in 
America. So instead of grief, there is respect for the man, celebration 
of his boldness, relief for his widow, and memories of leadership with 
purpose, grace and humor.

  He literally disarmed his enemies aboard with his tenacity. He gently 
disarmed his political enemies at home with his modesty. If he was 
overestimated as an actor, he was underestimated as a political leader. 
Because he never quite fit in with official Washington, he stayed 
connected inseparably with the people. And for an entire generation of 
Americans, he defined the Presidency.

  He dreamt, acted out, and embodied the American dream. He was a 
leader. Those who agreed with his policies cherished his principles. 
Those who doubted his capacities wondered at his accomplishments.

  Friend and foe have come to see him as an American icon, whose light 
may forever shine from his city on the hill.

  In many ways, President Reagan's profound conviction that every human 
being had the right to live in freedom inspired my work for humanitarian 
and human rights causes. While he didn't always outwardly show it, he 
was a man of deep faith. He said in a speech before the House of Commons 
in 1982:

  We must be staunch in our conviction that freedom is not the sole 
prerogative of a lucky few, but the inalienable and universal right of 
all human beings.

  I saw a poignant television news report from southern California on 
Sunday evening which also reminded me that another crucial part of his 
legacy belongs not only to America, but to the world. A woman was 
interviewed. She was holding a bouquet of flowers. Tears were streaming 
down her face.
  She had a broken English accent and identified herself as a Russian 
emigrant. She said she had to come to the makeshift memorial outside the 
funeral home where President Reagan was resting because, ``I owe my life 
to President Reagan.''
  I was also reminded of how President Reagan gave hope to the 
persecuted peoples of the world when I read an opinion article from the 
June 6 edition of the Jerusalem Post written by former Soviet political 
dissident Natan Sharansky. I will insert the entire text of that article 
for the Record. Mr. Sharansky wrote:

  In 1983, 1 was confined to an eight-by-ten-foot prison cell on the 
border of Siberia. My Soviet jailers gave me the privilege of reading 
the latest copy of Pravda. Splashed across the front page was a 
condemnation of President Ronald Reagan for having the temerity to call 
the Soviet Union an ``evil empire.'' Tapping on walls and talking 
through toilets, word of Reagan's ``provocation'' quickly spread 
throughout the prison. We dissidents were ecstatic. Finally, the leader 
of the free world had spoken the truth--a truth that burned inside the 
heart of each and every one of us.

  Who will ever forget Ronald Reagan calling the Soviet Union an evil 
empire and his challenge to then-Soviet Premier Mikhail Gorbachev 
outside the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin: ``Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this 
wall!''
  And who would ever have imagined the relationship President Reagan 
forged with Mr. Gorbachev which ultimately led to the fall of communism 
and indeed, the tearing down of the Berlin Wall. Mikhail Gorbachev will 
honor that legacy of President Reagan by his attendance at Mr. Reagan's 
funeral service at the National Cathedral in Washington on Friday, June 
11.
  Ronald Reagan was a remarkable man and I believe will be remembered by 
history as one of the greatest Presidents of our Nation. I will close by 
sharing his own words spoken in August 1992 about how he wanted to be 
remembered:

  [W]hatever else history may say about me when I'm gone, I hope it will 
record that I appealed to your best hopes, not your worst fears, to your 
confidence rather than your doubts. . . . May all of you as Americans 
never forget your heroic origins, never fail to seek divine guidance, 
and never lose your natural, God-given optimism.

  We thank God for the life of Ronald Wilson Reagan.
  Republican Members who were elected in 1980 on the ticket with 
President Reagan:

  Wendell Bailey, Missouri; Cleve Benedict, West Virginia; Tom Bliley, 
Virginia; Hank Brown, Colorado; Greg Carman, New York; Gene Chappie, 
California; Dan Coats, Indiana; Jim Coyne, Pennsylvania; Larry Craig, 
Idaho; Hal Daub, Nebraska; Larry DeNardis, Connecticut; David Dreier, 
California; Jim Dunn, Michigan; Bill Emerson, Missouri; T. Cooper Evans, 
Iowa; Bobbi Fiedler, California; Jack Fields, Texas; Steve Gunderson, 
Wisconsin; and Judd Gregg, New Hampshire.

  James Hansen, Utah; Tommy Hartnett, South Carolina; Bill Hendon, North 
Carolina; John (Jack) Hiler, Indiana; Duncan Hunter, California; Gene 
Johnston, North Carolina; John LeBoutillier, New York; Bill Lowery, 
California; Bill McCollum, Florida; Bob McEwen, Ohio; Ray McGrath, New 
York; David Martin, New York; Lynn Martin, Illinois; Guy Molinari, New 
York; Sid Morrison, Washington; John Napier, South Carolina; and Jim 
Nelligan, Pennsylvania.

  Mike Oxley, Ohio; Stan Parris, Virginia; Clint Roberts, South Dakota; 
Pat Roberts, Kansas; Hal Rogers, Kentucky; Marge Roukema, New Jersey; 
Claudine Schneider, Rhode Island; Clay Shaw, Florida; Mark Siljander, 
Michigan; Joe Skeen, New Mexico; Albert Lee Smith, Alabama; Chris Smith, 
New Jersey; Denny Smith, Oregon; David (Mick) Staton, West Virginia; Ed 
Weber, Ohio; Vin Weber, Minnesota; Frank Wolf, Virginia; and George 
Wortley, New York.

                 [From the Jerusalem Post, June 6, 2004]

                        The Prisoners' Conscience


                          (By Natan Sharansky)


  In 1983, I was confined to an eight-by-ten-foot prison cell on the 
border of Siberia. My Soviet jailers gave me the privilege of reading 
the latest copy of Pravda. Splashed across the front page was a 
condemnation of President Ronald Reagan for having the temerity to call 
the Soviet Union an ``evil empire.'' Tapping on walls and talking 
through toilets, word of Reagan's ``provocation'' quickly spread 
throughout the prison. We dissidents were ecstatic. Finally, the leader 
of the free world had spoken the truth--a truth that burned inside the 
heart of each and every one of us.

  At the time, I never imagined that three years later, I would be in 
the White House telling this story to the president. When he summoned 
some of his staff to hear what I had said, I understood that there had 
been much criticism of Reagan's decision to cast the struggle between 
the superpowers as a battle between good and evil. Well, Reagan was 
right and his critics were wrong.

  Those same critics used to love calling Reagan a simpleton who saw the 
world through a primitive ideological prism and who would convey his 
ideas through jokes and anecdotes. In our first meeting, he told me that 
Soviet premier Brezhnev and Kosygin, his second-in-command, were 
discussing whether they should allow freedom of emigration. ``Look, 
America's really pressuring us,'' Brezhnev said, ``maybe we should just 
open up the gates. The problem is, we might be the only two people who 
wouldn't leave.'' To which Kosygin replied, ``Speak for yourself.''

  What his critics didn't seem to understand was that the jokes and 
anecdotes that so endeared Reagan to people were merely his way of 
expressing fundamental truths in a way that everyone could understand.

  Reagan's tendency to confuse names and dates, something I, too, 
experienced first-hand, also made him the target of ridicule. In 
September 1987, a few months before a summit meeting with Gorbachev in 
Washington, I met with Reagan to ask him what he thought about the idea 
of holding a massive rally of hundreds of thousands of people on behalf 
of Soviet Jewry during the summit. Some Jewish leaders, concerned that 
if the rally were held Jews would be accused of undermining a renewed 
hope for peace between the superpowers, had expressed reservations about 
such a frontal challenge to the Soviet premier.

  Seeing me together for the first time with my wife Avital, who had 
fought for many years for my release, Reagan greeted us like a proud 
grandparent, knowing he had played an important role in securing my 
freedom. He told us about his commitment to Soviet Jewry. ``My dear Mr. 
and Mrs. Shevardnadze,'' he said, ``I just spoke with Soviet Foreign 
Minister Sharansky, and I said you better let those Jews go.''

  Not wanting to embarrass the president over his mistake, I quickly 
asked him about the rally, outlining the concerns raised by some of my 
colleagues. His response was immediate: ``Do you think I am interested 
in a friendship with the Soviets if they continue to keep their people 
in prison? You do what you believe is right.''

  Reagan may have confused names and dates, but his moral compass was 
always good. Today's leaders, in contrast, may know their facts and 
figures, but are often woefully confused about what should be the 
simplest distinctions between freedom and tyranny, democrats and 
terrorists.

  The legacy of president Reagan will surely endure. Armed with moral 
clarity, a deep faith in freedom, and the courage to follow his 
convictions, he was instrumental in helping the West win the Cold War 
and hundreds of millions of people behind the Iron Curtain win their 
freedom.

  As one of those people, I can only express my deepest gratitude to 
this great leader. Believe me, I will take moral clarity and 
Shevardnadze any day.


                       Hon. Eni F.H. Faleomavaega


                            of american samoa

  Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to former President Ronald 
Reagan who passed away on Saturday June 5, 2004. At this time, I extend 
my deepest condolences to his loving wife, Nancy, and his children, and 
I join with our Nation in mourning the loss of a great leader.
  Ronald Wilson Reagan was born in Tampico, IL, to Nelle Wilson and John 
Edward ``Jack'' Reagan. In 1928, Ronald Reagan graduated from Dixon High 
School where he served as student body president. From 1928 to 1932, 
Reagan attended Eureka College, a small liberal arts institution in 
Illinois. He majored in economics and sociology.
  In 1937, Reagan enlisted in the Army Reserve as a private and was soon 
promoted to second lieutenant in the Officers Reserve Corps of the 
Cavalry. While in the Army, an agent for Warner Brothers discovered 
Ronald Reagan. In 1940, Reagan wed Jane Wyman.
  In 1942, the Army Air Force called Reagan to active duty. He was 
assigned to the First Motion Picture Unit in Culver City, CA, where he 
made over 400 training films. Reagan was discharged from the Army in 
1945 at the rank of captain.
  After the war, Reagan resumed his acting career and in 1952 wed Nancy 
Davis. In 1956, Reagan campaigned as a Democrat for Eisenhower. In 1960, 
he campaigned for Richard Nixon. In 1962, he officially changed his 
party registration to Republican.
  In 1966, Reagan was elected Governor of California and was reelected 
in 1970. On November 4, 1980, Ronald Wilson Reagan became the 40th 
President of the United States.
  Ronald Reagan wished to be remembered as the President who wanted 
Americans to believe in themselves. We will remember him for much more.
  We will remember Ronald Reagan as a political leader who worked 
diligently to stimulate economic growth, increase employment and 
strengthen national defense. He was the Great Communicator whose words 
and actions spoke of honor and peace.
  Through his convictions, we witnessed the fall of the Berlin Wall and 
the end of the cold war. ``Peace through strength'' is what he sought 
and achieved.
  In his own words taken from 1986 as he sought to comfort us after the 
Challenger disaster:

  We will never forget [him], nor the last time we saw [him] . . . as 
[he] prepared for [his] journey and waved good-bye and ``slipped the 
surly bonds of earth'' to ``touch the face of God.''Page E1103 
14jn04-52


                     Hon. Randy ``Duke'' Cunningham


                              of california

  Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor and mourn the passing of one of the 
greatest Presidents in American history--Ronald Wilson Reagan. This 
leader was a man of clear vision, principle and conviction, a Great 
Communicator, and an individual who had perhaps one of the greatest 
influences on my life.
  An eternal optimist with a can-do spirit, President Reagan once said 
in my hometown of San Diego:

  You know, the United States was never meant to be a second-best 
nation. . . . we set our sights on the stars, and we're going for the 
gold.

  He also believed that this forward-looking superpower Nation could 
transform the global picture.
  He came to the job armed with one underlying philosophy: Freedom. 
Freedom for the economy, for individuals, our Nation, and people around 
the globe.
  Ronald Reagan brought our economy back to life. It was his policies 
that ultimately put Congress on a course to the fiscal discipline that 
spurred a balanced budget and economic growth.
  President Reagan followed through on his pledge to restore our 
military, and he brought back the pride associated with serving this 
Nation.
  Despite the rhetoric and good intentions of those on the other side of 
the political spectrum, it was Ronald Reagan who actually initiated the 
disarmament of whole classes of nuclear weapons. Perhaps his greatest 
legacy will be that of bringing an end to the cold war. Staring down 
repressive governments and challenging them to a new way of life, he 
brought freedom to millions of people around the globe.
  Using old Navy terms to describe his first term, President Reagan once 
said, ``We've taken control of the ship of state and changed direction. 
And what are we going to do now? Well, the way I see it, it's all ahead 
full, no turning back.''
  For his imprint on history, for his legacy which will be felt for 
generations to come, this Nation owes President Reagan a debt of 
gratitude.
  I am pleased that one of the President's many legacies is the Navy's 
newest nuclear carrier, the USS Ronald Reagan. That ship recently set 
sail from Norfolk for its rightful home in San Diego.
  Throughout his political career, President Reagan always concluded his 
campaigns in San Diego. He called it his lucky city. It is only fitting 
that our ``shining city on the hill,'' San Diego, will be called home to 
the USS Reagan. This ship is perhaps the most fitting tribute to Ronald 
Reagan's legacy of strength and security, to the imprint he had on our 
past and the promise that we hold for the future.
  We anxiously await the arrival of the Reagan, and welcome it to the 
lucky city. The way I see it, it's all ahead full, no turning back. 
Page E1107 14jn04-63


                             Hon. Jim Kolbe


                               of arizona

  Mr. Speaker, Ronald Reagan's passing gives this Nation an opportunity 
to reflect on the can-do attitude that he exuded and the greatness of 
the American people that he believed in. He was the essential American, 
a President born in mid-America, instilled with solid midwestern values. 
He had a deep love affair with the American people, and they with him. 
Like Franklin Roosevelt, he was an American icon, and like Roosevelt, he 
had an uncanny ability to connect and communicate with common people.
  Today we salute four tenets of President Reagan's legacy: economic 
growth, deregulation, ``peace through strength,'' and patriotism though 
a return of the American dream.
  The father of Reaganomics launched the boldest economic plan since FDR 
that promoted lower taxes, sound money, and less regulation. Reagan 
unveiled a ``program for economic recovery'' to a joint session of 
Congress calling for $41.4 billion in tax cuts--the largest in history.
  Reagan was an advocate for deregulation and free trade pacts. He 
worked to tear down barriers to enterprise and encourage a spirit of 
self enterprise. His commitment to deregulation was evident when in 1981 
he took decisive action to carry out this promise to fire 13,000 air 
traffic controllers for an illegal strike.
  After years of crumbling defense spending, President Reagan increased 
defense spending 35 percent during two terms and promoted ``peace 
through strength.'' He called the Soviet Union for what it was--an evil 
empire--and by standing firm against it hastened the end of the cold war 
and the return of Russia to the family of nations.
  Influenced by his humble beginnings, Reagan's patriotism and 
optimistic spirit exemplified the American dream. He restored America's 
can-do creed. We will always remember the words of his farewell address, 
when he said those of his generation ``were taught, very directly, what 
it means to be an American. And we absorbed, almost in the air, a love 
of country and an appreciation of its institutions.''
  He never trimmed his sails or compromised his values. We will remember 
him as a President who understood the balance between pragmatism and 
partisanship. We will remember him as the Great Communicator who united 
Americans toward common goals. But most of all we will remember him as a 
great President who brought honor and respect to the Office of 
President. I join with all Americans in expressing our sympathy to Nancy 
Reagan and his family for the loss of this great American. Page E1107 
14jn04-64


                           Hon. Peter Hoekstra


                               of michigan

  Mr. Speaker, today I rise in honor of Ronald Reagan, the 40th 
President of the United States and one of the greatest leaders and 
statesmen of the 20th century.
  America has long known that President Reagan was ill, but his death 
came as a shock to a country that continued to feel his presence. He 
touched millions of lives during his tenure as Governor of California 
and two terms in America's highest office. Although long anticipated, 
his passing marks with finality the end of the Reagan era.
  President Reagan's commitment to freedom altered the course of modern 
history. He brought the United States through the end of the cold war 
with strength and resolve, and he led the U.S. economy to heights once 
unimaginable through his sound domestic policies.
  He possessed a vision for America that reflected its devotion to 
individual liberty, that every person is born with the intrinsic right 
to achieve their dreams through their own labors and determination.
  He will forever be remembered as a champion of promoting peace and 
prosperity throughout the world with a strong faith at the core of his 
principles and values. He was a great man elected to take charge of a 
great country at a time when strong leadership was sorely needed.
  President Reagan's infectious optimism inspired many Americans to 
become involved in the political process, and his influence and vision 
will continue to live throughout the ages.
  My prayers and those of my family are with the family and hundreds of 
millions of friends of President Reagan, knowing that the Lord has 
preserved a very special place for him in Heaven. Page E1108 14jn04-
65


                         Hon. Patrick J. Tiberi


                                 of ohio

  Mr. Speaker, folks from across the country came to Washington this 
week to mourn the passing of President Ronald Reagan. Even in death, the 
former President continued his fascinating connection with Americans of 
all types.
  Although I never met Ronald Reagan, he was one of my inspirations for 
entering politics. I was 18 at the time of his 1980 Presidential 
campaign and it was the first big election to which I really paid 
attention. I remember being drawn to what this man, a half a century 
older than me, was saying about having faith in our country, its people 
and their future. He was optimistic, cheerful and came across as a 
thoroughly likable guy.
  It was simply astounding how he could establish a bond with even the 
most unlikely audience. In 1984, I was a senior at the Ohio State 
University and a member of the marching band. We were asked to play at a 
rally that President Reagan would be holding at St. John Arena. At first 
we all thought it would be an official band appearance, but then we were 
informed that since the President's visit was actually a campaign event, 
we could not appear as the Ohio State University Marching Band. If we 
wished, though, we could volunteer on our own, and appear without our 
uniforms. There were roughly 200 members in the band at that time and, 
as I recall, roughly 200 of us jumped at the opportunity to play at the 
President's campaign event. Think of it. A couple of hundred college 
kids were treating the appearance of a 73-year-old Republican President 
as enthusiastically as the Michigan game--we would not have missed it 
for the world.
  President Reagan could connect with college kids and he could connect 
with Democrats, particularly those like my dad, an Italian immigrant who 
worked as a machinist. He came to America so he could have a better life 
and his kids' lives would be better still. He knew exactly what Ronald 
Reagan was talking about.
  He was the Great Communicator. President Reagan swept aside the 
filters and ``analysis'' of the news media and spoke from the Oval 
Office directly with the American people. He had the gift of explaining 
issues and his positions on them in simple, effective terms--a gift all 
too few of us in politics today possess. President Reagan spoke in a way 
that made Americans feel like they were almost partners with him.
  Perception is reality, and Ronald Reagan knew that. His message of 
hope and optimism put a new face on the Republican Party, and brought an 
end to the dour Nixonian era of GOP politics. Young people like me began 
looking at the Republican Party in a different way. Because of Ronald 
Reagan, we could take pride in being Republicans.
  I was struck by the attitude I saw in Washington this week. Certainly, 
there was sadness and grief over the loss of one of the giants of our 
time. But in keeping with the makeup of the man himself, there was more. 
As often as not, people also smiled when they spoke of Ronald Reagan, 
often displaying that same sense of hope and good cheer that he himself 
had radiated throughout his life. For all his accomplishments, it's that 
same sense of hope and optimism that I'll think of whenever I remember 
Ronald Reagan. Page E1108 14jn04-66


                         Hon. Michael R. Turner


                                 of ohio

  Mr. Speaker, I'm honored to join my colleagues in support of H. Res. 
664, honoring the late Honorable Ronald Wilson Reagan, the 40th 
President of the United States. As is the case for so many speaking in 
this Chamber today, Ronald Reagan was one of my personal heroes.
  Although we are all deeply saddened by the passing of President 
Reagan, Americans today are still touched by his legacy and his 
steadfast belief in the promise of this great Nation. By using his 
famous wit, he knew how to make us believe in ourselves again. Each of 
us has our favorite examples of the Reagan wit. My favorite quote is:

  [G]overnment's view of the economy could be summed up in a few short 
phrases: If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it 
stops moving, subsidize it.

  To Ronald Reagan:

  America is a shining city upon a hill for all to see and to follow and 
reach to, something toward which mankind should strive.

   Reagan brought convictions and determination as well as a genuine, 
hopeful and optimistic outlook to the Office of President. Ronald Reagan 
never doubted his convictions. He never lost faith in America. His 
reassuring tones were comforting even in difficult times. With Reagan as 
President, it was indeed morning again in America.
  Just prior to Ronald Reagan assuming the Presidency, many people 
wondered whether this country's best days were behind us. Reagan 
insisted that America's best days lie ahead. By the time he left office, 
the United States was enjoying the longest peacetime economic expansion 
in our history. President Reagan's most long-lasting legacy is his role 
in winning the cold war. While the common doctrine of the time called 
for containing communism, Reagan boldly predicted it would soon be 
``left on the ash heap of history.''
  During the journey that was the Reagan revolution, he restored 
prosperity, confidence, optimism, faith and pride in America. While we 
will miss Ronald Reagan, his contributions to the world will be felt for 
generations to come. He came to Washington to change the country and 
ended up changing the world. As he said in his farewell address to the 
Nation from the Oval Office:

  [A] final word to the men and women of the Reagan revolution, the men 
and women across America who for eight years did the work that brought 
America back. My friends: We did it. We weren't just marking time. We 
made a difference. We made the city stronger. We made the city freer, 
and we left her in good hands. All in all, not bad, not bad at all.

  Summing up an American icon, a giant, like Ronald Reagan is an 
enormous task. I am grateful for the vision Ronald Reagan taught me and 
the lessons about the power of convictions, the value of principled 
leadership, and the goodness and the decency of the human spirit. We'll 
miss the twinkle in his eyes and affable smile which have left this 
Earth. However, the contributions he made to his country and to mankind 
remain with us, as vast as the great continent that the United States 
spans, and God willing, will outlast us all.
  As an American, I want to join in offering my support of H. Res. 664, 
honoring the late Honorable Ronald Wilson Reagan, the 40th President of 
the United States. Page E1108 14jn04-67


                            Hon. Jane Harman


                              of california

  Mr. Speaker, I join my colleagues in offering a tribute to former 
President Ronald Reagan. He is rightly remembered as a larger-than-life 
figure--a man who conquered first Hollywood, then California, and then 
Washington, DC, and whose message of freedom and democracy spread around 
the world. Though I did not know him well, I did know his daughter 
Maureen very well, and she is also missed.
  President Reagan was naturally possessed of the qualities that make a 
great leader. As Governor of California and later as President, he used 
a blend of humor, kindness and boldness to communicate with the American 
people, to challenge and defeat the Soviet adversary, and to promote his 
uniquely American vision of how things should be.
  While I disagreed with a number of his policies, I always admired his 
ability to convey his ideas and his power to persuade.
  The enormous outpouring of emotion and love for this man comes as no 
surprise. When we think of Ronald Wilson Reagan, we will remember his 
infectious optimism and grace, and his belief that there is always a 
better day ahead for America. Page E1108-E1109 14jn04-68


                           Hon. Eliot L. Engel


                               of new york

  Mr. Speaker, along with all of my colleagues here today, I rise to 
honor President Ronald Reagan. I was first elected to Congress in 1988, 
on the same day that President George H.W. Bush was elected. Because 
Members of Congress officially take office on January 3, while a new 
President does not take office until January 20, my first 17 days as a 
Congressman were during the last 17 days Ronald Reagan served as 
President. So when people ask me who was the President when I first came 
to Washington, I reply that it was Ronald Reagan. I had the opportunity 
to see Ronald Reagan in person only one time, with his wife Nancy, 
during the inauguration of President George H.W. Bush. I remember 
thinking that together they had a larger than life presence.
  Although I differed with Ronald Reagan a great deal on domestic 
policy, I nevertheless admired him for the strong leader that he was. He 
had an affable manner that allowed him to interact well with people who 
both supported and opposed his policies. He was a strong leader who had 
a lot of charm, strength and enthusiasm.
  The gulf between the Republican and Democratic policies can sometimes 
seem vast. But the bridge that spans that gulf is our common heritage as 
Americans and belief in this great Nation. Ronald Reagan had the gift to 
make that bridge seem very small. I am pleased to honor him today. Page 
E1109 14jn04-69


                          Hon. Anne M. Northup


                               of kentucky

  Mr. Speaker, our Nation honors the life of one of the most beloved, 
and most important, Presidents of the 20th century. During the eighties, 
President Reagan did what many considered the impossible.
  As we faced great challenges at home and abroad, he helped us believe 
that it was ``morning in America,'' and that we would overcome our 
difficulties. With the will of the Nation behind him, President Reagan's 
steadfast leadership led to the defeat of communism and a robust 
economic recovery.
  When President Reagan took office a quarter century ago, communism was 
on the march, threatening to bring the free world to its knees. But 
President Reagan's policy of ``peace through strength'' starved the 
Soviet bloc and made it safe for freedom to flourish in new nations. 
``No weapon in the arsenals of the world is so formidable as the will . 
. . of free men and women,'' he said.
  Here at home, our country was in the worst recession since the Great 
Depression, with high unemployment, inflation, and interest rates. But 
President Reagan trusted the entrepreneurial spirit and cut taxes from 
70 percent to 28 percent, creating 19 million new jobs and 20 years of 
growth. His economic policies formed the foundation upon which American 
families prosper. ``We believe that no power of government is as 
formidable a force for good as the creativity and entrepreneurial drive 
of the American people,'' he said.
  By rallying the will of our country, by reminding us of our remarkable 
abilities--of what it means to be Americans, President Reagan reunited 
us as a confident and hopeful Nation. And with a focused vision, he set 
us on a course that preserved our liberty and allowed our domestic 
economy to prosper again.
  In life, President Reagan was a guiding light for our Nation. Even 
when times were tough, he rejected the idea that America's best days 
were past, insisting that there is no limit to what our Nation and our 
people can endure--or accomplish. And he was right.
  Today we face a new enemy of liberty, in the war on terror. It is my 
hope, Mr. Speaker, that the confident optimism and clear vision that 
President Reagan gave to this Nation will light our path.
  May God bless President Ronald Reagan. Page E1109 14jn04-70


                             Hon. Tom Davis


                               of virginia

  Mr. Speaker, I was deeply saddened to learn of the passing of 
President Reagan over the weekend. My thoughts and prayers go out to 
Nancy and to the Reagan family and friends. This is an extraordinarily 
difficult time for any family, but I hope they can find some comfort in 
the joy and inspiration that President Reagan brought to so many around 
the globe.
  Ronald Reagan was a true American original, a midwestern boy of humble 
beginnings who chased his dreams of stardom in Hollywood and evolved 
into one of the foremost political leaders of the 20th century.
  His legacy is so profound and pervasive that it's easy to take for 
granted. But we should not forget that it was Ronald Reagan who restored 
strength to the Office of the President. It was Ronald Reagan who 
reshaped the Federal Government and ushered in two decades (and 
counting) of lower taxes and economic growth. It was Ronald Reagan who 
bolstered America's strength as a world military power. And it was 
Ronald Reagan who reminded us that America was indeed that ``shining 
city on the hill,'' and we had bountiful reasons to be proud to be 
Americans.
  His love of country was a guiding force throughout his life and his 
political career--he knew America was great because America was free, 
and he sought to shine the light of freedom on corners of the globe 
darkened by the stain of totalitarianism. His demand for Mikhail 
Gorbachev to ``tear down this wall!'' is not only a seminal moment into 
cold war history, but a reminder that America's democratic ideals are 
ultimately stronger than any barriers erected by forces of oppression.
  Quite simply, President Reagan's words and actions helped change the 
world for the better. And I can't think of a greater accomplishment than 
that.
  We lost more than a man on Saturday, when President Reagan ended his 
long journey into the sunset.
  We lost a true giant, and a great American. Page E1109-E1110 
14jn04-71


                            Hon. Rob Simmons


                             of connecticut

  Mr. Speaker, I rise to commemorate the passing of Ronald Reagan, the 
40th President of the United States of America.
  As a Vietnam veteran and an officer with the CIA from 1969 to 1979, my 
world was changed dramatically and for the better when Ronald Reagan won 
his historic Presidential race in November 1980.
  At the time I was serving on the staff of Senator John H. Chafee (R-
RI). Politically, it was a watershed year. Not only did the Senate go 
from Democrat to Republican control for the first time in 26 years, but 
also some very well-known Democratic Senators were swept from office in 
the Reagan revolution. They included Senator Frank Church, former 
chairman of the Committee to Investigate the Intelligence Activities of 
the United States, and Birch Bayh, second chairman of the newly 
established Senate Select Committee on Intelligence.
  The Senate Intelligence Committee, where I went on to serve for 4 
years as staff director, gained new leadership under Chairman Barry 
Goldwater and Vice Chairman Daniel Patrick Moynihan.
  Goldwater had a long-standing and close political relationship with 
Ronald Reagan. In fact, many have said that a speech delivered by Reagan 
during Goldwater's historic 1964 Presidential campaign propelled Reagan 
into the national political spotlight.
  Goldwater was excited to work with President Reagan and CIA Director 
William Casey to institute a new approach to intelligence oversight. 
First, it focused on bipartisan consensus in intelligence where Vice 
Chairman Moynihan was a valued partner.
  It also departed from the adversarial process of Senators Church and 
Bayh, and focused on rebuilding the morale and intelligence capabilities 
of American intelligence. Rather than adopting Church's belief that the 
CIA was a ``rogue elephant,'' Goldwater expressed his supportive 
feelings by talking about the ``intelligence family.''
  Sadly, in 1984 these positive developments were disrupted when the CIA 
was discovered to have been covertly involved in the mining of 
Nicaraguan harbors without proper notification to Congress. In the 
ensuing firestorm, Barry Goldwater wrote a pointed note to CIA Director 
Casey expressing his concern over the lack of communication. The letter 
was quickly leaked to an eager press, excited that Senator Goldwater was 
at odds with the Reagan administration.
  At the time these events were unfolding, President Reagan was 
scheduled to appear at the Washington Hilton for the White House 
Correspondents Association annual black-tie dinner. Many observers felt 
that the press would use the opportunity to embarrass the President over 
the intelligence ``flap.'' But, in what was to become a classic response 
of the President to a difficult situation, Ronald Reagan opened his 
remarks by saying:

  What's all that talk about a breakdown of White House communications? 
How come nobody told me? [Laughter.] Well, I know this: I've laid down 
the law, though, to everyone there from now on about anything that 
happens, no matter what time it is, wake me, even if it's in the middle 
of a Cabinet meeting. [Laughter.] \1\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------


\1\ Bob Woodward, Veil: The Secret Wars of the CIA 1981-1987, p. 333. 
The official presidential documents recorded that the President received 
26 more laughs.

  It was to the point. It was funny. It was self-deprecating. It defused 
for a moment what was a gathering storm for the administration. It gave 
everyone the opportunity to step away from a potentially explosive 
moment and get on with the challenging business of government.
  Mr. Speaker, under the leadership of President Reagan, the United 
States rebuilt her intelligence and national security structure from 
1980 to 1988. This was not done without controversy, but it was done. 
Morale was restored at the Central Intelligence Agency and elsewhere in 
the intelligence community. Capabilities were improved.
  The military, too, regained a new pride and strength following the 
disasters in Vietnam and Iran. Members of the Armed Forces felt their 
service was respected by the Commander in Chief, and they valued his 
support. They loved his patriotic speeches, and were eager to follow his 
lead.
  And yet for all of his accomplishments as a national and world leader, 
President Reagan never lost the personal touch. When I departed 
Washington, DC, in early 1985, I left with a personal letter of thanks 
signed by the President.
  This letter hangs in my office even today as a proud reminder of what 
President Reagan and Congress were able to accomplish during those 
difficult but historic years. It is also a clear symbol of a man who 
never allowed the trappings of high office to obscure his view of the 
``little people'' who constitute the strength of our government and 
Nation.
  Now, as we remember the life of Ronald Reagan, and as his casket lies 
with honor under the Capitol dome, it is my turn to thank him for his 
distinguished service to our country and to the world. He left us a 
better people and he left the world a better place.
  The man will be missed, but the memory lives on in all of us who were 
touched by his life and his leadership. Page H3819 08jn04-94

                               ADJOURNMENT

  Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Speaker, I move that the House do now 
adjourn.
  The motion was agreed to; accordingly (at 10 o'clock and 29 minutes 
p.m.), pursuant to House Resolution 663, the House adjourned until 
tomorrow, Wednesday, June 9, 2004, at 10 a.m. in memory of the late 
Honorable Ronald Wilson Reagan, former President of the United States. 
Page H3820-H3821 08jn04-98

                      PUBLIC BILLS AND RESOLUTIONS

  Under clause 2 of rule XII, public bills and resolutions were 
introduced and severally referred, as follows:

  By Mr. MILLER of Florida (for himself, Mr. Bishop of Utah, Mr. Bradley 
of New Hampshire, Mr. Doolittle, Mr. Foley, Mr. McCotter, Mr. Pence, Mr. 
Rogers of Alabama, Mr. Souder, Mr. Weldon of Florida, Mr. Feeney, Mr. 
Lincoln Diaz-Balart of Florida, Ms. Harris, and Mr. Jones of North 
Carolina):

  H.R. 4525. A bill to require the Secretary of the Treasury to redesign 
the half dollar coin to commemorate Ronald Wilson Reagan, and for other 
purposes; to the Committee on Financial Services.

  By Mr. NEY (for himself and Mr. Larson of Connecticut):

  H. Con. Res. 444. Concurrent resolution authorizing the use of the 
rotunda of the Capitol for the lying in state of the remains of the late 
Honorable Ronald Wilson Reagan, the fortieth President of the United 
States; to the Committee on House Administration.

  By Mr. DeLay:

  H. Res. 663. A resolution expressing the profound regret and sorrow of 
the House of Representatives on the death of Ronald Wilson Reagan, 
former President of the United States of America; considered and agreed 
to.

  By Mr. LEWIS of California (for himself, Mr. Waxman, Mr. Dreier, Mr. 
George Miller of California, Mr. Cox, Mr. Thomas, Mr. Hunter, Mr. 
Gallegly, Mr. Herger, Mr. Rohrabacher, Mr. Cunningham, Mr. Doolittle, 
Mr. Calvert, Mr. McKeon, Mr. Pombo, Mr. Royce, Mr. Farr, Mr. Radanovich, 
Ms. Loretta Sanchez of California, Mrs. Bono, Mrs. Capps, Mr. Gary G. 
Miller of California, Mr. Ose, Mr. Issa, Mr. Nunes, Ms. Lofgren, Mr. 
Schiff, Mr. Cardoza, Mr. Sherman, Ms. Pelosi, Mr. Costello, Ms. Harman, 
Mr. Berman, Mr. Neugebauer, Mrs. Davis of California, Mr. Lantos, Mr. 
Filner, Mr. Shadegg, Ms. Eshoo, and Mr. Matsui):

  H. Res. 664. A resolution mourning the passing of President Ronald 
Reagan and celebrating his service to the people of the United States 
and his leadership in promoting the cause of freedom for all the people 
of the world; to the Committee on Government Reform.


            Wednesday, June 9, 2004 Page H3823 09jn04-53


                             Hon. Mark Foley


                               of florida

  Mr. Speaker, I come to the floor as my colleagues have before me 
saddened by the death of one of our Nation's greatest leaders and 
humbled by the far-reaching impact his life has had on millions of 
people throughout the world. He was a great man and a gentle spirit. 
Optimistic, cheerful in service and buoyed by the confidence that comes 
with unwavering conviction, President Reagan reignited the feeling of 
promise for this country.
  Ronald Reagan is the reason I became a Republican. And for many 
Democrats, he was the pathway to the Republican Party. He reminded us 
all that government cannot replace individual empowerment and told us in 
1995 that every dollar the Federal Government does not take from us, 
every decision it does not make for us will make our economy stronger, 
our lives more abundant, and our future more free.
  We join together with people across the globe in mourning the loss of 
Ronald Reagan. His decisive leadership during the twilight years of the 
cold war indeed made him a beacon of hope for freedom-loving people 
throughout the world.
  Our thoughts and prayers and our love go out to Mrs. Reagan and the 
entire family. Because of Ronald Reagan our Nation is stronger and our 
future is more free. Here we honor him and are continually working 
toward the dreamed-of-day he spoke of when no one wields a sword and no 
one drags a chain. Page H3824 09jn04-56


                          Hon. Shelley Berkley


                                of nevada

  Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my sincere condolences to former 
First Lady Nancy Reagan and the entire Reagan family. And I join our 
Nation in expressing profound sorrow at the loss of our 40th President.
  Ronald Reagan had a special place in the hearts of Nevadans. Long 
before he came to the White House, Ronald Reagan in another life 
headlined on the Las Vegas Strip as an entertainer in the early fifties. 
Later as Governor of California, he worked with his counterpart from 
Nevada, former U.S. Senator and Governor Paul Laxalt, to address 
environmental threats to Lake Tahoe.
  While in the White House, Ronald Reagan would often turn to his old 
friend from Nevada, Senator Laxalt, who was one of his closest advisers 
during his time in our Nation's Capital.
  Ronald Reagan served our Nation with honor and distinction. He will 
long be remembered for his warm wit, his quiet strength, and ability to 
inspire through his words and his deeds. His actions as President 
reshaped the course of the 20th century, and his unbridled optimism 
helped restore America's faith in itself.
  Today we also remember Ronald Reagan for his leadership and for his 
unwavering vision that America remains for all a land of hope, promise, 
and opportunity. Page H3824 09jn04-57


                          Hon. Joseph R. Pitts


                             of pennsylvania

  Mr. Speaker, a few years ago I had the privilege of visiting with 
Natan Sharansky, a former Soviet dissident who is now an Israeli cabinet 
minister. I asked him what his reaction was, as he was in the Soviet 
gulag at that time, to the ``Evil Empire'' speech. Here is his reaction 
as expressed in a recent quotation:

  In 1983, I was confined to an eight-by-ten-foot prison cell on the 
border of Siberia. My Soviet jailers gave me the privilege of reading 
the latest copy of Pravda. Splashed across the front page was a 
condemnation of President Ronald Reagan for having the temerity to call 
the Soviet Union an ``evil empire.'' Tapping on walls and talking 
through toilets, word of Reagan's ``provocation'' quickly spread 
throughout the prison. We dissidents were ecstatic. Finally, the leader 
of the free world had spoken the truth--a truth that burned inside the 
heart of each and every one of us.

  At the time, I never imagined that three years later I would be in the 
White House telling this story to the president. When he summoned some 
of his staff to hear what I had said, I understood that there had been 
much criticism of Reagan's decision to cast the struggle between the 
superpowers as a battle between good and evil. Well, Reagan was right 
and his critics were wrong.

  There is no doubt that Natan Sharansky speaks for millions of people 
who today are free. A great President, with a great legacy, Ronald 
Wilson Reagan. Page H3824 09jn04-59


                             Hon. Joe Wilson


                            of south carolina

  Mr. Speaker, the world is grieving this week over the loss of a true 
American hero, President Ronald Wilson Reagan. Ronald Reagan defined the 
honor and dignity of the Office of the Presidency, and he lifted the 
spirits of a Nation with his hope and joyfulness that sprang from an 
abiding faith in God and a deeply held belief in the American dream.
  President Reagan entered office during a time of doubt and despair and 
malaise with the economy sputtering and a looming cold war that 
threatened our families. Yet he brought his conservative principles of 
individual freedom, limited government, personal responsibility, and 
``peace through strength.''
  President Reagan led a successful revolution to promote tax cuts, 
recognizing taxes are the people's own money. He achieved victory in the 
cold war, expanding democracy worldwide. And he realigned America's 
political process with an open door especially for young people.
  His legacy lives on today as America unites to fight the war on terror 
liberating millions from tyranny to protect American families as our 
economy is booming through tax relief.
  May God bless the Reagan family. May God bless our troops. And may God 
continue to bless America. Page H3824-H3825 09jn04-60


                            Hon. Joel Hefley


                               of colorado

  Mr. Speaker, I rise today, as so many others have, to pay tribute to 
one of our Nation's finest sons and political leaders. Former President 
Ronald Reagan is worthy of respect and admiration both as a man and 
world leader, and his passing this weekend leaves each of us with a 
sense of loss and sadness.
  His lasting mark on American politics is unquestionable. At a time 
when it was fashionable to declare one's political moderation, Reagan 
fearlessly changed the face of American politics by standing up and 
boldly declaring himself to be a conservative. He fought for principles 
and causes that, before his Presidency, were considered heresy. Balanced 
budgets, tax cuts, smaller government, and a robust national defense 
were the hallmarks of his ideology, and he never shied away from 
articulating and fighting for those views.
  He proudly became the father of political conservatism and made it 
possible for people like me to become Members of Congress. In the late 
seventies and early eighties, those who espoused conservative political 
views had few outlets from which to share their philosophies, but Reagan 
ushered in an era of conservatism whose tide has yet to wane. The makeup 
of today's political world is due, in large part, to the legacy of 
Ronald Reagan. Page H3825 09jn04-61


                           Hon. Cliff Stearns


                               of florida

  Mr. Speaker, what distinguished President Reagan among American 
Presidents in the last century? Where many Chief Executives saw gray and 
moral relativism on the international landscape, he saw good and evil, 
right and wrong.
  What relationship should we in the United States have with the Soviet 
Union, a tyranny that trampled freedom, starved its people, imprisoned 
dissidents, choked its economy and wrapped its tentacles around its 
neighbors? Do we engage them? Do we fight them in one corner of the 
world while doing business with them in the other? Can we co-exist under 
the constant threat of mutual destruction and endless arms races? Do we 
practice detente, containment?
  Ronald Reagan was the President who said, ``Americans cannot live like 
this, and I do not think the world's other citizens should.'' The day he 
stood at the Berlin Wall and defiantly challenged the Soviet tyranny 
with the unforgettable words, ``Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!,'' 
was the beginning of the end of the cold war. God bless President 
Reagan. Page H3825 09jn04-63


                         Hon. Michael C. Burgess


                                of texas

  Mr. Speaker, I rise this morning with so many of my friends to pay 
tribute to the 40th President of the United States, Ronald Wilson 
Reagan, and to extend my condolences to his wife Nancy and to his 
family.
  President Reagan will always be remembered as the architect of 
policies that ended the cold war--``peace through strength.'' He more 
than anyone else was directly responsible for giving us the possibility 
of a world that could live in peace. He ended the cold war. He ended the 
threat of hostilities between the United States and Russia, and he 
brought an end to the Soviet domination in Eastern Europe.
  He unleashed the power of the American economy. Yes, it cost money to 
defeat the Soviet Union. It cost money to defeat Soviet tyranny, but in 
the long run, was it worth it? You bet it was, for this generation and 
for the generations to come. Page H3825 09jn04-64


                        Hon. John J. Duncan, Jr.


                              of tennessee

  Mr. Speaker, President Ronald Reagan was an inspiration to me and 
millions of others throughout the United States and even all over the 
world. He saw the American dream come true in his life, rising from 
humble beginnings and achieving great, great success in almost every 
way.
  He will certainly go down in history as one of our greatest 
Presidents, but his greatness may have been achieved in large part 
because, as one of his closest friends said a couple of days ago, he did 
not worry about how history would view him.
  It has been said his greatest legacy will be leading us to victory in 
the cold war, but his domestic achievements were great, too, especially 
in lowering taxes and helping curb the greed of government.
  I had the privilege of meeting President Reagan on many occasions, 
starting when he was Governor of California. He was always so kind to me 
and to everyone, and possibly one of his greatest attributes may have 
been in showing us that you can have strong views on important issues, 
but still treat opponents with kindness, compassion and even good humor.
  We are all better people, Mr. Speaker, because of the life and example 
of President Ronald Reagan. Page H3825 09jn04-65


                          Hon. Vernon J. Ehlers


                               of michigan

  Mr. Speaker, for many years I have heard comments about the power of 
ideas. I learned as a youngster that the pen is mightier than the sword 
and that there is nothing so powerful as an idea whose time has come. 
President Ronald Reagan demonstrated that these and similar statements 
are true. He was living proof that ideas win battles.
  He was not regarded as an intellectual, but yet he understood the 
importance of the basic, simple ideas that this country is founded upon, 
the ideas of peace and freedom, freedom to worship, freedom to speak, 
freedom of the press, but he also went beyond that. He recognized that 
these are not ends in themselves, but these are means to an end, and 
freedom to worship is meaningless unless you use it to worship. Freedom 
of the press is meaningless unless you use it to print ideas that are 
for the betterment of the Nation.
  Simple ideas, valiantly fought for. With grace, charm and a twinkle in 
his eye, he succeeded where others had failed. He inspired a troubled 
Nation. He brought us together. He conquered the symbolic Iron Curtain 
and brought it down, along with the very real Berlin Wall. He led to 
nuclear disarmament, the greatest threat to humanity during his tenure.
  I rise today to thank President Reagan for what he did for this 
country, for the ideas he fought for and the transformation he made in 
the culture and the attitudes of this Nation. Page H3825-H3826 
09jn04-66


                            Hon. Bill Shuster


                             of pennsylvania

  Mr. Speaker, we rise today with solemn hearts for the loss of an 
American hero, a man with an optimistic vision of this country that was 
infectious. I stand as an individual who felt the energy of the Reagan 
era.
  As a 19-year-old in 1980, I attended my first Republican Convention 
where Ronald Reagan accepted the GOP nomination for President. My first 
vote for President was for Ronald Reagan, and I spent the beginning of 
adulthood under the spirit of a man who defined the American dream.
  Today we stand in awe of a life of passion and accomplishment. Ronald 
Reagan crumbled walls of oppression in Europe and rebuilt the American 
spirit. He was forever the gentleman statesman, a man who thought that 
politics, no matter how tough the battle with your opponent, should 
never leave scars.
  In the end he bore no ill will to anyone, and in that mold he was the 
definition of a leader, a leader who inspired confidence in those around 
him and who led by example.
  He feared not an assassin's bullet or political setback because he 
always looked to tomorrow, always believed the best days of America were 
ahead beyond the horizon, and that he would chart the course to take us 
to a better tomorrow. We stand here as a testament to that simple, yet 
powerful, truth. Page H3826 09jn04-67


                         Hon. Mario Diaz-Balart


                               of florida

  Mr. Speaker, I am here to really just first express my sorrow and my 
gratitude to the Reagan family.
  Through President Reagan's optimism and courage and strength, he 
carried this country from a state of what some people said was a state 
of malaise to further greatness. He understood and never apologized for 
his understanding that the United States was a source of good around the 
world, a source of freedom around the world.
  I recall when he said his famous remark about the evil empire how all 
of the experts said he could not say that, that he was wrong, that they 
were not bad. Well, he was right, and he tried and fought hard and 
worked hard to spread freedom across the globe, to strengthen the United 
States and, therefore, also strengthen our allies to spread freedom.
  He succeeded by tearing down the Berlin Wall, by tearing down the evil 
empire, by spreading freedom to millions of people around the globe.
  Mr. Speaker, I am here again in awe of the life of President Ronald 
Reagan, his achievements, his success in spreading freedom, his success 
in making this country what it is today. The greatness that we have 
achieved today, in great part, is due to the optimism, the greatness, 
the spirit of Ronald Reagan. We can never thank him enough. Page H3826-
H3829 09jn04-68

  AUTHORIZING USE OF ROTUNDA OF THE CAPITOL FOR LYING IN STATE OF THE 
 REMAINS OF THE LATE HONORABLE RONALD WILSON REAGAN, 40TH PRESIDENT OF 
                            THE UNITED STATES

  Mr. EHLERS. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the 
concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 444) authorizing the use of the 
rotunda of the Capitol for the lying in state of the remains of the late 
Honorable Ronald Wilson Reagan, the 40th President of the United States.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                            H. Con. Res. 444


  Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), That 
in recognition of the long and distinguished service rendered to the 
Nation and the world by Ronald Wilson Reagan, the 40th President of the 
United States, the rotunda of the Capitol is authorized to be used for 
the lying in state of the remains of the late Honorable Ronald Reagan 
from June 9 until June 11, 2004. The Architect of the Capitol, under the 
direction of the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the 
President pro tempore of the Senate, shall take all steps necessary for 
carrying out this event.


                          Hon. Vernon J. Ehlers


                               of michigan

  Mr. Speaker, this may seem like a routine resolution because we must 
pass these resolutions to allow the use of the rotunda of the Capitol 
for certain events, but frankly, this is a very auspicious moment.
  By statute, we have defined how state funerals are to proceed in this 
Nation's Capital. We have very few of them. I believe the last one was 
at the time of the death of President Lyndon Johnson of Texas. It is a 
great honor to host an event such as this in the rotunda, and today I 
rise to present a resolution which will grant permission to have the 
body of President Ronald Reagan rest in state in the rotunda of the 
Capitol so that the Members of Congress and members of the public may 
join in honoring him by viewing the casket.
  This is, as I said, a very auspicious event, and fortunately, we do 
not have to do this often. But it inspires in us, again, respect for the 
ideals of our Nation and for the things that we do and that we believe 
in.
  When President Reagan's body will arrive, the casket will be placed on 
a caisson, according to tradition and law, and that horse-drawn 
procession will proceed from near the White House to the Capitol. It 
will be followed by a black, riderless horse, indicating a fallen 
leader. The boots on that horse will be placed in the stirrups backward, 
indicating the fallen leader reviewing the troops behind him. When that 
arrives at the Capitol, with great pomp and circumstance, an honor guard 
will present the casket and the body and carry them inside the Capitol, 
displaying the casket in the rotunda.
  This evening we will have a memorial ceremony, restricted to the 
Members of Congress, in the rotunda. Following that, the people of this 
Nation, anyone who wishes, may stand in line and view the casket and 
give their respects to our fallen President.
  It is my pleasure to be able to present this resolution honoring 
President Ronald Reagan and providing the opportunity for the Members of 
Congress and for the public to view the casket and to pay their respects 
to this great man. It is the least we can do, and I wish we could do 
more because he did a marvelous job of leading this Nation in a very 
troubled time. When we had a broken economy and a dispirited people, he 
restored their spirits with grace, charm and a twinkle in his eye and 
eventually helped us prevail over the Soviet Union, which had threatened 
us for decades with nuclear weapons.
  The world is a far better place because of Ronald Reagan, what he did, 
and the leadership he provided, and it is my pleasure to present this 
resolution and honor him in this way.


                     Hon. Juanita Millender-McDonald


                              of california

  Mr. Speaker, it is with great sorrow that I join the distinguished 
chairman, or the appropriate person in his place, in support of this 
legislation to authorize use of the Capitol rotunda for this very sad 
occasion.
  There can be no more proper use of the rotunda, the center of the 
temple of our democracy, than to honor the late former President Ronald 
Reagan with a state funeral and lying in state.
  With this observance, President Reagan will take his proper place in 
the pantheon of American heroes who have lain in state in this temple, 
befitting their vast contributions to the fabric of our national 
political life.
  Although I did not have the honor to serve in the Congress during 
President Reagan's term, I greatly admired him as a statesman, and his 
skills as the Great Communicator, and am grateful for everything he did 
for our country.
  Mr. Speaker, it is especially fitting that Congress and the Nation pay 
their respects to our 40th President in this temple because several 
memorable events of his 8 years in office took place here. Of course, he 
delivered all of his State of the Union Messages right here in this 
Chamber, including the one in which he dropped several pounds of paper 
onto the rostrum and urged Congress not to send him any more massive, 
catch-all spending bills.
  In 1985, President Reagan returned from a Geneva summit meeting with 
Soviet Leader Mikhail Gorbachev, flew directly from Andrews Air Force 
Base to the Capitol by helicopter, and addressed a joint session, 
reporting hopeful progress on arms control and reassuring the Nation and 
the world.
  Perhaps more relevant to the resolution before us, many Americans will 
recall that the bitter cold of January 21, 1985, forced President 
Reagan's second inaugural ceremony to come indoors and take place in the 
rotunda itself in order to protect the multitudes attending and 
participating in the inauguration, who would otherwise have been at 
great risk from the elements and frostbite.
  Throughout his life and career, President Reagan was always 
considerate of others. And like others who have preceded him in the 
Nation's highest office, Ronald Reagan hailed from a humble background. 
Born in 1911 in Illinois, Reagan grew up in the town of Dixon, was 
active in sports, drama, and student politics, all of which would serve 
him well later. In 1932, the future President graduated from Eureka 
College with a degree in economics and sociology. He embarked on a radio 
career that eventually led him to Hollywood, where he worked in the 
entertainment industry for two decades, principally in motion pictures.
  He appeared in over 50 movies, including one of my favorites, the 1940 
``Knute Rockne: All American.'' In the film, Reagan portrayed the 
legendary Notre Dame athlete George Gipp, who set numerous football 
records during a 5-year career before succumbing in 1920 to an infection 
that struck 20 years before the discovery of antibiotics. In the movie's 
climax, Reagan earned his lifelong nickname when the dying Gipp asked 
Coach Rockne to urge his teammates to go out there and ``win one for the 
Gipper.'' For us football fans, especially one who has a son who played 
football, the scene is priceless. My son loved the movie, and he 
certainly loves football as well. And I have little doubt that today, 
for millions of Americans, the legends of George Gipp and the man who 
portrayed him on film have become inextricably linked.
  In the sixties, when the Gipper became active in politics, he 
generally supported Republican candidates, including Richard Nixon and 
Barry Goldwater. Like Nixon and Goldwater, Reagan became known as an 
ardent anticommunist. In 1966, he became a Republican candidate himself, 
winning the first of two terms as Governor of California.
  Two years after leaving office in Sacramento, Governor Reagan 
challenged President Gerald Ford for the GOP nomination for the 
Presidency, and nearly won it. In 1980, he won both the Republican 
Presidential nomination and the general election, where he received 
nearly 51 percent of the popular vote and carried 45 States and 489 
electoral votes.
  Of course, we all recall that in 1981 an assassin nearly ended our new 
President's life in a hail of gunshots here in Washington. Fortunately, 
the would-be assassin failed to achieve his demented purpose, and the 
President went on to survive not only gunshot wounds but also colon 
cancer.
  The President also survived the bruising political battles so common 
in this Capital City. He did so simply by refusing to take politics 
personally. President Reagan's ability to build and maintain a lasting 
friendship with House Speaker Tip O'Neill, with whom he disagreed on 
many political issues, exemplified an approach to politics and to 
governing which I greatly admire, and one that I wish others would 
emulate.
  In 1984, President Reagan won reelection, with nearly 59 percent of 
the popular vote, the electoral votes of 49 States, and completed his 
two momentous terms. By the time he left office in 1989, he was, despite 
large budget deficits and the Iran-Contra scandal, one of our most 
beloved Presidents.
  The massive outpouring of grief seen across this country and the world 
since his death on Saturday is abundant proof of the esteem Americans 
hold for their 40th President throughout every city, suburb, and hamlet 
in this land.
  Mr. Speaker, the state funeral and the lying in state authorized in 
the rotunda this week will be solemn state occasions whose purpose is to 
provide the public with an opportunity to view the body and mourn the 
passing of a head of state. Ceremony, history, and protocol will 
permeate these rites.
  Among them, it is worth noting, that when President Reagan's body lies 
in state in the rotunda, his remains will rest upon the historic 
catafalque constructed for the funeral of our 16th President, Abraham 
Lincoln, another son of Illinois. All those who have lain in state in 
the Capitol rotunda have rested on the Lincoln catafalque, made of 
simple pine boards and draped in black velvet.
  It is fitting that this relic, built for one who became, if not in 
life, one of the most cherished and beloved Presidents, will now be used 
to support the body of our 40th President, a cherished and beloved 
successor to Lincoln. As a people, we are truly grateful for President 
Reagan's long service to our country and for the opportunity to honor 
him and his memory in this way.
  Mr. Speaker, I am honored to play a role in these proceedings by 
managing this resolution for the minority, in the absence of our ranking 
member. I hope that all my colleagues will join in paying tribute to our 
40th President by supporting this very important resolution.


                          Hon. Christopher Cox


                              of california

  Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time, and it 
is entirely fitting that we pass this resolution authorizing the remains 
of President Reagan to lie in state in the Nation's Capital.
  It was in this building that President Reagan took the oath of office 
in January 1981. Eight years later, he yielded his authority as 
President and Commander in Chief in this building, in that quiet 
peaceful transfer of power that is the hallmark of our democracy.
  Many of the shining moments of his two Presidential terms took place 
right here in this Chamber. None are more thrilling than that 1982 State 
of the Union that marked his triumphant return shortly after he was shot 
by a would-be Presidential assassin.
  And some of his greatest challenges have close associations with this 
Chamber as well. In his second term, after President Reagan had won 
Senate passage of his request for aid to the freedom fighters in 
Nicaragua, the challenge he faced was in this House. The President asked 
permission to address the House, but Speaker O'Neill said no. I served 
then as legal counsel in the White House, and I was asked whether the 
Speaker of the House could deny the President the opportunity to come 
and address the Congress in the people's House. And my answer, swiftly 
delivered, was ``absolutely.''
  President Reagan did not mind the legal advice. He asked, ``They all 
have televisions, don't they?'' And he addressed the Nation from the 
Oval Office. As a result of that magnificent address, intended for all 
of us here but absorbed equally by the American people, this Congress 
did the right thing and democracy did move forward in Nicaragua. The 
Soviet Union was not able to establish a beachhead in our own 
hemisphere. And whereas upon President Reagan's assumption of office 
there were only 56 electoral democracies in the world, today there are 
117, and over 1 billion people now live in democracies that otherwise 
would not.
  When President Reagan took the oath of office here in this building, 
he was facing west. The west front of the Capitol was the staging area 
for that inauguration. He was the first President to do so. He thought 
it was important to face west, because not only was he a westerner, not 
only was he a Californian, but the history of our country moving 
westward signified the spirit of frontier, the pioneer spirit, and 
entrepreneurship that President Reagan thought was the genius of 
America.
  When his body is placed in the rotunda later today, it will come to 
the Capitol up those same steps on the west front and all of us will be 
looking west to his beloved State of California thinking about what 
President Reagan meant by that symbolism.
  So it is entirely appropriate that we pass this resolution we address 
now. I know that each of us will take personal pride in recalling his 
contributions to our country, to our sense of patriotism as we observe 
the ceremonies in the rotunda later today and as we have our own 
personal moment to walk by that casket.


                           Hon. John B. Larson


                             of connecticut

  Mr. Speaker, I join with the distinguished gentleman from Michigan 
(Mr. Ehlers) and the distinguished gentlewoman from California (Ms. 
Millender-McDonald) in support of this motion to suspend the rules and 
pass the resolution to authorize the use of the Capitol rotunda to honor 
President Reagan and I would urge all Members to do likewise.
  Mr. Speaker, this is a very sad occasion for our country. Last 
Saturday, June 5, 2004, Ronald Wilson Reagan, the 40th President of the 
United States, departed this life, and now belongs to the ages.
  Since I was first elected to this House in 1998, I did not have the 
privilege of serving with President Reagan. But I certainly wish I had 
known him. President Reagan's engaging smile, his reassured demeanor, 
and his boundless optimism about America, her people and her future, 
were literally contagious.
  And the contagion surely did spread, Mr. Speaker. The overwhelming 
grief since President Reagan's death reflects the American people's 
respect for the man, and their gratitude for what he accomplished for 
present and future generations. While he may now be gone, he will never 
be forgotten.
  Mr. Speaker, as the Congress and the Nation mourn our 40th President 
in the Capitol rotunda, we might recall the many memorable moments that 
occurred under this great dome during his 8 years in office. Indeed a 
harbinger of things to come, President Reagan asked that his 
inauguration take place for the first time on the west front of the 
Capitol, so he could look out across The Mall toward the west. Not only 
did this vista accommodate more people attending the ceremony in person, 
it symbolically shifted the ceremony's focus toward the vast reaches of 
the country, where most Americans live.
  Of course, President Reagan delivered all of his State of the Union 
Messages, and addressed other joint sessions of Congress, from right 
here in the House Chamber. Once, after Congress had wrapped an entire 
year's worth of appropriations bills into one mammoth measure, he 
dramatically plopped a huge stack of paper--not even printed, but 
instead, Xeroxed copies--onto the desk with a ``thud.'' He implored 
lawmakers never to repeat the practice. Unfortunately, it has done so 
repeatedly in the years since that speech. It was a bad practice in 
President Reagan's time, and it is a bad practice today.
  President Reagan's second inaugural took place in the rotunda, driven 
inside by the cold winter of 1985. While some television viewers might 
have been disappointed at the cancellation of the outdoor inaugural and 
the accompanying parade, I am sure many parents of high school students 
scheduled to march in the festivities were relieved. In another 
thoughtful gesture, the President paused during his inaugural address to 
note the passing of a Democratic Representative, Gillis Long of 
Louisiana, who had died hours before.
  Throughout his life and career, President Reagan was always 
considerate of others. Perhaps this attribute reflected the midwestern 
values of his native Illinois, and the fact that Ronald Reagan came from 
humble beginnings.
  Born in 1911 in Tampico, IL, Reagan's family soon moved to the town of 
Dixon, where he was active in swimming and other sports, drama, and the 
student government at the local high school. In 1932, the future 
President graduated from Eureka College, with a degree in economics and 
sociology. Popular among his peers and clearly blessed with a radio 
announcer's voice, after graduation Reagan embarked on a radio career. A 
journey to Los Angeles to cover a sporting event led to a Hollywood 
screen test, which in turn led to a contract at Warner Brothers Studios.
  Reagan made more than 50 movies, including ``Knute Rockne: All 
American,'' from which he earned his lifelong nickname for playing the 
famous Notre Dame athlete George Gipp. In the last reel of the film, 
legendary Notre Dame football coach Knute Rockne inspired his 1928 team, 
who was losing a game to Army, by telling them George Gipp's dying 
remarks, which were:

  Some time, Rock, when the team is up against it, when things are wrong 
and the breaks are beating the boys, tell them to go in there with all 
they've got and win just one for the Gipper. I don't know where I'll be 
then, Rock, but I'll know about it, and I'll be happy.

  Needless to say, the inspired Fighting Irish went on to win the game 
despite their numerous injuries and underdog status. Today, millions 
remember Reagan as ``the Gipper,'' and far fewer remember George Gipp. 
Reagan became even better known in the fifties by working in television, 
appearing on such early programs as ``Death Valley Days'' and ``General 
Electric Theater.''
  Reagan lived the rest of his life in California, where in the sixties, 
he became active in politics. Though a Democrat, even becoming president 
of the Screen Actors' Guild, he supported Richard Nixon in 1960 and 
Barry Goldwater in 1964. In 1966, as a Republican, Reagan won the first 
of two terms as Governor of California. In the tumultuous year of 1968, 
Governor Reagan briefly sought the Republican Presidential nomination, 
but lost to his fellow Californian, Richard Nixon.
  In 1976, the Governor challenged President Gerald Ford for the GOP 
Presidential nomination, and nearly won it at the Kansas City 
Convention. In 1980, he won the nomination and the election, where he 
received nearly 51 percent of the popular vote and carried 45 States. Of 
course, we were all stunned on March 30, 1981, when an assassin shot the 
President and several others outside the Washington Hilton. Little did 
we know at the time how close the President came to dying of his wounds. 
The President went on to survive not only his 1981 gunshot wound, but 
also, in 1985, a bout with colon cancer.
  President Reagan was, and his memory is, beloved in this town. He 
readily agreed with House Speaker Tip O'Neill's admonition, at an early 
meeting, that ``after 6 o'clock, we're all friends.'' President Reagan 
worked to make friends not only with Speaker O'Neill, with whom he often 
disagreed on policy matters, but with countless others in Congress and 
around the country. The President's willingness to reach across the 
aisle and work in a constructive way, refusing to take politics 
personally, was a hallmark of his approach to governing. I wish others 
would follow his example in today's poisonous political environment in 
this city.
  In 1984, President Reagan handily won reelection with over 58 percent 
of the popular vote carrying 49 States. By the day he left office in 
January 1989, he was, despite massive budget deficits and the Iran-
Contra arms-for-hostages scandal, one of our most beloved Presidents.
  Mr. Speaker, the solemn state occasion authorized in this resolution 
will provide an official opportunity for the American people to mourn 
our former head of state. This ceremony will be rich in history, and 
include the use of the Lincoln catafalque, originally built for the 
state funeral of our 16th President in 1865. This observance will enable 
Americans, through the Congress and others able to attend, to bid an 
official, fond farewell to President Reagan for his long career and many 
contributions to the rich fabric of our Nation.
  I am honored to play a role in these proceedings in my position as 
ranking minority member of the Committee on House Administration and to 
represent the many residents of Connecticut who revere President Reagan 
and his memory. On their behalf, and mine, I offer Mrs. Reagan and the 
entire Reagan family the condolences and the thanks of a grateful Nation 
for the President's service. I would like to close by joining our 
Committee on House Administration's vice chairman in urging our 
colleagues to pass this resolution and win one last victory for the 
Gipper.


                           Hon. Robert W. Ney


                                 of ohio

  Mr. Speaker, I rise today to introduce House Concurrent Resolution 
444, to allow the use of the rotunda of the Capitol for the late 
Honorable Ronald Wilson Reagan, the 40th President of the United States 
of America, to lie in state.
  More than any leader in my lifetime, Ronald Reagan embodied the noble 
ideals and irrepressible optimism of the American spirit. As President, 
he led our country into an era of renewed faith in the American dream. 
Ronald Reagan guided the United States to victory over communism in the 
cold war, and his domestic policies ushered in an age of unprecedented 
prosperity. As we stand in the wake of Ronald Reagan's recent passing, 
we mourn his loss, but we celebrate the remarkable legacy he leaves to 
the country he loved and served so faithfully.
  Ronald Reagan was born into humble circumstances in the small town of 
Dixon, IL. It was in this quintessential midwestern setting that Ronald 
Reagan recognized the near-limitless opportunities that flow from 
liberty, and consequently developed his deep and abiding appreciation 
for the founding ideals of our great country.
  Rising from these modest origins, Ronald Reagan set off on a life 
journey that was both rich and diverse in experiences. As a young man, 
he spent seven summers as a lifeguard on a hazardous section of river 
near his hometown where he saved the lives of 77 swimmers. He went on to 
become a college athlete and then traveled to Hollywood, where he became 
one of the most popular actors of the fifties and early sixties. But it 
was in the realm of politics where Ronald Reagan would make his most 
meaningful and lasting impact, first as a two-term Governor of the State 
of California and then, most significantly, as the President of the 
United States from 1981 through 1989. Quite simply, Ronald Reagan 
changed the world, and we are all the better for it.
  Ronald Reagan, more than any other individual, was responsible for 
winning the cold war, the epic struggle that pitted the United States 
and its allies against a communist force armed with enough nuclear 
weapons to threaten the existence of humanity. Relying on his deeply 
held beliefs of the supremacy of liberty and democracy, Reagan assumed 
the Office of President and sought not to accommodate or merely contain 
communist expansionism, but to defeat it. He had the courage to speak 
the truth about the former Soviet Union, to accurately label it as an 
evil empire that would ultimately be consigned to the ash heap of 
history. He realized that for democracy to prevail in this twilight 
struggle of differing ideologies with monumental consequences, he had to 
become a relentless warrior on behalf of the American ideals of liberty, 
free enterprise, and the primacy of the individual in society. His 
fortitude provided the American people with purpose and victory over 
communism.
  Ronald Reagan buoyed up our Nation not only with his ever-present 
smile, his genial nature, and his self-deprecating humor but also with 
the substance of his ideas: his enduring faith in the innate goodness 
and creativity of the American people; his steadfast belief in the 
exceptionalism of our constitutional democracy and economic order; and 
his unyielding conviction that freedom and democracy will triumph over 
oppression and tyranny. Ronald Reagan was, and will always remain, a 
giant on the stage of history, a commanding presence and respected 
leader whose commitment to freedom and democracy will inspire 
generations to come. Truly it can be said that Ronald Reagan lifted the 
spirits of the American people by appealing to our best hopes, not our 
worst fears, and because of that, he will remain forever in the hearts 
of the American people.
  Walking side by side with Ronald Reagan through his life's journey was 
his wonderful wife and best friend, Nancy. Her dignity and grace as 
First Lady were exemplary, but even more inspiring has been the strength 
and resiliency she has demonstrated since her husband was diagnosed with 
Alzheimer's disease 10 years ago. Nancy's devotion to the former 
President has been nothing less than heroic, and our prayers and the 
prayers of a Nation are with her during this time.
  Though our hearts are heavy as we mourn the loss of a beloved leader, 
we are comforted knowing that Ronald Reagan has gone on to a better 
place. To borrow the words he used to comfort the Nation following the 
Challenger disaster, Ronald Reagan has `` `slipped the surly bonds of 
earth' to `touch the face of God.' ''
  Passage of this resolution will allow us to pay tribute to this great 
man and his legacy. It will allow all those who loved and admired Ronald 
Reagan a final opportunity to say a final goodbye. As he lies in state, 
the American people will have the opportunity to pay their respects by 
coming to the Capitol rotunda. I expect that many thousands will do so. 
Page H3829 09jn04-70

 AUTHORIZING THE USE OF THE CAPITOL ROTUNDA FROM JUNE 9 UNTIL JUNE 11, 
 2004, FOR THE LYING IN STATE OF THE REMAINS OF THE LATE RONALD WILSON 
               REAGAN, 40TH PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES

  Mr. EHLERS. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to take from the 
Speaker's table the Senate concurrent resolution (S. Con. Res. 115) 
authorizing the use of the rotunda of the Capitol for the lying in state 
of the remains of the late Ronald Wilson Reagan, the 40th President of 
the United States, and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.
  The Clerk read the title of the Senate concurrent resolution.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Michigan?
  There was no objection.
  The Clerk read the Senate concurrent resolution, as follows:

                            S. Con. Res. 115


  Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives concurring), That 
in recognition of the long and distinguished service rendered to the 
Nation and to the world, by the late Ronald Wilson Reagan, the 40th 
President of the United States, his remains be permitted to lie in state 
in the rotunda of the Capitol from June 9 until June 11, 2004, and the 
Architect of the Capitol, under the direction of the President pro 
tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, 
shall take all necessary steps for the accomplishment of that purpose.

  The Senate concurrent resolution was concurred in.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
  A similar House concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 444) was laid on 
the table. Page H3829-H3869 09jn04-71


                           Hon. Henry J. Hyde


                               of illinois

  I have given much thought to what I might usefully contribute to the 
chorus of those thousands who will be called upon or be moved to voice 
their respect and their sadness at the death of President Reagan. His 
accomplishments will be rightly celebrated, his humanity and character 
justly praised, his passing mourned in words of elegance and emotion. 
How large a stone can one hope to add to this touring mountain?
  President Reagan was the oldest person to be elected President in our 
history, and this is proof that you get the sweetest music from the 
oldest violins.
  In the play ``Camelot,'' King Arthur says, ``We are all of us tiny 
drops in a vast ocean, but some of them sparkle.'' President Reagan was 
never a tiny drop in a vast ocean, but he did indeed sparkle.
  By his life and service he put the ``sacred'' back in honor. Not 
through exhortation, but by example, Reagan's gentle leadership reminded 
a country disoriented by doubt of its enduring beliefs. In this, his 
guiding principle was that of George Washington's, ``Let us raise a 
standard in which the wise and honest can repair. The event is in the 
hand of God.'' Page H3830
  He was a rare and subtly powerful speaker, able to instill in others a 
confident belief in their own capacities and goodness. And he could also 
inspire oppressed millions to demolish empires.
  His eloquence reminds me of the story of ancient Greeks who, when 
Pericles spoke, said, ``How well he speaks.'' But when Demosthenes 
spoke, they said, ``Let us march.''
  Among his many virtues was his defense of the powerless unborn. 
President Reagan understood that the precious gift of life was not 
confined to the privileged, the planned, and the perfect. Some have said 
that the most fearful aspect of dying is the terrible aloneness you must 
endure at the particular judgment; no advocate, no relative, no spouse, 
no child, just you, your sins and God. But I am sure President Reagan is 
not alone. I believe the silence was broken by the voices of thousands 
of little children, voices that were never heard in this world but are 
heard in the next, all pleading, ``Dear Lord, spare him, for he loved us 
very much.''
  And then I can imagine Mr. Reagan heard a gentle voice, ``Come, 
beloved of my father, and enter the kingdom which has been prepared for 
you since the beginning of time.''
  Mr. President:

  The shadows have lengthened, evening has come, and the busy world is 
hushed. The fever of life is over, and your work is done. May God in his 
mercy give you a safe lodging and a holy rest and peace at the last.


                            Hon. Jim Matheson


                                 of utah

  Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor President Ronald Reagan. We can all 
admire the journey of his life. It was a life built on love of family 
and a profound love of our country.
  In this time of mourning, I offer my sincere condolences and prayers 
to the President's family, especially to his wife Nancy. I hope that the 
sincere good wishes of all of their fellow countrymen can help to bring 
them some comfort at this time.
  Above all else, the President was a leader who had strong opinions, 
yet he always respected the institution of government and worked within 
both parties to provide enduring success to millions of Americans.
  Before he was President, Ronald Reagan was the Governor of a western 
State and a leader who understood issues important to the West. As a 
Member of Congress from the Rocky Mountain West, I hold a deep 
appreciation for President Reagan's efforts to protect the western way 
of life.
  One issue that stands out is that of the MX missile. In the seventies 
and eighties, the Department of Defense was working to build the massive 
MX missile racetrack system in Utah's West Desert, despite Utah's 
opposition. President Reagan was a strong advocate for national defense, 
and the military initially thought he would be a supporter of this 
proposal. As a fellow westerner, President Reagan understood Utah's 
desire to protect its ranching and farming heritage. He understood why 
the State and its citizens adamantly opposed the project.
  My father was Governor of Utah at that time. He found an open door in 
the Reagan administration, and he worked in a bipartisan manner with the 
administration to put an end to this plan. Thankfully for my State, 
President Reagan came into the situation with an open mind, and he was 
willing to listen to local stakeholders about their concerns with the MX 
proposal.
  President Reagan established a process by which affected people could 
actually make their feelings known, which even now is a testament to the 
importance of a responsive Federal Government.
  That was Reagan's approach. While he was a man of strong convictions, 
he was known for his civility and kindness in a business that is often 
abrasive. Ever the gentleman, his example is a good reminder to all of 
us in elected office of what it takes to truly serve our constituency.
  I honor President Reagan's service to this great Nation. He will be 
missed.


                    Hon. F. James Sensenbrenner, Jr.


                              of wisconsin

  I first met Ronald Reagan over 40 years ago when I was an 
undergraduate student at Stanford University in California. He and I and 
some others were involved in a primary election campaign for a U.S. 
Senator from California which proved to be very unsuccessful. But in the 
meetings that I attended that Mr. Reagan chaired, I recognized him as 
being a unique person with an uncanny knack to bring out the best in 
everybody.
  He certainly proved that during his subsequent career: two successful 
terms as Governor of California and two successful terms as President of 
the United States, leaving office with the highest approval rating of 
any departing President since Franklin Roosevelt.
  Look at the shape America was in when Ronald Reagan was elected in 
1980. We went through a horrible decade of the seventies. There was a 
Vietnam war, there was Watergate, there was Nixon's resignation, Gerald 
Ford's unsuccessful ``Whip Inflation Now'' campaign, Jimmy Carter's 
malaise, and long lines at the gas pump to buy 5 gallons of gas.
  When President Reagan took office, he got us out of our national funk. 
His ``Morning in America'' speech and his philosophy gave us as a Nation 
and as individual Americans the self-confidence to do what America has 
always done; that is, to achieve the ultimate dream, to overcome the 
impossible, and to have each and every one of us reach our highest and 
best.
  Much is said about Reagan turning around the economy and winning the 
cold war, and some of the debate on the cold war was about the so-called 
Strategic Defense Initiative, but there was a decision that Ronald 
Reagan made earlier that laid the groundwork for the collapse of 
communism. He persuaded then-German Chancellor Helmut Schmidt to deploy 
Pershing II and cruise missiles in West Germany. That was extremely 
controversial at the time both in Europe and the United States. People 
said displaying more missiles would encourage an arms race.
  Well, Mr. Schmidt agreed to deploy them. He might have lost his job as 
a result of it, but he was able to see the fall of the Berlin Wall and 
the unification of Germany during his lifetime, and we have got to give 
credit to Ronald Reagan's international skills for doing that.
  God bless you President Reagan, may you rest in peace.


                           Hon. Baron P. Hill


                               of indiana

  Mr. Speaker, this past weekend Americans learned of President Ronald 
Reagan's death. The President was an honorable and decent man whose 
legacy forever will be linked with the great love and optimism he had 
for his country. Unfortunately, his long and courageous struggle with 
Alzheimer's disease took him from us long before his death.
  As a fellow midwesterner, I appreciated the traditional American 
values he brought to Washington: his good humor, his love for his 
family, and belief in America. At a time when Americans had lost 
confidence in themselves, President Reagan reminded us we could achieve 
any goal, no matter how lofty.
  When President Reagan addressed a grieving Nation after the Challenger 
explosion, he honored the astronauts for the way in which they lived 
their lives and affirmed that we would never forget them. Eloquently, he 
quoted the poem ``High Flight,'' declaring the astronauts had `` 
`slipped the surly bonds of earth' to `touch the face of God.' ''
  Mr. Speaker, today in this House, we are honoring President Reagan for 
the way in which he lived his life and led our Nation. And as he takes 
his own journey to touch the face of God, I am confident in this 
statement: That his life and achievements will forever be remembered by 
this grateful Nation.
  As the country and the world mourn his death, we will remember 
President Reagan as a great American who was a beacon of freedom for 
people everywhere. I think I speak for all of the Hoosiers in offering 
my condolences to his wife Nancy and the children.


                           Hon. J.D. Hayworth


                         of arizonaPage H3831

  Mr. Speaker, I rise with the formidable challenge in 2 minutes to 
convey the thoughts and prayers of Arizonans and Americans as we 
remember our 40th President. While it is true that Ronald Reagan was a 
son of Illinois and a Governor of California before becoming the 
President of us all, it is also true that Arizona played an important 
part in his life.
  Arizona was the place where Ronald and Nancy Reagan honeymooned. 
Arizona was the place where some of their children attended high school. 
Arizona was the place where Nancy's parents lived; and Arizona was the 
site of one of President Reagan's final political appearances. Even as 
our favorite son, Barry Goldwater, gave birth to then Ronald Reagan's 
political career in that epic speech ``A Time for Choosing'' in 1964, 
telecast nationally, which really put Ronald Reagan on the political 
stage, it was former President Reagan who arrived in downtown Phoenix 5 
days before the 1992 election to offer words of support to candidates of 
our party.
  I had the privilege of emceeing this gathering, and I was offstage 
with the former President as our now senior Senator offered remarks of 
introduction, and those remarks included the statement from Margaret 
Thatcher that the cold war was won by one man, Ronald Wilson Reagan, and 
that victory came without a single shot being fired.
  Mr. Speaker, I was in a unique position to hear the words of my friend 
from Arizona and to look at the reaction on the face of our former 
President.
  Mr. Speaker, it is well known that many of us who enter the public 
arena suffer from no lack of self-esteem.
  Mr. Speaker, I can tell you that President Reagan was incredibly 
humble, and that humility was expressed on his face as he offered a 
characteristic shrug of the shoulders before going out to offer his 
words to the assembly.
  In closing, Mr. Speaker, and to my colleagues, let me simply say this. 
One of my constituents whose daughter-in-law escaped from behind the 
Iron Curtain said ``President Lincoln freed the slaves of America. 
President Reagan freed the enslaved millions of Eastern Europe.''
  God bless America. God bless Ronald Reagan.


                           Hon. Gil Gutknecht


                              of minnesota

  Mr. Speaker, I join my colleagues today in paying tribute to a man who 
influenced my life personally, and I think I speak for many of my 
colleagues when I say that we would not be in politics, I indeed would 
not be in Congress, if it were not for Ronald Reagan.
  President Reagan embodied the values that made America the ``shining 
city on the hill'': faith, family, freedom, and personal responsibility. 
Born to humble beginnings, he never lost the common touch. Few public 
officials had more empathy for the common people. He could make us laugh 
or cry, depending on what the situation called for. Most of all, he made 
us proud, proud to be Americans.
  Ronald Reagan came into office during a great malaise. He made us 
believe again in ourselves, in our capacity to achieve great things. He 
ignored his critics and the cynics. He shouldered on with unstoppable 
optimism. He consigned communism to the ash heap of history. As Margaret 
Thatcher said, he won the cold war without firing a shot. He changed our 
party. He changed the way Americans see themselves; and in the end, he 
changed the world.
  Borrowing from the song, I said to my wife, Mary, when he left office, 
he was a long time coming. He will be a long time gone. I thank God for 
giving us such men.


                          Hon. Edward R. Royce


                              of california

  Mr. Speaker, first, both personally and on behalf of my constituents 
in Orange County, let me offer my condolences to Mrs. Reagan and the 
Reagan family. I, like so many of my colleagues, probably would not be 
standing here today if it were not for Ronald Reagan.
  He was an inspiration for a whole generation of young Americans, and 
his message of limited government and unlimited freedom, as well as his 
boundless optimism about America's future, motivated me and so many 
others to get involved in the affairs of our Nation. I first met Ronald 
Reagan as a student in California. That experience led me to become 
involved in the Youth for Reagan movement.
  Over the years, I was privileged to meet him many more times. It was 
one of the most memorable meetings in 1986. I was visiting the White 
House as a State senator on the day that President Reagan ordered the 
bombing of Libya because of their open support for international 
terrorism. The President told me what a difficult decision it was, but 
how the future of our Nation and the safety of our citizens depended on 
firm action.
  President Reagan was never afraid to take a stand, never afraid to do 
what was right, even if it was not popular at the moment.
  In 1964 Ronald Reagan spoke these words to a generation of Americans:

  You and I have a rendezvous with destiny. We will preserve for our 
children this, the last best hope of man on Earth, or we will sentence 
them to take the last step into a thousand years of darkness.

  President Reagan understood the evil of communism. He knew the cold 
war would end. He knew that there would be winners and there would be 
losers. Thanks to his resolve, freedom won. Thanks to his resolve, 
millions of people were set free.
  President Reagan also understood that free markets go hand in hand 
with individual liberties. In 1981 he said:

  We who live in free market societies believe that growth, prosperity 
and, ultimately, human fulfillment are created from the bottom up, not 
the government down. Only when the human spirit is allowed to invent and 
create, only when individuals are given a personal stake in deciding 
economic policies and benefiting from their success--only then can 
societies remain economically alive, dynamic, prosperous, progressive, 
and free.

  At his second inauguration, speaking inside the rotunda of this 
Capitol building, President Reagan said:

  [O]ur nation is poised for greatness. We must do what we know is 
right, and do it with all our might. Let history say of us: ``These were 
golden years--when the American Revolution was reborn, when freedom 
gained new life, and America reached for her best.''

  Throughout his career, Ronald Reagan was always helping America reach 
for her best. He inspired us with his spirit, with his optimism; and he 
led us with his commitment to principle and unwavering resolve. America 
and the rest of the world are better, safer, and freer places today 
because of Ronald Reagan. We will miss him dearly.


                            Hon. Max Sandlin


                                of texas

  Mr. Speaker, it is with a profound sense of loss and sadness that I 
rise today to honor the memory of one of our Nation's most influential 
leaders, former President Ronald Reagan. Much has been said, and 
rightfully so, about President Reagan's infectious love of this great 
Nation. Ronald Wilson Reagan firmly believed that the United States of 
America had a unique role to play in the world and a singular place in 
history. In his first inaugural address he reflected on this faith in 
country in attributing the unparalleled prosperity and opportunity of 
this great land to the fact that:

  Freedom and the dignity of the individual have been more available and 
assured here than in any other place on earth.

  Mr. Speaker, his singular commitment to the inherent worth of the 
individual is a hallmark of Ronald Reagan's personal and political 
legacy. His sincere devotion to that core idea defined his personality, 
and it defined his Presidency. President Reagan defied then-conventional 
wisdom that American heroes were a thing of the past. He said, ``Those 
who say that we are in a time when there are no heroes just don't know 
where to look. You can see heroes every day going in and out of factory 
gates. Others, a handful in number, produce enough food to feed all of 
us and then the world beyond. You meet heroes across a counter, and they 
are on both sides of that counter.'' President Reagan's heroes were, in 
his words, ``the citizens of this blessed land.''
  Mr. Speaker, President Reagan has often been called the Great 
Communicator, but President Reagan told us himself that he preferred to 
think of himself as a communicator of great things. However, to reduce 
Ronald Reagan to the words he spoke would be a tremendous disservice to 
his legacy, just as it would be wrong to reduce Abraham Lincoln's legacy 
to the Gettysburg Address or FDR's to the eloquent power of his fireside 
chats. President Reagan truly believed the ideas he communicated, and 
that faith drove in many ways a shift in the course of American 
politics.
  Mr. Speaker, President Reagan was a unique figure in our politics. His 
devotion to principle, his commitment to the American people, his 
singular faith in the power of one were infectious. Yet despite his 
unrepentant drive to achieve what has been appropriately called the 
Reagan revolution, he pushed his agenda with a smile and he relished 
open and honest debate. Notwithstanding sometimes profound 
disagreements, President Reagan understood that at the end of the day, 
we were not Democrats and Republicans but, rather, Americans and 
friends. He truly understood that there is a tremendous difference 
between strong beliefs and bitter partisanship.
  Mr. Speaker, President Reagan was an eternal optimist who changed the 
world with hope and taught Americans that, even in the face of trials 
and tragedy, ``Nothing ends here; our hopes and our journeys continue.'' 
It has been said of President Reagan that although he was our oldest 
President, he made America young again.
  And so, Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my deepest sympathies to 
Mrs. Reagan and to the President's children and their families and to 
honor the memory of a great American who loved America at least as much 
as she loved him.


                         Hon. George Radanovich


                              of california

  Mr. Speaker, today I rise in support of the resolution paying tribute 
to President Ronald Reagan who once said America is too great for small 
dreams. Whether through his faith in God's providence, his deep love for 
his wife, Nancy, his career as an actor, his service as Governor of the 
State of California and ultimately as our Commander in Chief, President 
Ronald Reagan envisioned and achieved big dreams. These dreams included 
lowering the tax burden on citizens through his advocacy of smaller 
government and striving for peace in the tenuous times of the cold war.
  As a boy in the fourth grade, I had the honor of shaking Mr. Reagan's 
hand at the Mariposa Airport when he was on his way to Yosemite after he 
became the Governor of the great State of California. He is the very 
reason that I later became a Republican and devoted my life to public 
service.
  President Reagan died on the very weekend of the commemoration of D-
day where just 20 years ago he heralded the heroes that lay before him 
in Normandy as those who ``helped end a war.'' Fittingly, we now herald 
this American hero for his unmatched achievements, including ending the 
cold war. History will forever remember him for removing this threat of 
nuclear holocaust.
  There are good men in the world, and there are great men. Great men 
employ their power humbly and create peace quietly. President Reagan 
embodied these traits and reminded us to believe in ourselves as the 
greatest country in the world.


                          Hon. Charlie Norwood


                               of georgia

  Mr. Speaker, I rise on the floor today to join my colleagues and the 
legions of Americans and freedom-loving people around the world in 
honoring the memory and the legacy of President Ronald Wilson Reagan. In 
the days that have passed since President Reagan slipped the surly bonds 
of this world, much has been said about our Nation's 40th President, of 
his boundless energy, eternal optimism, strong character, good judgment 
and, most important of all, his unmatched ability to lead and to deliver 
hope to America and the world at a time when it was needed most. Despite 
those who would suggest otherwise, the accomplishments and good fortune 
that befell this Nation and ultimately those behind the Iron Curtain on 
President Reagan's watch did not happen accidentally or through luck or 
simply being in the right place at the right time.
  No, Mr. Speaker. Providing unfailing hope and guidance to a grateful 
Nation and all the world in a time of much despair is not luck. It is 
called leadership. And President Reagan will be remembered as a leader 
without peer, period.
  Winston Churchill once said, ``The price of greatness is 
responsibility.'' President Reagan understood and accepted that 
responsibility like no one else, and he left greatness in his wake.
  Mr. Speaker, if the measure of a man is the difference that he makes, 
then history will record that President Ronald Reagan was nothing less 
than a giant. He will be missed, but his legacy of leadership will live 
on in the history of this Nation.


                             Hon. Mike Pence


                               of indiana

  Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman, my favorite Reagan protege in the 
Congress, for yielding me this time.
  Mr. Speaker, Ronald Reagan will be remembered as a great man and a 
great American leader, who personified the highest ideals of the 
American people at home and abroad. After 8 years of his Presidency, the 
communism of Soviet Russia was collapsing, the American military was 
rebuilt, the Nation's economy restored, and its moral fabric renewed.
  Many remember him as the Great Communicator, but as the President said 
many times, he was not a great communicator. He communicated great 
things. Those were the traditional American values of this midwesterner 
turned national leader. They came from the profound Christian faith 
inculcated in a young Dutch Reagan by his beloved mother Nelle and from 
his heart. And, as the President said, ``they came from the heart of a 
great nation.''
  Those ideas were simple, straightforward, and distinctly American. 
President Reagan believed that freedom depended on limited government. 
He fiercely advanced the principles of less government, less taxes, a 
strong military, and a commitment to traditional moral values.
  And President Reagan changed the course of my life. While youthful 
ambition led me to politics, it was the voice and the values of Ronald 
Reagan that made me a Republican. The Bible says, ``If the trumpet does 
not sound a clear call, who will get ready for battle?'' Ronald Reagan's 
great gift was to sound a clear call to return our Nation to the ideals 
of its Founders, and it was said that when he spoke, people did not just 
agree. From coffee shops to tractor seats to high offices in tall 
buildings, when the American people heard Reagan speak, they said, 
``Darn right.''
  I had the privilege in 1988 as a candidate for Congress to sit with 
the President in the Blue Room of the White House and speak to him 
personally, and on that occasion, that great privilege of my life, I was 
able to look the President in the eye as he asked me how my campaign was 
going. I said, ``Mr. President, it is going fine, but I just want to 
thank you for everything you have done for our country and to encourage 
my generation of Americans to believe in this country again.''
  I said then, and I say again, thank you, Mr. President. May God bless 
you, as, through you, God most certainly blessed the United States of 
America. Page H3833


                            Hon. Martin Frost


                                of texas

  Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor President Reagan's legacy to our 
country. I was elected in 1978, 2 years before Ronald Reagan assumed the 
Presidency. I served in Congress the entire 8 years of his Presidency 
and had the opportunity to observe him at close range. We often 
disagreed on domestic policy; however, we were largely in agreement on 
foreign policy, and Reagan, indeed, left an indelible mark in the field 
of foreign affairs. He correctly understood the economic vulnerability 
of the Soviet Union and exploited this to win the cold war without 
firing a shot. He increased U.S. defense spending, an effort which I 
supported, and when the Soviet Union tried to keep pace, it fell apart 
from the economic strain.
  The watchword of his administration was ``peace through strength.'' 
President Reagan brought hope and optimism to our country at a time when 
it was sorely needed. Also, he demonstrated through word and deed that 
one could disagree with their domestic political adversaries and still 
be friends at the end of the day. This is an element that is sorely 
missing from today's highly charged partisan atmosphere in Washington.
  Ronald Reagan won his share of battles in Congress, but he did it 
without lasting rancor. That was perhaps his greatest legacy. We could 
use a little bit of that spirit today.


                           Hon. Barbara Cubin


                               of wyoming

  Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a great man, a great 
President, and a true friend to the people of Wyoming.
  We all probably have our way of remembering President Reagan, but for 
me I will always see him atop his big white horse, pointing out to the 
distance as if to say, ``The future is that way, and we must ride into 
it.'' Here is the picture that I remember so well.
  Today we are lucky enough to live in that future. The millions once 
enslaved behind the Iron Curtain are free, and the cold war is over, 
with freedom the victor.
  They say that fortune favors the brave, and fortune favored President 
Reagan. He helped us to believe in ourselves again and to believe in 
common dreams that bind us together as Americans.
  When President Reagan took office, we were gripped with the fear that 
perhaps America's greatest days were behind us. Eight years later when 
he walked out of the Oval Office and into the sunset of his life, we 
knew that in America our best days will always be on the horizon.
  Mr. Speaker, the people of Wyoming will be eternally thankful to 
Ronald Reagan. We will be eternally thankful that he was there on that 
white horse to point the way not into the sunset, but instead into a 
shining new ``morning in America.''


                           Hon. Lincoln Davis


                              of tennessee

  Mr. Speaker, the death of President Reagan, given his publicly known 
battle with Alzheimer's, did not come as a surprise to many. Still, 
those of us in the United States and around the world are greatly 
saddened by his departure and by our loss.
  He was an indelible figure, known not only in American history, but 
known throughout world history. The man that helped bring about the end 
of the cold war will always be praised for his eternal optimism, love of 
country, principle stance on issues, the eloquence in which he 
communicated with the Nation, and his abundant faith.
  It is my firm belief that President Reagan saw the best in everyone. 
As with most Americans, Reagan understood America's greatness lies 
within its people. It is the character of the American people that has 
guided us through all the obstacles we have had to overcome. And we 
recently celebrated the American spirit during the 60th anniversary of 
D-day.
  President Reagan was perceived as a man guided by principles. No 
matter what side of the aisle we were on, we always knew where he stood. 
His legacy will be the challenge that he opened to bring about peace 
between two superpowers. His work can be best summed up by the English 
author Richard Adams: ``The thinker dies, but his thoughts are beyond 
the reach of destruction. Men are mortal, but ideas are immortal.''
  The man of abundant faith in country, family, and God, Reagan embodied 
the American spirit. Even in knowing his time on Earth was nearing an 
end, he wrote: ``When the Lord calls me home, whenever that may be, I 
will leave with the greatest love for this country of ours and eternal 
optimism for its future.''
  Our thoughts and prayers are with Mrs. Reagan and their children at 
this difficult time. May God bless them, and may God bless the United 
States of America.


                            Hon. Jeff Miller


                               of florida

  Mr. Speaker, most Presidents have been defined by the events of their 
day. Whether it is war, the economy, or domestic policy, these leaders 
have all been forced to react to the issues. Ronald Wilson Reagan, 
however, did not fit this mold. His Presidency defined the events of his 
day, which boldly resembles the world that we each live in.
  Taking office in a relatively peaceful period in our history, where 
the cold war was in an assumed perpetual state, rather than a quid pro 
quo acceptance of an evil empire on the other side of the globe, 
President Reagan challenged the conventional wisdom of appeasing the 
Soviet Union and challenged them directly, helmet to helmet, on the 
field of ideology.
  President Reagan's administration had an exceptional consistency 
through his 8 years--life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, words 
we often take for granted while denying ourselves a conscious thought 
that there are many who are denied these God-given, inalienable 
unalienable rights.
  On June 12, 1987, from what was West Germany's Brandenburg Gate, 
President Reagan spoke directly to communist states, telling them what 
was painfully obvious to the Western world: A totalitarian system just 
did not work.

  [W]e see failure, technological backwardness, declining standards of 
health, even want of the most basic kind--too little food. . . . After . 
. . four decades . . . there stands before the entire world one great 
and inescapable conclusion: Freedom leads to prosperity. Freedom 
replaces the ancient hatreds among the nations with comity and peace. 
Freedom is the victor.

  This, of course, was the famous speech where President Reagan asked 
Mr. Gorbachev to tear down the Berlin Wall and to let men and women be 
free. President Reagan pledged cooperation in reducing nuclear weapons, 
maintaining peace, but doing so in a setting befitting civilized 
nations. This declaration, while a defining moment in his Presidency, 
was consistent of a President who believed, truly believed, in a free-
market economy and in a world that called on personal responsibility and 
a hand up rather than a handout; limited government; the right of men 
and women to live free, and children to grow up in a world that did not 
require them to know the duck-and-cover routine.
  Mr. Speaker, God bless the Gipper, and may God rest his soul.


                           Hon. Darlene Hooley


                                of oregon

  Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the life of President 
Ronald Wilson Reagan, a man whose legacy will be remembered for 
generations to come.
  I remember President Reagan as an optimistic leader who stood up for 
what he believed in and who led our Nation with passion, grace, and wit. 
President Reagan believed in the resourcefulness of the American people 
and believed that their ingenuity, courage, and hard work could build a 
better America and a better world. Page H3834
  President Reagan envisioned America as a can-do country, and he was 
devoted and unwavering in his commitment to the American people. His 
message of optimism provided hope for many Americans during challenging 
times for our Nation and for the world.
  Today we remember his service and his leadership and join the rest of 
the country in mourning his passing. My thoughts and prayers are with 
his devoted wife Nancy and his entire family.


                        Hon. Todd Russell Platts


                             of pennsylvania

  Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to Ronald Wilson Reagan, our 
Nation's 40th President, a true statesman and patriot, a husband and 
father, and a Great American. I offer my sincerest condolences to Mrs. 
Reagan and the entire Reagan family. My prayers are with them in this 
time of mourning and remembrance.
  When Ronald Reagan was elected President in 1980, America was facing a 
crisis. The crisis went deeper than the economic problems of double-
digit inflation, rising unemployment, long gas lines, and threatening 
military actions of the Soviet Union. After Vietnam, Watergate, and the 
hostage situation in Iran, America actually began to experience a crisis 
of faith in itself. More than any other person, President Reagan helped 
us to overcome our doubts and remind us that America is, in fact, a 
``shining city on a hill.''
  Ronald Reagan was the eternal optimist, a believer in America's 
abilities, ideals, and innate goodness. His faith in the greatness of 
our Nation was perhaps best expressed when he said:

  In this land of dreams fulfilled, where greater dreams may be 
imagined, nothing is impossible, no victory is beyond our reach, no 
glory will ever be too great.

  Through his outlook and conviction, President Reagan restored 
America's confidence in itself.
  As a result of Ronald Reagan's inspiring leadership as our President, 
the world changed dramatically. Economic stagnation was replaced with a 
dynamic economy. President Reagan challenged the Soviet Union to ``tear 
down this wall!'' and the Berlin Wall came down. He saw a day when 
Eastern Europe would join the free world, and it did. He stayed firm at 
Reykjavik and, for the first time, Russia and America stopped building, 
and started destroying, nuclear weapons.
  Ronald Reagan understood the price of freedom. Forty years after D-
day, and 19 years and 364 days before he passed away, President Reagan 
commemorated ``the boys of Pointe du Hoc'' who took the cliffs at 
Normandy for the Allies during World War II. He said:

  The men of Normandy had faith that what they were doing was right, 
faith that they fought for all humanity, faith that a just God would 
grant them mercy on this beachhead or on the next. It was the deep 
knowledge--and pray God we have not lost it--that there is a profound 
moral difference between the use of force for liberation and the use of 
force for conquest. You were here to liberate, not to conquer, and so 
you and those others did not doubt your cause. And you were right not to 
doubt.

  You all knew that some things are worth dying for. One's country is 
worth dying for, and democracy is worth dying for, because it's the most 
deeply honorable form of government ever devised by man. All of you 
loved liberty. All of you were willing to fight tyranny, and you knew 
the people of your countries were behind you.

  It is this understanding of history, this moral clarity, that helped 
Ronald Reagan to lead us to the freer world we have today. It is what 
helps to make President Reagan one of the giants of the 20th century, 
along with his personal hero, Franklin Delano Roosevelt.
  Six years ago, in commemoration of Ronald Reagan's 87th birthday, I 
had the pleasure of joining First Lady Nancy Reagan and Ambassador Jeane 
Kirkpatrick at the Reagan Library in California. I was there as an 
elected member of the Pennsylvania General Assembly. But I was there, 
most importantly, as an American citizen who was honored to pay tribute 
to and to express my deep gratitude to President Reagan for his 
tremendous service to our Nation. In my conversation with Mrs. Reagan 
that day, my message was simply one of thanks. Thanks to her and, 
through her, to President Reagan for their dedicated, hard-working and 
outstanding service to our great Nation and its citizens.
  Ronald Reagan's service to others, his statesmanship, his love of 
country, and his unwavering commitment to the principles of freedom, 
liberty, and justice for which our Nation stands, were great examples 
for all of us fellow citizens to emulate. President Reagan was truly 
inspiring to countless citizens. His example helped to affirm my own 
commitment to the ideals of public service, to the ideals of giving back 
to one's Nation, and certainly helped to affirm my interest in serving 
the public office, including here in Congress.
  I am greatly honored to join with fellow Americans in saying: Mr. 
President, thank you for a job well done and a life well lived. You will 
long be missed and never forgotten. God bless you and God bless this 
great Nation you loved so dearly, the United States of America.


                           Hon. Jo Ann Emerson


                               of missouri

  Mr. Speaker, as we mourn the passing of President Ronald Reagan, I 
remember one experience in 1985 that to me defines President Reagan 
best. It was my daughter Katharine's first visit to the White House with 
the Emerson family. As we approached the Oval Office, outside of which 
we were to wait for the President, the door swung open. Katharine had 
been obediently holding my hand, but at that moment she broke away from 
me and she ran toward President Reagan. The Secret Servicemen standing 
between us and the President moved to stop her. ``No, no,'' President 
Reagan calmly said to them. Katharine flew past the Secret Servicemen 
and jumped into the President's arms, and he lifted her up high.
  The genuine joy on both of their faces struck me then. Today the 
memory reminds me that as strong a man as he was, President Reagan could 
easily match the enthusiastic happiness of a 2-year-old.
  Even before she met him, Ronald Reagan was my daughter's hero. It was 
not the President's rhetoric that won her. It was not his stalwart 
countenance under the distress of terror in the Middle East, his 
unwavering courage in the face of communism, or his passionate 
leadership in the shadow of a nuclear threat. Not even the lure of the 
jellybean jar on his desk made Reagan a great man to Katharine.
  Plainly put, the quality that won her was the same one that won us 
all: his sincerity.
  He was quintessentially American. He was a midwesterner. He was a 
success story. He was a visionary. And finally, Ronald Reagan was not 
just a leader whom we believed in; he was a leader who believed in us.
  But when I remember Ronald Reagan, I think of him calling off the 
Secret Service agents and happily sweeping Katharine up into his arms. 
He swept us all up that same way, and the tide of sincerity on which he 
carried us is the same one welling up in the eyes of our Nation right 
now.
  A photo of Katharine in President Reagan's arms, taken seconds after 
she defied us to pursue a hug from her hero, today hangs in the front 
room of my Washington office. Every time I walk through that door, I see 
the photo and think of him as millions of us do: as a member of our 
family.


                            Hon. Dennis Moore


                          of kansasPage H3835

  Mr. Speaker, the United States of America lost one of our giants with 
the passing last Saturday of our 40th President, Ronald Wilson Reagan.
  We come together today and this week in Congress, Democrats and 
Republicans, to pay tribute to the man who played a primary role in 
ending our cold war with the Soviet Union and who, as the Center for 
American Progress said earlier this week, projected ``a never-failing 
sense of optimism which restored faith in the American Presidency in a 
Nation still scarred by Vietnam and Watergate.''
  The Los Angeles Times said this week:

  His sunny self-assurance, his insistence that there really were simple 
answers to difficult problems, his knack for actually making things 
happen, all were soothing changes for a country that had endured 
Vietnam, Watergate, a Presidential resignation, an energy crisis, 
double-digit inflation, and the seizing of American hostages in Iran in 
the course of one tumultuous decade.

  In particular, Mr. Speaker, we remember Ronald Reagan for standing 
firmly with Federal Reserve Chairman Paul Volcker in the early eighties 
to drive down inflation and revive the economy, thus setting the stage 
for the prolonged American economic expansion of the early nineties.
  While President Reagan had deeply held core convictions, as a national 
leader he was also able to compromise and change directions when 
policies were not working. After instigating a large tax cut in 1981, 
for example, he later asked for tax increases to fight an exploding 
Federal deficit and tight monetary conditions. Without President 
Reagan's active support, the Gramm-Rudman-Hollings Act, which ultimately 
led to deficit reductions through imposition of pay-as-you-go rules, 
would never have become law.
  President Reagan signed into law bills protecting 1.9 billion acres of 
wilderness in Washington State and Oregon. Known as a lifelong crusader 
against communism, President Reagan combined military and diplomatic 
strength to develop a relationship with Soviet Leader Mikhail Gorbachev 
that ultimately led to limits on nuclear weapons and the end of the cold 
war.
  The Washington Post recently said that President Reagan was able to 
win the respect of Europeans through his ``commitment to winning the 
Cold War and his willingness to work peacefully to bring about the 
demise of the Soviet Union.''
  Even in times of failure and disappointment, President Reagan stood 
tall, and he won the respect of all. Following the disaster at the 
Marine barracks in Lebanon and the Iran-Contra scandal, President Reagan 
accepted responsibility saying, ``This happened on my watch'' and ``if 
there is to be blame, it properly rests here in this office and with 
this President. And I accept responsibility for the bad as well as the 
good.'' That was a quote from President Reagan, and I think that shows 
the measure of the man that President Reagan was.
  In the twilight of his life, President Reagan again provided hope and 
inspiration for millions of Americans with his valiant battle, with the 
devoted support of his wife, Nancy, against the ravages of Alzheimer's 
disease. Mr. Speaker, my father is afflicted with this cruel and 
debilitating condition. I share the hope of Nancy Reagan and millions of 
others that expanded stem cell research will some day unlock new 
discoveries needed to successfully treat Alzheimer's disease, diabetes, 
Parkinson's disease, and cancer.
  I greatly respect the religious convictions of those people who are 
concerned about the expansion of stem cell research, but I hope soon we 
will find some middle ground between the two extremes and enable us to 
go forward with this research which one day may save the lives of 
millions of Americans. One of the legacies of our 40th President will be 
that we worked together to find a way to join in harnessing this 
technology and promise. The potential human health and scientific 
benefits of stem cell research are simply staggering, and I hope that we 
can join and leave a legacy for President Reagan and for Nancy Reagan as 
well.
  In conclusion, I reflect back on Ronald Reagan's last major public 
address, his speech to the 1992 Republican National Convention. He could 
have been speaking, though, to all Americans, Mr. Speaker, because he 
said, he closed with these words:

  My fellow citizens, . . . I want you to know that I have always had 
the highest respect for you, for your common sense and intelligence and 
for your decency. I have always believed in you and in what you could 
accomplish for yourselves and for others.

  And whatever else history may say about me when I am gone, I hope it 
will record that I appealed to your best hopes, not your worst fears, to 
your confidence rather than your doubts. My dream is that you will 
travel the road ahead with liberty's lamp guiding your steps and 
opportunity's arm steadying your way.

  I hope that we in Congress, Mr. Speaker, can come together for the 
American people for an agenda; and I truly believe that even though we 
have honest, good-faith differences between the parties, we can put 
aside some of the rancor, some of the partisanship, and work on the 
American agenda the way that Ronald Reagan wanted us all to do.
  Mr. Speaker, I could think of no better way to remember the legacy of 
President Ronald Reagan than by those words that he gave.


                           Hon. Mac Thornberry


                                of texas

  Mr. Speaker, like many Americans, I feel a real and personal sense of 
loss with the death of President Ronald Reagan. He was a great man and a 
great President, ranking in the top tier of all of our Chief Executives. 
He will be remembered as a pivotal historical figure; but, at the same 
time, many Americans feel as though they have lost a member of their 
family. Such was the unique character and legacy of Ronald Reagan, the 
President and the man.
  My wife Sally and I each had the honor of serving as political 
appointees during the second term of the Reagan administration. We were 
down in the bowels of the bureaucracy, but proud to be working for and 
certainly inspired by President Reagan. With his optimism and his 
confidence in America, he inspired at least a generation of 
conservatives to be involved in public life and to advance the ideals 
for which he stood.
  As important as his accomplishments domestically and internationally 
were, perhaps his most important success was to help the American people 
believe in themselves again. After the tumult of assassinations, 
Vietnam, Watergate, and malaise, Ronald Reagan came to remind us of the 
core values of the Founding Fathers and the special place that the 
United States has in the history of the world, that ``shining city on a 
hill.''
  President Reagan was called the Great Communicator, but he said that 
what was truly great were the ideas he communicated. Those ideas were 
fundamental in the creation of the United States. As he noted in his 
farewell address, he communicated ``great things . . . [that] came from 
the heart of a . . . nation--from our experience, our wisdom, and our 
belief in principles that have guided us for two centuries.'' Ronald 
Reagan brought out the best in us because he knew the best of us.
  Our Nation was blessed to have been given Ronald Reagan, the President 
and the man.
  Mr. Speaker, I believe that the accomplishments which cause Ronald 
Reagan to stand among our greatest Presidents can be traced to a set of 
fundamental beliefs to which he adhered throughout his political career.
  One of them was strong, steadfast confidence in the American people. 
President Reagan knew that government must be limited so that the 
unlimited potential of individual Americans could be unleashed. He knew 
that when families were able to keep more of the money they earned, not 
just the family but the whole country would benefit. The result of his 
tax relief and restraint of government was the longest period of 
economic growth in the Nation's history.
  President Reagan also believed, with the signers of the Declaration of 
Independence, that freedom is a gift of God, intended for all peoples. 
In his speech to the British Parliament in 1982, which he viewed as 
among his most important, he said:

  We must be staunch in our conviction that freedom is not the sole 
prerogative of a lucky few, but the inalienable and universal right of 
all human beings.

  Page H3836President Reagan was often underestimated, but his clear 
words required clear thoughts, and those clear thoughts came from a 
clear vision and clear values, the articulation of which was refined 
over a lifetime of work. The amount of work and thought Ronald Reagan 
put into developing and expressing his views are only now becoming 
known, with the publication of some of the thousands of articles and 
letters written with his own hand.
  He clearly believed that one must not be afraid to speak the truth, 
sometimes to the discomfort of his advisors. In the well-known speech in 
which he called the Soviet Union the ``focus of evil in the modern 
world'' he went on to urge his listeners and the country to:

  [S]peak out against those who would place the United States in a 
position of military and moral inferiority . . . I urge you to beware 
the temptation of pride--the temptation of blithely declaring yourselves 
above it all and label both sides equally at fault, to ignore the facts 
of history and the aggressive impulses of an evil empire, to simply call 
the arms race a giant misunderstanding and thereby remove yourself from 
the struggle between right and wrong and good and evil.

  Throughout his career of public service, Ronald Reagan did not remove 
himself from the struggle between right and wrong, good and evil. He 
engaged in that struggle, and he changed the course of history.
  Before the British Parliament, President Reagan repeated the question 
asked by Winston Churchill in one of his wartime speeches: ``What kind 
of a people do they think we are?'' President Reagan answered, ``Free 
people, worthy of freedom and determined not only to remain so but to 
help others gain their freedom as well.''
  Being a ``free people, worthy of freedom'' and ``help[ing] others gain 
their freedom as well'' remains America's challenge. My hope is that we 
pursue those aims with the determination and spirit that Ronald Reagan 
displayed throughout his career.
  A President whose basic political philosophy about the role of 
government continues to occupy center stage in our domestic debates more 
than a decade after he left office; a President who changed the course 
of world history and helped free millions of people from totalitarian 
bondage; a man who restored a Nation's confidence in itself and 
continues to inspire defenders of freedom everywhere--quite a record. 
Quite a life.
  Again, our Nation was blessed to have been given Ronald Reagan.


                         Hon. Benjamin L. Cardin


                               of maryland

  Mr. Speaker, I rise on behalf of the people I represent in the Third 
Congressional District to express my sincere condolences to the Reagan 
family and to memorialize our 40th President, Ronald Wilson Reagan.
  I had the opportunity to serve for 2 years in the Congress when Ronald 
Reagan was President of the United States, and I also had the 
opportunity when I was speaker of the State legislature to work with 
President Reagan on behalf of the National Conference of State 
Legislators.
  Mr. Speaker, Ronald Reagan was one of the most effective Presidents in 
the history of our Nation. He brought an agenda of change to Washington, 
and he developed public support for that change and then congressional 
support for that change. He did it using the process, to bring about a 
change of policy and expectation of our country. He also established 
America as a world leader, proud of our commitment to democracy and 
willing to get involved in international events to bring about change 
for the good. He laid the foundation for the end of the cold war.
  As I said, Mr. Speaker, he was a remarkable President and will be 
missed by all.
  On January 20, 1981, President Reagan spoke of his abiding commitment 
to ``a special interest group that has been too long neglected. It knows 
no sectional boundaries or ethnic and racial divisions, and it crosses 
political party lines. It is made up of men and women who raise our 
food, patrol our streets, man our mines and factories, teach our 
children, keep our homes, and heal us when we're sick--professionals, 
industrialists, shopkeepers, clerks, cabbies, and truck drivers. They 
are, in short, ``we the people,'' this breed called Americans.''
  Mr. Speaker, he will be missed by all.


                         Hon. Wayne T. Gilchrest


                               of maryland

  America mourns these past few days the passing of a true American, one 
who reflects not only the values of the country in the 21st century or 
the 20th century, but Ronald Reagan had inherent in his body and his 
soul and his mind and his heart the idea that each of us has a passion 
for freedom, that each of us has a sense of urgency for justice.
  Jefferson will be remembered for many, many things; but we will all 
remember those words, ``We hold these truths to be self-evident, that 
all men are created equal.''
  And Lincoln will be remembered for many, many things, but we will all 
remember those words after the Civil War: ``With malice toward none, 
with charity for all, let us work together to bind up the Nation's 
wounds.''
  And a century later, another American that reflected the true values 
of our country said that ``you will not be judged by the color of your 
skin, but by the content of your character.''
  These men through the centuries brought America together. They united 
America. They had a vision for America.
  Ronald Reagan will be remembered for many, many things, but we will 
all remember with a sense of seriousness and joy when he said, ``Mr. 
Gorbachev, tear down this wall!''
  So what Mr. Reagan was trying to do was to impart that passion for 
freedom, that urgency for justice, not only for Americans and the vast 
array of cultures that we have here but for the rest of the world.
  Mrs. Reagan, the Reagan family, America, President Ronald Reagan will 
be missed, but always remembered.


                             Hon. Mark Green


                              of wisconsin

  Mr. Speaker, I entered college in the late seventies, and so I 
remember well those times and the challenges that we faced: soaring 
inflation, soaring interest rates, soaring unemployment, gas prices that 
were sky high, on the world stage hostages in Iran, and the cold war 
loomed large.
  I remember that as President Reagan took office, some pundits, some 
experts out there arguing that the Office of the Presidency had become 
too big for one man. And they said maybe it was time to look at a 
different institution, co-Presidency or something like that. And then on 
to the stage came Ronald Reagan.
  Through shear force of character, through his inspirational 
leadership, I am proud to say that he shaped the modern Republican 
Party, he shaped the Office of the Presidency, he shaped a new America, 
indeed he shaped a new world, a new world that offered hope for freedom-
loving people all around the world.
  Mr. Speaker, not a bad accomplishment for one man.


                         Hon. Michael C. Burgess


                                of texas

  Mr. Speaker, it has been said that Ronald Reagan loved Texas and Texas 
loved Ronald Reagan right back. So it was especially poignant that news 
of his passing occurred during our State Republican Convention this past 
weekend. Indeed, State Senator Jane Nelson from my district in north 
Texas was quoted in the newspaper as saying, ``We stopped at that point. 
We had a preacher on hand that gave him a beautiful tribute. We were 
able to come up with a picture, and we all sang `Amazing Grace.' There 
were a lot of tears, mine included.''
  County judge Mary Horn was quoted in my local paper as saying, ``He 
was the same up close as you perceived him to be on television. He was 
very sincere and very nice. When he talked to you, he talked to you. He 
didn't pay attention to things going on around him. You had his full 
attention.''
  State Representative Myra Crownover said, ``I remember that while 
Reagan was the oldest elected President, what sticks in my mind was the 
way he connected to young people. We had been through a decade of young 
people being disconnected with taking pride in America, and he lit that 
spark again.'' Representative Crownover went on to say, ``You have to be 
appreciative of what his family is living through.'' Someone described 
it once as being halfway to Heaven. I am so glad he has been released so 
he could go the rest of the way.


                             Hon. Tom Feeney


                               of florida

  Mr. Speaker, for all Americans, Ronald Reagan was a happy warrior who 
fought all of his life for freedom with a gracefulness and a confidence 
that inspired all of America. But for American contemporary 
conservatives like myself, Ronald Reagan was more than that. He was our 
Plato, laying the philosophical groundwork for limited government, 
freedom, and self-responsibility.
  He was our Moses. After Lincoln, republicanism had been adrift in 
fighting our way out of a desert filled with statist tendencies and the 
march toward bigger government and welfare dependency, something 
Frederick Hayek described as ``The Road to Serfdom.'' Reagan reminded 
conservatives that America had a great rendezvous with destiny ahead.
  Reagan was our Washington, the first contemporary President to 
consistently lay out conservative principles and steadfastly, calmly, 
and timely lead us during threats to freedom from big government and 
taxation at home, threats from tyrannical hegemony from abroad, to 
secure what our first President called the ``sacred fire of liberty.''
  Finally, Ronald Reagan was a Churchill, warning of external threats 
not only to our homeland's freedom but of gathering storms building 
globally which endangered the aspirations of freedom fighters across the 
globe. And like Churchill, he then led us and led the free world in 
refusing to appease or co-exist with totalitarian threats but instead 
insisting, like King Henry at Agincourt, that we wade into the enemy and 
win.
  Finally, to quote Senator Benjamin Hill when he was speaking of the 
death of Robert E. Lee, I would like to quote him with respect to Ronald 
Reagan: ``He was a foe without hate; a friend without treachery; a 
soldier without cruelty; a victor without oppression; and a victim 
without murmuring. He was a public officer without vices; a private 
citizen without wrong; a neighbor without reproach; a Christian without 
hypocrisy; and a man without guile. He was a Caesar, without his 
ambition; Frederick, without his tyranny; Napoleon, without his 
selfishness, and Washington, without his reward.''
  This week America gives President Reagan his very just reward.
  By 1980, America's leaders were presiding over a self-described 
``national malaise'' domestically, 12-percent interest rates, 20-percent 
mortgage rates, and a rising misery index across the land.
  Internationally, America seemed resigned to co-existence with an evil 
empire that had enslaved and killed tens of millions, and drawn down 
upon two-thirds of the world's people an ``iron curtain'' of suffering 
and hopelessness.
  A decade later, it was morning again in America. Tax rates were cut 
from 70 percent to 25 percent, gross domestic product rising at the 
fastest rates since World War II, stock markets booming and the American 
spirit transcending long-forgotten malaise.


                           Hon. Scott Garrett


                              of new jersey

  Mr. Speaker, I rise today as we pay our respects to one of the 
greatest leaders that this Nation has ever known, a man who will forever 
be held as a model for what is great about America.
  As we take this time to mourn the loss of one of our Nation's greatest 
leaders, we should also celebrate his heroic and historic life that he 
lived. Ronald Reagan exemplified the best qualities that you would ever 
want in a leader. He was compassionate, he was caring, he was visionary, 
and he was strong. He took our Nation from a crisis in confidence to a 
country the entire world would view as a standard bearer of justice and 
liberty.
  Americans put their trust in Ronald Reagan and, in turn, Ronald Reagan 
put his trust in each one of us. He had faith in the American 
individual, in one's ability to care for one's self. Ronald Reagan knew 
that we could do more for ourselves than any oversized bureaucratic 
burdensome Federal Government could ever do. Ronald Reagan believed that 
doing more for ourselves was really the best way that we could regain 
that long missing self-confidence and our American pride again.
  So today, in the wake of the President's death, we must continue to 
learn from his teachings. And we must long remember after today the 
contributions that Ronald Reagan made to this Nation.
  So may the legacy of Ronald Reagan live on as long as we are all proud 
to raise up the Stars and Stripes and call ourselves the United States 
of America.


                             Hon. John Kline


                              of minnesota

  Mr. Speaker, I just wanted to rise and join my colleagues in 
expressing my love and admiration and respect for President Ronald 
Reagan. I very much appreciate that here on the House floor last night 
and today colleagues from both sides of the aisle have stepped up to 
express their respects. I think that is an important thing. It is an 
indicator of what a truly great man, a great President, a great leader 
we had in Ronald Reagan.
  Many of us had the privilege and honor of working closely with 
President Reagan. I was very fortunate that in his first months in 
office I had the position of being his Marine Corps aid and carrying the 
nuclear football, the codes, traveling with him, and having the 
opportunity to share some thoughts. It usually was him sharing the 
thoughts and me listening in rapt attention, but what a wonderful man.
  When you were with and near Ronald Reagan, it really was ``morning in 
America.'' I never knew any one of us who worked with him or anyone who 
was in his presence who could not feel his love for life, his love for 
our country, his unstoppable optimism. And on the one hand he was, as we 
have heard many of our colleagues say, friendly, lovable, affable, ready 
with the joke; and on the other hand he was truly a man of steel.
  He had a wonderful vision for America, a vision as he articulated of a 
``city on the hill,'' a beacon of hope and opportunity for the world. 
And his resolute determination that we would not continue in the 
impossible impasse of the cold war, the very cold war that necessitated 
me and my colleagues to carry those nuclear codes; he refused to accept 
that as inevitable and he set out with the determination that is hard to 
imagine today, to end that impasse, to win the war, to defeat the evil 
empire. I was proud to serve with him.
  I just want to express my love to him and my love to his family.


                           Hon. Terry Everett


                               of alabama

  Mr. Speaker, I insert at this point in the Record my celebration of 
President Ronald Reagan's life, truly a man that made a great difference 
in this country and this world.
  Mr. Speaker, I join this House and all the American people in mourning 
the loss of former President Ronald Wilson Reagan. His passing is not 
only a sad time for America, but for all nations.
  President Reagan gave hope and optimism to a world fearful of an 
uncertain future. He stirred forgotten emotions of patriotism at home 
while evoking courage in millions abroad struggling under the yolk of 
communism.
  He helped to end the cold war, and his legacy is much in evidence 
today as once again a strong and patriotic America leads the world 
against the evil of tyranny.
  Another legacy of President Reagan--one for which he was attacked by 
the shortsighted--was his vision of a strategic missile defense for our 
Nation and our allies. Thank God Ronald Reagan did not waiver in his 
resolve to pursue research into a missile defense for America. His 
unbridled determination to protect America from nuclear annihilation 
ultimately brought the Soviet Union to its knees.
  Today, 20 years later, President Bush is leading the launch of a long-
awaited missile defense system that will make America more secure from 
the threat of nuclear attack by a rogue nation or terrorist 
organization. The groundwork research and development of this vital 
defense program, the Strategic Defense Initiative, was begun under 
President Reagan.
  I am honored to chair the House Armed Services Subcommittee on 
Strategic Forces which has a direct role in the funding and oversight of 
this landmark missile defense system. And, I am proud to know that my 
subcommittee's efforts are the continuation of the promise made by 
Ronald Reagan to bring about a safer future for our families.
  On a personal note, the people of the Second District of Alabama have 
a special love for Ronald Reagan. On July 10, 1986, Air Force One landed 
at Dothan Airport and President Reagan joined hundreds of our citizens 
of the Wiregrass for fried chicken and a discussion of his tax cut plan. 
His charm and conservative message were very warmly received. It was 
clear to everyone there that he hated to leave, and we hated to give him 
up.
  Now Alabama and America must say a final farewell to our beloved 
former President. Frankly, I can't imagine an America without Ronald 
Reagan. He symbolized more completely than anyone else in modern history 
what we loved so much about our country. He made America ``America'' 
again and for that we will always be grateful.
  On behalf of the people of the Second District of Alabama, I send my 
condolences to Nancy Reagan and her family. We join with the Nation and 
the world in sharing in your grief.


                            Hon. Doc Hastings


                              of washington

  Mr. Speaker, Ronald Reagan is a large part of why I have the honor of 
standing here today. I am from Washington State but in the midsixties I 
lived in California. In 1966 I had the privilege of casting my first 
vote for Ronald Reagan in the gubernatorial primary and subsequently in 
the general election when he was elected Governor.
  I moved back to Washington in 1976, and I served as a Reagan delegate 
to the Presidential Convention in Kansas City. He inspired me to get 
involved in public service, and 2 years later, I was elected to the 
Washington State Legislature.
  Reagan viewed the government as a servant of the people, not their 
master. Throughout his career, he worked for less government control 
over our lives. During his first inaugural address he said:

  [I]t's not my intention to do away with government. It is rather to 
make it work--work with us, not over us; to stand by our side, not ride 
on our back. Government can and must provide opportunity, not smother 
it; foster productivity, not stifle it.''

  While he made no apologies for what he believed, he was a pragmatist, 
not willing to sacrifice the good for the perfect. He has been quoted as 
saying: ``Die-hard conservatives thought that if I couldn't get 
everything I asked for, I should jump off the cliff with the flag 
flying--go down in flames. No,'' he said, ``if I can get 70 or 80 
percent of what . . . I'm trying to get . . . I'll take that and then 
continue to try to get the rest in the future.''
  We can all point to a handful of people who shaped us into what we are 
today. My list certainly includes Ronald Reagan, who helped shape both 
my political ideology and the day-to-day manner in which I try to 
govern--without acrimony, with a touch of humor, and with an unwavering 
faith in the American people.


                          Hon. Katherine Harris


                               of florida

  Mr. Speaker, tonight we join Americans from all walks of life and 
every political persuasion in mourning a President whose courage, 
vision, optimism and resolve renewed the Nation he loved.
  As we look back with the clarity and assuredness that history affords, 
how easily we forget the staggering challenges that Ronald Reagan 
inherited on January 20, 1981.
  Haunted by the ghost of Vietnam, America seemed in retreat as Soviet 
aggression either enslaved or threatened significant regions of four 
continents. Meanwhile, the American people struggled as stagnant 
economic growth, double-digit inflation, and 20-percent interest rates 
ate away their life savings and crushed their hopes for the future. Most 
ominously, our leaders spoke of a crisis in the American spirit, of a 
pervasive malaise that appeared to have infected our hopes, our dreams 
and our will to persevere.
  These problems seemed so severe and so insoluble that pundits and 
politicos wondered if the burdens of the Presidency had become too 
large, too complex and too demanding for any one person to handle, but 
not Ronald Reagan.
  They also believed that the United States could only hope to become 
comfortable in its prison of mutually assured destruction with the 
Soviet Union and that the era of nuclear tyranny was with us forever, 
but not Ronald Reagan.
  These so-called experts were even convinced that a vibrant economy was 
impossible without double-digit inflation, but not Ronald Reagan.
  Rising from the humblest of beginnings, Ronald Reagan taught us once 
again how to embrace the extraordinary. His historic Presidency restored 
our spirit, revitalized our economy and transformed yesterday's 
garrisons of tyranny into today's arsenals of liberty.
  Mr. Speaker, Ronald Reagan brought us together by reminding us of the 
unique blessings that we enjoy as a Nation, and as we grieve his passing 
this week, let us celebrate a life that exemplified the strength, the 
character and the resiliency of the American spirit


                           Hon. Johnny Isakson


                               of georgia

  Mr. Speaker, I am honored to stand here today on behalf of myself and 
the citizens of the 6th District of Georgia and express my deep sympathy 
to the family of Ronald Reagan and my grateful appreciation for the life 
of Ronald Reagan.
  I had the occasion to meet Mr. Reagan for the first time in 1970 when 
he began his pursuit on the national political stage, and I watched in 
amazement as this man transformed a decade of dissent and discord into a 
decade of hope and prosperity through the power of his positive attitude 
and to his great patriotism to his country.
  As a young man in the fifties, I remember crawling under the bomb 
shelters and under my desk when we prepared for the cold war and the 
worst of the tyranny of communism, and I watched 35 years later as, 
through his powerful persuasiveness, Ronald Reagan broke down the Berlin 
Wall, broke down the Soviet Union and brought peace and prosperity to 
more of the world.
  On this day on behalf of all of my constituents, my children and my 
grandchildren, I give thanks for the life of Ronald Reagan, and I thank 
God that Ronald Reagan came America's way.


                            Hon. Jim Gibbons


                                of nevada

  Mr. Speaker, I want to add my thanks to the gentleman from California 
(Mr. Cox) for granting me the time to speak this afternoon.
  I rise today to express my most sincere and heartfelt condolences to 
the family of Ronald Wilson Reagan and to the millions of Americans, Mr. 
Speaker, who join me and all of us in mourning the passing of this great 
leader this week.
  I also rise to voice a great sense of loss and bereavement felt by a 
multitude of my fellow Nevadans who are now reflecting upon and 
celebrating the tremendous impact that our Nation's 40th and arguably 
most influential President has had on all of our lives.
  Reagan's political accomplishments alone could fill volumes; yet his 
political goals would have been far more difficult to come by if not for 
his eternally honorable character and personality. This week, as 
Americans mourn this great loss together, we will reflect not only on 
his political legacy, but also upon Reagan's personal contributions to 
America and to our culture.
  Ronald Reagan was more than a President or a Commander in Chief. 
President Reagan was a smalltown boy who mastered his own destiny to 
become an inspiration and great motivating force for the principles and 
policies that many of us continue to fight for every day in the House of 
Representatives.
  During my tenure in Congress, it has been one of my most distinguished 
honors and personal joys to lead my colleagues on multiple measures 
designed to pay homage to Mr. Reagan. Most notably, in May 2002, 
legislation I sponsored to grant Ronald and Nancy Reagan the 
Congressional Gold Medal became a reality when President Bush presented 
Nancy Reagan with this award, the highest honor Congress can bestow, in 
the Capitol rotunda.
  Ironically, in light of the tremendous impression his life has left 
upon the American public, even the Congressional Gold Medal seems a tiny 
token of appreciation that can only be overshadowed by the monumental 
outpouring of respect, reverence and appreciation flowing from all 
corners of our great Nation this week.
  So as we contemplate the magnificent life of President Ronald Reagan 
and mourn his passing, we are reassured by the fact that this body can 
and should keep his legacy alive. Congress can best honor President 
Reagan by continuing progress along a path of conservative policies that 
Reagan himself would be proud of, and with that, I once again send my 
warmest regards to the Reagan family.


                           Hon. John R. Carter


                                of texas

  Mr. Speaker, today our Nation weeps in a very sad week when we 
recognize that we have lost a President who changed the Nation and acted 
upon a policy that created positive change not only for this Nation, but 
for the entire world.
  Many of us who went into politics in the eighties, as I did, went in 
because we were inspired by Ronald Reagan. I actually ran for office the 
first time in 1980, and something that I will never forget is that 
Ronald Reagan took the time for a young, just-getting-started fellow who 
was running for State representative in Texas, to drop me a personal 
note of encouragement. Here was a man who was going to lead the Nation, 
and yet he took the time for one small elected official. I will never 
forget that.
  Ronald Reagan believed in America. He knew America to be the most 
noble Nation on the face of the Earth, and he absolutely trusted the 
American people, that they would do the right thing, because he knew 
them to be the noble people who created this Nation. That message, with 
which he inspired our country, brought us out of malaise and started us 
on the path of glory to know that we are doing the right thing.
  We have missed Ronald Reagan. We will miss him tremendously because he 
inspired us to the greatness that we have, and for that reason, he has 
been a blessing upon this Nation. We will not forget.
  Back in Williamson County, where I come from, we celebrate Ronald 
Reagan's birthday every year, and that is our big birthday celebration 
because we know Ronald Reagan is the modern founder of the Republican 
Party today, and that inspiration causes us to celebrate his birthday.
  Our thoughts and prayers are with his family, and we hope that they 
get through this with not too much crisis for all the blessings they 
have bestowed upon our Nation.


                          Hon. J. Randy Forbes


                               of virginia

  Mr. Speaker, I rise today with a heavy heart to honor one of America's 
greatest statesmen, President Ronald Reagan.
  As Ronald Reagan makes his final trip to Washington, we remember this 
truly humble American hero. We remember a man with an ordinary beginning 
who went on to do extraordinary things, to chart the course for a 
generation, for a Nation and for the world.
  Mr. Speaker, Washington is a town of leaders, and each of us who comes 
to Washington has a vision for the direction of our Nation. Rarely is 
there a man like Ronald Reagan who cannot only lead leaders, but who can 
do so with such integrity, principle and honesty.
  In the midst of a Nation whose spirit had been crushed with war and 
economic burden, in the midst of people gripped with fear from the 
spread of communism, Ronald Reagan picked us up and breathed hope into 
our hearts. He reminded us of what we were fighting for. He said:

  [T]he ultimate determinant in the struggle that's now going on in the 
world will not be bombs and rockets, but a test of wills and ideas, a 
trial of spiritual resolve, the values we hold, the beliefs we cherish, 
the ideals to which we are dedicated.

  He reminded us that as Americans we have a responsibility to help 
those in need: ``We cannot turn away from them,'' he said, ``for the 
struggle here is not right versus left; it is right versus wrong.'' How 
true his words still ring today.
  Ronald Reagan reminded us that government is not the answer to our 
problems, people are. ``[G]overnment's view of the economy could be 
summed up in a few short phrases,'' he said. ``If it moves, tax it. If 
it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it.''
  By exposing and destroying burdensome and oppressive regulation and 
taxes, he restored the spirit that America is built upon: optimism, 
opportunity and self-reliance. In doing so, he not only energized the 
economy, but he rejuvenated the pride and self-worth of Americans.
  Finally, Ronald Reagan reminded us of the importance of faith in our 
democracy. He said, ``Freedom prospers when religion is vibrant and the 
rule of law under God is acknowledged.'' He will be missed, but his 
words and spirit will continue on.


                         Hon. J. Gresham Barrett


                            of south carolina

  Mr. Speaker, President Reagan changed our hearts with his optimistic 
outlook on life, the world and our place in it. He came to office at a 
time in our history when we were a little bruised and battered, and, 
simply said, he pulled us up by our bootstraps and taught us how to get 
back on the horse that knocked us off.
  He once said that America is too great for small dreams, but to Ronald 
Reagan these were not merely words that were used in a 30-second sound 
bite. These were words that went to the core of the man.
  He reminded us that even though we may have our differences, our 
common bond as Americans sets us apart from the rest of the world. He 
believed in all that is good in America because he believed there is 
good in every American.
  Ronald Reagan was a hero to me and a hero to an entire generation. He 
leaves a legacy of hope and prosperity that will last for generations to 
come.
  I know there is a special place in Heaven for Ronald Reagan, and I 
know in my heart he heard the words, ``Well done.''


                        Hon. Lincoln Diaz-Balart


                               of florida

  Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a man who I believe to be the 
greatest American President of the 20th century. President Ronald Reagan 
defeated the most powerful and dangerous military empire in the history 
of the world without firing a single shot. President Reagan knew 
instinctively that America represents good, and he knew that communism 
represents evil. He never wavered in his conviction that freedom is the 
birthright of all mankind.
  The enemies of the United States never forgave him for his firmness, 
for his character, for his faith in the people of the United States and 
his faith in the cause of liberty. Even in his death, they continue to 
attack him. His hatred is evidenced by the declaration made by the 
tyrannical regime in Havana a few hours ago: ``He, who never should have 
been born, has died.'' That monstrous statement illustrates the ultimate 
evil of the tyrant who has enslaved the Cuban people for over 45 years. 
President Reagan knew that the Cuban tyrant and that communist tyrants 
everywhere have represented and represent the antithesis of liberty, 
freedom and human dignity.
  I think he was an extraordinary leader, Mr. Speaker, someone who 
inspired us all, changed America for the better and saved the world from 
tyranny.
  May Ronald Wilson Reagan, apostle of freedom, democracy and human 
rights, rest in peace.


                             Hon. Fred Upton


                               of michigan

  Mr. Speaker, I am one of those fortunate to have worked and served in 
the Reagan administration for 4\1/2\ years. I started off as a 
legislative aid, and I ended up being in charge of congressional affairs 
at OMB under Director Stockman and then under Director Jim Miller. 
Ronald Reagan had a vision, an agenda; and he knew how to get things 
done. He surrounded himself with good people that were smart, who shared 
his vision, and in fact knew the political process to get things done.
  Back then, times were tough. We had the cold war, we had double-digit 
inflation, double-digit unemployment, double-digit interest rates; and 
yet he was still able to get his agenda through and move the country 
forward. The odds were stacked against him. Republicans did not control 
the Senate; and in this body, in the House, they did not control the 
House either. In fact, the margin was 70 or 80 votes short in the House. 
Yet he was still able to get his agenda through.
  On the minority side, the Republican side, we had two terrific dynamic 
leaders, John Rhodes and Bob Michel, two Republicans who were minority 
leaders, never Speaker. They were both good, decent, honest people; but 
they never had the votes, or not the Republican votes. So Ronald Reagan 
appealed to the American people for his support. Reaganesque is a word 
today that you will find in the dictionary, a powerful word; and in fact 
he put policy over politics, and look at the results.
  He beat an incumbent President, a good honest, decent guy, Jimmy 
Carter, who has done wonderful things since his Presidency; but the real 
test is reelection, and Ronald Reagan won 49 of the 50 States. If that 
was not a mandate in terms of his agenda, I do not know what is. That 
mandate, winning 49 States, I think will serve as the record for any 
President running for reelection.
  Yes, history will judge where he stands, rightfully so. But in large 
part it already has. Ronald Reagan was a great American President, a 
wonderful man who touched tens of millions of lives across this country 
in every respect of their life. I was proud to serve a wonderful 
President for those years.


                          Hon. Christopher Cox


                              of california

  The first time I met Ronald Reagan was the day I began work for him in 
the White House. We shook hands and exchanged pleasantries in the Oval 
Office. Of course, it is difficult to forget one's first meeting with 
the President of the United States, but what I particularly remember is 
how quickly he put me at ease. Of course, he told a joke.
  Learning that I was a Harvard graduate, he told me the story of a 
friend of his who had graduated from Harvard Law School, had become a 
partner in a large firm but had lost his position due to a problem with 
drinking and drugs, and consequentially, in succession, he lost his 
wife, his family, his income, and even ran afoul of the law, being put 
in jail for shoplifting. But now he was out of jail. He had cleaned up 
his life and, most important, he had met a wonderful woman to whom he 
wished to propose marriage. But, and it was on this point that he asked 
the President's advice, he had not told this woman about his background 
for fear of losing her. So he asked the President, should I tell her 
that I went to Harvard?
  I knew immediately where I stood. Two years later, I was with the 
President in the Oval Office, and I have a picture hanging on my desk of 
this moment, and I am sitting across from his desk, across from him, 
just the two of us. He has a big smile on his face, and I am about to 
burst out laughing because he was, of course, telling another joke.
  It was a special privilege to travel with the President on Air Force 
One, and what I particularly remember is the way the President came back 
to cheer up the staff, to regale us with stories and jokes. I was 
particularly fond of his amazingly authentic Irish brogue.
  But I will not forget especially the last time I saw him as President. 
It was here in this Capitol. He had summoned us, the Republican Members, 
just days before the inauguration to give us a private valediction. No 
press, no public, just us. And he spoke from the Democratic sides of the 
aisle, from the rostrum on the left, a mistake I attributed to his lack 
of familiarity with House procedure. It was a mistake of mine, however. 
He knew exactly what he was doing. And as he described his political 
career, he described how he did not leave the Democratic Party, the 
Democratic Party left him; and he strode purposefully to this other 
rostrum to the delight of the Republican Members.
  But what he told us that day rose far above party and partisanship. 
Because, of course, he saw a consistent thread throughout his career in 
his support for FDR, his campaigning for Harry Truman, his support and 
campaigning for Ike, and of course his own administration. A few moments 
after he finished here on the floor, we went to Statuary Hall and he 
mingled with the Members and we had a few private moments there. This 
was, of course, just a few feet from where in the rotunda later today 
his body will lie in repose. He did not tell me a joke at that time. 
Instead, after congratulating me on my recent election to Congress, 
something we had had the chance more exuberantly to celebrate after I 
and my new colleague, the gentleman from California (Mr. Rohrabacher), 
visited with him in the Oval Office in June, he told me, ``never forget 
to trust the people who sent you here'' and ``always fight for the 
principles that you and I share.''
  It was the serious side of him because he was all about ideas. And 
while his humor, his gregariousness, his avuncularity has been much 
remarked upon in recent days, that was an important aspect of his 
leadership; but it does not tell us about the substance of his 
leadership, where he was taking the country. And it was the ideas that 
President Reagan brought to Washington that mattered most of all.
  It is well known and much remarked upon that Ronald Reagan won the 
cold war without firing a shot. He led the global movement to tear down 
the Berlin Wall. He led an economic renaissance at home by dramatically 
reducing the burden of taxes across the board, from a marginal rate of 
70 percent down to 28 percent. But it is just as important to recognize 
the leading role that President Reagan played in supporting our country, 
such issues as the civil rights of women and men here at home.
  President Reagan, of course, appointed the first woman to be 
ambassador of the United Nations. He appointed the first woman to be a 
Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. He appointed the first woman to be 
Secretary of Transportation, the first Latina to be Treasurer of the 
United States.
  On November 2, 1983, he made Martin Luther King's birthday a national 
holiday. He appointed the first African American chairman of the U.S. 
Civil Rights Commission, my good friend and great American, the late 
Clarence Pendleton. He extended the Voting Rights Act for a quarter 
century. He named the first Hispanic to the Cabinet, Lauro Cavasos, as 
Secretary of Education.
  On August 10, 1988, he provided compensation to Japanese Americans who 
had been deprived of their civil liberties and their property during the 
infamous internment of World War II ordered by FDR.
  Today, we can see the wisdom of President Reagan's policies from a 
distance. He appointed the first-ever Presidential Commission on AIDS 
and gave national direction to the effort to stop the spread of this 
terrible disease.
  His was the statesmanship of a true leader. While fighting Soviet 
expansion in Africa, he fought apartheid and imposed sanctions on the 
racist Government of South Africa by Executive order. He demanded as a 
condition of lifting those sanctions the release of Nelson Mandela. And 
yet he refused to declare economic warfare against the civilian 
population of that country, black, white, and all races as the United 
Nations had done in imposing its sanctions on Zimbabwe. So today, 
whereas Zimbabwe has become a living hell, an autocracy that has 
stripped away all pretense of law or property or personal safety, South 
Africa has a real democracy where all men and women can vote and where 
all are equal before the law.
  In Central America, he prevented the Soviet Union from establishing a 
beachhead in our own hemisphere, and likewise in Nicaragua. And 
throughout Central and South America and the Caribbean, just as in 
Central Europe and Asia, democracy grew and prospered.
  Mr. Speaker, from that day in January 1981, when President Reagan was 
sworn in, until last Saturday, the American people always knew where to 
look for a hero. President Reagan did great things not only for our 
country but for our world. Today, more than 1 billion people live in 
freedom because of his global leadership. In fact, all of the people of 
the world, those who enjoy the sweet blessings of liberty and those who 
still yearn for freedom, will always know where to look for a hero.


                              Hon. Tim Ryan


                                 of ohio

  Mr. Speaker, when our country was confronted with a terrible menace of 
dangerous ideology, Reagan rallied America and united the world to 
decisively defeat the threat of communism. We are grateful for that 
leadership.
  Ronald Reagan elevated the Office of the President. When mistakes were 
made, Ronald Reagan personally accepted responsibility. It did not 
matter what focus groups, polls, his advisers, or political consultants 
said, he understood that the buck stopped with him and him alone.
  He was an American icon, forever remembered for his warmth and the 
respect he afforded to others, and our thoughts and prayers today are 
with Nancy and his children and his family at this very difficult time.
  Even when President Reagan broke the hearts of the Democrats, he was 
respected for his honesty, his beliefs, and the dedication he displayed 
in pursuing them.
  As a young elementary school student during the Challenger disaster, 
it was enormous comfort to those of us who were all watching, because 
there was a teacher on the Challenger at that time, to listen to 
President Reagan as we began to question why America was sending these 
astronauts up into space; why there was a teacher on the Challenger at 
that time. And when President Reagan said to us that the future does not 
belong to the fainthearted, it belongs to the brave, he was 
communicating to us what America was all about.
  I also remember as a young man the way President Reagan interacted 
with then-Speaker Tip O'Neill. They laughed and they talked and they 
joked. And that was a great example for those of us who were beginning 
to get acquainted with the political system.
  I remember the courage and the humor that President Reagan showed when 
he was shot, hoping that the doctors were all Republican and telling his 
wife, who was terrified, that he forgot to duck.
  I also cannot help but remember President Reagan, during the 
Washington Redskins ceremony at the Rose Garden after winning the Super 
Bowl, hitting Gary Sanders on the money as he ran a drag pattern across 
the Rose Garden.
  The differences then, despite our disagreements, were real; but 
because of the way President Reagan led, he taught us that there is a 
big difference between strong beliefs and bitter partisanship. Strong 
beliefs and a love of country are the only way to bring this country 
forward as we face the enormous challenges that we have before this body 
today.
  Ronald Reagan always stressed that we are a can-do country. Democrats 
and Republicans both believe this. And I believe it is that sense of 
optimism, as we look back on history, that the Presidents who moved the 
Nation forward were optimistic and believed the best and the brightest 
in this country would continue to move us forward.
  Mr. Speaker, I believe we can get back on the right track with strong 
leadership and a real commitment to confronting the problems that face 
American families today. In the words of Ronald Reagan, ``we can do 
better.'' With tolerance and inclusion, uniting rather than dividing, we 
can continue the legacy of Ronald Reagan.
  So when we return to work next week, I hope this House will be 
inspired by the leadership of Ronald Reagan instead of mired in the 
partisan politics that have too often affected our work as of late. We 
should be inspired by his patriotism and devotion to our country, and we 
should remember his faith, his optimism, and his unwavering commitment 
to his convictions as we do the work of the American people.
  In the words of President Reagan, whose comforting message he gave us 
some 18 years ago--and we will never forget Ronald Reagan, nor the last 
time we saw him--for now he has `` `slipped the surly bonds of earth' to 
`touch the face of God.' '' We will miss him.


                        Hon. Henry E. Brown, Jr.


                            of south carolina

  Mr. Speaker, like so many Americans, President Reagan was not only my 
President, but also my inspiration. My own calling to public service in 
1981 was in no small part as a result of President Reagan's example. 
Without his leadership and passion for our great Nation, I would not be 
standing in this great Chamber before Members today.
  He was a shining light and a beacon of hope not only for our Nation, 
but also for the world. At a time in history when it was desperately 
needed, he sought peace in our world and was a champion of democracy and 
freedom. We are all better as a result of his contributions, and his 
legacy will live forever.
  If I had to describe President Reagan with just one adjective, it 
would not be courageous, optimistic or kind, or any number of other 
fitting adjectives for such a great man, it would be American. Above all 
things, President Reagan was an American. He so embodied the spirit, 
courage and hope of America that he was able to reach out and touch his 
fellow citizens. He trusted the American people to be able to make 
decisions for themselves, and in turn they trusted him. He had a dream 
to make America stronger by putting more responsibility back into the 
hands of the people. He understood that Americans could manage their 
hard-earned dollars better than any government agency. He empowered the 
citizens to work harder and to improve our Nation from the ground up.
  I am proud to model my views on government after one of our great 
Presidents, President Reagan. Even those who have never met him or who 
disagree with him politically felt a special connection with President 
Reagan. He was a people's President, arguably unlike any others before 
or after.
  He invigorated and inspired those young men for the battle ahead, just 
as he invigorated and inspired a Nation while he was in office. 
President Reagan always celebrated life, and he loved every day of it. I 
am honored to be celebrating the life of such a great American with 
Members today. We were blessed and honored as a Nation to have President 
Reagan as both our leader and as our friend.
  Mr. President, you were not just marking time. You made a tremendous 
difference in the lives of all Americans. You made the Nation stronger 
and the world a safer place for democracy. Today we still enjoy the 
fruits of the Reagan revolution. You fought for freedom, and today it 
does not waver. You were the inspiration of so many, including myself, 
and today we remember and say thanks to you. On behalf of the entire 
First Congressional District of South Carolina, a grateful Nation and 
myself, thank you, Mr. President, and may God bless you and your family.


                             Hon. Mike Ross


                               of arkansas

  Mr. Speaker, the Great Communicator, an all-American patriot, 
relentless pursuer of freedom, these qualities describe America's 40th 
President, Ronald Reagan.
  We can all agree that President Reagan's enduring love for his country 
and his idealistic outlook renewed faith and hope to a generation of 
Americans. My fond memories of President Reagan will include, among 
others, that defining moment nearly 14 years ago as I watched with pride 
as he, as a former President, chiseled away at the Berlin Wall. I was 
truly moved by the immense joy and pride that he radiated and that 
radiated on the faces around him. You see, it had not been that many 
years before that in his famous speech he said, ``Mr. Gorbachev, tear 
down this wall!''
  President Reagan's commitment and service to our country and the world 
will be forever remembered in the hearts and minds of people around the 
globe. I join millions of others throughout the world who continue to 
keep Mrs. Reagan and their family in my heart and in my prayers as we 
pay tribute to the 40th President of the United States of America, 
former President Ronald Reagan.


                              Hon. Tom Cole


                               of oklahoma

  Mr. Speaker, there are few men in our history whose lives can be said 
to have changed the world. Ronald Reagan was one of those men.
  Ronald Reagan was an inspiration to me personally and politically. In 
1984, I was honored to head his reelection campaign in Oklahoma. I also 
served as chairman of the Oklahoma Republican Party during his 
Presidency. A favorite memory of mine is of a meeting with the President 
and Republican State Party chairmen from the South at the White House in 
1988. A 15-minute meeting turned into an hour-long treasure as he 
regaled us with one hilarious political story after another. Ronald 
Reagan loved politicians, he loved politics, and he loved public 
service.
  I cannot claim to have known Ronald Reagan well. I was privileged to 
be with him on more than a few occasions. All the same, he changed my 
life and the lives of millions of others. He was a voice of faith, faith 
in America, faith in her people, faith in their future, and, most 
profoundly, faith in freedom.
  Ronald Reagan inspired us to do great things. With him we accomplished 
much. It is for us to continue to build that ``shining city on a hill'' 
to which he so often referred. There is much yet to do. Ronald Reagan 
was my hero; but more important, he was an American hero. We mourn his 
passing, but we celebrate his life of achievement and patriotism.
  Mr. Speaker, there are few men in our history and there will be few 
men in our future who live their lives in such a way that the world will 
be changed because of their existence. Ronald Reagan is one of those 
men. His dignity, character, strength and convictions will distinguish 
him in the pages of history and define him as one of the greatest 
Presidents of the 20th century. President Reagan was an inspiration to 
many and his optimism for America's future encouraged those across all 
party lines. He knew there was a brighter tomorrow through the path of 
strong values, hard work, tough decisions and perseverance. His 
leadership pulled America through the end of the cold war, pushed the 
Soviet Union and the eastern bloc onto the ``ash heap of history'' and 
restored the virtues of idealism and optimism to our country. He was a 
visionary who instigated the rebirth of conservatism and shaped the 
Republican Party into the governing national majority we see today.
  Ronald Reagan was a source of inspiration to me both personally and 
politically. I was serving as executive director of the Oklahoma State 
Party when Reagan was elected. In 1984, I was honored to head his 
reelection efforts in Oklahoma. I also served as Oklahoma GOP chairman 
during his Presidency, so I had opportunities to meet and work with him.
  Ronald Reagan had a magic that really appealed to people. A favorite 
memory is of a meeting with the President and Republican State Party 
chairmen from the South in 1988. A 15-minute meeting turned into an 
hour-long treasure as he regaled us with one hilarious political story 
after another. His wit and humor are as fresh in my memory today as they 
were 20 years ago. I was privileged to see up close what so many 
Americans intuitively felt when watching him on television. He was an 
extraordinary man who lived life and enjoyed being with people. It is no 
wonder he was able to move thousands of people and mobilize them to 
support his efforts. It's a gift few of us have--and he had that magic 
in abundance.
  Not only is Ronald Reagan a personal hero to me, his influence has 
shaped a generation of politicians. And by doing that he instilled the 
values that the Republican Party embraces today. Countless Republican 
officeholders got into elective politics because he fired their 
imagination. More profoundly, he showed that the institution of the 
Presidency does work. We seldom remember that after the trials of 
Watergate and 20 years of failed or shortened administrations, some 
thought our country was too big for one man to govern, inspire and 
shape. No one, particularly those who worked with Ronald Reagan, 
question that today.
  And let us not forget that he was a very effective politician whose 
drive to succeed and will to win were intense. He lost primary after 
primary in 1976 before coming back from the political graveyard in North 
Carolina, Texas and Oklahoma. Former Republican National Chairman Frank 
Farenkopf tells the story that on election day in 1984, the President 
was so far ahead in the polls that he and Ed Rollins cancelled a rally 
in Minnesota. He did not need to be bothered, they reasoned. After he 
won 49 States and only lost Minnesota by about 2,500 votes, the 
President liked to tease both of his advisors about their election day 
gaffe. It became a joke, but the President wanted Minnesota in his 
column.
  Much has been made in recent days of Ronald Reagan's courage. We saw 
his physical courage when an assassin sought to take his life in early 
1981. We saw it again when he confronted the ravages of Alzheimer's with 
grace, candor and sensitivity. But President Reagan also had the courage 
of his ideas and an ability to see the right path for his party and his 
country.
  One of Ronald Reagan's biographers, Edmund Morris, tells of his 
astonishment when he read the President's diaries from his time in 
office. He learned how many of the major and complex decisions of the 
Reagan administration were made by the President, alone and in private. 
Ronald Reagan did not care, Morris recounts, who got the credit as long 
as his decisions were implemented and his goals for America came closer 
to realization. Recently Kiron K. Skinner and Marty Anderson's fine 
works detailed the depth and breath of Reagan's view of the world--a 
view he implemented in office.
  In describing another great man at another time in history, Winston 
Churchill writes in his ``History of the English Speaking Peoples'' that 
Robert Peel was:

  . . . the dominating force and personality in English politics . . . 
[who] whether in Opposition or in office . . . towered above the scene. 
He was not a man of broad and ranging modes of thoughts, but he 
understood better than any of his contemporaries the needs of the 
country and he had the outstanding courage to change his views in order 
to meet them.

Robert Peel, Mr. Churchill added,

   . . . saw the industrial revolution in Britain that made her the pre-
eminent world power in the nineteenth century was driven not by the 
government but by private enterprise, by capital, by entrepreneurs, by a 
free people willing to take risks.

  There are many differences between Robert Peel and Ronald Reagan. Mr. 
Peel split his party and destroyed a governing coalition to support free 
trade--a decision validated by history. As a Governor and then as a 
President, Ronald Reagan united a party badly divided over ideas and led 
it out of the political wilderness. The Republican ascendancy in 
national government today is a direct result of his leadership. But in 
reading Winston Churchill's appraisal of Robert Peel's political 
biography, he was the dominating personality in American politics for a 
generation.
  From the vantage of the early 21st century, it is hard to recall the 
mood of the country and its troubles at his election in 1980. Watergate, 
defeat in Vietnam, unrestrained Soviet adventurism, double-digit 
inflation and interest rates, massive unemployment, an energy crisis, 
American hostages in Tehran, the end of the postwar U.S. domination of 
the global economy--all these combined to give some a sense that 
America's best days were behind her; that perhaps free enterprise and 
freedom were not the answer; that we had to accept totalitarian 
communism as a legitimate and equally plausible alternative to our own 
way of life. Ronald Reagan rejected these ideas. He was optimistic about 
America. He believed the United States was a ``shining city on the 
hill,'' a beacon of hope and freedom to the world. He understood 
communism was evil and free peoples must defend themselves against the 
darkness of tyranny and oppression. He saw a bright and prosperous 
future for all Americans, one where their work could carry them as far 
as they dared to dream. Looking back, we take all these things for 
granted, but Ronald Reagan was ridiculed by the intellectuals and so-
called realists of his day. It took real courage to stand up for his 
beliefs to put them into practice, and to defend them from the faint of 
heart while they took root and blossomed. To paraphrase Mr. Churchill's 
assessment of Mr. Peel, Ronald Reagan understood his countrymen better 
than anyone else on the political stage. They needed leadership, he gave 
it and they loved him for it.
  Like Mr. Peel, Ronald Reagan also had the courage to change his views. 
A New Deal Democrat, his partisan affiliation and ideological vantage 
point slowly shifted over time from a liberal Democrat who believed in 
government intervention to a conservative Republican who trusted 
Americans and the people of the world to solve their own problems. As 
anyone who has even a passing understanding of Hollywood and its 
cultural and political outlook knows, this was not an easy thing to do. 
Ronald Reagan learned about communists first-hand when he battled to 
keep them out of the entertainment industry. Much of his later political 
success was based on a willingness to stand up to Soviet aggression. 
Yet, when a glimmer of light came through the darkness behind the Iron 
Curtain, President Reagan saw America's chance for victory through 
negotiation and began to talk to the Soviets and their leader, Mikhail 
Gorbachev. Many of his longtime supporters decried his decision and they 
did so with good reason because the Soviets historically did not 
negotiate in good faith. But the President had the courage and the 
vision to see the great opening and he took it. And, like so many times 
in the past, he was right. And we are better for it.
  Mr. Speaker, like many Americans I cannot claim to have known Ronald 
Reagan well. I was privileged to be with him on more than a few 
occasions, but more often I watched him on television or read about him 
in the morning's newspapers with the rest of the country. All the same, 
he changed my life. And he changed the lives of millions around the 
world. His was a voice of faith. Faith in America, in her people, and in 
freedom. He inspired us to do great things. With him we accomplished 
much. Though he has gone to a better place, it is for us to continue to 
build that ``shining city on the hill.'' There is much yet to do, but 
Ronald Reagan's legacy and memory will inspire us in our task.


                              Hon. David Wu


                                of oregon

  I would like to share a personal story, one little vignette about my 
experience with President Reagan. It was during my student days, during 
my college senior year. Then-Governor Reagan came to Stanford to speak. 
The speech was organized. It was sometime between his 1976 Presidential 
campaign and his 1980 Presidential campaign. He had been Governor of 
California.
  His speech at Stanford was organized by the Young College Republicans 
or the Young College Conservatives. Whoever organized it, they carefully 
screened the audience, and a lot of folks were screened out. But for 
whatever reason, I was screened in.
  Then-Governor Reagan gave a very good speech, after which he took 
questions. I was one of the ones who rose to ask a question. Of course, 
it was a challenging question. As I was going into the question, members 
of the audience started to boo me, and the moderator rose to cut off my 
question. It was at that point that Mr. Reagan stepped up and said, 
``No, no, no, I want to hear the young man out, and I want to answer his 
question.'' I had my say, he answered the question, and of course he got 
a standing ovation.
  But I think it is that moment, that image of Mr. Reagan, that I 
remember, his graciousness, his openness, his generosity of spirit, the 
willingness to hear folks out and hear debate. That is a sign of 
greatness in any individual, and there were lessons for that day almost 
30 years ago, and they are perhaps lessons today for the Washington in 
which we work today.
  My best wishes to the family, and God bless Ronald Reagan.


                             Hon. Dan Burton


                               of indiana

  Mr. Speaker, I, like all of my colleagues, would like to extol the 
wonderful accomplishments of President Reagan, the economy coming back 
from the doldrums, the destruction of the Berlin Wall, and the communist 
menace that we faced so much back in the sixties, seventies and 
eighties. But what I want to talk about today are personal experiences I 
had with Ronald Reagan.
  When I was running for office over a period of 10 or 12 years, I 
promised my mother, who was a waitress for many, many years at L.S. 
Harris & Company, that if I ever got elected to the Congress of the 
United States, the first thing I would do is take her in the front door 
of the White House and introduce her to the President of the United 
States.
  I got elected in 1983. I called the White House and they said, yes, we 
can give you a couple of minutes with the President. I called my mom, 
and I took her in the front door of the White House expecting a very 
perfunctory kind of meeting where he would shake hands and take a 
picture, and that would be it. Unbeknownst to me, he contacted my office 
and tried to find out everything he could about me. When we walked in, 
he put his arm around me and said to my mother, ``This is one of the 
finest young Congressmen in the Congress. I want you to know that I 
really appreciate all of the things he has done,'' and he reeled off 
three or four things I had accomplished that I did not think he had any 
idea about.
  I could see my mother's chest expanding, expanding, and expanding. 
Here is a little lady from the Midwest who had a very tough life, was 
abused as a wife, and protected me and my sister from abuse from my 
father. She had nothing but a tough life, and here was the President of 
the United States telling her what a great guy her son was. I will never 
forget that as long as I live. She walked out of that office with my 
stepfather and me, and she was so proud. She carried a picture of the 
President and us together for the rest of her life. She was so proud to 
the day she died. He was that kind of a guy.
  I remember another time I debated Al Gore when he was in the House and 
Tom Downey of New York on the Strategic Defense Initiative when the 
President first started talking about defending this country from an 
incoming missile attack. I debated Al Gore and Tom Downey on a special 
order for probably 30 or 40 minutes, and I thought that was the end of 
it. And 2 days later, I got a personal handwritten letter from the 
President thanking me for sticking up for him. Who would believe the 
President of the United States would take the time to write a 
handwritten note to a new Congressman just because he took a position 
that paralleled the President's? He was a wonderful, down-to-earth man.
  One more little anecdote, and then I will let the rest of my 
colleagues talk. When I first got elected, they had a dinner for all of 
the freshmen Congressmen. After the dinner, we were walking around the 
Green Room, and everybody was patting the President on the back and 
saying what a great job he had done with the tax cuts. As he walked by 
me, I thought I better talk about something besides tax cuts because he 
is just walking past everybody, and I really wanted to talk to the guy.
  As he walked by, I said, ``President Reagan, one of my favorite movies 
was `King's Row.' '' He said, thank you very much, took two steps past 
me, stopped, turned around and came back, and talked for 10 minutes 
about that movie. It was one of the greatest thrills of my life to get a 
real insight into what he did as a movie actor. He really enjoyed it as 
well. All my colleagues gathered around. It was one of the highlights of 
the evening.
  That is the kind of guy Ronald Reagan was. He cared about people in 
addition to being a great President.
  I would like to say to his family, God bless you, all of you. Mrs. 
Reagan, you were great to us when you were First Lady. God bless you and 
your family. The good Lord, I am sure, has a very high place in Heaven 
for Ronald Reagan.


                            Hon. Rahm Emanuel


                               of illinois

  Mr. Speaker, I do not have stories like the gentleman from Indiana 
(Mr. Burton), personal interaction with former President Reagan, but as 
somebody growing up and loving politics, I obviously watched his 
Presidency as a student of politics.
  Here was a guy known as a Great Communicator, an eternal optimist. It 
makes sense when one thinks about it: A guy who grew up in Dixon, IL, a 
troubled home, faced a series of disadvantages, and one day wakes up in 
the White House.
  What is there not to be optimistic about? And he had that sense of 
optimism, and everybody can talk about different skills or techniques or 
tactics as a communicator; but the truth is he never left Dixon, IL. He 
had that common touch. He knew about walking-around folk, and he 
understood their lives, and he could tell a great story that gave people 
a sense of his ideas. So he spoke of our common wisdom and our common 
sense.
  One of the other things that I very much admired on the policy, 
although I do have differences obviously, was President Reagan's 
commitment to the earned income tax credit. In 1986, he greatly expanded 
the earned income tax credit; and if I can quote him, ``This is the best 
antipoverty, the best profamily, the best job creation measure to come 
out of Congress.''
  That was President Reagan on the earned income tax credit; and he 
understood that through a tax credit we can help create jobs, help be 
profamily, did not have to have a government bureaucrat to do it, but it 
was something we could do through the Tax Code to reward work, reward 
responsibility, and fight poverty at the same time.
  I think that was a tremendous program. We expanded it in 1993 and 
again later on in 1997, but Ronald Reagan in 1986 really put the muscle 
behind the earned income tax credit, a great program that I think lifted 
millions of American families and children out of poverty and did it by 
rewarding work, not dependency.
  Last, Ronald Reagan spoke to our patriotism and our sense of love. He 
came into office at a time when people did not think you could do the 
job of the Presidency. It was just so overwhelming. And with his ease, 
his grace and his confidence, he restored people's confidence in that 
office.
  Mr. Speaker, he has a legacy of patriotism and confidence in America 
and the American people, and it will endure. Our hearts go out to Mrs. 
Reagan and his entire family, to a great, great patriot.


                            Hon. Steve Buyer


                               of indiana

  Mr. Speaker, Ronald Reagan's belief in the ideals of individual 
liberty reassured America to believe in itself and inspired people all 
over the world.
  Like a flower perfect in its bud and as it is in its bloom, it spreads 
its seeds before it dies. So did Ronald Reagan as he spread the seeds of 
liberty and its attributes to the people of the world through the 
pursuits of freedom.
  His critics viewed him as a throwback in time, almost antediluvian; 
but what Ronald Reagan possessed were principles and ideals that were 
ageless. They served as guideposts for our country in time.
  I will always remember his courage to take a stand in the face of 
adversity, especially the evils of tyranny. He understood that liberty 
is protected by the vigilant who must be ready to prepare and defend 
freedom, thereby preserving peace.
  I will always remember his charm and smile. They were infectious. He 
was always able to stay above the fray, undeterred with his calm 
demeanor and balanced temperament. I believe his optimism inspired 
people in more ways than this body could ever articulate. To Ronald 
Reagan, one cannot believe impossible things, for it oppresses the soul 
and thwarts hope.
  He dared Americans to dream big and made it fashionable to be a 
dreamer of dreams. His sentimentality reflected his care and concern for 
people. I thank the Reagan family for permitting the state funeral so 
that people can mourn their President.
  On behalf of my constituents in Indiana, I extend their thoughts and 
prayers of many Hoosiers to the Reagan family.


                         Hon. Stephanie Herseth


                             of south dakota

  Mr. Speaker, many Members of this House worked closely with President 
Reagan and were fortunate to call him their friend. Many were inspired 
to service by his example and point to his Presidency as a turning point 
in their lives. For many in my generation, he is the first President we 
really remember from the beginning of his Presidency to the end. He is 
the first President who inspired us with his confidence and optimism as 
well as his humility.
  He is the first President in our memory to truly embody that graceful 
strength that we seek from our leaders in times of crisis and 
uncertainty. We will all remember President Ronald Reagan in our own 
way, shaped by our own perspective. What I will always remember most is 
the respect, the dignity, and the sincerity with which he treated 
others, as will all America for generations to come. My thoughts and 
prayers are with his wife, Nancy Reagan, his family, and his many 
friends.


                          Hon. Mark R. Kennedy


                              of minnesota

  Mr. Speaker, our country had suffered its fair share of lumps in the 
seventies, and in 1980 we were looking for a leader who would draw a 
line in the sand and say ``no more.'' We found that rare man in Ronald 
Reagan. Ronald Reagan succeeded where others failed because throughout 
his public life he concerned himself with getting things done, not 
winning applause. In fact, one of Reagan's hallmarks was the plaque he 
kept on his desk that said: ``There is no limit to what you can 
accomplish if you don't care who gets the credit.''
  As a businessman, I admired Ronald Reagan's dedication to this 
seemingly modest goal. Putting success ahead of personal accolades is a 
difficult lesson for many to learn, but a talent all great men seem to 
instinctively possess. It is an axiom that turns productive individuals 
into innovative leaders, and it turned Ronald Reagan into one of the 
greatest leaders and greatest Presidents we have had. Ironically, the 
more Reagan sought to distance himself from the successes he knew grew 
from the sweat and tears of the American people, the more it turned out 
that those people admired him for his principled leadership. That 
leadership earned Ronald Reagan widespread respect and helped Reagan 
form broad bipartisan coalitions to renew America. The results were 
immediate, winning historic legislative victories on providing tax 
relief and strengthening our military. The economy flourished as our 
national pride returned.
  I can recall what a difference Ronald Reagan made in my own life, from 
the depressed job market I entered after graduating from college in 1978 
to the vastly improved job opportunities I found after graduating from 
business school in 1983. The world was a wholly different place in those 
5 years because the Reagan era had become the Reagan revolution.
  The impact that Ronald Reagan had on our world is immeasurable. When 
he took office, our collective national spirit had been lulled to sleep 
in the morass of the sixties and the seventies. Reagan seized the 
sleeping giant and shook it wide awake with a jolt of optimism and 
patriotism and a reminder of our destiny as Americans that our best days 
lay ahead.
  May God bless the spirit and family of Ronald Reagan, our 40th 
President, and one of our true national heroes.


                           Hon. Bob Etheridge


                            of north carolina

  Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the people of the Second District of North 
Carolina, I rise to pay my respects to the late Ronald Reagan, the 40th 
President of the United States of America. My wife, Faye, and I join all 
North Carolinians and all Americans in expressing our condolences to 
former First Lady Nancy Reagan and the entire Reagan family.
  Ronald W. Reagan served two terms in our Nation's highest office after 
winning overwhelming margins of victory in the Presidential elections of 
1980 and 1984. His time in office was marked by renewed pride in 
America, and he is to be commended for his steadfast devotion to 
liberalization from the oppression of communism and that vicious rule in 
nations throughout the world.
  Regardless of one's position on President Reagan's policies and 
politics, all Americans remember his warmth of spirit and the respectful 
manner in which he engaged in public debate. This approach kept acrimony 
to a healthy minimum even when conflicting views on vitally important 
issues were debated in this House and in this city. That example stands 
in marked contrast to the divisiveness and bitter partisanship we have 
too often witnessed since his Presidency.
  Finally, Mr. Speaker, all Americans stand in solidarity and salute 
Nancy Reagan and the whole Reagan family for the dignity and grace that 
they have displayed through the former President's long and difficult 
struggle with Alzheimer's disease. Their struggle has been our struggle, 
for it reminds us of the afflictions millions of Americans face in 
anonymity every day. The Federal Government must act to ease this 
needless suffering by increasing research funding and modernizing 
regulations to allow for potentially lifesaving research using stem 
cells and other medical techniques. The pain on Mrs. Reagan's face 
should prod the conscience of this country to end the cruel 
victimization of stricken patients who require potentially lifesaving 
research.
  In conclusion, the passing of President Reagan closes an important 
chapter in American history. As the leaders of the 20th century pass 
from the scene, we must endeavor to carry on their legacy of progress at 
home and American leadership in the world. On behalf of the people of 
North Carolina, I rise today to say, rest in peace, Mr. President.


                           Hon. Mike Ferguson


                              of new jersey

  Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the people of the Seventh District of New 
Jersey, I rise to pay tribute to the life and legacy of one of the great 
Presidents in the history of the United States, Ronald Reagan. In the 
farewell address at the end of his second term, President Reagan said 
that those in his generation:

  [W]ere taught, very directly, what it means to be an American. And we 
absorbed, almost in the air, a love of country and an appreciation of 
its institutions.

  In many ways, President Reagan was my first President. His presence 
was the dominant force in America and in politics when I first started 
thinking about policy issues, the role of government, and America's 
unique place of leadership in the world. And I believe, for my 
generation and for so many more, President Reagan enabled us to do just 
what he had been taught in his generation: to absorb, almost in the air, 
a love of country and an appreciation for its institutions.
  After the turmoil and tumult of the sixties and the seventies, 
President Reagan helped America regain its confidence. He helped us to 
remember who we were, what being an American meant, and the greatness 
which would allow America to play a pivotal role on the world stage. 
Ronald Reagan believed in ``peace through strength,'' and he won the 
cold war. He believed in the dignity and the value of every human 
person, and he believed in an optimistic vision for the future of 
America which resulted in one of the golden ages of American patriotism, 
prosperity, and progress. He was able to be a tough leader and a 
formidable adversary; and he did it with his own human touch, with a 
warm sense of humor, and his ever-present humility.
  Future generations will teach their children just as we are teaching 
ours that the life and legacy of President Ronald Reagan will take its 
rightful place alongside the greatest leaders in our Nation's history 
and as one of the pivotal figures of the 20th century who quite 
literally changed our world for the better. For this, we will forever be 
in his debt. May he rest in peace.


                            Hon. Artur Davis


                               of alabama

  Mr. Speaker, it is probably somewhat appropriate that I follow my 
friend from New Jersey (Mr. Ferguson) because, like some other Members 
in this body, I passed from being a child to being a grown man under the 
Reagan Presidency during those 8 years. And it is appropriate and I am 
honored to stand here today as part of the great bipartisan tradition in 
this country to express my condolences to the Reagan family.
  This is not a moment for party. It is a moment for solemn reflection 
about America and about someone who cared very deeply about America. 
Make no mistake, there are some on my side of the aisle who, including 
myself, have profound disagreements with the direction of what has been 
called the Reagan revolution.
  All of us in this Chamber do not share the same vision or the same 
viewpoints on a number of the President's policies during the eighties, 
but this is a time to give him his due, and this is a time to remember 
what the best tradition of Ronald Reagan's conservatism meant.
  One of my strongest memories of Ronald Reagan was one of his last 
great speeches when he went to the Berlin Wall about 24 years after John 
F. Kennedy went there, and he said symbolically to Mikhail Gorbachev, 
then the leader of the Soviet Union, that if he was serious about 
reform, if he was serious about freedom, he should come to this place, 
open this gate, and tear down this wall. And somehow 15 months later the 
wall was gone.
  Ronald Reagan was fortunate that he lived to see successes on his own 
terms. He lived to see the wall come down in Berlin. And I have to 
believe this: We can debate as historians what caused the Soviet empire 
to fall without a shot being fired. We can debate as people who follow 
history what caused the Soviet Union to implode. But we ought to be 
generous enough this week to say that Ronald Reagan's courage was a part 
of that. His willingness to stand up to the Iron Curtain was no small 
part in the dismantling.
  How do we honor Ronald Reagan? There are different opinions in this 
Chamber about how we do that. Let me close my time today by giving just 
one Member's opinion. President Reagan spoke very eloquently of a 
``shining city on a hill.'' If we are to ever build a ``shining city on 
a hill'' that is America, we have to recognize that a shining city has 
no hollows, a shining city has no walls, and a shining city is one where 
all of our people somehow have a foundation and a chance for growth.
  Ronald Reagan's conservatism, properly understood, oriented to the 
needs of our times, ought to mean at least this: It ought to mean that 
we believe in one community in America. It ought to mean that we believe 
in a community that is strong enough to raise up all of our people and 
strong enough to reconcile all of our differences.
  So I end today by saying that whatever our differences with our 
friends on the other side of the aisle, whatever our differences with 
the direction of the eighties, we ought to be secure in the sense that 
we are all Americans, and we ought to be secure in the sense of freedom 
that Ronald Reagan spoke about that day in Berlin, because there are all 
kinds of walls that still need to come down, and to truly salute this 
man's legacy, that ought to be our business today.


                            Hon. Curt Weldon


                             of pennsylvania

  Madam Speaker, I first met Ronald Reagan through a local leader in our 
State, Faith Whittlesey, who was one of Ronald Reagan's earliest 
supporters in the eastern part of America for the Presidency. And it was 
a glorious day in 1984 when Ronald Reagan came to my home county, stood 
on the steps of the courthouse where I was then the vice chairman, and 
held my hand up alongside of another famous American, Tug McGraw, and 
endorsed me for the congressional seat. I did not win that year, Madam 
Speaker, but I came within 412 votes of unseating a 10-year, very 
popular incumbent. I won the seat 2 years later and have been here ever 
since.
  I took up two of Ronald Reagan's key issues: his work with the Soviet 
Union, now Russia, and his work on missile defense. And over the past 18 
years that I have been in Congress, it has been my pleasure to try to 
live up to the expectations and to the role model that Ronald Reagan 
established for all of us.
  Madam Speaker, he was someone who understood the Russian people, and 
he was someone who taught us in America that in the end, if we would 
simply trust but verify, if we would simply stand up and be candid with 
them, that in the end they would respect us. On the issue of missile 
defense, it was Ronald Reagan who said that we should not leave America 
unprotected and vulnerable.
  How amazing it is 18 years later, Madam Speaker, that one of the most 
popular officials in Russia today is Ronald Reagan. In polls that have 
been conducted in Russia, they look to Ronald Reagan because he was a 
leader of stature and because he was someone whom the Russian people 
respected, because he saw through the communist leadership and held fast 
with the Russian people for a better time. So it was appropriate that 
when I last traveled to Russia 3 weeks ago for my 37th trip that we 
discussed a new initiative with the Russian people, in honor of Ronald 
Reagan, taking their radar systems and using them with our radar systems 
to develop a joint missile defense system. How proud Ronald Reagan would 
be.
  But for all of his work in helping us defeat communism, in helping us 
move toward missile defense, and helping to reinvigorate our economy, I 
will remember Ronald Reagan, Madam Speaker, most for what he was as an 
individual person. He was a very humble man. He would take the time to 
meet with anyone regardless of their stature in life.
  As a first-term Republican, I had the honor of being invited to the 
Oval Office with my family. I took my five kids down to the Oval Office 
with my wife, and my youngest was then 4 years old, and he was more 
concerned with the inside furnishings of the Oval Office than he was 
with the stature of the President. That did not matter to Ronald Reagan. 
In fact, I would later find out that in the book of the favorite 
photographs of Ronald Reagan, this photograph would appear, which is 
also on the wall of the Reagan Presidential Library in California. How 
proud I am that my family had the chance to meet Ronald Reagan and that 
my 4-year-old son, who is now 21 years old, who is here making faces at 
the camera, received a signed personal photograph from Ronald Reagan and 
received words of encouragement back then that are still important to 
each of my five kids today.
  I remember Ronald Reagan most for not just what he did for the world, 
but what he was as a role model for everyone that met him. He was 
someone who genuinely cared about people. He was someone who would take 
the time to reach out to a 4-year-old or a 6-year-old and give them 
words of encouragement.
  Ronald Reagan is a role model for all of us, and for that we give 
thanks, and we thank his wife and send our sympathies to the entire 
Reagan family.


                         Hon. Michael R. McNulty


                               of new york

  Madam Speaker, President Reagan's long struggle with Alzheimer's 
disease has ended, but the legacy of his extraordinary life remains.
  In 1998, my mother died as a result of the impact of Alzheimer's 
disease; so I know what families go through during times like that. And 
I will always be inspired by Nancy Reagan and the other members of the 
family for their tender caregiving to the former President over that 
very long period of time.
  Many people today have mentioned the occasion of the tearing down of 
the Berlin Wall by the people, and I recently looked at those pictures 
of the former President when he participated in chipping away at the 
wall. I was on the Committee on Armed Services at the time, and I had a 
chance to do that, too. As I was standing there watching people chipping 
away at the wall, tearing it down piece by piece, I noticed as the 
pieces were falling off the wall, some of them would catch the pieces 
and put them in their pockets. I said to myself, aha, they are taking 
souvenirs of the Berlin Wall, and I thought I might like to do that.
  And already capitalism being in evidence, I looked down, and there 
were vendors selling pieces of the wall. They were in little cellophane 
wrappers marked with the date they were taken off the wall. But ever the 
skeptic, I said to myself, how do I know that those pieces came off the 
wall?
  So I further looked around, and I saw this guy walking back and forth 
with hammers and chisels, renting them out. So I went over with my 
translator and made the deal and gave him some money, and I did what 
President Reagan did, and I chipped off some pieces of the wall. I 
brought them back home, and I gave them to veterans as a thank you to 
them for their dedication through the years and for the fact that they 
were responsible for what was happening on that particular day and at 
that particular time in history.
  President Reagan was a proud and patriotic American whose persistent 
advocacy for democracy led in part to the breakup of the Soviet Union 
and its devolution into 15 individual democratic republics. And I was in 
one of those republics as a member of a delegation from Congress on 
their independence day. In Armenia I watched in awe as 95 percent of all 
the people in that country went out and voted. I watched them stand in 
long lines for the privilege of voting in a free election for the first 
time in their lives. I noticed they brought covered dishes with them, 
and after they voted, they held little celebrations and banquets in each 
of the polling places.
  And what a thrill it was to be with them the next day in the streets 
of Yerevan, their capital, as they danced and shouted and sang, ``Ketze 
asat ankakh Hayastan,'' which means ``Long live free and independent 
Armenia.'' Then they pointed to the United States of America as their 
example of what they wanted to be as a democracy.
  So I thank all of the men and women who served in the uniform of the 
U.S. military through the years for helping to make that happen, and I 
also thank the Commander in Chief for 8 years, Ronald Reagan, for 
helping to make that happen.
  Today I join with all Americans in mourning his passing and in 
expressing deep gratitude for his tremendous public service as both 
Governor and as President.


                            Hon. Jim Ramstad


                              of minnesota

  Madam Speaker, I rise to proudly pay tribute to the greatest President 
of the 20th century, Ronald Wilson Reagan, whose suffering has ended and 
heavenly life begun.
  My fellow Minnesotans join me in mourning the loss of America's 40th 
President and celebrating the life of a man who personified both the 
greatness and goodness of America. All Americans and freedom-loving 
people around the world owe President Reagan our deepest gratitude for 
his strong, principled leadership that ended the cold war and brought 
freedom to millions of people.
  As we celebrate President Reagan's remarkable career and historic 
legacy, we also celebrate a man of strong character, deep conviction, 
unforgettable charm, and wonderful wit. No Minnesotan will ever forget 
President Reagan braving the below-zero windchill to ride in a 
convertible in St. Paul's Winter Carnival Parade and proclaim, ``I 
thought my ears would fall off.'' It was that cold.
  Madam Speaker, as America honors our beloved 40th President, we also 
thank God for a leader who restored pride and made the American people 
believe in themselves again. Always the eternal optimist, President 
Reagan instilled confidence and optimism at a time both were in short 
supply in our country.
  Thanks to President Reagan's strong leadership and undying belief in 
free-market capitalism, the great entrepreneurial spirit of the American 
people was unleashed, and prosperity was restored here at home.
  Madam Speaker, our hearts go out to Nancy Reagan and the Reagan family 
on their great loss. Mrs. Reagan has showed the whole world the true 
meaning of love and loyalty these past 10 very painful years as her 
beloved husband suffered from cruel Alzheimer's disease, the same 
deadly, debilitating disease that took the life of my own mother just 
months ago.
  So today, Madam Speaker, as we celebrate the life and legacy of Ronald 
Reagan, let us honor this great President by keeping his legacy alive, a 
legacy of love for his faith, family, friends, and country; a legacy of 
freedom, liberty, and opportunity for all people; a legacy of public 
service deeply rooted in faith, principle, character, and conviction. 
And let us always remember President Reagan's warm, infectious, kind 
smile that lit up every audience, inspired us and gave us hope, just as 
we remember our ``rendezvous with destiny.''
  Rest in peace, Mr. President, in the loving embrace of our Lord and 
Savior.


                           Hon. Adam H. Putnam


                               of florida

  Madam Speaker, I was in grade school when President Reagan was 
elected, so my thoughts and observations are not based on any particular 
policy, but on the man, on the spirit itself.
  We took great courage as a Nation in watching him as he dealt with an 
attempt on his life. We watched in awe at his unwavering commitment to 
freedom everywhere around the world and his commitment to ``peace 
through strength,'' which allowed him to win the cold war without a shot 
being fired.
  He moved an entire generation of young people to that same cry for 
freedom, the battle to spread liberty and democracy and freedom and 
equality around the world, and he did it with a sunny, hopeful, 
cheerful, optimistic demeanor. He appealed to the very best in us, never 
preying on our worst fears, but backed up by a steely resolve, backed up 
by principle, backed up by the notion that it was better to be right 
than to be popular. In doing so, he succeeded with an understanding, a 
very clear understanding, of the power of the American spirit when it is 
unencumbered, when it is let loose to achieve its own potential and 
carve out its piece of the American dream. He always believed in the 
goodness of the American spirit and the human spirit around the world. 
He understood that the strength of America, the resilience of America is 
in her people. He inspired in us all of those great factors without 
preying on the worst.
  Madam Speaker, may we ever be vigilant gatekeepers of his ``shining 
city on the hill.'' God bless the Reagan family, God bless America, and 
God bless this institution to which President Reagan has given so much.


                          Hon. John A. Boehner


                                 of ohio

  I rise today in tribute to a great American, Ronald Reagan.
  We have heard extensive remarks this morning about his two major 
accomplishments, I believe: the end of the Soviet Union as we know it, 
and setting in place employer tax rates leading to an economic recovery. 
If we think about what happened, he was the first to call for the end of 
the Soviet Union and, frankly, the first to predict the end of the 
Soviet Union as we knew it. No one in my lifetime has done more to 
spread freedom around the world than Ronald Reagan, and we all owe him a 
great debt not only here in our country, but around the world.
  His tax policies of the early eighties led to an economic recovery in 
the eighties, and I believe the entire expansion of the nineties can be 
traced back to the lower tax rates set in the early eighties, giving 
investors a reason to invest in our economy.
  But I think Ronald Reagan's greatest contribution to our country was 
his optimism, his hope, and his belief in the strength of the American 
people. One only has to look at what we went through in the sixties and 
the seventies and what Ronald Reagan inherited when he took office. 
America, to say the least, was on its heels. We had gone through the 
problems of the Vietnam era; we had gone through problems with the 
Presidency; we had gone through the problems of the energy crisis; and 
this new animal that came upon our economy called inflation.
  America was beginning to wonder about itself, and it was Ronald Reagan 
who talked about the ``shining city on the hill'' and all that America 
could be. It was Ronald Reagan that knew and said that our best days lie 
ahead, not in the past, and he was right. The hope that he brought, the 
enthusiasm he brought, and the belief in the American people was 
something that did, in fact, renew the American spirit.
  His patriotism and the patriotism he brought to our country was 
something that we have not seen for some time. I know in my case, my 
entire family and I grew up in the Democratic Party, and it was Ronald 
Reagan who showed me that I was a Republican. It was Ronald Reagan who 
encouraged me to take a more active role in my community. I was proud to 
be a volunteer on his campaign in 1980. And, Mr. President, let me say 
this: You were my hero then; you continue to be my hero.
  It was Ronald Reagan who inspired me to make a commitment to public 
service and to do my share on behalf of the American people, and forever 
I will be grateful.
  Mr. President, we still love you.


                             Hon. Jeff Flake


                               of arizona

  Madam Speaker, those of us who have had the good fortune to be born 
and raised in Arizona have always had the words and life of Barry 
Goldwater to shape our political philosophy. It was during the Goldwater 
campaign of 1964 that Ronald Reagan came to national prominence. During 
that campaign, Reagan delivered a speech so memorable that it was known 
thereafter simply as ``The Speech.'' It was, in my opinion, the greatest 
political speech ever delivered.
  In it, Reagan included the words:

  You and I are told . . . that we have to choose between a left or 
right, but I would . . . suggest that there is no such thing as a left 
or right. There is only an up or down--up to a man's age-old dream, the 
ultimate in individual freedom consistent with law and order--or down to 
the ant heap of totalitarianism.

  Equally memorable was the phrase:

  This is the issue of this election. Whether we believe in our capacity 
for self-government or whether we abandon the American revolution and 
confess that a little intellectual elite in a far-distant capital can 
plan our lives for us better than we can plan them ourselves.

  Madam Speaker, having now spent 4 years in the far distant capital, I 
can attest that this insight from Ronald Reagan still bears remembering.
  I was never able to meet President Reagan personally. It is one of my 
great regrets in life. But like all Americans, I am well acquainted with 
his goodness. I will always be grateful that he was my President.


                        Hon. Shelley Moore Capito


                            of west virginia

  Madam Speaker, America has lost a great patriot with the passing of 
President Ronald Reagan. My fellow West Virginians join me in mourning 
his death.
  As our President, he shepherded America through tough times, cutting 
taxes and invigorating our Nation's economy. President Reagan's service 
as a statesman reflected the good freedom could do when waged against 
tyranny.
  In June 1987, President Reagan stood in front of the Brandenburg Gate 
in Germany, calling upon Mikhail Gorbachev to ``tear down this wall!''
  Reagan aimed to replace the instability brought by fear of nuclear war 
with the firm backing of freedom.
  When the wall fell, a wave of sovereignty rolled through Eastern 
Europe, washing away suppressive governments and leaving in its wake 
democracies firmly backed by individual liberty.
  Americans will always measure their President against the high bar 
Ronald Reagan has set for the Presidency. But along with being a 
statesman, a peacemaker, and a leader, Ronald Reagan was a kind man who 
I was very honored to have met, a loving husband and father, and a 
compassionate human being.
  I will always remember Ronald Reagan for his ability to lift up the 
American people, inspiring us to rely on ourselves, not on our 
government, to overcome challenges in our lives. His legacies will be 
remembered for years to come. Freedom over fear, the individual before 
its government, and the strength of America overall.
  May God bless America, and may God bless our President, Ronald 
Reagan.Page H3848


                         Hon. Candice S. Miller


                               of michigan

  Madam Speaker, as we mourn the loss of President Ronald Reagan, let us 
also celebrate the absolutely incredible life that he lived, a life that 
had such a positive impact certainly on our Nation and, in fact, the 
entire world.
  Madam Speaker, I live in Macomb County, MI. That is the home of the 
so-called ``Reagan Democrats.'' That term really had its genesis in 
Macomb County and has become certainly part of our nomenclature. It 
describes a huge block of citizens, average Americans, principally 
ethnic, blue collar, who had voted Democratic for literally generations.
  And then along came Ronald Reagan, and he captured their hearts and he 
captured their minds with the power of his ideas and the vision for 
America, ideas that were powerful, yet very, very simple: that freedom 
is a universal right of every human being; ideas about personal 
responsibility and the fundamental values that built our Nation, and the 
eternally optimistic idea that America is a great Nation whose best days 
continually lie in our future.
  President Reagan never wavered, never backed down from his defense of 
freedom, of his belief that we could achieve ``peace through strength.'' 
Of course, his strong stand created countless critics, and yet today 
those critics must recognize the rightness of his cause and his methods. 
History has certainly proven him to be right.
  Because of the leadership of President Reagan, Soviet communism 
collapsed and hundreds of millions of people who lived under Soviet 
domination now live as free people.
  Because of the leadership of President Reagan, our national spirit and 
the spirit of free enterprise rose up and has spread across the entire 
globe.
  Because of his leadership, the world continues to look to America to 
export liberty and freedom and democracy.
  Our Nation and the world owe a debt to President Reagan that can 
really only be repaid in one way: We must continue to fight for 
democracy, for freedom, and for liberty, and so we shall.
  God bless President Ronald Wilson Reagan. May he rest in peace.


                              Hon. Ron Kind


                              of wisconsin

  Madam Speaker, I, too, rise today to mark the death of President 
Ronald Reagan and to pay tribute to a great American. I extend my 
deepest sympathies and prayers to Mrs. Reagan and the entire Reagan 
family. With President Reagan's death, our country lost yet another 
member of the greatest generation, a member who typified his generation 
with his work ethic, his optimism, and his patriotism.
  I believe that all of us, regardless of political affiliation, were 
impressed by how much President Reagan loved America, how much he 
believed in its basic goodness and the decency of this great country. He 
was so proud to represent a country that stood for freedom and equality, 
and he worked for many years to help spread freedom across the globe.
  I was fortunate enough to witness first-hand the effect of freedom 
spreading across the world. After graduating from college, I had the 
privilege of traveling to Europe and spending time in the countries that 
were formerly part of the Soviet Union that were struggling to gain a 
place in the world as free nations. My travels included a stop in Berlin 
to celebrate the reunification of Germany. I hammered away with a 
sledgehammer at the Berlin Wall with thousands of people from all over 
the world. I still have a piece of that wall, which sits on my desk.
  It was inspiring to be a part of history in this way, and I can only 
imagine how wonderful it must have been for President Reagan to have 
played such a seminal role in the transformation of the Soviet Union and 
the Eastern bloc nations. With the end of the cold war, we face an 
exciting new world of independent nations throughout Eastern and Central 
Europe.
  As we face current challenges throughout the world, I look back to the 
patriotism and optimism with which President Reagan approached 
international and domestic issues, and I feel grateful that we have his 
example.
  Aside from his leadership on issues of international importance, I 
also appreciate President Reagan's willingness to find bipartisan 
compromise in order to achieve results. To him, politics was not a blood 
sport; it was the art of the possible. Coming to Congress several years 
after both President Reagan and Speaker Tip O'Neill had retired, I 
always enjoyed listening to my colleagues tell of the two men swapping 
stories and jokes as they negotiated important pieces of legislation.
  President Reagan's bipartisan spirit and constant optimism are 
testament to his leadership skills and his love for his country. It is 
an approach to governing and it is an approach to leadership that we 
need to restore.
  May God bless his soul.


                          Hon. Philip M. Crane


                               of illinois

  Madam Speaker, today I rise to pay tribute to and express my sympathy 
on the passing of one of Illinois' greatest sons, Ronald Reagan.
  I was inspired by Ronald Reagan some 40 years ago when he, the Great 
Communicator, first outlined his vision for America. His vision was one 
of free enterprise, strong defense, and limited government. I was so 
drawn to these principles that I worked with fellow conservatives to 
nominate him for President in 1968 and again in 1976.
  The biggest heartbreak in my political career came in 1976 when we 
were unable to secure Reagan the nomination. But we stayed at it. Ronnie 
stayed true to his principles; and, finally, in 1980 we had a man in the 
White House who I knew would turn this country around. Reagan did just 
that. He turned around our economy, he ended the cold war, and he 
renewed hope for Americans.
  Reagan was able to accomplish so much in his years as President 
because he approached everything as a gentleman. He never allowed 
politics to become personal. He treated everyone with respect even when 
he disagreed with you. And always his wit and humor won you over.
  I am proud to say that I knew Ronald Reagan not so much for his 
accomplishments, and there were many, but I am more proud to have known 
him for the man he was. As President, Reagan brought his hometown-
Illinois values with him to the White House. And these are the same 
values we all share in Illinois, the value of hard work, of faith, 
family, and unlimited opportunity.
  Reagan was, as history will bear, one of America's greatest 
Presidents. And I ask my colleagues to join me in remembering his family 
and this Nation during our season of mourning. And may God bless us all.


                         Hon. Robert B. Aderholt


                               of alabama

  Madam Speaker, what do you say about a man like Ronald Reagan that has 
not already been said? Ronald Reagan took the oath of office here in 
Washington, DC, in 1981 and, actually, just a short distance from where 
we are standing here this afternoon. At the time he took office, I was 
15 years old. I did not realize at that time the impact that this new 
President would have on this Nation and the world. I did not realize the 
moral and strong leadership that he would provide this Nation.
  Ronald Reagan served in the highest office of our land throughout my 
time in high school, college, and my first couple of years of law 
school. And with most of America, I listened to the tributes as they 
started pouring in over this past weekend. During the weekend and since 
that time, President Reagan's speeches, his remarks and comments have 
been played and reviewed time and time again.
  However, over the weekend I heard one speech that I had never heard 
before. It was a speech that President Reagan delivered at a prayer 
breakfast in Dallas, TX, on the morning of August 23, 1984. It is so 
relevant to our situation today that if you did not know better, you 
would think he delivered the speech just a few days ago.
  He discussed religion and its role in the political life of our 
Nation. He made clear from the beginning of his speech that he was not 
speaking as a theologian or as a scholar, but rather as someone who had 
been around for quite a few years.
  He talked about the critical role in the political life of this Nation 
that faith and religion had played and, furthermore, how that had worked 
to benefit our Nation.
  He went on to say that the Founders understood that there was a divine 
order which transcends the human order. He then eloquently stated that 
he believed George Washington knew the city of man cannot survive 
without the city of God, and that the visible city will perish without 
the invisible city.
  While time will not permit me to discuss all of his remarks today, I 
would like to include his remarks in the Record that President Reagan 
made at that prayer breakfast in Dallas in 1984. Of course, it would not 
be appropriate to talk about Ronald Reagan without talking about how 
much he loved life and how much he valued life. He was a man of 
compassion, and people of all ages would do well to emulate Ronald 
Wilson Reagan.

         Remarks at an Ecumenical Prayer Breakfast in Dallas, TX

                             August 23, 1984


  Thank you, ladies and gentlemen, very much. And, Martha Weisend, thank 
you very much. And I could say that if the morning ended with the music 
we have just heard from that magnificent choir, it would indeed be a 
holy day for all of us.

  It's wonderful to be here this morning. The past few days have been 
pretty busy for all of us, but I've wanted to be with you today to share 
some of my own thoughts.

  These past few weeks it seems that we've all been hearing a lot of 
talk about religion and its role in politics, religion and its place in 
the political life of the Nation. And I think it's appropriate today, at 
a prayer breakfast for 17,000 citizens in the State of Texas during a 
great political convention, that this issue be addressed.

  I don't speak as a theologian or a scholar, only as one who's lived a 
little more than his threescore ten--which has been a source of 
annoyance to some--[laughter]--and as one who has been active in the 
political life of the Nation for roughly four decades and now who's 
served the past 3\1/2\ years in our highest office. I speak, I think I 
can say, as one who has seen much, who has loved his country, and who's 
seen it change in many ways.

  I believe that faith and religion play a critical role in the 
political life of our nation--and always has--and that the church--and 
by that I mean all churches, all denominations--has had a strong 
influence on the state. And this has worked to our benefit as a nation.

  Those who created our country--the Founding Fathers and Mothers--
understood that there is a divine order which transcends the human 
order. They saw the state, in fact, as a form of moral order and felt 
that the bedrock of moral order is religion.

  The Mayflower Compact began with the words, ``In the name of God . . 
.'' The Declaration of Independence appeals to ``Nature's God'' and the 
``Creator'' and ``the Supreme Judge of the world.'' Congress was given a 
chaplain, and the oaths of office are oaths before God.

  James Madison in the Federalist Papers admitted that in the creation 
of our Republic he perceived the hand of the Almighty. John Jay, the 
first Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, warned that we must never 
forget the God from whom our blessings flowed.

  George Washington referred to religion's profound and unsurpassed 
place in the heart of our nation quite directly in his Farewell Address 
in 1796. Seven years earlier, France had erected a government that was 
intended to be purely secular. This new government would be grounded on 
reason rather than the law of God. By 1796 the French Revolution had 
known the Reign of Terror.

  And Washington voiced reservations about the idea that there could be 
a wise policy without a firm moral and religious foundation. He said, 
``Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, 
Religion and morality are indispensable supports. In vain would that man 
(call himself a patriot) who (would) labour to subvert these . . . 
finest [firmest] \1\ props of the duties of men and citizens. The mere 
Politician . . . (and) the pious man ought to respect and to cherish 
(religion and morality).'' And he added, ``. . . let us with caution 
indulge the supposition, that morality can be maintained without 
religion.''
---------------------------------------------------------------------------


\1\ White House correction.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------


  I believe that George Washington knew the City of Man cannot survive 
without the City of God, that the Visible City will perish without the 
Invisible City.

  Religion played not only a strong role in our national life; it played 
a positive role. The abolitionist movement was at heart a moral and 
religious movement; so was the modern civil rights struggle. And 
throughout this time, the state was tolerant of religious belief, 
expression, and practice. Society, too, was tolerant.

  But in the 1960's this began to change. We began to make great steps 
toward secularizing our nation and removing religion from its honored 
place.

  In 1962 the Supreme Court in the New York prayer case banned the 
compulsory saying of prayers. In 1963 the Court banned the reading of 
the Bible in our public schools. From that point on, the courts pushed 
the meaning of the ruling ever outward, so that now our children are not 
allowed voluntary prayer. We even had to pass a law--we passed a special 
law in the Congress just a few weeks ago to allow student prayer groups 
the same access to schoolrooms after classes that a young Marxist 
society, for example, would already enjoy with no opposition.

  The 1962 decision opened the way to a flood of similar suits. Once 
religion had been made vulnerable, a series of assaults were made in one 
court after another, on one issue after another. Cases were started to 
argue against tax-exempt status for churches. Suits were brought to 
abolish the words ``under God'' from the Pledge of Allegiance and to 
remove ``In God We Trust'' from public documents and from our currency.

  Today there are those who are fighting to make sure voluntary prayer 
is not returned to the classrooms. And the frustrating thing for the 
great majority of Americans who support and understand the special 
importance of religion in the national life--the frustrating thing is 
that those who are attacking religion claim they are doing it in the 
name of tolerance, freedom, and openmindedness. Question: Isn't the real 
truth that they are intolerant of religion? [Applause] They refuse to 
tolerate its importance in our lives.

  If all the children of our country studied together all of the many 
religions in our country, wouldn't they learn greater tolerance of each 
other's beliefs? If children prayed together, would they not understand 
what they have in common, and would this not, indeed, bring them closer, 
and is this not to be desired? So, I submit to you that those who claim 
to be fighting for tolerance on this issue may not be tolerant at all.

  When John Kennedy was running for President in 1960, he said that his 
church would not dictate his Presidency any more than he would speak for 
his church. Just so, and proper. But John Kennedy was speaking in an 
America in which the role of religion--and by that I mean the role of 
all churches--was secure. Abortion was not a political issue. Prayer was 
not a political issue. The right of church schools to operate was not a 
political issue. And it was broadly acknowledged that religious leaders 
had a right and a duty to speak out on the issues of the day. They held 
a place of respect, and a politician who spoke to or of them with a lack 
of respect would not long survive in the political arena.

  It was acknowledged then that religion held a special place, occupied 
a special territory in the hearts of the citizenry. The climate has 
changed greatly since then. And since it has, it logically follows that 
religion needs defenders against those who care only for the interests 
of the state.

  There are, these days, many questions on which religious leaders are 
obliged to offer their moral and theological guidance, and such guidance 
is a good and necessary thing. To know how a church and its members feel 
on a public issue expands the parameters of debate. It does not narrow 
the debate; it expands it.

  The truth is, politics and morality are inseparable. And as morality's 
foundation is religion, religion and politics are necessarily related. 
We need religion as a guide. We need it because we are imperfect, and 
our government needs the church, because only those humble enough to 
admit they're sinners can bring to democracy the tolerance it requires 
in order to survive.

  A state is nothing more than a reflection of its citizens; the more 
decent the citizens, the more decent the state. If you practice a 
religion, whether you're Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, or guided by some 
other faith, then your private life will be influenced by a sense of 
moral obligation, and so, too, will your public life. One affects the 
other. The churches of America do not exist by the grace of the state; 
the churches of America are not mere citizens of the state. The churches 
of America exist apart; they have their own vantage point, their own 
authority. Religion is its own realm; it makes its own claims.

  We establish no religion in this country, nor will we ever. We command 
no worship. We mandate no belief. But we poison our society when we 
remove its theological underpinnings. We court corruption when we leave 
it bereft of belief. All are free to believe or not believe; all are 
free to practice a faith or not. But those who believe must be free to 
speak of and act on their belief, to apply moral teaching to public 
questions.

  I submit to you that the tolerant society is open to and encouraging 
of all religions. And this does not weaken us; it strengthens us, it 
makes us strong. You know, if we look back through history to all those 
great civilizations, those great nations that rose up to even world 
dominance and then deteriorated, declined, and fell, we find they all 
had one thing in common. One of the significant forerunners of their 
fall was their turning away from their God or gods. Page H3850

  Without God, there is no virtue, because there's no prompting of the 
conscience. Without God, we're mired in the material, that flat world 
that tells us only what the senses perceive. Without God, there is a 
coarsening of the society. And without God, democracy will not and 
cannot long endure. If we ever forget that we're one nation under God, 
then we will be a nation gone under.

  If I could just make a personal statement of my own--in these 3\1/2\ 
years I have understood and known better than ever before the words of 
Lincoln, when he said that he would be the greatest fool on this 
footstool called Earth if he ever thought that for one moment he could 
perform the duties of that office without help from One who is stronger 
than all.

  I thank you, thank you for inviting us here today. Thank you for your 
kindness and your patience. May God keep you, and may we, all of us, 
keep God.

  Thank you.


                             Hon. Tim Murphy


                             of pennsylvania

  Madam Speaker, the people of Pennsylvania join me in offering their 
sympathies and prayers to Nancy Reagan and all the members of the Reagan 
family. But more so, we offer our gratitude for sharing this great man.
  In his memory, I humbly offer these words:

While flags fly low we gather here to offer words of praise.

With tributes to our leader gone, reflect, remember, pray.

Our Nation's forests, oceans, plains, majestic mountain skies where some 
saw only clouds above, he saw hopes spirit rise.

While enemies in shadows crept where evil's hatred stood, some brooded and 
in weakness slept.

He saw strength in our good.

America, your song shall soar over this Nation blessed, though some will 
turn to doubt and fear, his hope shall never rest.

The Sun shall set and darkness fall, yet stars their beacons give.

Do not ye grieve that he is gone, rejoice that he has lived.


                        Hon. Thaddeus G. McCotter


                               of michigan

  Madam Speaker, I rise to offer a long delayed thank you to President 
Reagan for his help with a personal matter of mine. By the time I turned 
15 in 1980, I had grown acutely aware of a quadrennial rift between my 
parents. My father was a Truman Democrat, my mother was an Eisenhower 
Republican, and my brother and myself were, of course, KISS fans.
  Then one cold November night, there was a thaw. My father walked in 
the door, sat my mother down and, in a hushed, tremulous tone, as if 
every fellow Irish Catholic Democrat he had known from his days in the 
St. Francis Home for Boys Orphanage, every worker in a Detroit Labor Day 
parade, and everybody on every St. Patrick's Day pub crawl might somehow 
overhear him, Dennis Vincent Patrick Mullen McCotter admitted to his 
wife, ``I cannot believe I went and did it, Joan, I voted for him.'' He 
voted for Ronald Wilson Reagan.
  This vignette of American democracy's unifying force occurred in 
millions of homes across our Nation in 1980. The resulting national 
unity, which was brought about through the thawing of so many families' 
political cold wars, ultimately led to the end of the global cold war.
  Madam Speaker, today the words of Albert Camus ring true: ``A man does 
not show his greatness by being at one extremity or the other, but 
rather by touching both at once.'' Truly, President Reagan was a 
unifying force for moral good in our Nation and our world. And thus his 
great humility would have precluded him from ever agreeing, Ronald 
Reagan was a great man. He will be mourned and missed and forever 
remembered.
  I offer my perpetual gratitude to the man, and my profound condolences 
to his family.


                           Hon. Deborah Pryce


                                 of ohio

  Madam Speaker, the citizens of Ohio join me in my sincere condolences 
to Mrs. Reagan and her family during these very difficult times and to 
express my humble thoughts on the legacy of Ronald Reagan. While we have 
all heard him called the Great Communicator, he was so much more. He had 
a commanding presence. He captivated all who listened by his simple and 
eloquent demeanor, but he was so much more. He was great at 
communicating, yes, but, more important, he communicated great things.
  His ideas resonated with the American people because they were the 
people's ideas. His vision for America made sense to us all because we 
had those same dreams in our very own hearts. His principles were clear 
because they were the very values we all held so dearly then as we do 
now: freedom, responsibility, ``peace through strength.''
  The irony is that Ronald Reagan did not speak to the people; we 
somehow spoke through him. We saw ourselves and we heard our own hearts 
in the words that he spoke. He was one of us, and that is why this 
Nation truly mourns his loss this week.
  May we all seek to promote the principles that Ronald Reagan embodied, 
lived and enunciated so courageously over the course of his magnificent 
life.


                            Hon. Richard Burr


                            of north carolina

  Madam Speaker, I rise today to join my colleagues and the rest of the 
Nation to mourn the passing of one of our Nation's greatest Presidents, 
but also to celebrate his legacy. While Ronald Reagan is considered by 
almost everyone as an extraordinary leader and one of the greatest 
Americans, it was not Ronald Reagan's vision, his confidence, his charm 
or his strength that truly set him apart.
  It was his boundless optimism and his overflowing love and concern for 
his fellow men that made Reagan who he was; these were his underlying 
sources of everything he accomplished. Reagan saw himself as an ordinary 
man, called to serve his country to the best of his ability, and serve 
he did.
  He inspired a Nation to rediscover the principles of freedom that have 
made our country great. We remember Ronald Reagan as a man who maximized 
his gifts from an unknown to an actor to a Governor to the leader of the 
free world. Our President was one who never stopped growing and giving.
  President Reagan's life provides a witness to how we should all live, 
stirring up whatever gifts and potentials we have so that the world is a 
better place when we leave, more so than when we arrived. We remember 
President Reagan as one who named bad leadership for what it was, and 
turned his people toward a nobler path. He said the only places 
communism would work are in Heaven because they do not need it and in 
Hell because they already have it.
  Today, we are enjoying a world where communism is defanged and former 
communist nations rank among our closest allies, much of which is due to 
President Reagan's unflinching commitment and resolve to seeing peace 
and freedom flourish throughout the world.
  President Reagan was a true man of the people. What Reagan did more 
than anything else, and it will be his lasting legacy, is replace 
despair with hope. Most people, even his detractors, admired and 
respected his integrity. He never thought that he had all the answers or 
that he was put on Earth to reveal and implement God's plan for the rest 
of us.
  Madam Speaker, he has now, and as he noted in the eulogy of the crew 
of the Challenger shuttle, ``slipped the surly bonds of earth'' and put 
out his hand and ``touched the face of God.''
  The days of this week will be remembered for many, many years. Let 
them be remembered well. Let them be the passing of the torch. A new day 
is dawning. Leadership, vision, optimism, and faith most of all are 
needed at every level in our great country and in our homes. Reagan used 
to say that America's greatest days are ahead of it. Now it can be said 
so are his.


                            Hon. Rob Portman


                                 of ohio

  Madam Speaker, I rise today to join my colleagues in expressing 
condolences to the family of President Ronald Reagan but also, of 
course, to celebrate the life of one of America's true heroes.
  President Reagan once announced America is too great for small dreams. 
It was this optimism about America and his confidence in the American 
people that I remember most vividly when I first met him in 1981. He had 
an infectious optimism that, like so many, I was infected with. It had a 
lasting impression on me.
  Shortly after taking office, President Reagan acted on his optimism 
and his certain beliefs launching the boldest economic plan since 
Franklin Roosevelt's New Deal.
  His program for economic recovery called for the largest tax cuts in 
American history. Think about this. Over his tenure, our Federal tax 
system went from 14 income tax brackets with a top rate of 70 percent to 
a much simpler 2 brackets with a top rate of 28 percent. This unleashed 
growth and brought America's economy roaring back.
  He also acted on his strong beliefs in dramatically strengthening our 
Armed Forces. He chose to go toe to toe with the Soviet Union in the 
cold war and confront the failure of communism, leading to the freedom 
of millions of citizens in Eastern Europe and what was to become the 
former Soviet Union.
  I see that legacy of Ronald Reagan today. I see it in our approach to 
the economy that this body has undertaken to try to strengthen the 
economy and grow jobs, and I see it in our effort to win another global 
war, this one against terrorism.
  For all of his accomplishments, one of Ronald Reagan's traits I most 
admired was his humility. He was a regular guy. His midwestern modesty 
and intuitive understanding of the role of leadership in an America 
founded on equality and democracy made him a natural leader and a 
beloved figure.
  One also had to appreciate President Reagan's humor. He once said, 
``Politics is a very rewarding profession. If you succeed, there are 
many rewards. If you disgrace yourself, you can always write a book.'' 
Well, fortunately for our country and the world, he was a very 
successful politician, and we all, all of us, continue to share in the 
rewards.
  In his 8 years as President, so much of his ambitious vision for 
American and the world was accomplished. And for his optimism, his 
ideas, his humility, his humor and public service, our Nation and the 
world are better off today. May God bless him and his family and 
continue to bless the country he so loved.


                     Hon. George R. Nethercutt, Jr.


                              of washington

  Madam Speaker, last Saturday our Nation lost one of its greatest 
leaders. As we mourn Ronald Reagan's passing, we celebrate his life of 
service as a lifeguard, an entertainer, a union leader, a spokesman, a 
Governor and a President.
  As leader of the free world, he not only defended liberty, he expanded 
the realm of freedom. He liberated millions with the power of his ideas.
  As President, he revitalized the American political system. The 
bipartisan celebration of his life here is a tribute to his greatness. 
Let us remember Mr. Reagan's example and work to improve civility and 
public discourse in American politics.
  President Ronald Reagan was an American hero and a personal hero of 
mine. I met him 18 years ago, but it feels like yesterday. We all feel 
we knew Ronald Reagan. When he stepped off Air Force One in Spokane, we 
realized that he was a big man. He was larger than life. He was very 
personal. He was gracious. He wowed the crowd, and he touched each 
individual.
  Having met Mr. Reagan, I know first-hand how his unwavering vision for 
our shining city willed the Nation to new heights. Even after his 
passing, his vision must and will continue to guide us.
  God bless Ronald Reagan and his family and his lasting legacy of 
freedom.


                            Hon. W. Todd Akin


                               of missouri

  Madam Speaker, I rise, as my colleagues before me, to recognize this 
great President, Ronald Reagan. He was a visionary leader who challenged 
the entire political order of his day. He had the courage to call evil 
evil; the Soviet empire the evil empire. For that, and for his 
conviction that freedom would prevail, he was bitterly criticized by his 
detractors.
  Along the same lines, he pioneered a concept of economics that said if 
we have lower taxes, that it would energize the economy and ultimately 
that the government would raise more revenue. That was also bitterly 
criticized. It was called Reaganomics, and yet it worked, and it has 
worked again to bring us out of the last recession, the same principles.
  He believed in the concept of defending America. It was the idea of a 
missile defense. They called it star wars, his detractors, and yet we 
are building those very things.
  He was a man who challenged the political order of his day and 
redefined an entire political movement and advanced the cause of freedom 
around the entire world, and for that we all need to say to God, thank 
you for this great President.


                            Hon. Eric Cantor


                               of virginia

  I rise today to proudly stand with my friends and colleagues to pay 
tribute to President Ronald Reagan. President Reagan had the courage to 
lead America to greatness again after so many others had written us off 
as a country whose best days had passed. He was a lone voice who dared 
to believe that the cold war could be won and communism could be 
conquered peacefully through strength.
  He led the United States from double-digit inflation, skyrocketing 
interest rates and recession to unprecedented economic growth and 
prosperity. His commonsense ideas of lower taxes and limited government 
brought us out of those troubling times. His ability to inspire and 
effect change was truly unique.
  I remember fondly my parents' pride in being delegates to the 1980 
Republican Convention and casting votes to nominate Ronald Reagan to be 
President. While in high school and college during his Presidential 
term, I was dramatically affected by his moral clarity and courage.
  President Ronald Reagan had the positive spirit and courage of his 
convictions that inspired our generation and future generations to enter 
public service and make a difference in our country.
  My family and I send our condolences to Mrs. Reagan and the Reagan 
family. Nancy Reagan deserves our steadfast support at this time and has 
earned our respect alongside her husband for her faithful service to our 
country.
  Religion played a crucial role in his life. Ronald Reagan knew he 
could set out and accomplish his goals because of his strong faith in 
God. His mother Nelle taught her son to believe in a loving and merciful 
God. Her teaching helped guide her son throughout his life as actor, 
Governor, and President.
  Having spent several decades battling the evils of communism as 
president of the Screen Actors Guild and as Governor of California for 
two terms, Reagan held strong convictions that were based on his faith 
in God and led him to run for President in 1980. He would win in a 
landslide and become our Nation's 40th President.
  Reagan's religious convictions would immediately be put to the test. 
After surviving an assassin's bullet in the third month of his 
Presidency, Reagan believed God saved his life. He said:

  I've always believed that we were, each of us, put here for a reason, 
that there is a . . . divine plan for all of us. I know now that 
whatever days are left me belong to Him [God].

  He believed God saved his life for a reason, and he set out to ensure 
that he fulfilled God's plan for him in the White House. In an era when 
people tried to diminish the role that faith and religion play in the 
political life of the United States, Reagan knew that the United States 
was ``richly blessed with His [God's] love and generosity.'' Reagan also 
knew that if we failed to remember that the United States is a Nation 
under God, then the United States would be a ``nation gone under.''
  During the eighties, Reagan's religious convictions allowed him to set 
an agenda that was new and optimistic. His strong faith enabled him to 
preserve and never waiver when opponents called his economic and foreign 
policy plans radical and dangerous. As a result, Reagan played an 
integral role in winning the cold war, in restoring economic prosperity 
to the United States, and in helping liberate millions of people from 
the evils of communism. He entered the White House with a goal to change 
the country--he ended up changing the world. He led his life with a 
mission to fulfill God's plan and, in turn, accomplished so much for all 
of us.
  My family and I send our condolences to Nancy Reagan and her family. 
Nancy Reagan deserves our steadfast support at this time and has earned 
our respect alongside her husband for her faithful service to our 
country.


                            Hon. Jerry Weller


                               of illinois

  Madam Speaker, today we come before this House in a saddened state. A 
man of unquestioned integrity and strong character has passed from our 
Nation's midst into the hands of God. Ronald Reagan was a man with a 
good heart, and he had more of an impact on the world than any living 
American today.
  We express our condolences to Mrs. Reagan and the Reagan family.
  Many of us are very grateful because of how Ronald Reagan inspired us, 
encouraged our activity in public service, and I know he encouraged my 
involvement in public service. I cast my first vote in 1976 for Ronald 
Reagan in the Republican primary, and I had the privilege just 5 years 
later to serve in the Reagan administration. I have many fond memories 
of Ronald Reagan.
  Man is not measured by what we say, but by what we do. President 
Reagan believed in the right of freedom for individuals and nations. He 
spoke honestly of the need for government reform in the United States 
and publicly hoped for a brighter future for the citizens of the Soviet 
empire.
  Yet his words were not empty and did not ring hollow. President Reagan 
backed up these beliefs by reducing the government's burden of taxes on 
individuals. He committed himself to rebuilding our American military. 
He inspired Americans to believe in themselves and their country, and, 
through almost sheer will, defeated communism without firing a single 
shot. As he spoke, the world listened because the force of America was 
behind his voice.
  When President Reagan uttered those fateful words, ``Mr. Gorbachev, 
tear down this wall!'' a collective shiver shot down the spine of the 
Soviet Union, as if communism's death knell was being rung for all the 
world to hear. Even President Reagan's opponents concede that he 
defeated the Soviet empire.
  Under President Reagan's leadership, America experienced an unmatched 
period of economic growth. Under President Reagan's legacy, hundreds of 
millions of people around the world now live safe from the fear of the 
threat of communism, free from the threat of Marxism-Leninism, and eager 
to extend an open hand to our former enemy and now our friend, Russia 
and the former Soviet states.
  The spirit Ronald Reagan embodied was of a special sort. Whether it 
was reinvigorating the American economy or comforting the loved ones of 
those lost on the Challenger space shuttle, President Reagan never 
forgot who he worked for and what cause he was dedicated to. Ronald 
Reagan was committed to the American citizen, the American dream and the 
American spirit.
  Madam Speaker, as a man, a patriot, a fellow Illinoisan and U.S. 
President, Ronald Reagan will be greatly missed, and I deeply mourn his 
passing, but I cannot help but think that long after the pain and sorrow 
of his departure has diminished, the legacy that President Reagan left 
with us of commitment to one's country, of faith in one's resolve, of 
hope for a better tomorrow will be remembered and live on in the hearts 
and minds of Americans for generations to come.


                         Hon. James P. McGovern


                            of massachusetts

  Madam Speaker, I rise today to join with my colleagues in marking with 
sadness the passing of President Ronald Reagan. I send my deepest 
condolences to Mrs. Reagan and the entire Reagan family and to those 
friends who knew the President best.
  Ronald Reagan was a man of principle, deep patriotism and great humor. 
He loved his country, and he loved the American people. His was, in many 
ways, the quintessential American life: moving from a small town to 
chase the American dream in California, achieving success through hard 
work and determination, and finally giving back through public service.
  One of the things I most admired about President Reagan was his 
ability to disagree without being disagreeable. During the eighties, I 
was a staff member for the late Congressman Joe Moakley from 
Massachusetts. We had a front row seat to the great political battles 
between the Reagan White House and the House of Representatives under 
Speaker Tip O'Neill. While President Reagan and Tip O'Neill had sharp 
political differences, they never had sharp words. Their arguments were 
never nasty. They were never personal. At the end of the day, their 
battles shifted from policy to who could tell the most outlandish story 
or the funniest Irish joke. It is an example that I believe all of us 
should try to do a better job of following.
  Madam Speaker, I would also like to take a moment to say just how much 
respect and admiration I have for Nancy Reagan. These last several years 
have been extremely difficult for her as President Reagan battled 
Alzheimer's disease. Mrs. Reagan has faced this tremendous adversity 
with strength, dignity and class, and she serves as an inspiration to us 
all.
  Again, my wife Lisa and I send our sympathy and our prayers to the 
Reagan family during this sad time, and I thank the gentleman for 
yielding me the time.


                             Hon. Ron Lewis


                               of kentucky

  Madam Speaker, I rise today to mourn the death of President Ronald 
Reagan and to pass along the thoughts and prayers of the people of the 
Second District of Kentucky to the Reagan family.
  So much of President Reagan's life was dedicated to public service. 
From the summer shores of his Illinois hometown to the silver screens of 
Hollywood, to Sacramento, Washington, DC, and his final heroic battle 
with Alzheimer's disease, President Reagan's vision and confident 
leadership continues to inspire national spirit, improving quality of 
life in the United States and extending freedom and democracy across the 
globe.
  During his inaugural address in 1981, President Reagan remarked, 
``we're too great a nation to limit ourselves to small dreams.'' His 
dream, family, work, neighborhood, peace, and freedom embodied the hopes 
of millions of Americans, shepherding the Nation into economic recovery 
and renewed national pride while demonstrating an uncompromising moral 
leadership abroad that brought communism to its knees.
  He was a man whose love for his country stirred the spirit of his 
countrymen to a new age of patriotism and pride in America. His keen 
understanding of right and wrong, good and evil provided the leadership 
needed to defeat an evil empire.
  His was an exemplary life, uniquely American, and worthy of the love 
and admiration of so many men and women across the world. May he rest in 
peace.


                             Hon. Sam Graves


                               of missouri

  Mr. Speaker, I proudly rise with my friends and colleagues today to 
pay tribute to a man who inspired a Nation and a generation. His America 
was a strong Nation, where opportunities were limitless.
  His list of accomplishments is long and distinguished. He won the cold 
war, he brought back our confidence, he cut taxes and grew the economy. 
He was an outstanding leader throughout the world.
  I did not have the pleasure of knowing President Reagan personally; 
but like millions of Americans, I marveled at his abilities. He 
comforted us after the Challenger disaster, he stood tall against 
communism, and he made it morning again in America.
  Ronald Reagan's enduring legacy, though, will be that he was a 
people's President. His concern for every American was genuine. He spoke 
with a twinkle in his eye and always had a story that illustrated his 
point perfectly. He was for us, because he was one of us. Page H3853
  America will soon say goodbye to one of our greatest Presidents. Mr. 
Speaker, his courage, humor, and grace will be missed by all of America. 
The ``shining city on the hill'' will continue, but for now with a heavy 
heart.


                             Hon. Max Burns


                               of georgia

  Mr. Speaker, once or twice a century we are given a President who 
stands above the rest. President Reagan was such a leader. He united 
this country in a way that we have not been united since. He did so by 
simply speaking out for what the vast majority of the people of this 
country knew to be the truth: President Reagan declared that there is a 
God and that we, as a Nation, are under his authority.
  Like President Washington before him, he made no apology to anyone's 
sensibilities. He called the evil empire of communism exactly what it 
was and committed this Nation to defeating it. He was the first 
President to begin the battle to reverse the overreach of Federal 
bureaucracy in the lives of our citizens.
  Let us truly honor the memory of Ronald Reagan by never ending the 
fight he so nobly waged for God and for country.


                         Hon. John N. Hostettler


                               of indiana

  Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the citizens of Indiana's Eighth 
Congressional District, I rise not only to pay tribute to Ronald Wilson 
Reagan but to also thank him for being a Commander in Chief of which we 
could always be proud.
  The most important role of any American President is that of Commander 
in Chief of our Armed Forces; and I, for one, do not need to wait for 
history to conclude that he was one of the greatest Commanders in Chief 
this Nation has ever had.
  Last year, my son Matthew and I were honored to attend the 
commissioning of the newest U.S. supercarrier, CVN-76. I could not think 
of a better namesake for CVN-76 than Ronald Wilson Reagan. The ship's 
motto is appropriately, ``Peace Through Strength.'' While he is 
rejoicing in Heaven, the American people should feel comforted in 
knowing that his legacy lives on in a mighty U.S. warship that bears his 
name and will provide firepower for freedom for another 50 years.
  So communists and terrorists and other enemies of freedom, you have 
been forewarned. You have not heard the last from Ronald Reagan. And as 
he used to say when he was President, ``You can run, but you cannot 
hide.''
  In conclusion, Mr. Speaker, may the prayers and thoughts of a loving 
free world comfort his wife, Nancy, and their children during their time 
of supreme sorrow and unimaginable loss.


                            Hon. Dennis Moore


                                of kansas

  Mr. Speaker, I think it is truly unfortunate that it takes a time of 
crisis or tragedy to bring our Nation together. This week, for example, 
we have seen and heard from Members of both sides of the aisle a tribute 
to a great President, Ronald Reagan. He was a humble man; he was a 
gracious man and kind. We may have had differences of opinion on policy, 
but I think we all concede he was a good, decent man.
  I never presume to speak for my friends on the other side of the 
aisle, but I think all of us would agree that we have the greatest 
Nation in the whole world, and one of the things that makes us so great 
as a Nation are the personal liberties and individual freedoms that we 
all share here in this country. The Bill of Rights of our Constitution 
gives us more economic and personal freedoms than people almost anywhere 
in the world, and we are a better Nation for that. And I think that is 
something Ronald Reagan would say if he were here right now.
  I think we can learn a lot of important things, and a lot of speakers 
on both sides of the aisle have enunciated some of those things this 
morning. We should try harder to disagree without being disagreeable. We 
should always treat one another with respect. And we should understand 
that we are all Americans and we are all in this together. We all want 
basically the same thing for our country and for our people.
  If we can do that, I think we are going to be better as a Nation and 
stronger as a people. We need to find ways to bring us together and not 
to divide us. I think 85 to 90 percent of the people in this body are 
good, decent, honorable people who want to do the right thing for our 
country, Republicans and Democrats.
  We need to understand that even when we have honest good-faith 
differences on policy issues, such as the $7 trillion debt we have right 
now, and the $500-plus billion deficit, this should not be about 
Republicans and Democrats; this should be about what is right for our 
country, and this should be about what is right for our children and our 
grandchildren and future generations in this country.
  I hope that we will take this occasion, the passing of a great 
President, Ronald Reagan, to come together and again dedicate ourselves 
to doing what is right for our country and putting aside partisan 
politics.


                         Hon. Ginny Brown-Waite


                               of florida

  Mr. Speaker, I rise today to add my voice to the chorus extolling the 
life of President Ronald Reagan. On a similar occasion, over a century 
ago, Lincoln said of Washington, ``How do you add glory to the Sun?''
  I was at President Reagan's inauguration, and when he said, ``It is 
time for us to realize that we're too great a nation to limit ourselves 
to small dreams,'' my spine stiffened, and so did that of so many people 
in the crowd. I got goosebumps when he called out that ``peace is the 
highest aspiration of the American people. We will negotiate for it, 
sacrifice for it; we will not surrender for it, now or ever.''
  From that day on, I knew America was back. You see, many people speak 
of the Reagan revolution. I like to think of it as the Reagan 
restoration. Reagan restored our optimism, our belief in our ability to 
create, and the belief that God put man on this Earth to be free and 
that he made America to prove it.
  President Ronald Reagan changed the paradigm. He changed America's 
foreign policy from one of benign containment to active confrontation. 
And for the first time since communism began extending its sinister 
reach, we saw its hand pushed back.
  Our sympathies certainly go to the entire Reagan family.


                           Hon. Stevan Pearce


                              of new mexico

  Mr. Speaker, as we consider world history, we know that each 
generation will be faced with its own challenges. And though I am 
certain that the human race will survive; for a Nation to survive these 
challenges, each generation must continually produce men and women who 
are sufficient to the moment and equal to the task. It needs to generate 
men and women who see without limits, who work without tiring, and who 
sacrifice without restraint. A nation must find within itself in these 
times of trouble those who will forgo comfort and give up the beaten 
paths of certainty to find new courses of action and overcome all 
obstacles in pursuing the truth. Mr. Reagan was sufficient for the 
moment and equal to the task.
  Mr. Speaker, we are here to mourn the passing of a President, but we 
are here to celebrate the life of leadership and sufficiency that Mr. 
Reagan represented.


                            Hon. Rush D. Holt


                              of new jersey

  I am pleased to join with my colleagues in recognizing the lessons of 
the life of Ronald Reagan and his legacy. Among those lessons would be a 
sense of civility in debate. Among those lessons would be disagreeing 
without being disagreeable. Among those lessons would be the ability to 
recognize the humanity of our opponents, and they are lessons that we 
should all take to heart.
  Another part of the legacy, and I think the lasting legacy of 
President Reagan, will derive from the painful period as we watched 
Alzheimer's take this vibrant and warm and really great person into, as 
Mrs. Reagan said, a different place, a different world. And I hope we 
will use this to rededicate ourselves to research in Alzheimer's and 
stem cell research so that others will not follow the former President 
in this path that was really painful for all of us to watch.


                           Hon. Jack Kingston


                               of georgia

  I first heard about Ronald Reagan in probably 1970, when Joan Baez, on 
my Woodstock album, referred to the Governor of California as Ron Ray 
Gun. And this was a young person, so I thought if Joan Baez is against 
him, it is probably a good thing. Yet as I went through my years and got 
in college, I had an opportunity to hear Mr. Reagan speak at the Kansas 
City Republican Convention in 1976. And in his concession speech on the 
nomination going to Gerald Ford, he gave a great speech and he talked 
about what we have to do as Americans to preserve the great lifestyle 
that we live. I was very impressed with that speech. So in 1980, when he 
ran for President and was the nominee, certainly I was very 
enthusiastically in support of him.
  He was elected in a year when we had hostages in Iran, the economy was 
in the tank, and the spirit of America was in the doldrums. He won by a 
landslide, with great expectations, though, and a great mandate. He 
needed to cut taxes, and he did. He moved along and created an economy 
that gave 19 million new jobs over the next 8 years. Inflation was 
reduced, as well as interest rates. He built defense to the extent that 
we got over, finally, Vietnam. He talked about things like the evil 
empire of the Soviet Union and ``peace through strength.'' And he said 
things that were politically incorrect at the time, like ``Mr. 
Gorbachev, tear down this wall!,'' even though people in our own party 
did not like him saying those things.
  He was very basic. Nancy Reagan led the Just Say No to Drugs 
campaigns, and I think it was very effective in getting young people to 
think twice about it.
  He had that Irish twinkle in his eye. And when he got shot, even 
though it was a very serious wound, he said to the hospital staff, gee, 
I hope you are all Republicans.
  He had that kind of calmness and happiness about him as he went 
through things. And I, along with so many young people, was inspired by 
him. So when I ran for the State legislature in 1984, I pulled out a 
photograph that Libby, my wife, and I had taken with Ronald Reagan in 
1980, and I ran an ad that said, ``Reagan-Kingston: Face it, we need 
conservatives at all levels of government.''
  But I believe that was a key factor in helping me. He had those kinds 
of coattails. He believed in family, America. He loved Nancy. He showed 
us a husband and wife relationship at its finest. He was kind. The 
Carter-Reagan, Mondale-Reagan campaigns were not nasty, mean or vicious. 
In fact, he would say to Jimmy Carter if he disagreed with some of Mr. 
Carter's facts, ``There you go again.''
  He liked joke-telling and told the jokes about the Soviet Union and 
got his point across, but when he was in the Oval Office, he always wore 
his coat out of respect for the Oval Office and the Office of the 
Presidency.
  In his final speech as he left Washington, DC, he said:

  [A]s I walk off into the city streets, a final word to the men and 
women of the Reagan revolution . . . My friends: We did it. We weren't 
just marking time. We made a difference. . . . We made the city freer, 
and we left her in good hands.

  The lights of this city shine, but the future will burn brightly 
because of man and the leadership of Ronald Reagan.


                         Hon. Christopher Shays


                             of connecticut

  Mr. Speaker, I count my blessings for President Ronald Reagan. I count 
my blessings for this man because he spoke from his heart and he spoke 
the truth. Obviously he was an exceptional communicator, but he was also 
extraordinarily honest. You did not have to wonder where Ronald Reagan 
was coming from. He had core principles: confronting tyranny, expressing 
strength to the world, believing in our market economy, reducing the 
size of government.
  The bottom line is, he had extraordinary faith in our country, in the 
promise of America that the best of America is yet to come. And the best 
generations of Americans are yet to come. He trusted Americans to spend 
their own money and lead their own lives. In the process he knew our 
country and the world would benefit.
  I am absolutely convinced President Reagan totally changed the debate. 
He helped our country recognize that people have their own sense of 
self-worth and that we trust them to do the right thing.


                          Hon. Christopher Cox


                              of california

  Mr. Speaker, when President Reagan took office on that cold day in 
1981, the world needed a hero, and on that day President Reagan sent a 
message to every American and to every human being enslaved by the 
Soviet empire. Confronting not the armies of Saddam Hussein or Slobodan 
Milosevic, but the largest military machine in the history of the world, 
President Reagan simply said, ``no weapon in the arsenals of the world 
is so formidable as the will and moral courage of free men and women.''
  Then he led a worldwide movement for individual liberty and the human 
rights of all people. Today the Soviet Union sits on the ash heap of 
history, and the Reagan legacy can be measured in lives liberated and 
dreams fulfilled.
  Before Ronald Reagan became President in 1981, there were 56 electoral 
democracies on Earth. Today there are 117. Today more than a billion 
more people are living in freedom than on the day that he took office.
  President Reagan also liberated America, the land that he called the 
last best hope of mankind. Many Washington pundits at the time believed 
that the United States was suffering from an inevitable decline. 
President Reagan had a different view. He believed that America's 
greatest days were ahead, if only we could free our people from the 
shackles of big government. He knew that people, not governments, create 
prosperity, and that markets are the dynamic expression of individual 
freedom reinforced by property rights and the rule of law.
  He believed that the government management of an economy, whether in 
the form of wage controls, price controls, or regulation of production, 
produced growth and misery in direct proportion to the loss of freedom. 
Upon assuming the Presidency, he immediately ended price controls on 
oil, and within 4 months the price of oil fell over 60 cents per gallon.
  When a government union broke the law and mounted an illegal strike 
against the taxpayers, President Reagan upheld the rule of law, and even 
the Soviet Union noticed. Secretary of State George Schultz said this 
may have been the best foreign policy decision Ronald Reagan ever made.
  Ronald Reagan and a Democratic Congress cut marginal income tax rates 
from 70 percent to 28 percent and ushered in the longest peacetime 
economic expansion in American history. Inflation fell from over 12 
percent to 1 percent, and interest rates dropped dramatically. People 
were free to work and keep most of what they earned and to save for 
their family's future instead of relying on the state. Page H3855
  In 1981, Ronald Reagan was the first President to take the oath of 
office on the west front of the Capitol. He said he wanted to be looking 
west to symbolize the pioneer vision and spirit that he knew still lived 
in America. Later today his body will be carried up those same western 
steps of the Capitol. In just a few hours, President Reagan will lie in 
state a few feet from where we are now gathered.
  As we imagine him looking up at the monumental artwork in the dome, at 
the Apotheosis of George Washington, perhaps we will hear him again 
speaking to us in the words he once used in this very place:

  Now we're standing inside this symbol of our democracy, and we . . . 
hear again the echoes of our past: a general falls to his knees in the 
hard snow of Valley Forge; a lonely President paces the darkened halls 
and ponders his struggle to preserve the Union; the men of the Alamo 
call out encouragement to each other; a settler pushes west and sings a 
song, and the song echoes out forever and fills the unknowing air.

  As we gather in the rotunda and gaze upon the flag-draped vault that 
holds the mortal remains of our 40th President, I know that if we 
listen, we will hear those echoes of the past. We will hear that pioneer 
song because it is the American sound. Like Ronald Reagan, it is 
hopeful, big-hearted, idealistic, daring, decent and fair.
  Mr. President, we loved you in life because you helped us love 
America, and you so nobly represented the country we love. As we lay you 
to rest, we will always respect and honor your leadership, your 
humility, your strength, your humor and your character. You told us that 
those who say we are in a time when there are no heroes just do not know 
where to look. Mr. President, all of America now knows where to look. 
You and our beloved First Lady, Nancy Reagan, will be our heroes for as 
long as there is an America and as long as love of freedom is carried in 
human hearts.


                            Hon. Dennis Moore


                                of kansas

  Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from California (Mr. Cox) for his 
very cogent remarks, and I really appreciate the civility with which 
this has been conducted today.
  The gentleman from California mentioned the fact that President Reagan 
and a Democratic Congress presided over large tax cuts back during 
President Reagan's term, and I grant that. But at the same time, 
President Reagan was not a strict ideologue and he understood that when 
large deficits appeared, that we as a Nation needed to do something to 
deal with those large deficits and not put our country deeper and deeper 
in debt.
  He agreed to actions to correct that course, and I think we as 
Democrats and Republicans hopefully can come together here and recognize 
that a $7 trillion debt and deficits of over half a trillion dollars 
cannot go on, and our kids and grandkids and the future generations of 
this Nation cannot sustain that kind of problem if it continues.
  I hope we will come together with an attitude of civility that was 
characterized by President Reagan and work on these problems together 
because we have a lot more in common than we have differences. We are 
all Americans. We all love our country, and we want to do what is right 
by our country.
  Mr. Speaker, I want to conclude by saying that I think if we work 
together and understand that we are all in this together, we will do the 
very best we can for the Nation we love, the United States of America.
  May God bless Mrs. Reagan and the Reagan family, and may God hold 
Ronald Wilson Reagan in His loving arms.


                            Hon. Kevin Brady


                                of texas

  Mr. Speaker, Heaven is a little sunnier and a little more optimistic 
with the arrival of one of the greatest American patriots and Presidents 
of the 20th century, President Ronald Reagan.
  He inspired me, as he did many others. Across the country and around 
the world, millions are mourning the death and remembering the life of 
this man, patriot, and President. There is a sense of profound loss, and 
rightly so, in the hearts of all Americans. This week we will all search 
for a way to pay our respects to a man who made it ``morning in 
America'' again.
  President Reagan's message of hope restored America's faith in what we 
could become. He loved this country, and he believed in the people that 
called it home. His optimism was infectious and at the end of his term 
as President Americans had caught his vision and understood their place 
in the world.
  Reagan's stewardship ushered in an era of peace and economic 
prosperity. Reaganomics--reducing the size of government, allowing 
Americans to keep more of their own hard-earned money instead of having 
it taxed away--brought about an economic revival in our Nation.
  Reagan's leadership ended the cold war, brought down the Berlin Wall, 
and charted a new course for both America's and the world's future. A 
future that was secure--made possible by ``peace through strength.'' We 
would do well to bear this wisdom in mind as we continue to defend 
America against the threats posed by adversaries.
  It is very difficult for one person or a single nation to pay tribute 
to a life as big, as bold, and as heroic as Ronald Reagan's. His own 
words are perhaps the best testament of his convictions. His actions are 
the most sincere depictions of the character that defined his life. His 
humility and grace endeared him to all American's hearts.
  In announcing to the world that he had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's 
disease, Mr. Reagan wrote:

  [L]et me thank you, the American people, for giving me the great honor 
of allowing me to serve as your President. When the Lord calls me home, 
whenever that may be, I will leave with the greatest love for this 
country of ours and eternal optimism for its future.

  I now begin this journey that will lead me into the sunset of my life. 
I know that for America there will always be a bright dawn ahead.

  President Reagan's legacy will live on in the hearts and memories of 
all Americans. His integrity, dignity and wisdom are immortal and will 
challenge us each day to ``act worthy of ourselves''--worthy of America.
  Thanks to Ronald Reagan there are bright days ahead for America.


                           Hon. Mark E. Souder


                               of indiana

  Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Ronald Wilson Reagan, the 40th 
President of the United States, great American patriot, and conservative 
stalwart.
  This past weekend, I joined a delegation of Members from this body in 
honoring the veterans--both living and fallen--who brought freedom to 
Europe by storming the beaches of Normandy. Unfortunately, 
transportation problems have prevented me from participating more fully 
in commemorating the passing of a truly great President. Had I been 
able, I would have certainly joined my colleagues in unanimously voting 
to mourn the passage of Ronald Reagan.
  Ronald Reagan was born in Tampico, IL, a small town in the heart of 
America. His Midwest Christian upbringing helped to mold Reagan into the 
conservative icon that he has become. When I was 14 years old, living in 
a small rural Midwest town, I heard Ronald Reagan's ``A Time for 
Choosing'' speech for Barry Goldwater. That speech and many of his other 
speeches, which I would listen to on records, inspired me to get 
involved in politics and to fight for conservative values. I know Reagan 
did not inspire me alone.
  Ronald Reagan did not just speak about conservative ideals. He lived 
them and led with them. At a time when conservatives and conservatism 
were derided and ridiculed, he showed young politicians a new way to be 
a conservative.
  In 1981, President Reagan became the President of the United States. A 
boy from a small town had proven the American dream was still alive. At 
a time when a belief in America and freedom seemed to be at an alltime 
low, Reagan's optimism renewed the confidence of a Nation. Reagan's 
plans for economic revitalization, smaller government, and a strong 
military moved the United States toward a brighter future.
  Over the course of two terms, he turned the United States and the 
world around. He was not content with the status quo domestically or 
internationally. Today, the world and the country are better for it. Our 
current prosperity is based on the course he charted. The freedom that 
millions of people enjoy can be attributed in part to him.
  This past weekend was the 20th anniversary of Reagan's moving ``D-
day'' speech. This Saturday marks the 17th anniversary of his ``Berlin 
Wall'' speech. Both of these speeches were devoted to freedom. As one of 
the 20th century's greatest advocates of freedom--both political and 
economic--Ronald Reagan has few equals.
  As Ronald Reagan ends his journey, I mourn his passing, but I am 
overwhelmed with gratitude that he was able to accomplish so many things 
for the United States of America.


                          Hon. John B. Shadegg


                               of arizona

  Mr. Speaker, Ronald Reagan ran for President to change America. In the 
end, he had changed the world. As Arizonans, we can be proud that our 
State played a vital role in the Reagan revolution.
  Barry Goldwater started what became the Reagan revolution with his own 
run for the Presidency. For the first time since Calvin Coolidge, 
conservatives had a champion. Some dismissed Goldwater's loss as the end 
of the nascent conservative movement, but they were wrong: it was just 
the beginning.
  Reagan took to the national political stage during the Goldwater 
campaign 40 years ago with his seminal speech ``A Time for Choosing.''
  In losing the battle for the White House, Goldwater passed the 
conservative torch to Ronald Reagan to continue the war of ideas. 
Together they nurtured the conservative movement and helped it grow. In 
1966, Reagan's campaign for Governor of California struck the same 
themes as Goldwater's Presidential campaign. He won in a landslide. It 
was the biggest political victory of the conservative movement since 
Goldwater had defeated the sitting U.S. Senate majority leader in 1952.
  My father, Stephen Shadegg, was Goldwater's campaign manager, 
speechwriter and a close friend. Growing up in Goldwater's shadow and 
being a part of the conservative movement from birth gave me a special 
appreciation for who Reagan was. As with Goldwater, Reagan's greatest 
tool was the truth. When Ronald Reagan said something, you knew it came 
from the heart.
  Reagan was one of the few politicians who had deeply held beliefs and 
never strayed from fundamental principles. The rarest commodity in 
Washington, DC, is courage, yet Reagan was nothing if not courageous.
  He also touched people's lives. Just look at the hundreds of thousands 
of people who stood in line for hours this week to pay their last 
respects. A telling tribute to a man who had done so much for his 
country and whose citizens admired and loved him in return.
  President Reagan is rightly remembered for numerous accomplishments. 
We are all better off today thanks to the economic revolution that 
brought double-digit interest rates and inflation to its knees. His tax 
policy proved that ``a rising tide'' of economic recovery ``lifts all 
boats.''
  Reagan is best known as the aggressive opponent of communism, the 
strong cold warrior that stood up to the Soviets and their allies across 
the globe. Less known is that this doctrine of ``peace through 
strength'' allowed President Reagan to sign the largest arms reduction 
treaty at the time.
  Ronald Reagan was a normal citizen who used his charm and steadfast 
beliefs to shape the United States into the country it is today. He 
provided great optimism, sparked economic growth, gained military 
superiority, and bridged international relations.
  We all have a special memory of Reagan. Obviously for me, the 1964 
speech was a formative part of my political life. In the speech he 
outlined his dedication to limited government and personal 
responsibility, ideals that guide me as I serve the people of my 
district and Arizona:

  This idea? that government was beholden to the people, that it had no 
other source of power is still the newest, most unique idea in all the 
long history of man's relation to man. This is the issue of this 
election: Whether we believe in our capacity for self-government or 
whether we abandon the American Revolution and confess that a little 
intellectual elite in a far-distant capital can plan our lives for us 
better than we can plan them ourselves.

  He had a simple vision. He knew that individual choice and freedom 
were essential for people to feel pride in themselves, instead of 
dependence on the government. Reagan knew that the true American dream 
was to be free to live your life and achieve your goals without 
government interference or regulation.
  President Reagan was one of the towering figures of the 20th century 
and one of the greatest defenders of freedom that America and the world 
has ever known. Ronald Reagan was an heir to Barry Goldwater's vision 
that the greatness of America lies not in its government but in its 
people. His faith in the individual, belief in free enterprise, and 
unending conviction in providing freedom of choice in everyday 
decisions, helped to restore ``the great, confident roar of American 
progress, growth, and optimism.''
  Rather than mourn our loss following the passing of President Ronald 
Reagan, we should instead celebrate his life and his countless 
contributions to our country. And we should renew the promise to keep 
America that ``shining city upon the hill.''


                             Hon. Mary Bono


                              of california

  Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to one of our Nation's 
greatest Presidents and a fellow Californian, President Ronald Wilson 
Reagan.
  A child of America's heartland, he became a man of the West. A 
towering presence, he gained fame as a movie star and entertainer before 
turning his considerable gifts to public service. A man of great wit, 
faith, optimism, conviction and conscience, he believed fervently in the 
good of all men but especially the American people.
  It was from his unwavering faith and from the people, first in his 
adopted State of California and later throughout the Nation, that he 
drew his great strength. A natural leader, he commanded respect and 
loyalty from all who had the honor of serving with him. President Reagan 
brought grace and dignity to the high office he held, always treating 
those around him with respect and kindness. He never lost his connection 
to the working people and spoke to all Americans with such clarity and 
honesty that he will be forever known as the Great Communicator.
  Along with his beloved wife, Nancy, President Reagan was a frequent 
visitor to the Palm Springs area which I have the honor of representing 
in Congress. The Reagans frequently spent New Year's Eve with their dear 
friends, Ambassador and Mrs. Walter Annenberg, enjoying the relaxing 
desert environment and a friendly round of golf. A playground for movie 
stars and Presidents, the Palm Springs community was a welcome haven 
from the hectic world of celebrity and politics. The Reagans had many 
local friends and contacts, and the Palm Springs area was and still 
remains Reagan country.
  As someone who has always said that it is perhaps harder to be the 
spouse than the individual holding elected office, First Lady Nancy 
Reagan was a reservoir of strength for the President throughout their 
remarkable life together. His most fervent supporter and staunchest 
defender, Nancy deserves our recognition and thanks for her role in this 
most American story.
  President Reagan's many achievements are now part of our Nation's 
proud history, and the contributions he made ensured a safer world and a 
brighter future for the American people. History will recall that his 
words helped bring down the walls that kept the people of the Soviet 
Union oppressed and isolated from the freedom of the West. His economic 
policies and the strength of his convictions laid the foundation for the 
greatest economic boom in America in the ``American century.'' But, the 
history lessons will never be able to convey the sense of purpose and 
pride he instilled in our Nation through the sheer strength of his 
spirit and the optimism of his words.
  We owe this remarkable American a tremendous debt of gratitude. His 
leadership redefined the political landscape in our country and 
energized our people with purpose and hope. To paraphrase the poet, ``we 
shall not soon see his like again.''
  Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the people of California's 45th District, I 
extend my deepest sympathy and condolences to First Lady Nancy Reagan, 
their children and the entire Reagan family. I have no doubt that 
President Reagan has seen his faith rewarded as he goes to his rest. May 
God bless President Ronald Reagan.


                         Hon. Charles H. Taylor


                            of north carolina

  Mr. Speaker, today I rise to join my colleagues and remember the 
vision and achievements of our 40th President, Ronald Wilson Reagan. 
Ronald Reagan came to Washington with a core set of values that guided 
him through his two terms as our Nation's leader. President Reagan 
fought to reduce taxes, diminish the role of an intrusive Federal 
bureaucracy, and to end forever the oppressive communist regime in the 
Soviet Union and Eastern Europe.
  The times during which Reagan sought to achieve these goals could not 
have been more daunting. America in 1981 was a land of broken spirit. 
Many citizens could not live the American dream due to interest rates in 
the double digits. The Soviet Union had surpassed the United States in 
military capability. But Ronald Reagan achieved what he set out to do 
through a combination of ideology, pragmatism, charm, self-effacing 
humor, and, yes, hard work.
  When the President left office in 1989, the Nation was in the midst of 
an economic renaissance. The Reagan tax cuts led to 96 straight months 
of economic growth. Record numbers of Americans were experiencing the 
pride that goes along with home ownership and economic self-sufficiency. 
The communist bloc would soon be a memory due to Reagan's determination. 
Ending communism was a stand upon which Reagan absolutely would not 
compromise. To him, the Soviet Union was truly an evil empire which was 
morally at odds with the United States and the principles of human 
dignity. Reagan battled head to head with Gorbachev at five peace 
summits and at home secured more money for our Nation's defense. Thanks 
to this combination, millions upon millions now live in freedom and 
Russia is a valued ally in America's quest for global freedom.
  Perhaps the most enduring legacy of Ronald Reagan was his ability to 
make us proud to be Americans. Reagan gently lifted our spirits with his 
cheery optimism and geniality. He soothed our fears with a good joke or 
a funny story. He could have been our friendly neighbor or our favorite 
uncle. A reporter once asked Reagan what Americans saw in him, to which 
he replied ``Would you laugh if I told you that I think, maybe, they see 
themselves, and that I'm one of them? I've never been able to detach 
myself or think that I, somehow, am apart from them.''
  On a personal note, I cannot forget the warmth and kindness that I was 
shown by this great man. I first met Reagan in 1976 and later visited 
him at the Oval Office. He provided me with invaluable advice during my 
first run for Congress. During this meeting, he spoke of the beauty of 
our mountains and the kindness of the people of North Carolina. He 
remembered fondly his visits to western North Carolina before he was a 
candidate and afterward. During every meeting with Ronald Reagan I was 
treated with kindness, grace, and great humility.
  Few political leaders have had the vision and integrity of Ronald 
Reagan. He had the guts and the courage to tackle the toughest problems 
of America in the eighties. He left his office with a stronger and 
prouder Nation than he inherited. He made us want to believe in 
ourselves and he made us a better people. Mr. Speaker, I and my 
constituents in western North Carolina will always be grateful for 
Ronald Reagan's service to our Nation.


                           Hon. Ander Crenshaw


                               of florida

  Mr. Speaker, this week our Nation lost an individual who had an 
enormous impact on our country and the world. Ronald Wilson Reagan, our 
Nation's 40th President, had a great and positive impact on our economy, 
our security, and our national pride. I believe that just as his 
achievements will remain with us for many decades, so too will his 
legacy of exercising sincerity and consistency in all actions, both 
inconsequential and monumental.
  President Reagan was an ordinary man who became an extraordinary 
leader. I will remember him most for his sense of optimism and hope. In 
the most difficult of times, it was President Reagan who had the power 
to allay our worries, raise our spirits, and guide this Nation to 
prosperity.
  Working on Ronald Reagan's first campaign in Jacksonville in 1980, I 
saw first-hand his strength of character and his sense of optimism and 
hope. Ronald Reagan lifted this Nation up at the time when we needed it 
the most. He made us feel good about being American. Ronald Wilson 
Reagan knew who he was and he knew what he believed. These are the 
qualities of a great leader.
  President Reagan's strength of character and firm beliefs led to 
revolutionary policies in dealing with the economy, national security, 
and Federal taxation.
  Under the Presidency of Ronald Wilson Reagan, our Nation experienced a 
lengthy period of economic revival where inflation was brought under 
control, employment grew, and a stifling Federal tax burden was lifted 
from millions of hard-working Americans.
  President Reagan's defense policies were pivotal in the collapse of 
the Soviet Union and the end of the cold war. His commitment to a strong 
national defense and a safe and secure world is personified through the 
phrases, ``Trust but verify,'' ``Peace through strength,'' and most of 
all, ``Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!''
  At the end of his two terms in office, the Reagan revolution had 
succeeded in giving the Nation its longest recorded period of peacetime 
prosperity without recession or depression. President Reagan succeeded 
in keeping his campaign promise of restoring the great, confident roar 
of American progress and growth and optimism.
  Mr. Speaker, I am so very pleased to have known this man. I am even 
more pleased that Ronald Reagan answered the call to public service and 
contributed all that he did. His leadership blessed our great Nation. 
Our country will never forget his awesome contributions. For now and 
years to come, may the people of the United States examine the life of 
our 40th President, and reflect upon his great achievements. Ronald 
Wilson Reagan lifted this Nation, and changed the world.


                       Hon. Ernest J. Istook, Jr.


                               of oklahoma

  Mr. Speaker, like millions of Americans, I want to pay tribute to 
President Ronald Reagan, the 40th President of the United States. I have 
shed many tears this week, because I loved Ronald Reagan, and I know how 
much he loved this country and the American people.
  President Reagan inherited a country disillusioned and with serious 
economic problems, yet when he left office 8 years later, it was truly 
``morning in America.'' This was more than an economic boom. President 
Reagan restored pride and dignity to the United States and to the Office 
of the Presidency. He advocated personal responsibility and limited 
government--government that gives a hand up, not a hand out.
  He deserves more credit than anyone else for the collapse of communism 
and the fall of the Iron Curtain, bringing freedom to many millions of 
people. He spoke proudly and freely of morals and principles, of right 
and wrong, of good and evil. He believed in the goodness of the American 
people, and he helped us believe in ourselves.
  Recently, my wife and I made a special trip to visit the Reagan ranch 
near Santa Barbara, CA. The humble and simple nature of his beloved 
ranch home reflects the genuine basic values that he cherished and lived 
by. America is a better place because of Ronald Wilson Reagan, who 
greatly loved our country and who championed our ideals.


                           Hon. Lamar S. Smith


                                of texas

  Mr. Speaker, I was honored to have served in Congress for the last 2 
years of President Reagan's second term.
  President Reagan devoted his life to the preservation of freedom. He 
believed that ``no weapon in the arsenals of the world is so formidable 
as the will and moral courage of free men and women.''
  His global fight against communism is one of the most significant 
events in world history. Many said this enemy of freedom could not be 
conquered. But the Berlin Wall fell because President Reagan made it 
fall.
  Since the President's death last Saturday we have heard all or parts 
of the speeches that inspired so many for so long. They earned him the 
nickname the ``Great Communicator.''
  Mr. Speaker, President Reagan will always be the Great Communicator 
because of what he said and did. But his public remarks were also 
notable for what he did not say and what he did not do.
  He did not pound the podium. He did not flail his arms, or yell. He 
did not substitute manufactured emotion for reason. He did not exploit 
human suffering.
  The style and manner of his speech combined with the power of his 
ideas made verbal and physical gimmicks completely unnecessary.
  Mr. Speaker, there are many ways to judge a President's place in 
history. I believe a question we must ask is: What kind of impact on 
world and national events does a President have after he leaves office? 
By that standard President Reagan is a historical giant. Consider two 
examples:
  First, President Reagan initiated the largest peacetime expansion of 
our military ever. It gave him the strength to win the cold war without 
firing a shot.
  But would our soldiers, sailors and airmen have achieved such rapid 
success in the first Gulf war if we sent our 1980 forces and weapons to 
fight? Would we have won the ground war in 100 hours without President 
Reagan's military buildup? Of course not. I believe we would have 
prevailed, but not with such stunning success.
  And our modern, 21st century military that is fighting the war on 
terror in Iraq today would be years, if not decades away, without 
President Reagan's peace-through-strength doctrine.
  Second, President Reagan launched the boldest economic growth plan 
since the New Deal. When he came to office there were 14 income tax 
brackets, with the top rate a suffocating 70 percent. After he left 
office only two income tax brackets existed, with a top rate of 28 
percent. Yes, we know this created the longest economic boom in history 
throughout the eighties. But what about the nineties?
  Mr. Speaker, without President Reagan's 3-year across-the-board tax 
reduction plan in 1981, and without the fundamental restructuring of the 
Nation's Income Tax Code in 1986, we would not have experienced the job 
creation machine of the nineties. We would not have created a new class 
in America--the investor class. And our economy certainly would not have 
survived and rebounded as it did after the 9/11 terrorist attacks and 
corporate scandals.
  President Reagan left office with a united America, a strong America, 
and a prosperous America. His America is the country every President--
every American--aspires to live in.


                          Hon. Kendrick B. Meek


                               of florida

  Mr. Speaker, Ronald Reagan forever changed the landscape of American 
politics. He will be remembered as a President who loved his country and 
inspired us all to be better Americans.
  President Reagan was a principled leader, and many times his beliefs 
put him at odds with Democrats. Despite these disagreements, he taught 
us that there is a big difference between bitter partisanship and strong 
beliefs.
  My thoughts and prayers are with Mrs. Reagan and her children at this 
difficult time.


                           Hon. John Sullivan


                               of oklahoma

  Mr. Speaker, on the passing of President Reagan it is right and good 
that our Nation gathers for mourning, prayer, and remembrance.
  As I inventory my memories of Ronald Reagan, I can't help but smile at 
the recollection of such a good and sensible man. The first time I voted 
for a President, I voted for Ronald Reagan. Each time since I cast my 
first ballot, I have compared every candidate to President Reagan.
  That's because Ronald Reagan set the standard, he personified 
leadership. He was America. He was our greatness, our promise, our free 
will, and our character.
  Ronald Reagan showed us love of family, even in the midst of 
challenges to our values and barbs to tradition.
  He and Nancy were unafraid to show their affection, to put their pure 
love for each other on display. When you saw the Reagans together, you 
couldn't help but feel part of their family. Their mutual fondness and 
love brought true meaning to the term ``first family.''
  Not only a defender of traditional values, Ronald Reagan brought 
common sense to bear on government. He reigned in the scope of the 
Federal Government, while spurring growth in the private sector.
  Ronald Reagan changed the world. He spread democracy to places where 
freedom was a term without meaning. President Reagan stood up to the 
rising tide of communism, instead presenting the future that liberty 
ensures.
  He changed the world by example, showing the power of a free people. 
He ended the cold war with fearless resolve, lifting our fears of 
imminent attack by Soviet missiles and giving a future to nations 
ravaged by the ills of communism.
  Not only did Ronald Reagan change the world, he changed America. He 
led us back to prosperity. He made us proud to be Americans again. 
Ronald Reagan brought us closer to his image of a ``shining city on a 
hill,'' and showed us that we could be great again. Under Reagan's 
guidance the rest of the world came to look to us for our leadership 
again.
  And although we are saddened by his death, we are comforted by the 
promise he restored in America. President Reagan said ``For while I take 
inspiration from the past . . . . I live for the future.'' So must we.


                         Hon. Dennis R. Rehberg


                               of montana

  Mr. Speaker, I remember working in Washington during Ronald Reagan's 
transition in 1980. It was heartening to see the change in attitude and 
renewed patriotism among the public and in Washington. You see, in those 
days so many Americans felt discouraged about their government and their 
future.
  And then the sheriff rode into town. He brought with him a wholesome, 
western perspective. His optimism was contagious, and he had a love for 
this country and its people as big and as colorful as the Montana sky. 
His was a kind of hope that people hadn't seen in our Nation since well 
before Vietnam, Watergate, and the tough economic times that he came to 
vanquish.
  ``Sheriff'' Reagan's determination and infectious charm disarmed this 
town of its grip on the American taxpayer, in favor of limited 
government, free enterprise, and a renewed faith in the power of the 
American dream. Abroad, our President's unwavering stand for liberty 
brought down the Iron Curtain, ended the cold war, and helped restore 
freedom to millions of people around the world. He made us--made me--
proud to be an American.
  Several years ago, that sense of pride motivated me to successfully 
lead the effort in Montana to change the name of our annual Republican 
Lincoln Day Dinners to Lincoln-Reagan Day Dinners, in honor of the two 
greatest Republicans, Abraham Lincoln and, of course, Ronald Reagan.


                          Hon. Silvestre Reyes


                                of texas

  Mr. Speaker, I rise to express my sorrow on the passing of President 
Ronald Reagan.
  I had the privilege of meeting President Reagan twice--once when I 
participated in a G.I. Forum event in El Paso, TX, honoring veterans, 
and the other time while I was in the Border Patrol providing security 
as the President visited Brownsville, TX.
  It was easy to see that President Reagan was blessed with a good 
nature and positive spirit. All Americans remember his abiding love of 
country and strong defense of freedom.
  President Reagan has left a lasting legacy in the way he confronted 
communism and helped to end the cold war. He was the kind of leader we 
needed during those difficult years. For that, our Nation, and the 
world, will be forever grateful.
  On behalf of my constituents in El Paso, I extend heartfelt 
condolences to the Reagan family during this very sad time.


                             Hon. Tom Latham


                                 of iowa

  Mr. Speaker, former President Reagan's influence on the world was 
tremendous. He was bigger than life. Whether it was on the Silver Screen 
or before thousands of cheering Americans--he was, in so many ways, the 
American dream. His messages of hope and possibility touched so many 
people around the world.
  Many Iowans have a special place in their heart for Ronald Reagan or 
``Dutch'' as he was known to those who used to listen to him on the 
radio during the thirties.
  In 1932, after graduating from college, Reagan began working as a 
temporary staff announcer for radio station WOC in Davenport, IA. In 
1933, WOC merged with radio station WHO in Des Moines, and Reagan was 
hired as chief sports announcer for the new station. Here, Reagan 
announced Chicago Cubs baseball games--reading them from teletype 
reports. I remember him recounting how he was forced to improvise games 
for as long as 15 minutes when the teletype machine would unexpectedly 
stop.
  At the time, radio personalities were treated as big stars and what a 
great place to start a career in entertainment--in Iowa. As we all know, 
Mr. Reagan went on to a career in movies but many Iowans remembered 
listening to his sportscasts and helped him in pursuit of higher office 
in the seventies and eighties.
  I can remember ``Dutch's Dollies''--a group of ladies who were 
longtime fans cheering wildly at his campaign events. They were loyal 
supporters with very long memories of their man Dutch.
  There are many great stories about Ronald Reagan and his ties to Iowa, 
but I want to express my admiration for the entire Reagan family.
  Ronald Reagan touched me in a manner I could not anticipate--through 
Alzheimer's disease.
  For the better part of the last decade I shared the sadness of this 
disease with the Reagan family. Like all Americans, we read about the 
Reagan family's long goodbye to the President. During their painful 
days, the entire Latham family was saying their own long goodbye to my 
father Willard Latham, who succumbed to the disease in 2001.
  Ronald Reagan will be remembered for many things but for millions this 
week we are reminded of the ravages Alzheimer's disease has on its 
victims and their families. Let us all pray for those who are devastated 
by this affliction and let us keep the Reagan family in our thoughts and 
prayers.


                           Hon. Jon C. Porter


                                of nevada

  Mr. Speaker, today is a day of reflection. We reflect on the life and 
leadership of former President Ronald Wilson Reagan. We remember all 
that is good in our country, and all our Nation has to offer its people. 
Ronald Reagan made a significant and lasting contribution to the 
strength of our economy, our military, and restored America's self-
confidence.
  President Reagan was an inspiration to me as I embarked upon a 
political career in Boulder City, NV, more than 20 years ago. He 
instilled in me that America was indeed a place everyone can rise as 
high and as far as his ability will take him. His own humble beginnings 
are proof of that. He taught me the meaning of civility, and to respect 
your political adversaries despite your disagreements.
  President Reagan changed the course of history, for both the United 
States and the world. He implemented foreign policy that would later end 
the cold war and free many nations from the Iron Curtain.
  President Reagan strengthened our economy. His leadership taught us 
that the Federal Government is not the solution for our problems and set 
us on a course that would lessen taxes and decrease inflation, helping 
many Americans achieve the American dream.
  On behalf of the people of the Third Congressional District from the 
great State of Nevada, I offer my deepest sympathy to Mrs. Reagan and 
the entire Reagan family.
  To conclude, let me recap the final words of President Reagan's 
farewell address to the American people from the Oval Office:

  My friends: We did it. We weren't just marking time. We made a 
difference. We made the city stronger. We made the city freer, and we 
left her in good hands. All in all, not bad, not bad at all.

  Mr. President, thank you for all you've done for the Nation and the 
world. Americans will miss you.


                            Hon. Todd Tiahrt


                                of kansas

  Mr. Speaker, we have lost a giant in American politics and world 
history. Ronald Wilson Reagan was not only a great President, he was a 
good man. He will be remembered fondly for his character and with great 
appreciation for his tremendous triumphs in spreading peace and freedom 
throughout the world.
  In addition to tearing down the iron curtain of communism, rebuilding 
America's military, presiding over the Nation's longest period of growth 
and prosperity, it was the little things that made him great. He cared 
about people, including the smallest among us. His heart of kindness 
reflected that of his Creator's in its compassion toward ``the least of 
these.''
  Ronald Reagan comforted us when we grieved. Whether to the families of 
the 101st Airborne Division or to a Nation in shock after losing the 
space shuttle Challenger, President Reagan knew what to say and how to 
say it. He also knew when to be silent and simply offer a reassuring 
embrace. He was the most powerful man in the world, yet he exuded the 
warmth and kindness of a gentle grandfather. We respected not just the 
office he held, but the man who held it.
  President Reagan earned his respect. He knew what he believed, 
established his goals upon those beliefs and committed to achieve his 
dreams. The world is a much improved place because he lived by his 
deeply held convictions.
  Ronald Reagan knew you shouldn't penalize people for working hard, so 
he fought to enact sweeping tax relief that spurred unparalleled 
economic growth. He knew there was a difference between good and evil, 
so he called out the evil empire, and it ultimately crumbled. Ronald 
Reagan knew people wanted to feel good about this country again, so he 
told us it was ``morning in America''--and we saw that it was.
  He touched numerous lives in the Fourth Congressional District of 
Kansas. Every year I attend the Lincoln Day Celebration in Independence, 
KS, I am reminded by local residents of Ronald Reagan's visit there in 
1966. They remember it as if it were yesterday. And they still love him.
  We love Ronald Reagan. We have named our national airport, 
Washington's largest government building and more than 50 other sites 
across this country in tribute to our Nation's 40th President. He 
captured our hearts with his next-door-neighbor kindness, rekindled our 
patriotism with his effusive and infectious love for this country, and 
he inspired us with his principled leadership.
  In his personal and moving letter disclosing his bout with Alzheimer's 
disease, the President conveyed the essence of his entire being. In that 
letter, he was optimistic about America, and he asked us to take care of 
his beloved Nancy because he was concerned about the burden she would 
bear. There was not a word of self-pity or dread. Ronald Reagan wrote 
about the sunset of his life, but proclaimed for America, ``a bright 
dawn ahead.''
  Mr. Speaker, we too believe that America's future is bright, but it 
pales in comparison to the place where Ronald Reagan now lives.
  President Reagan had a strong faith in God and spoke of his reliance 
on prayer in both good and difficult times. During his address at the 
National Prayer Breakfast in 1982, President Reagan said he believed the 
United States was a blessed land that had been set apart in a special 
way. But, he also had the following warning:

  Sometimes, it seems we've strayed from that noble beginning, from our 
conviction that standards of right and wrong do exist and must be lived 
up to. God, the source of our knowledge, has been expelled from the 
classroom. He gives us His greatest blessing, life, and yet many would 
condone the taking of innocent life. We expect Him to protect us in a 
crisis, but turn away from Him too often in our day-to-day living. I 
wonder if He isn't waiting for us to wake up.

  President Reagan went on to urge Americans of faith to get involved 
and ``to restore our spirit of neighbor caring for neighbor.'' In his 
conclusion he added:

  We are told in II Timothy that when our work is done, we can say, ``We 
have fought the good fight. We have finished the race. We have kept the 
faith.''

  Ronald Reagan's struggles on this Earth are finished, but his work 
carries on. He indeed fought the good fight, and we are all better off 
because of it.
  May God bless Ronald Wilson Reagan, and may God provide strength, 
peace and encouragement to Mrs. Reagan and the Reagan family in the days 
ahead.


                         Hon. Michael Bilirakis


                               of florida

  Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor America's 40th President, Ronald 
Wilson Reagan.
  President Reagan was an ordinary man who led an extraordinary life. He 
came from a middle-American family of modest means to become the leader 
of the most powerful Nation in the world, inspiring its people along the 
way.
  President Reagan was a decisive leader. He was a strong Commander in 
Chief. He was a statesman. He was a gifted communicator. He was a 
skilled political adversary. He was an eternal optimist. He was a 
patriot. He was, above all, an American. He used these skills, and his 
love for our country, to change the course of history for the better.
  President Reagan accomplished much during his Presidency. He helped 
defeat communism and end the cold war. He rebuilt our national defenses. 
He advanced freedom throughout the world. He led the longest economic 
recovery in our Nation's history. He lowered taxes. He fundamentally 
changed the way we think about government. ``We meant to change a 
nation,'' he said in his farewell address to the American people, but 
instead, ``we changed a world.''
  President Reagan literally helped save a world that needed saving.
  President Reagan convinced us to believe in ourselves again. He took 
charge of a wounded Nation that doubted itself and helped us rediscover 
our pride and patriotism. He reminded us that America and its people are 
fundamentally good, decent and deserving of God's blessings. He restored 
America's greatness and instilled in us his eternal optimism that our 
best is always yet to come.
  President Reagan left America better, stronger, freer and more 
prosperous than we ever had been. Looking back on his accomplishments in 
the White House, he said that he was proud that ``We weren't just 
marking time. We made a difference,'' adding with his usual humility 
``All in all, not bad, not bad at all.''
  Not bad at all, Mr. President.
  President Reagan battled Alzheimer's disease with the same dignity and 
courage with which he lived his life. He asked us, in his last letter to 
America, to remember that he had ``the greatest love for this country of 
ours and eternal optimism for its future.'' We know he loved America. I 
think it is clear America loved him.
  Mr. Speaker, I am proud to have known President Reagan and am honored 
to have, in some small measure, done my part to ensure that his vision 
for America and the world came to pass. We all owe him a debt of 
gratitude for dedicating his life to improving ours.
  In this time of great sadness for the Reagan family and the American 
people, let us take comfort in the knowledge that the leader we so loved 
has fulfilled his earthly mission and has finally reached the place of 
peace in which we all may one day rejoice. May God eternally bless 
Ronald Reagan and continue to watch over the ``shining city on a hill'' 
he so loved.


                            Hon. Mac Collins


                               of georgia

  Mr. Speaker, today, I pay tribute to a great American, our 40th 
President, Ronald Reagan.
  Under Ronald Reagan's Presidency and leadership, America stood tall 
again in the world as a ``shining city on the hill.'' Americans were 
proud once again to be Americans.
  Ronald Reagan assumed the Presidency when America was facing an 
Iranian hostage crisis, a rising inflation rate, increasing 
unemployment, and an energy crisis that saw Americans waiting in lines 
to purchase gasoline.
  Upon assuming the Presidency, Ronald Reagan proposed a bold economic 
and defense program. His economic policy created the longest peacetime 
job expansion in history. Under his leadership, our defenses were 
rebuilt to handle any adversary. It was his leadership that saw America 
triumph as the communist evil empire that scarred Europe fell.
  President Reagan fought for his convictions and followed up his 
campaign promises with successful action. Under his leadership, 
government bureaucracy and regulations were reduced. Taxes were lowered 
and a strong national defense was rebuilt to fight against the spread of 
communism. These moves won him a landslide reelection victory.
  I agree with the words of this great President when he said, 
``government is not the solution . . . government is the problem.''
  I also agree with President Reagan's words at the 1992 Republican 
National Convention in Houston, TX, when he said:

  [A] lot of liberal democrats are saying it's time for a change; and 
they're right; the only trouble is they're pointing to the wrong end of 
Pennsylvania Avenue. What we should change is a Democratic Congress that 
wastes precious time on partisan matters of absolutely no relevance to 
the needs of the average American. . . .

  It's time to clean house. Clean out the privileges and perks. Clean 
out the arrogance and the big egos. Clean out the scandals, the corner-
cutting and the foot-dragging.

  Ronald Reagan was a President who, in a time of politicians, proved 
himself a statesman. He was a leader who, when others demanded 
compromise, preached conviction; a gentleman who, in time of average 
men, stood taller than anyone else.
  He ranks as one of the finest men ever to hold the office. He was 
successful as a radio broadcaster, actor, union leader, Governor and 
President. But, above all else, he was a successful American whose 
legacy lives on in these halls and across this land. May God bless this 
great man, his family and this land that he so dearly loved.


                         Hon. Edward L. Schrock


                               of virginia

  Mr. Speaker, today I rise to honor and remember a great man, a great 
leader and a great President.
  Ronald Wilson Reagan is a man none of us will soon forget. In the 
annals of American and world history, Ronald Reagan will be recognized 
and remembered with the great leaders of our past like Winston 
Churchill, George Washington and Abraham Lincoln.
  As a principled leader, he challenged political leaders in our Nation, 
in both parties, to go beyond the status quo, to think beyond the realms 
of the possible, to reach new heights in public discourse by doing more 
than debate the problems ailing the American people, and to actually 
find a solution.
  He actively worked to enact new policies that brought our Nation out 
of the malaise of the seventies.
  He fought communism and tyranny, bringing freedom to more people in 
the world than has ever been achieved in history.
  His principle of ``peace through strength,'' not only led our Nation 
to become the preeminent superpower in the world, but it also brought 
the Soviet empire down to its knees, ending the cold war once and for 
all.
  When was the last time we have seen a world leader stand boldly on the 
doorsteps of an enemy and challenge him to ``Tear down this wall''? 
President Reagan knew what had to be done and he did it. Why? Because it 
was the right thing to do.
  I think most Americans will remember Ronald Reagan for the inspiration 
he gave us all. He helped us to believe in ourselves again. After our 
failed efforts in Vietnam and the protests and marches against our 
actions there, after Watergate, after economic malaise, and after the 
Iran hostage crisis, America was in a state of despair with very little 
hope in the future.
  But President Reagan helped us to believe we could be better, and we 
became better. He showed us America could be strong and win the cold 
war, and we became strong and won it. He promised us he would invest in 
the American people to turn the economy around. He made that investment 
and dividends are still paying off today.
  President Reagan optimistically led the way. The Nation followed and 
we are better off because of it.
  In spite of all that President Reagan did for our Nation, the one 
thing that speaks volumes about his character and the man that he was, 
was the way he loved Nancy. He was not embarrassed about his love for 
her, rather he demonstrated it at every opportunity.
  President Reagan was committed to his family, to his Nation and to the 
world. He was dedicated to his integrity, principles and the belief that 
America could become that ``shining city on a hill.''
  Today, we say goodbye to this great man, leader, President and 
husband. We miss President Reagan. May God bless him and his family.


                          Hon. Solomon P. Ortiz


                                of texas

  Mr. Speaker, my memories of Ronald Reagan are much like the memories 
of so many of those who met President Reagan and who were absolutely 
charmed by him.
  Ronald Reagan wasn't just called the Great Communicator because he 
could give good speeches; he was a brilliant communicator on all levels. 
He understood how the everyday person on the street understood issues, 
and he framed things in such a way that people believed him. He 
presented his ideas simply and eloquently.
  He was also excellent one on one. His Irish charm was all-
encompassing. That charm made him an agreeable opponent when we 
disagreed on issues. He welcomed opposition on a matter; he understood 
that democratic societies only flourish when both sides of an issue are 
clearly heard. He relished debate.
  President Reagan's acting career was helpful to him in his political 
career, although his detractors often denigrated him for it. But he was 
a good actor; his performance in ``Kings Row'' was widely hailed. But 
World War II intervened and his advancing career was diverted to 
military service, making movies for the troops.
  My personal memories of the President were times we saw each other in 
the White House or the Capitol. The first time we met, my 10-year-old 
daughter, Yvette, accompanied me to the White House party for new 
Members of Congress. After being rebuffed by a security guard when she 
asked if she could get Reagan's autograph, the President found out and 
obliged her with his autograph.
  I remember another meeting with him that was rather high stakes on the 
international stage. I'd just returned from El Salvador in the 
mideighties with a CODEL of House Members where we'd sought to bring 
back good information about the rebel uprisings in Central America, 
particularly there in El Salvador.
  Talking about--and debating at points during the conversation--
international policy with the President of the United States in the Oval 
Office was a heady moment. We marveled that a migrant worker from 
Robstown and a lifeguard from Illinois would wind up in this room, 
talking about such important things.
  He loved this Nation and felt a great responsibility to it. When his 
tax cuts and economic policies produced mountains of massive deficit, he 
stepped up and reversed his policy, raising taxes higher than any 
President before him--or since--has ever done. His insistence that the 
Soviets tear down the Berlin Wall rang truer than anyone would have 
believed at the time.
  He had a sweet soul. This was one of the central tenets of the man. He 
loved his wife deeply, and the entire Nation has come to love her even 
more after they left the White House. Nancy Reagan's monumental strength 
in the face of facing her dear husband's illness, without him entirely 
with her, might have broken lesser people.
  One of the President's greatest contributions to humanity, and to this 
Nation, may have come after he left office to begin the long dark walk 
away from us, and his beloved family. That this strong, vigorous man was 
so removed, so empty, was chilling for all of us. The eyes that danced 
with Irish charm began to narrow with confusion.
  The Nation was deeply moved watching this much-loved President face 
the indignities of Alzheimer's so bravely and with such conviction. We 
have been moved to seek new science and new treatments for the cruel 
disease that claims the last decades of many Americans, and drains their 
families.
  For all we have said here today, Ronald Reagan will be remembered most 
profoundly as an eternal optimist, embodying the quintessential American 
spirit. At our core, we are all optimists, thinking about tomorrow. 
Former House Speaker Tip O'Neill once illustrated President Reagan's 
indomitable optimism with a story the President told him. President 
Reagan compared himself to the kid who walks into a room full of horse 
dung, and asks excitedly, ``Where's the pony?''
  I join the House of Representatives today in honoring the life and 
service of Ronald Wilson Reagan and offer my condolences, those of my 
family, and those of my south Texas constituents, to Mrs. Reagan and the 
rest of their family.
  May the Lord bless President Reagan's soul, and comfort Mrs. Reagan 
and their family in this time of loss.


                           Hon. Dale E. Kildee


                               of michigan

  Mr. Speaker, I remember Ronald Reagan as an enthusiastic American 
patriot. He truly enjoyed being President. He was just like everyone's 
uncle or grandfather. He always had a kind word to say. He could 
disagree without being disagreeable. Page H3861
  I have served with six Presidents, and I liked him personally.
  Even one of his principal opponents, House Speaker Tip O'Neill, liked 
him.
  President Reagan was well known for his great sense of humor. On St. 
Patrick's Day, Tip O'Neill invited President Reagan to the Speaker's 
dining room to have lunch with the Irish Members of Congress. In his 
remarks, President Reagan said, with great humor, ``I am told that on 
St. Patrick's Day, one should spend time with saints and scholars, so 
you know that when I leave here I will have to go to two other places.''
  We all loved it.
  On the international level, President Reagan made it difficult for the 
Soviet Union to compete with us, either economically or militarily.
  May he rest in peace.


                           Hon. Karen McCarthy


                               of missouri

  Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor former President Ronald Wilson 
Reagan and to extend my deepest sympathies to former First Lady Nancy 
Reagan and the Reagan family. I join with the millions of Americans who 
mourn the death of our 40th President. President Reagan demonstrated an 
unwavering commitment to freedom, justice and democracy and left an 
indelible mark upon our Nation and the world.
  On this occasion of remembrance, we are reminded of the pain and 
devastation wrought by Alzheimer's disease, a neurological illness which 
President Reagan endured during the last decade of his life. From this 
challenge, Mrs. Reagan has led a valiant effort to enable ongoing 
embryonic stem cell research, in the hope for a cure for this 
debilitating disease, as well as Parkinson's, diabetes, cancer and 
multiple sclerosis.
  On April 28, I joined more than 200 of my colleagues in the House of 
Representatives in sending a letter to President George W. Bush in 
support of Mrs. Reagan's efforts on behalf of scientific research on 
stem cells. In February 2003, Senators Hatch, Feinstein, Kennedy, 
Specter and Harkin introduced legislation to ban human reproductive 
cloning but allow nuclear transplantation research to continue under 
strict Federal guidelines. I commend them for their leadership on this 
important issue and know that with the continued support of Mrs. Reagan, 
progress toward a cure for Alzheimer's and other diseases will be 
possible, ensuring a brighter future for millions of Americans.
  As we honor the life and legacy of President Reagan and extend our 
condolences to his family and friends, let us remember the dignity and 
grace with which he lived his life and provide a fitting tribute to his 
memory by renewing the commitment to this noble cause.


                          Hon. David L. Hobson


                                 of ohio

  Mr. Speaker, I rise today to join my colleagues, indeed all Americans, 
in paying tribute to a great man, the 40th President of the United 
States--Ronald Wilson Reagan.
  President Reagan was an extraordinary and visionary leader, who saw 
our great Nation as having a unique role, purpose, and destiny in the 
world. He saw it as a beacon of freedom, a land of unlimited 
opportunity, and in his words, a ``shining city on the hill.''
  Mr. Reagan took office during a time of great pessimism. There was 
Watergate; Vietnam; the hostage crisis in Iran; and gas lines, runaway 
inflation, and double-digit interest rates here at home. There were 
those who told us that we had to lower our expectations, that we could 
no longer shape our destiny, and that our best days were behind us.
  Ronald Reagan saw a different future. It was a future in which we were 
limited only by the size of our dreams; where the spirit of our pioneer 
ancestors was still alive, it just needed to be rekindled. It was a 
vision where hard work, imagination, creativity, and a little luck would 
allow ordinary men and women to accomplish extraordinary things.
  Taxes were cut, inflation and interest rates were reduced, and gas 
lines disappeared. Americans went back to work; the economy roared 
forward; and in the process, Mr. Reagan restored our confidence, 
uplifted our spirits, and made us proud to be Americans again.
  The rebirth here at home was accompanied by equally dramatic changes 
abroad. The march of totalitarianism that seemed inevitable a few years 
earlier, was halted as Mr. Reagan rebuilt our defenses. The creaky 
Soviet system disappeared quietly, without a shot being fired. And the 
Berlin Wall, the greatest symbol of oppression, fell, and millions of 
people around the world tasted freedom for the first time.
  We Americans, and indeed all freedom-loving people around the world, 
owe President Reagan an enormous debt. We will miss him, but history 
will never forget what he accomplished in 8 short years. As a grateful 
Nation comes together to say goodbye, our collective thoughts and 
prayers go to Mrs. Reagan and her family.


                             Hon. Jim Nussle


                                 of iowa

  Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor President Ronald Reagan. Ronald Reagan 
once said, ``We in government should learn to look at our country with 
the eyes of an entrepreneur, seeing possibilities where others see only 
problems.'' It is that spirit that brought me and many others into the 
public service profession. I am proud to have cast my first Presidential 
vote for Ronald Reagan in 1980. Fortunately for this country and the 
world, a majority of my fellow citizens agreed.
  Ronald Reagan served as a beacon of hope and inspiration. His vision 
of a stronger, optimistic America inspired me to action. In 1980 I was a 
young student at Luther College in Decorah, IA, and I jumped right into 
grassroots politics on my campus. I was selected to attend the 
Republican National Convention that summer and was one of the youngest 
delegates there.
  Iowans are proud of our connection to President Reagan. WOC, a 
Davenport radio station in my district, gave Ronald Reagan his first job 
out of college and he lived in Iowa for several years.
  Ronald Reagan made the future something to charge toward rather than 
fear. His philosophy was based on a brilliant truth: He knew without a 
doubt that having faith in Americans would create the best America.
  The Reagan revolution is still the foundation for my core beliefs: The 
American people make better decisions about their daily life than the 
government can for them. Keeping America secure is job one. Peace is 
best achieved when you negotiate from a position of strength.
  I keep a plaque on my desk with a quote from Ronald Reagan. It reads 
``There's no limit to what a man can do or where he can go if he doesn't 
mind who gets the credit.''
  Today I join my colleagues, thousands of Iowans and millions of 
Americans in giving credit to Ronald Reagan for renewing our Nation and 
for changing the world forever with his leadership and ideals.
  Thank you Mr. President, for reminding us why we should be proud to be 
Americans and for making us feel safe when nothing in the world seemed 
safe. Above all, thank you for your humor, optimism and for believing 
the best in us. We will never forget you.


                        Hon. Christopher H. Smith


                              of new jersey

  Mr. Speaker, Ronald Reagan was a great world leader with a fierce 
devotion to freedom, democracy, and the sacredness of human life--
including the unborn.
  He advocated ``peace through strength'' and played a major role in 
dismantling Soviet communism which he rightly called the evil empire and 
stopped its extension into Latin America and elsewhere. I remember some 
of his critics laughing when he challenged Gorbachev in Berlin to ``tear 
down this wall!'' They're not laughing any more.
  Ronald Reagan championed the 1981 tax cut--the largest tax cut in 
history--totaling $750 billion by 1986. All wage earners--low, moderate 
and upper-income levels--got a 25 percent across-the-board cut in 
personal income taxes. Long term capital gains were also cut and the 
results were stunning--19 million new jobs created as Americans began to 
believe and hope again.
  Ronald Reagan was strongly prolife and fervently believed that women 
deserved better than abortion and that unborn children are precious and 
deserve respect.
  Having been elected to Congress in 1980 along with President Reagan, I 
saw first-hand and often how genuine he was. He was a man of abiding 
principle who inspired our Nation to greatness, always believing 
America's best years lay ahead.
  He endured personal hardship--including an assassination attempt--with 
incredible poise, dignity, and even humor.
  Who can forget President Reagan telling Nancy after he was shot, ``I 
forgot to duck.''
  President Reagan will be missed, but his legend will endure.


                            Hon. Jeb Bradley


                            of new hampshire

  Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to one of the greatest 
leaders of the past century, a man who committed himself to making our 
Nation more powerful, united, secure, prosperous, and proud.
  By definition, a leader is one who guides, and as President of this 
great country, Ronald Wilson Reagan guided us with grace and dignity 
through one of the most critical periods in our country's history. His 
optimism led our county into a new era and brought hope and freedom to 
millions of people in the world.
  When the cold war pitted the United States and the Soviet Union 
against each other in an ideological struggle of the highest stakes, 
President Reagan steered the Nation and led the free world with steady 
resolve and confidence.
  Throughout his time in office, President Reagan stood for the 
principles and ideals of the American people. His steadfast moral 
clarity was not expressed in political rhetoric but implemented by 
action. His style was clear and bold. He redefined and transformed his 
political party with a new image and momentum. He set a new standard of 
political cooperation in American Government. He created a new economic 
policy. Finally, he reestablished American leadership through the force 
of his vision and the power of his personality. Most poignantly, it was 
with that vision that he spoke boldly before the Brandenburg Gate in 
Berlin in 1987 to demand Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev to ``open 
this gate! . . . tear down this wall!'' The rest is history. Within 
months the wall came down, Eastern Europe was free, and the Soviet Union 
collapsed.
  Ronald Reagan spent 8 years turning American hopes and dreams into 
reality and affirming our status as the greatest nation on Earth, and 
for that, America is forever indebted to him.
  God bless Ronald Reagan.


                         Hon. William L. Jenkins


                              of tennessee

  Mr. Speaker, steadfast leadership, eternal optimism, profound faith, 
inspirational articulation, fierce patriotism: when America needed these 
qualities in a leader, President Ronald Reagan stepped in to fill the 
void. We come here to the Congress today to celebrate and honor the life 
of a man who will forever be etched in history as one of the greatest 
leaders of the 20th century.
  The stories have been told so often by those of us who supported 
President Reagan over the years that they seem mundane, almost like a 
fictional novel or a movie script. High taxes, a struggling economy, a 
need for international stature and respect, and low morale affected the 
Nation. At that time, a man who had come from the most humble beginnings 
stepped up to offer his vision for America. Washington politics tend to 
bring a variety of characters to the Capital City, and Ronald Reagan was 
the unlikeliest of candidates: a child of a transient family with little 
income. He dreamed of being a writer or an artist, became a sports 
broadcaster, then a Hollywood actor, later a union leader, even later a 
Governor, and finally a President.
  His political affiliation would change over the course of a lifetime, 
but his core belief system remained essentially unchanged. Throughout 
his life, Ronald Reagan believed America was capable of great things and 
its people could and would lead the way if left unburdened by taxation 
and regulation. President Reagan also had an insatiable thirst to let 
the rest of the world enjoy the gifts of freedom and liberty. The 
``shining city on a hill'' would be the beacon for the rest of the 
world.
  Often dismissed or underestimated by political opponents, President 
Reagan had the most valuable weapon in the political arsenal: a bond 
with the people. Even in the face of his political defeats, it was the 
support of the American public that sustained and invigorated him.
  In 1980, a Nation in need of change selected Ronald Reagan to restore 
the shine to a tarnished America. Over the course of two terms, 
President Reagan revolutionized the Republican Party and changed the 
political atmosphere in a way still being felt today. He did what he 
said he would do. He lowered taxes, igniting an economic boom that 
reverberates to this day. A more streamlined Tax Code was authored. 
Regulatory burdens were challenged. Our Armed Forces were restored and 
then strengthened. The threatening scourge of communism was confronted 
in a way that America's enemies had not anticipated. Not only did 
President Reagan turn to face this menace, he outargued his opponents 
and used the tools of freedom and democracy to win a war few thought 
could be won without the use of massive weaponry.
  After achieving these monumental victories, one would think that 
perhaps President Reagan's ego would match the size of his victories. 
Nothing, however, was further from the truth. President Reagan always 
gave the credit to the American people and American ideals. He treated 
his job as a valuable temporary loan from the American people, a loan 
that should be respected and returned with dutiful appreciation. He left 
the Office of the Presidency with a poignant farewell from the Oval 
Office:

  We've done our part. And as I walk off into the city streets, a final 
word to the men and women of the Reagan revolution, the men and women 
across America who for eight years did the work that brought America 
back. My friends: We did it. We weren't just marking time. We made a 
difference. We made the city stronger. We made the city freer, and we 
left her in good hands. All in all, not bad, not bad at all.

  Truer words have never been spoken, as President Reagan left 
Washington having achieved the triad of goals he was elected to 
accomplish in 8 short years: improving the economy, restoring American 
prestige internationally, and reestablishing the confidence of the 
American psyche.
  Just a few years later, his quiet exit from public life was as 
graceful as his exit from the White House. Ronald Reagan's well-
documented final battles with Alzheimer's disease were fought with the 
same conviction and courage that his many public battles were fought. We 
all knew the ``long goodbye'' would eventually knock at the door. And, 
while we sadly mourn our loss today and send our deepest sympathy to 
Nancy and the rest of the Reagan family, we can also take solace in and 
celebrate one last Reagan victory: the Great Communicator now has been 
welcomed to a place where his faculties are restored, his great skills 
have been returned to him, and he probably smiles down on us as a 
grateful America says ``Thank you, Mr. President'' once again.


                            Hon. Jerry Moran


                                of kansas

  Mr. Speaker, we are blessed to live in a country filled with so many 
men and women willing to go beyond the call of duty, to accomplish great 
things for the benefit of their fellow citizens. Each day, ordinary 
souls are called upon to perform extraordinary tasks. I rise to pay 
tribute to one of the greatest individuals of our time--President Ronald 
Reagan.
  Like the World War II veterans honored last week during the dedication 
of the National World War II Memorial in Washington, DC, and those 
honored this past Sunday on the 60th anniversary of D-day in Normandy, 
President Reagan was a great American, steadfast in his appointed duty, 
thorough in thought, long on compassion and short on vanity.
  His love of freedom and embrace of optimism were virtues of many in 
the greatest generation. Let us pray that our generation, and the 
generations to come, remember that freedom is a worthy cause.
  I traveled to the beaches of Normandy this week, joining President 
Bush, Speaker Hastert, and others, to commemorate the 60th anniversary 
of D-day. During the ceremonies, I could not help but feel Reagan's 
presence.
  In his own speech on that shore 20 years ago, President Reagan said:

  The men of Normandy had faith that what they were doing was right, 
faith that they fought for all humanity, faith that a just God would 
grant them mercy on this beachhead or on the next. It was the deep 
knowledge--and pray God we have not lost it--that there is a profound 
moral difference between the use of force for liberation and the use of 
force for conquest.

  President Reagan understood, like our World War II soldiers, that what 
they were doing was not to harm, but to help. That even though 
sacrifices would be made--the greater good was at stake and no price was 
too high.
  In announcing that he had Alzheimer's disease, Ronald Reagan said that 
he was beginning the journey that would lead him ``into the sunset of 
[his] life.'' He said, ``I know that for America there will always be a 
bright dawn ahead.'' Since 1994, Reagan had suffered the cruelty of 
Alzheimer's, so our sorrow today is tempered by the knowledge that the 
President has indeed gone to a better place--a place where he has a 
front row seat to watch all the bright dawns that lie ahead for America.
  President Reagan is responsible for so many of those bright dawns that 
we have to look forward to. He changed the world by living his 
convictions. Not ``clinging to'' them or ``sticking to'' them, but 
living them. Reagan's core beliefs were exactly that. They were at his 
core and were therefore part of his every action.
  Reagan's convictions gave him confidence. He was a man of the people. 
He listened. And when he heard what the people needed, he took action in 
accordance with his convictions. On the domestic front, the people said 
they were tired of their economy spiraling downward, so Reagan worked to 
reverse that trend.
  To accomplish these feats, President Reagan was not afraid to take 
hard stances. But he also knew that these changes would take bipartisan 
efforts. We should all remember, respect, and try to live up to Reagan's 
model of bipartisanship. His efforts to change America were based upon 
his philosophy and beliefs--not upon any partisan gamesmanship.
  On foreign policy, Americans said they were tired of living in fear, 
so Reagan worked to bring security. President Reagan engineered the end 
of the decades-long cold war. Because of his policies, and his faith 
that freedom would prevail, our children and grandchildren are not 
growing up with the constant fear of mutual destruction. We all are able 
now to live in a world that, though still imperfect, strives toward 
peace, works for justice and rejects tyranny.
  I call upon my colleagues to remember Reagan's strength. Remember him 
as he was while in office. In his final radio address as President, on 
January 14, 1989, Reagan said, ``The hope of human freedom, the quest 
for it, the achievement of it, is the American saga.'' Reagan's hope, 
his quest, and all his achievements--those are what we all honor and 
remember.
  Now, too, the Great Communicator has gone the way of so many of our 
greatest generation. I rise not only in sadness for his passing, but 
more important, in celebration of his life, his accomplishments and his 
deeds. I rise to pay tribute to President Reagan in the words he used to 
honor the crew of the Challenger space shuttle in 1986:

  We will never forget [him], nor the last time we saw [him] . . . as 
[he] prepared for [the] journey and waved good-bye and ``slipped the 
surly bonds of earth'' to ``touch the face of God.''


                            Hon. Devin Nunes


                              of california

  Mr. Speaker, I rise today to extend my condolences to First Lady Nancy 
Reagan, as well as the children, family and close friends of former 
President Ronald Reagan.
  Mr. Reagan was a visionary leader who guided our great country through 
difficult and dangerous times. He faced adversity with a smile and quick 
wit. He solved problems with sober determination. He gave us hope for 
the future of freedom and prosperity. He reminded us what it meant to be 
proud Americans.
  We mourn his loss but remember that he left us with a rich heritage of 
memories, ideals, and a trail of lives changed at home and abroad 
because of his efforts. For that, we will be eternally grateful.


                         Hon. Timothy V. Johnson


                               of illinois

  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of our 40th President and Illinois 
native, Ronald Reagan, and in strong support of H. Res. 664. Many words 
come to mind when President Reagan's name is invoked; principled, loyal, 
patriotic, compassionate, caring, and humble, to name a few.
  His philosophy in life was the same philosophy that he employed in his 
approach to politics and government; believe in the good of people, 
believe that what is right will eventually triumph, believe in the value 
of each and every human life, and believe in the strength and the power 
of freedom and individual liberty. He once said that America is too 
great for small dreams. He truly saw our great Nation as the ``shining 
city on the hill'' and as the beacon of freedom for oppressed people 
throughout the world. Nowhere else in the world and at no other time or 
place in history has one nation been so prepared and had the means to 
promote freedom, peace, and stability than the United States does right 
now. Ours is a heavy burden but one that must be borne. Reagan 
understood that.
  He also once said that ``you can tell a lot about a fellow's character 
by his way of eating jellybeans.'' In this simple way, he told us that, 
in the end, character is what matters and that life is really a series 
of simple choices between what is right and what is wrong. No one person 
is responsible for another person's destiny. It is the choices that we 
make everyday that we must account for. Reagan believed, as I do, that 
an individual's personal initiative and the willingness to accept the 
consequences and rewards for their actions and, most importantly, the 
freedom to do so, is what make our Nation great.
  He believed in people. He believed in America. He traveled to towns in 
what is now my congressional district, like Charleston, IL, in 1976 and 
Mattoon, IL, in 1980, because every person was important to him. The 
people in rural Illinois and similar places across the country believed 
in him, because he believed in them. He often asked, ``Did we forget 
that government is the people's business and every man, woman, and child 
becomes a shareholder with the first penny of tax paid?'' Reagan 
constantly promoted this philosophy of government. The government of the 
United States belongs to all of us and public servants have an 
obligation to the people to be good stewards of their dollars, uphold 
the Constitution, and protect them from all enemies both foreign and 
domestic.
  He believed in peace. When naysayers told him that building our 
military and our nuclear arsenal would finally push us into a war with 
the former Soviet Union, he knew that principled diplomacy, firm, yet 
reasonable rhetoric, the economic power of our Nation, and the promotion 
of freedom would bring communism to its knees. And when it did, he 
called on ``the scientific community . . . who gave us nuclear weapons, 
to turn their . . . talents . . . to the cause of mankind and world 
peace, to give us the means of rendering these nuclear weapons impotent 
and obsolete.'' He believed in ``peace through strength'' and he proved 
that it works.
  I will miss President Reagan and I send my deepest sympathies and 
condolences to his family with the thanks for sharing him with me and 
the rest of the Nation. He inspired many. He lived by example. Rest in 
peace, Mr. President.


                          Hon. Michael G. Oxley


                                 of ohio

  Mr. Speaker, the leadership that Ronald Reagan provided changed the 
country and the world.
  I had the privilege to be elected to Congress during the heady days of 
the Reagan revolution. I had barely won a special election in June 1981 
to keep the Fourth Ohio District in Republican hands, and as a young 
freshman Congressman was quickly invited to the White House to meet the 
President and his aides.
  It was more than a welcome to Washington because the President's tax 
cut package was pending on the floor the next week, and I think they 
were there to take my temperature as well as to make sure that I was 
going to vote for the tax cut.
  I was proud to support the tax cut, the military buildup that helped 
win the cold war, and the President's policies up and down the line.
  President Reagan's economic program lifted us out of the malaise of 
the late seventies, when America was doubting its greatness, and set the 
stage for a historic period of prosperity that benefited all segments of 
our society.
  Still, I believe that Ronald Reagan is most likely to be celebrated as 
the President who led the way in winning the cold war. People in the 
past had always talked about the containment of Soviet communism and yet 
Reagan's theory behind the cold war was essentially we win and they 
lose. He was able to lead the country and Congress into modernizing our 
military and ultimately brought about the end of what he called the evil 
empire.
  For those of us who grew up in the shadow of nuclear annihilation, 
what could be more important than the victory that was won without 
firing a shot? It was won with ideas, and was something that I honestly 
thought I would never see in my lifetime.
  I had the thrill of traveling with President Reagan on the Heartland 
Express during a whistlestop campaign tour through Ohio in 1984. 
Everytime there would be a crowd gathered in a crossroads in a small 
town, the President would stand in the back of the train and wave. He 
was obviously in a buoyant mood. Large crowds cheered him during stops 
in Sidney and Lima, and people still remember that today.
  We remember President Reagan for his vision, leadership, and 
infectious optimism.
  I don't think I ever met anybody in politics or anywhere else who 
didn't like Ronald Reagan as a person. They may have disagreed with him 
on a number of issues but they never disliked him personally. I think 
President Reagan's legacy in politics is this ability to disagree 
without being disagreeable, to see politics as a noble calling and that 
you have your debates and arguments and have a beer afterward. That is 
missed very much today in Washington and I don't think we're the better 
for it.
  Our country will accord its highest honors to Ronald Reagan as we pay 
our heartfelt respects to him this week. But he will be remembered each 
day that men and women live in freedom, because what Ronald Reagan 
ultimately believed in was dignity and liberty for each individual.


                             Hon. Paul Ryan


                              of wisconsin

  Mr. Speaker, first, I would like to share my heartfelt condolences 
with Nancy Reagan and the Reagan children. Our Nation owes them a 
special debt of gratitude for their strength in caring for their husband 
and father over the past decade as he battled Alzheimer's disease and 
for everything they've done to uphold his dignity and legacy for our 
country.
  As we prepare to lay former U.S. President Ronald Reagan to rest, it's 
important that we reflect on his brave and principled leadership--and 
the hope he gave to countless individuals in our country and around the 
world.
  Looking back at the footage of Reagan's speeches and other public 
appearances, one of his most striking qualities was his enduring 
optimism. At the time that he entered the White House, self-doubt and 
pessimism had practically paralyzed our Nation and most Americans saw no 
end in sight to soaring inflation, economic stagnation and the cold war.
  Though he had a realistic view of the challenges that faced the United 
States, Reagan believed in us. He knew that free individuals have 
immense potential for good, and he knew the strength of our American 
system of free enterprise and self-government. His can-do spirit infused 
our country and brought a renewed sense of hope and opportunity to those 
who had nearly forgotten what America stands for.
  Fundamentally, Ronald Reagan trusted us. He trusted that Americans 
knew how to spend the money they earn better than the Federal Government 
does. He trusted that, once barriers to private enterprise and economic 
growth were lifted, American creativity and drive would bring our 
economy and jobs back. He trusted American resolve in defense of 
liberty. And he trusted people enough to speak plainly with them about 
his beliefs and intentions.
  President Reagan's words carried weight because we knew he meant what 
he said--and the Soviets and the rest of the world knew it too. He was 
not a poll watcher. He was a man of conviction--a man with a clear 
philosophy that guided his actions. This philosophy was rooted in a love 
of freedom and a deep faith in God.
  Speaking to students at Moscow State University on May 31, 1988, 
Ronald Reagan said:

  Democracy is less a system of government than it is a system to keep 
government limited, unintrusive: A system of constraints on power to 
keep politics and government secondary to the important things in life, 
the true sources of value found only in family and faith.

  Imagine what it must have been like for him to bring this message to 
the heart of an empire where government had for decades superceded 
individual rights. Ronald Reagan's commitment to actually winning the 
cold war, his determination to secure ``peace through strength,'' and 
his recognition that communism is a bankrupt, immoral ideology were 
essential to ending the Soviet threat and liberating the Eastern bloc 
nations and their people. Page H3864
  When you consider the countless individuals who owe their freedom in 
part to Ronald Reagan's leadership and the many Americans who today have 
close friends or family with whom they have reunited in areas formerly 
off-limits--who had been shut away behind the Iron Curtain--you get a 
sense of why so many across the world feel a personal connection with 
Ronald Reagan.
  On top of all his achievements, beyond all that Ronald Reagan did to 
rejuvenate our economy, win the cold war, and renew our country's sense 
of purpose and optimism, there was the man himself. He had great 
confidence in America's founding values as well as an excellent sense of 
humor. And he succeeded in raising the level of discourse in our 
political arena. People might have disagreed with him on policy 
decisions, and his opponents in Congress argued fiercely with him, but 
at the end of the day they respected one another. It was a time of 
greater civility in politics, and we should strive to recapture that.
  We look to Ronald Reagan's example as an inspiration today and express 
once more the thanks of a very grateful Nation.


                          Hon. Martin T. Meehan


                            of massachusetts

  Mr. Speaker, this week America is united in mourning for President 
Ronald Reagan.
  President Reagan will be remembered as a great optimist who helped 
convince America to believe in itself again.
  He believed that the cold war would end and the Berlin Wall would fall 
during his lifetime. And he was right. His words inspired people living 
behind the Iron Curtain to believe that freedom was attainable.
  Ronald Reagan was a loyal Republican but an American first. With his 
profound personal decency and disarming sense of humor, he rose above 
the kind of bitter partisanship that infects American politics today.
  Personal attacks were below him. He was a patriot and a man of 
integrity--and he never questioned the patriotism or integrity of 
others.
  Our politics were polarized then as they are now. But President Reagan 
knew how to compromise and get things done for the American people.
  The Speaker of the House during the first 6 years of his Presidency 
was Tip O'Neill of Massachusetts. Speaker O'Neill was a staunch Democrat 
with a very different vision for government, and a great leader in his 
own right.
  Working across party lines, President Reagan and Speaker O'Neill 
passed reforms to preserve and strengthen Social Security. They enacted 
sweeping tax reform to close tax loopholes and lower marginal rates.
  As we mourn and honor President Reagan, this Congress should pledge to 
follow in his example.
  Hold firm in your beliefs, but respect those who differ. Compete 
vigorously at election time, but then go to work for the American 
people. Stand united in times of sorrow and adversity.
  Ronald Reagan's final accomplishment will endure as one of his most 
important--bringing attention to the tragedy of Alzheimer's with his 
eloquent letter to the American people.
  One of the best ways to honor him is to rededicate our efforts to find 
a cure for this terrible disease.
  I join my colleagues in honoring the memory of President Ronald 
Reagan.


                            Hon. Chris Cannon


                                 of utah

  Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the life of President Ronald 
Reagan.
  First, let me extend my condolences to Nancy Reagan and the entire 
Reagan family for this tremendous loss. But let me also thank Nancy and 
her family for taking care of the President for all these years. Rest 
assured the Nation mourns with you today.
  When I think of President Reagan the feeling that stirs within me is 
hard to put in words. In reflecting on what to say I realized the best 
way for me to explain my feelings is to explain who I am. Simply, I am a 
Reaganite!
  Being a Reaganite provided me the wonderful opportunity to come to 
Washington and work in the Reagan administration. I did not come to 
Washington for a job but I came to Washington to be a foot solider in 
the Reagan revolution. I had the opportunity to trade in the walking of 
precincts to walking the halls of his administration. And for this I am 
forever grateful.
  This opportunity allowed me to play a small part in President Reagan's 
goal of giving America back to America. As a result of his leadership, 
we did not hang our heads any longer but rather we raised them up and 
remembered our moral standing in the world. Through his leadership, a 
Nation was motivated.
  At the time President Reagan was elected to office, the country was 
losing faith and confidence in its being. In 1980, the Soviets had 
invaded Afghanistan, inflation was in double digits, home ownership was 
near impossible and optimism was nonexistent. By the time his 
administration ended, the Soviet empire crumbled, inflation's back was 
broken, home ownership soared and morning dawned in America. With a set 
of principles, one man who wanted to make a difference set out and 
changed the world.
  But to see President Reagan's legacy, as George Will stated, one has 
to see what no longer exists. We no longer see Soviet expansion and 
aggression, we no longer see the Berlin Wall and we no longer see 
devastating economic plight. These are testaments to his courage and his 
ability to communicate his resolve to the Nation.
  President Reagan realized another decade of detente would not protect 
America and another decade of stagnant economic policies would not free 
the individual. Through his force of personality and conviction he set 
about changing our future. And he relegated our worries to the ash heap 
of history.
  President Reagan pursued policies that resulted in derision and 
loathing from some. But he had no hesitation in pursuing his goals 
because he knew what was right. His beliefs were steadfast and 
unwavering. He set his course and plowed through the skeptics. He was 
not Teflon. He was Iron.
  Being a Reaganite is not solely relegated to a certain place and time 
or a certain individual. Instead, it is set a set of beliefs. A set of 
beliefs imbued in many Members of Congress, their staffs and individuals 
throughout this country. It is a longing to assert and maintain 
America's rightful place in the world, as the ``shining city on the 
hill.''
  President Reagan, thank you for restoring hope in America. It has been 
``morning in America'' since your Presidency.


                         Hon. Nick J. Rahall II


                            of west virginia

  Mr. Speaker, President Ronald Reagan wrote an indelible chapter in 
America's and in the world's history. As our Country mourns his loss, 
our prayers go out to Mrs. Reagan and his family, and our future will 
long hold to the lessons of his public service.


                         Hon. Jerry F. Costello


                               of illinois

  Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to President Ronald Reagan, 
an Illinois native, as the Nation celebrates his many contributions to 
the United States and the world. While I did not always agree with him, 
he always had my admiration and respect for his strong leadership and 
his dedication to the American people. His relationship with the 
citizens of this great country may be his ultimate legacy. President 
Reagan spoke directly to their hopes and fears and was embraced for his 
role as the Great Communicator. Above all else, he made us feel good 
about America again. Page H3865
  From humble beginnings, President Reagan went on to play a pivotal 
role in some of the great events of the 20th century, most notably the 
cold war and eventual fall of the Soviet Union. While never afraid to 
take a hard line, he was a pragmatic leader who acted without malice, 
which was evident in the support he received from Democrats. It was this 
aspect of his leadership that we should all try to replicate. President 
Reagan's impact on American politics was profound, inspiring legions of 
young people to public service, not unlike what President Kennedy 
accomplished years before.
  Mr. Speaker, Ronald Reagan loved the United States of America, and he 
was a stalwart leader in the pursuit of freedom and democracy. President 
Reagan had a personal vision for the country that was undeniable and 
unshakable, and the lines of people waiting to view his casket are a 
testimony to the fact that he had a tremendous emotional impact on this 
Nation. I would like to extend my condolences to his wife Nancy and the 
rest of their family, and I join the rest of America in honoring his 
dedicated service.


                           Hon. James A. Leach


                                 of iowa

  Mr. Speaker, Americans often measure history in Presidential cycles. 
When we look at the individuals who have served in the White House it is 
the conjunction of character and circumstance that defines and 
demarcates administrations.
  It would be misguided to suggest that any individual ``won'' the cold 
war, but it was Ronald Reagan's inspiration--``Mr. Gorbachev, tear down 
this wall!''--that symbolized American resolve. He gave hope to those 
oppressed and he gave voice to those who stood tall. Communism imploded, 
largely on his watch.
  Domestically, President Reagan articulated the values of the frontier. 
``Government is not the solution . . . [it] is the problem,'' he said in 
his first inaugural address. But he was not a ``no government'' 
ideologue. While his administration contrasted in many ways with the 
social activism of Franklin Roosevelt, he did not favor undoing the New 
Deal. ``How can we love our country and not love our countrymen?'' he 
asked, ``and loving them, [not] reach out a hand when they fall . . .?''
  Reared on the sweeping plains of the Midwest and, later, an adopted 
westerner, he loved open spaces--of the land and of the mind. He put his 
faith in freedom.
  Ronald Reagan understood the American character. With the most 
authentic voice in the history of democratic politics, he spoke to a 
world hungry for values. He succeeded because his was the voice of 
American optimism.


                        Hon. W.J. (Billy) Tauzin


                              of louisiana

  Mr. Speaker, I share your grief at the passing of former President 
Ronald Reagan and join you in remembering his remarkable service to our 
country.
  I was fortunate to have served as a Member of Congress during 
President Reagan's 8-year tenure. At the time, I was a member of the 
democratic Boll Weevils, a group frequently called upon to help 
President Reagan with his legislative agenda. I can attest to what some 
of you know and what others have read or heard about him--he was among 
the greatest of our Nation's Presidents. He was permanently grounded in 
principle, so much that no one who worked for him had any doubt about 
what was expected of him.
  President Reagan is rooted in the essence of our Nation's character. 
He appealed to our better instincts and was unyielding in his devotion 
to our country. I was always amazed at the way he appealed to young 
people. I think it was because they could see the truth in him. Like a 
grandfather who had seen it all and abandoned the notion of judging us, 
he preferred to see the goodness in us all. We, in turn, could imagine 
that goodness leading us to that shining ``city on the hill.'' Those who 
came later missed the opportunity to encounter true greatness. Those who 
experienced him will never forget it.
  Thank you for your compassionate support in honoring the legacy of our 
former President Ronald Reagan.


                        Hon. William O. Lipinski


                               of illinois

  Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the life of the 40th 
President of the United States, Ronald Wilson Reagan. President Reagan 
was the most courageous, daring and fearless President that I have had 
the pleasure of serving with in my 22 years in the U.S. House of 
Representatives. Ronald Wilson Reagan was one of the two greatest 
Presidents of the 20th century. Ronald Wilson Reagan was one of the most 
outstanding Presidents in the history of the American Republic. I was a 
great fan of and on many occasions, a very strong supporter with my vote 
of President Reagan.
  I will always remember the day when my wife, Rose Marie, and I, met 
with President Reagan in the Oval Office. He was as friendly and down-
to-earth as the man next door. We had our picture taken with him and 
asked him to autograph cards with the Presidential seal for each of our 
children, Laura and Dan, which he did. President Reagan first wrote the 
cards out differently for each my daughter and son, but said he should 
have known better and so he wrote the same greeting for both of them.
  It was a great honor to meet President Reagan and serve with him in 
the U.S. Government for many, many reasons. But, I believe mainly 
because he gave back to America its optimism, its pride, its enthusiasm, 
and its belief in itself. There can be no greater service than that of a 
President who can render to America these qualities; and for that, 
President Reagan truly was one of the greatest Presidents of the United 
States.


                              Hon. Ron Paul


                                of texas

  Mr. Speaker, all Americans mourn the death of President Ronald Reagan, 
but those of us who had the opportunity to know President Reagan are 
especially saddened. I got to know President Reagan in 1976 when, as a 
freshman Congressman, I was one of only four Members of this body to 
endorse then-Governor Reagan's primary challenge to President Gerald 
Ford. I had the privilege of serving as the leader of President Reagan's 
Texas delegation at the Republican Convention of 1976, where Ronald 
Reagan almost defeated an incumbent President for his party's 
nomination.
  I was one of the millions attracted to Ronald Reagan by his strong 
support for limited government and the free market. I felt affinity for 
a politician who based his conservative philosophy on ``. . . a desire 
for less government interference or less centralized authority or more 
individual freedom . . .'' I wish more of today's conservative leaders 
based their philosophy on a desire for less government and more freedom.
  Ronald Reagan was one of the most eloquent exponents of the freedom 
philosophy in modern American politics. One of his greatest achievements 
is the millions of Americans he helped convert to the freedom philosophy 
and the many he inspired to become active in the freedom movement. One 
of the best examples of President Reagan's rhetorical powers is his 
first major national political address, ``A Time for Choosing.'' 
Delivered in 1964 in support of the Presidential campaign of Barry 
Goldwater, this speech launched Ronald Reagan's career as both a 
politician and a leader of the conservative movement. The following 
excerpt from that speech illustrates the power of Ronald Reagan's words 
and message. Unfortunately, these words are as relevant to our current 
situation as they were when he delivered them in 1964:

  It's time we asked ourselves if we still know the freedoms intended 
for us by the Founding Fathers. James Madison said, ``We base all our 
experiments on the capacity of mankind for self-government.''

  This idea? that government was beholden to the people, that it had no 
other source of power is still the newest, most unique idea in all the 
long history of man's relation to man. This is the issue of this 
election: Whether we believe in our capacity for self-government or 
whether we abandon the American Revolution and confess that a little 
intellectual elite in a far-distant capital can plan our lives for us 
better than we can plan them ourselves.

  You and I are told we must choose between a left or right, but I 
suggest there is no such thing as a left or right. There is only an up 
or down. Up to man's age-old dream--the maximum of individual freedom 
consistent with order or down to the ant heap of totalitarianism. 
Regardless of their sincerity, their humanitarian motives, those who 
would sacrifice freedom for security have embarked on this downward 
path. Plutarch warned, ``The real destroyer of the liberties of the 
people is he who spreads among them bounties, donations and benefits.''

  The Founding Fathers knew a government can't control the economy 
without controlling people. And they knew when a government set out to 
do that, it must use force and coercion to achieve its purpose. So we 
have come to a time for choosing.

  One of the most direct expressions of Ronald Reagan's disdain for big 
government came during a private conversation when we where flying from 
the White House to Andrews Air Force Base. As the helicopter passed over 
the monuments, we looked down and he said, ``Isn't that beautiful? It's 
amazing how much terrible stuff comes out of this city when it's that 
beautiful.''
  While many associate Ronald Reagan with unbridled militarism, he was a 
lifelong opponent of the draft. It is hardly surprising that many of the 
most persuasive and powerful arguments against conscription came from 
President Reagan. One of my favorite Reagan quotes comes from a 1979 
article he wrote for the conservative publication Human Events regarding 
the draft and related ``national service'' proposals:

   . . . it [conscription] rests on the assumption that your kids belong 
to the state. If we buy that assumption then it is for the state--not 
for parents, the community, the religious institutions or teachers--to 
decide who shall have what values and who shall do what work, when, 
where and how in our society. That assumption isn't a new one. The Nazis 
thought it was a great idea.

  I extend my deepest sympathies to Ronald Reagan's family and friends, 
especially his beloved wife Nancy and his children. I also urge my 
colleagues and all Americans to honor Ronald Reagan by dedicating 
themselves to the principles of limited government and individual 
liberty.


                           Hon. Xavier Becerra


                              of california

  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in solemn remembrance of President Ronald 
Reagan. I do not stand alone. All across the country, and the world, we 
mourn. We remember a strong Governor, President, husband, and father. 
Let us stand firmly by Mrs. Nancy Reagan and her family, offer our 
prayers and show our support and appreciation--let us through our 
actions bring comfort to the Reagan family to help them cope during this 
difficult time. Little can be said to make this difficult time easier. 
Given the outpouring of support that this country and his family have 
received from the world, words are not necessary.
  Words are not necessary to honor a man whose popularity stemmed from 
his ability to communicate. No words I can say today can erase the 
sorrow and feelings of loss shared by so many communities that he 
touched throughout his tenure as Governor of my State of California and 
as the President of our Nation. Even the Great Communicator often relied 
on actions--not words--to help those who needed it. At a time when the 
immigrants of our Nation had nowhere to turn, President Reagan signed 
the historic Immigration Reform and Control Act, granting hard-working 
and deserving families legal permanent residence, paving the way for new 
American citizens, and thus uniting our Nation.
  Today, as a united Nation, we stand together as fellow Americans and 
with the world to mourn the loss of Ronald Wilson Reagan, 40th President 
of the United States--the picture of unity communicating our sorrow, 
remembrance and honor for a leader.


                         Hon. Michael C. Burgess


                                of texas

  Mr. Speaker, as we pause to remember the life and service of the late 
President Ronald Reagan, no greater testament to his achievements as 
leader of this Nation exists than the sentiments of gratitude being 
offered by millions of Americans. It is my great honor to lift up just a 
handful of the reflections on the passing of President Reagan made by 
residents of my congressional district:

  He was a great American; his message was one that still resonates 
today.


                                            --The Honorable Jane Nelson,


                                                           Texas Senate.

  I had a chance to tell him how much I wanted him to run for President 
and that if he did, I promised to work really hard for him. He was just 
the same up close as you perceived him to be on television. He was very 
sincere, very nice. When he talked to you, he talked to you. He didn't 
pay attention to things going on around him; you had his attention. The 
world is certainly a better place because of Ronald Reagan being here 
and serving as the President of the United States. I'm sad we lost him, 
but it's wonderful he's now receiving his just rewards.


                                              --The Honorable Mary Horn,


                                                   Denton County, Texas.

  President Reagan made us feel good again about being Americans, and 
not just being proud of our country, but really invoking that patriotic 
spirit again. We've lost a great, great man.


                                                     --Dianne Edmondson,


                                               Chair, Denton County GOP.

  I remember that while Reagan was the oldest elected President, what 
sticks in my mind was the way he connected to young people. We had been 
through a decade of young people being disconnected with taking pride in 
America, and he lit that spark again.


                                         --The Honorable Myra Crownover,


                                         Texas House of Representatives.

  He will always be remembered as the architect of the policies that 
ended the cold war--``peace through strength.'' He, more than anyone 
else, was directly responsible for giving us the possibility of the 
world living in peace: He ended the cold war, ended the unspoken 
hostilities between the United States and Russia, and brought an end to 
the Soviet domination in Eastern Europe. He unleashed the power of the 
American economy. Yes, it cost money to defeat the Soviet Union; it cost 
money to defeat Soviet tyranny. Was it worth it in the long run? You bet 
it was.


                      Hon. Rodney P. Frelinghuysen


                              of new jersey

  Mr. Speaker, I rise to remember the life and legacy of Ronald Reagan.
  This past weekend, it was fitting, and in some ways almost proper, 
that we paid tribute to the brave young soldiers of D-day and 
simultaneously remembered the life and service of President Ronald 
Reagan. Like those soldiers who sacrificed on Normandy Beach, Reagan 
inspired a country at a critical time in our Nation's history through 
his optimism and advocacy for the ideals of democracy, freedom and love 
of liberty.
  He helped end the cold war, confronted the curse of communism, rebuilt 
American self-confidence and our Armed Forces, and above all, made 
America a standard bearer for freedom and justice.
  Many of our children are not old enough to remember the dangers that 
stood before us at the height of the cold war or how President Reagan's 
resolve helped end it.
  Still, over the next few days, maybe even weeks, and certainly in the 
history books to be written, they will learn, as will our children's 
children, about who Reagan was and what he did for America.
  Like so many of us, I continue to read with interest about the life 
and times of our former President. One recent newspaper column touched 
me and I would like to share just a few lines of that with my 
colleagues.
  The columnist wrote:

  What an era his was. What a life he lived. He changed history for the 
better and was modest about it. He didn't bray about his accomplishments 
but saw them as the work of the American people.

  Mr. Speaker, this is the sign of a leader. We are a grateful Nation 
for his good humor and inspiration.
  Thank you Mr. President--for your service; for your optimism; and for 
your belief and commitment to doing what was right for America.
  Our thoughts and prayers remain with the Reagan family during this 
time of mourning.


                        Hon. Harold E. Ford, Jr.


                              of tennessee

  Mr. Speaker, President Reagan led the Nation with resolve and courage. 
He showed these same qualities in his battle against Alzheimer's 
disease.
  President Reagan will be remembered for many things--being a great 
communicator, a devoted husband and an unflinching patriot.
  But I will remember him most for reminding America that when we are at 
our best, very little can deter or defeat us. God bless you Mr. 
President and thank you for your service to our country.


                            Hon. Bart Stupak


                               of michigan

  Mr. Speaker, President Ronald Reagan was an American icon. He's the 
President who won the cold war. And he'll always be remembered for his 
eternal optimism, his strength, great wit and charm.
  Even when he disagreed with Democrats, he was respected for the 
honesty of his beliefs and the dedication he displayed in pursuing them. 
He taught us the difference between strong beliefs and bitter 
partisanship. He lived by the noble idea that at the end of the day 
Democrats and Republicans were simply Americans and friends. I wish we 
had more of that today.
  We should be inspired by this 40th American President's patriotism and 
devotion to our country. And we should remember his faith, his optimism 
and his unwavering commitment to his convictions as we do the work of 
the American people.


                             Hon. Tom Udall


                              of new mexico

  Mr. Speaker, this week our Nation mourns the death of Ronald Wilson 
Reagan, the 40th President of the United States. It has been stated in 
many of the newspaper and television commentaries that he was one of the 
more complex figures of the 20th century. As with all our major 
political leaders, he had his share of triumphs and failures.
  Ronald Reagan's irrepressible spirit and his conception of America as 
a ``shining city on the hill'' engendered a sense of renewal in America. 
Indeed, his optimism in our Nation and her people was as genuine as the 
man himself. Simply put, Ronald Reagan was a great American and a 
President who honored the office and considered it a privilege to serve.
  Without question, President Reagan represented the best of civility in 
American politics and the finest traditions of standing up for what you 
believe in. Even during the most intense political showdowns, he and 
former House Speaker Tip O'Neill could always sit down together after 
the day was done, as friends and fellow Americans. It was an era of 
bipartisan cooperation that seems, unfortunately, to have waned in 
recent years.
  President Reagan's legacy will forever be his vision which played a 
role in bringing about an ultimate end to the cold war, as well as his 
drive to foster liberty and democracy where previously only tyranny had 
thrived. Former Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev says he believes his 
dialog with President Reagan ``kick-started the process which ultimately 
put an end to the cold war.''
  President Reagan also understood the art of political compromise. He 
followed his 1981 tax cut with two large tax increases. In fact, no 
peacetime President raised taxes so much on so many people. This is not 
a criticism: The lesson of those increases tells you a lot about what 
was just with President Reagan's leadership. President Reagan, 
confronted with evidence that his tax cuts were fiscally irresponsible, 
changed course. His actions in this area contrast dramatically with 
today's Washington.
  Mr. Speaker, in my opinion, one of Ronald Reagan's greatest legacies 
is focusing attention on the disease that took his life--Alzheimer's. 
People are now receiving earlier diagnoses and better treatments for the 
incurable brain-wasting disease partly because he supported Alzheimer's 
research as President, and more importantly, because he went public with 
his diagnosis in 1994, increasing awareness of the need for more 
research.
  As her husband's health declined, former First Lady Nancy Reagan 
spearheaded public awareness campaigns and described what it was like to 
be a caretaker for an Alzheimer's patient, which she referred to as 
``the long goodbye.'' She continued to publicly advocate for stem cell 
research as a way to help others with the disease.
  Doctors now are better able to diagnose the disease early, and provide 
patients with drugs and other measures to delay its progression. I 
pledge to do everything possible to help fight the plight of Alzheimer's 
disease. I challenge every Member of this body to respond to Mrs. 
Reagan's plea to do more for life-saving research.
  Ronald Reagan was of a kind and gracious mind, and at the same time, a 
man of grit, determination and leadership. He served his country the way 
he lived his life.
  My thoughts and prayers go out to his extraordinary wife Nancy and his 
children, Patti Davis, Ron Prescott Reagan, and Michael Reagan. I hope 
it is a consolation to the entire Reagan family that so many people 
grieve their loss and are thinking of them during this difficult time.


                           Hon. Gary G. Miller


                              of california

  Mr. Speaker, President Ronald Reagan will be remembered in the annals 
of history as one of the greatest leaders of the United States. His 
deeds and words will echo in time as the foundation for a smaller, more 
efficient government, a fairer tax system and the liberation of millions 
of oppressed people throughout the world.
  Ronald Reagan was known as the Great Communicator. His words brought 
hope to those in need, comfort to those who suffered and optimism to an 
entire Nation trampled by economic and governmental insecurity. Yet 
President Reagan's ability to communicate went beyond the words that he 
spoke. He reached out to the Nation and the world using not only his 
voice, but his strength of spirit and supreme character.
  President Reagan's passing is mourned by each of us. But his legacy 
will continue through the ideals he aspired for America. A grateful 
Nation thanks Ronald Reagan, a true American hero.


                          Hon. C.W. Bill Young


                               of florida

  Mr. Speaker, on behalf of myself and the people of the 10th 
Congressional District of Florida whom I have the privilege to represent 
here in the U.S. Congress, I rise in support of this resolution to pay 
tribute to the life of President Ronald Reagan and to express 
condolences to his family.
  President Reagan was a true American patriot who always kept life's 
priorities--God, country, and family--in order. He assumed the 
Presidency at a time when Americans were being held hostage in Iran, our 
fighting forces were fraying around the edges, and raging inflation and 
interest rates were stifling our economy, sending our Nation into the 
turmoil of recession, and driving our government deeper and deeper into 
debt.
  Beginning with his swearing in as the 40th President of the United 
States, President Reagan restored in the American people a feeling of 
pride and patriotism that had been lost in the late seventies. The 
hostages were brought home, the morale of our fighting forces rose, and 
the economy began to rebound.
  People flew the American flag with pride again. The United States 
resumed its leadership role in protecting freedom and peace around the 
world and at the pinnacle of the world economy. He stared down communist 
leaders throughout the world and set the stage for its fall in the 
Soviet Union and throughout Eastern Europe. He reduced the world's 
supply of nuclear weapons and allowed democracy to flourish again in our 
hemisphere and eventually in the former Soviet states.
  He battled Congress to reduce taxes to allow the American people to 
keep more of their hard-earned money and to reduce the size and scope of 
the government programs and bureaucracy. He also ensured the long-term 
security of the Social Security Trust Fund by leading a bipartisan 
legislative effort to preserve and protect the retirement benefits of 
workers long into the 21st century.
  President Reagan was our Nation's leading cheerleader and consoler. He 
used his wit and humor to entertain and to drive home an important 
point. He led a Nation in mourning when we lost the Challenger crew and 
our Marines in Lebanon. Throughout his 8 years in office we laughed 
together and we cried together. In the end though, we all gained a 
renewed sense of pride in being Americans.
  He taught us the value of the simple phrases of ``peace through 
strength'' and ``trust but verify'' and he shared with all of us his 
simple vision of a Nation where we would be the ``shining city on a 
hill.''
  The United States and the world are better places today because of 
Ronald Reagan's service not only as President of our great country, but 
as a true patriot. He was a good man whose love and commitment to his 
wife Nancy was an inspiration to us all.
  Perhaps the greatest testament to his strength of personality, of 
character, and of leadership is the fact that even in death he can make 
us feel good about ourselves as individuals and as a Nation. You can 
feel the pride of our Nation surge yet again as we reflect on his life 
and times.
  Mr. Speaker, we all will recall that President Reagan would end his 
conversations with America by saying ``God bless America.'' This week, 
Mr. Speaker, our Nation and the world say ``God bless Ronald Reagan.'' 
Thank you for your lifetime of reminding us to always take pride in 
living in the greatest Nation in the world.


                           Hon. Betty McCollum


                              of minnesota

  Mr. Speaker, today as this House honors the life of the 40th President 
of the United States, Ronald Reagan, we remember both the man and the 
public servant. As President Reagan lies in state under the dome of this 
Capitol, the American people reflect on a man of optimism, a leader 
committed to freedom and a citizen who personified the American spirit 
of boundless ambition and achievement.
  President Reagan lived a life unlike any other American President. A 
sports broadcaster, a movie star and a television personality, President 
Reagan entertained Americans with his charm, smile and warmth. He 
combined the skills of an actor with the determination of a pioneer to 
transform public life as he entered the political realm in California 
and finally was elected by the American people to the White House.
  As President of the United States, Ronald Reagan won two large 
election victories in 1980 and 1984 to set this Nation on a course to 
transform our economy and confront communism. The outcomes and 
consequences of his policies will be interpreted by historians for years 
to come, but there is no doubt President Reagan motivated a new 
generation of conservatives to join his crusade as well as a generation 
of progressives to unite in pursuit of an alternative path of action.
  Our State of Minnesota had a unique relationship with President 
Reagan. Minnesota was the only State in the Union to never give 
President Reagan an electoral victory. Minnesotans stood twice with our 
homegrown son, but we respected the President, his skills as a 
communicator and his determination to elevate the American spirit.
  President Reagan lived a truly American life and, in his final years, 
stood hand in hand with Mrs. Reagan to encounter Alzheimer's with 
dignity and grace. The life of President Reagan the leader and Ronald 
Reagan the man will be remembered, honored and celebrated this week by 
Congress, the American people and people in nations around the world.
  On behalf of the families of Minnesota's Fourth Congressional 
District, we extend our prayers and sincerest condolences to Mrs. Nancy 
Reagan, her children and all of the family and friends of President 
Reagan.


                           Hon. Pete Sessions


                                of texas

  Mr. Speaker, Ronald Wilson Reagan first entered into our national 
consciousness in 1964, asking Americans to make a choice in the face of 
the growing threat of socialism both at home and abroad. We know him as 
the eternal optimist, the Great Communicator, and the man who maintained 
that communism would surely fall aside onto the ``ash heap of history.''
  I had the personal privilege of knowing President Reagan when my 
father, Judge William S. Sessions, served as Director of the FBI during 
his administration. Like many of my generation, I was inspired by the 
optimism of Ronald Reagan, a leader who never lacked the courage and the 
principle to do what he felt was right even in the face of great 
obstacles. President Reagan saw the world in black and white, whether it 
was confronting the programs of the ``Great Society'' as the beginnings 
of a new ``undemocratic socialism'' or chiding the actions of the evil 
empire in Eastern Europe.
  This moral clarity was the hallmark of his Presidency. Ronald Reagan 
came in to office with three core principles and an agenda by which to 
implement them. He believed that the government was too big, that it 
taxed too much, and that the Soviet Union was an evil empire, getting 
away with atrocities across the world. From the first day of his 
Presidency, Reagan began to move systematically toward enacting his 
campaign promises, and, in so doing, he rejuvenated the American spirit.
  America is forever indebted to this President whose resolve and 
determination to pursue ``peace through strength'' helped to end the 
cold war and ensured that, as the President himself said, ``America's 
best days are yet to come. Our proudest moments are yet to be. Our most 
glorious achievements are just ahead.'' Thank you, President Reagan. May 
God bless you as you enter your rest in that shining city.


                             Hon. Lois Capps


                              of california

  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 664 honoring the late 
Honorable Ronald Wilson Reagan. I was proud to add my name as an 
original co-sponsor of this resolution.
  The former President was devoted to his country and will long be 
remembered for his service to America. My heart goes out to his family 
during this time of loss.
  President Reagan was also a longtime member of our Santa Barbara 
community. Santa Barbara County was home to the spectacular mountaintop 
ranch the former President and First Lady affectionately referred to as 
the ``Western White House.''
  President Reagan carried with him traits characteristic of 
California's Central Coast--a sunny disposition and optimistic outlook--
to Washington and to the world. His ``morning in America'' slogan 
changed the tone of politics in our Nation's Capital and enabled him to 
work in a constructive bipartisan manner on a number of important 
issues.
  The Reagans should also be commended for the strength and honesty they 
demonstrated during their long struggle with Alzheimer's. Their example 
brought much needed attention to the challenges facing millions of 
American families that deal with this affliction every day.
  And their ongoing commitment to this disease is demonstrated at the 
various Alzheimer's research, awareness, and prevention efforts around 
the country. On the Central Coast, for example, the Ronald and Nancy 
Reagan Family Fund provides grants for respite care services for 
Alzheimer's patients in Santa Barbara County.
  Today I join my colleagues in celebrating the service of the late 
President Ronald Reagan. The best honor we can bestow upon him is to 
carry on his optimistic spirit and faith in the American people for 
generations to come. That is what Ronald Reagan--a great American and 
great Californian--would have wanted.


                         Hon. Michael H. Michaud


                                of maine

  Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor the life of President Ronald Wilson 
Reagan and to extend my condolences to the entire Reagan family.
  Regardless of political affiliation, I think we can all agree that 
President Reagan was a tireless public servant who cared a great deal 
about this country. Leading our country during a difficult period, 
President Reagan earned the respect of many throughout the world--a 
respect that has become all the more evident since his passing on 
Saturday.
  As this body and our Nation remembers the late President throughout 
the week, we would be remiss not to reflect upon the disease with which 
he was afflicted--Alzheimer's.
  President Reagan's leadership extended to the fight against 
Alzheimer's beginning in 1983, when he designated November as National 
Alzheimer's Disease Month, and continuing in 1994 when he announced that 
he was affected by the disease. In 1995 he and his wife Nancy lent their 
name to create the Alzheimer's Association's Ronald and Nancy Reagan 
Research Institute.
  As was evident in President Reagan's battle with the disease, 
Alzheimer's does not discriminate: It afflicts the rich and the poor, 
the famous and the regular hard-working citizen alike. Four and a half 
million Americans live with Alzheimer's, and it is the fourth leading 
killer of older Americans. It is a progressive disease that robs many of 
precious memories and beautiful relationships.
  With an aging baby boom generation, our country will soon see a sharp 
increase in those affected by Alzheimer's. The time to act is now. As a 
member of the Congressional Task Force on Alzheimer's Disease, I urge my 
colleagues to renew our efforts to battle this disease. I can think of 
no better tribute to President Reagan than to join together to fight the 
disease that afflicted him in his later years.


                           Hon. Henry Bonilla


                                of texas

  Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor the life and legacy of President Ronald 
Wilson Reagan. As we mourn this great loss we reflect on the many ways 
our country is stronger, freer and more prosperous as a result of 
President Reagan's fearless leadership.
  A firm believer in lower taxes, sound fiscal policies and reduced 
regulation, President Reagan launched the boldest economic plan since 
Franklin Roosevelt's New Deal. As a result of his leadership and 
tenacity, the Federal Tax Code was greatly simplified and taxes were 
reduced, ushering in the restoration of prosperity. He encouraged people 
to have confidence in their Nation and trust that things really were 
getting better--a sentiment that economic and social indicators would 
eventually confirm. In fact, President Reagan's reforms led to the 
longest period of peacetime growth in U.S. history.
  President Reagan's leadership also sparked a movement against drugs 
which resulted in dramatic declines in illicit drug use in America and 
around the world. President Reagan was committed to reversing the 
permissive attitudes of the sixties and seventies that illegal drug use 
was glamorous, harmless and victimless. President Reagan inspired and 
convinced the Nation that the drug problem was not hopeless and could be 
solved. As a result of his leadership, the Nation spoke with one voice 
in denouncing drug use. Largely due to his efforts, illicit drug use was 
cut in half and crime, drug-related hospital admissions and highway 
deaths declined.
  President Reagan restored America's sense of optimism and patriotism. 
A true believer in the American dream, he proclaimed America as a place 
where everyone can rise as high and as far as his ability will take him, 
and referred to his own humble beginnings as proof. He taught all 
Americans and newly liberated people across the globe that hard work and 
faith in God could result in prosperity and a better outlook for 
tomorrow.
  President Reagan will perhaps be most remembered for his efforts to 
stomp out communism worldwide and end the cold war. President Reagan 
simply refused to accept communism's claim to moral superiority. From 
the beginning of his Presidency, Reagan realized that America could not 
afford passiveness or weakness in the face of Soviet defiance and 
escalating nuclear threats. President Reagan recognized that peace could 
only be achieved through strength and diligently worked to restore faith 
in our military and a sense of American pride in the efforts of our 
servicemen and women. Efforts to restore our military superiority were 
coupled with a willingness to dialog and a sincere desire to negotiate 
an end to the nuclear arms race. President Reagan was able to negotiate 
a treaty with the Soviet Union to launch the process of real arms 
reduction. His efforts eventually led to the destruction of the Berlin 
Wall, the fall of communism and the end of the cold war. President 
Reagan's leadership ushered in a new era of freedom and democracy, not 
only in the Soviet Union, but throughout the world.
  President Reagan planted democracy in regions of the world that have 
never tasted the joys of freedom. He swept up a downtrodden America with 
little response to or respect for leadership and reenergized their faith 
in freedom, the Presidency, and our military. President Reagan's vision 
and convictions brought all Americans together, raised our morale and 
once again made us the proudest citizens in the world. He will be 
remembered not only in the minds of Americans, but in our hearts as 
well. Page E1116 15jn04-9


                            Hon. Ralph Regula


                                 of ohio

  Mr. Speaker, President Ronald Reagan was a warm thoughtful leader who 
governed by the golden rule of caring for others. Many speakers have 
paid eloquent tribute to his role as both a world leader and a best 
friend of the American people. Because of our shared love of land I 
developed a personal relationship with President Reagan that I will 
always cherish. Page E1119 15jn04-20


                             Hon. Jo Bonner


                               of alabama

  Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the memory of a great leader, a 
great man, and a great American. When President Ronald Wilson Reagan 
passed away on June 5, 2004, his death brought more than an end to his 
valiant 10-year struggle against Alzheimer's disease. It brought an end 
to one of the brightest and most optimistic periods in American history.
  While President Reagan had been out of the public eye and under the 
loving care of his beloved wife, Nancy, for over a decade, he was never 
far from our minds or our hearts. During these past 10 years, while he 
was traveling down the road into the sunset of his life, we have all had 
the opportunity to consider his true greatness and his many 
achievements. We have all come to understand that he was more than just 
our President and the most powerful man in the world; he was, instead, 
the personification of--and the symbol for--the boundless potential 
possible in this country.
  From Dixon, IL, to Detroit, MI, from Washington, DC, to Los Angeles, 
CA, and at all points in between, men and women everywhere recognize 
President Reagan for what he truly was: a gifted leader and a 
compassionate American with a vision for our future and an unwavering 
belief in the spirit and goodness of mankind.
  To say that Ronald Reagan was an example of the American dream would 
be an understatement. Ronald Reagan was the American dream, the product 
of a poor middle class family who, as the result of his own 
intelligence, determination and strong personality, was able to attend 
college, enjoy a successful career in broadcasting and motion pictures, 
and eventually rise to the position of Governor of California.
  For most, that in and of itself would be a remarkable career. But 
President Reagan did not stop there. Rather, he continued to focus on 
what he saw as a need for a strong leader in the White House, someone 
who could work with a divided Congress and an American public still 
reeling from the political and economic crises of the seventies to 
restore this Nation to its position as the ``shining city on the hill.''
  During his 8 years in office, he did just that. The Reagan revolution, 
as it came to be known, provided the impetus for significant changes 
here at home and around the world. The economy in this country which had 
been in steep decline for a number of years righted itself and enjoyed a 
strong period of growth for the next 9 years. The cold war was brought 
to an end, communism in many countries ultimately collapsed, and a whole 
new generation of men, women, and children around the world were able to 
enjoy a new life free from the fear of oppression.
  Perhaps his greatest accomplishment, however, was in giving Americans 
a new sense of hope and pride. President Reagan restored a strong sense 
of optimism and hopefulness to this country, and made everyone feel 
proud that they could once again say with assurance and determination, 
``I am an American.''
  Mr. Speaker, just as our Nation paused last week to remember and 
reflect on this good man and great leader, let us, as a Nation, remember 
President Ronald Reagan in the same way that he is remembered by his 
family: a man full of love, laughter, and life, someone full of 
boundless optimism and faith, and someone who always believed that 
America's best days are indeed ahead.
  Our country--indeed, our world--has been blessed that we were able to 
share in a small way in the tremendous life he led. May we never forget 
the lessons he taught us or the leadership he displayed, and may we 
continue to keep Mrs. Reagan and the entire Reagan family foremost in 
our thoughts and prayers. Page E1119-E1120 15jn04-21


                         Hon. Michael N. Castle


                               of delaware

  Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to President Ronald Reagan. 
We all join together this week to mourn his passage, but more important 
to celebrate his life. President Reagan meant many things to many people 
in the United States and throughout the world. Put simply, the world is 
a better place because Ronald Reagan lived. From his days as an actor 
and motivational speaker to his time as Governor and President to his 
final days on his California ranch, Ronald Reagan was a true gentleman 
who impacted the lives of those around him.
  Ronald Reagan was sworn in as the 40th President of the United States 
the day American hostages were released from Iran--a poignant beginning 
to the challenges which would lie ahead. As President, he survived an 
attack on his life and a battle with colon cancer; he fought communism; 
he guided the American people through rough economic times and uncertain 
international struggles; he made history in nominating the first woman 
to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court; and led Americans through the 
tragedy of the space shuttle Challenger.
  But to limit our descriptions of President Reagan to the milestones in 
his Presidency would be incomplete. His most impressive qualities are 
the intangibles that are felt but hard to describe.
  So many Americans connected with President Reagan on a personal level. 
His ability to communicate was unparalleled. ``Larger than life'' was 
never a phrase used to describe Ronald Reagan--not because he couldn't 
have been, but because he didn't want to be. He truly operated as a man 
of the people.
  My first term as Governor of Delaware overlapped with his second term 
as President of the United States. I had the honor and privilege of 
working with President Reagan on what I see as one of his greatest 
landmark accomplishments--welfare reform. The empathy he felt for the 
American people and the challenges they faced in trying to make ends 
meet were represented in this landmark legislation. He epitomized a 
leader who didn't give hand-outs--but a hand up. Page E1120
  The optimism he felt for every American, our Nation and the world was 
evident to all. His ``glass half full'' mentality guided us through 
times of peace and times of uncertainty; through the end of the cold war 
and rough economic times. No matter what our Nation faced, President 
Reagan's sense of patriotism, togetherness and hope for the future was 
infectious.
  His love of country made us believe that America was blessed to do 
great things for many people. Sadly, this was probably best communicated 
in what has come to be known as his ``Letter to the American People'' 
when he told the world he was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, when 
he wrote:

  I now begin this journey that will lead me into the sunset of my life. 
I know that for America there will always be a bright dawn ahead.

  Everything he did, he did with grace. He will be remembered--even by 
those who may have disagreed with him--with respect for his willingness 
to work together and negotiate, with humor. He and Democratic Speaker 
Tip O'Neill used to joke that we are ``all friends after 6 p.m.'' 
meaning that at the end of the day, politics was put aside and 
friendships could grow.
  I like to think of President Reagan as a flexible conservative, one 
who was willing to listen to all sides of an argument, even if he didn't 
agree, for the chance that he might learn something new or understand a 
different angle. He didn't pretend to be an expert on all issues, and 
that is why so many politicians and the American people respected him. 
He wanted to turn the issue on all sides to see if there were any new 
approaches that could be taken. Yet at the same time, he was deeply 
rooted in his beliefs of smaller government, lower taxes and personal 
responsibility--which continue to guide the Republican Party today.
  President Reagan is considered the modern day father of the Republican 
Party and his long legacy and sunny optimistic spirit will live on in 
all Americans. And as we all gather today to celebrate the man who meant 
so much to our country, I would like to invoke the words he used in 
bidding goodbye to the passengers on the space shuttle Challenger:

  We will never forget them, nor the last time we saw them, this 
morning, as they prepared for their journey and waved good-bye and 
``slipped the surly bonds of earth'' to ``touch the face of God.''

  The Gipper, the Great Communicator, the flexible conservative and the 
great conciliator has gone home. But his legacy will never be forgotten. 
Page E1122 15jn04-33


                            Hon. Earl Pomeroy


                             of north dakota

  Mr. Speaker, my thoughts and prayers go out to Mrs. Reagan and her 
family as our Nation mourns the loss of President Reagan.
  Our Nation has lost a leader. President Reagan inspired Americans to a 
higher purpose. He believed, and led all Americans to believe, that our 
country could be the ``shining city on the hill.'' It was his spirit and 
faith in American values that helped reinforce America's faith in 
itself.
  I was serving in the North Dakota Legislature on the day President 
Reagan was shot. I remember the somber atmosphere and deep concern from 
Republicans and Democrats alike as legislators gathered around a 
television anxiously awaiting word on the President's condition. With 
characteristic optimism, President Reagan went on to recover from his 
wounds and continue to lead the Nation as our President.
  President Reagan's passing brings us sadness at the loss of an 
American leader, but reminds all of us of his lasting legacy of service 
to our Nation. Page H3871 09jn04-78

    ADJOURNING AS FURTHER MARK OF RESPECT TO THE MEMORY OF THE LATE 
  HONORABLE RONALD WILSON REAGAN, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES

  Mr. DeLAY. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that when the House 
adjourns pursuant to Senate Concurrent Resolution 116, it do so as a 
further mark of respect to the memory of the late Honorable Ronald 
Wilson Reagan, the former President of the United States.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Texas?
  There was no objection. Page H3871 09jn04-82

                               ADJOURNMENT

  Mr. DeLAY. Mr. Speaker, I move that the House do now adjourn.
  The motion was agreed to.
  THE SPEAKER pro tempore. Accordingly, pursuant to Senate Concurrent 
Resolution 116, the 108th Congress, the House stands adjourned until 
12:30 p.m. on Monday, June 14, 2004, for morning hour debates; and 
pursuant to the order of the House of today, it does so as a further 
mark of respect to the memory of the late Honorable Ronald Wilson 
Reagan, the former President of the United States.
  Thereupon (at 3 o'clock and 6 minutes p.m.), pursuant to Senate 
Concurrent Resolution 116, the House adjourned until Monday, June 14, 
2004, at 12:30 p.m., for morning hour debates, and pursuant to the order 
of the House of today as a further mark of respect to the memory of the 
late Honorable Ronald Wilson Reagan, former President of the United 
States. Page H3875-H3876 14jn04-80


              Monday, June 14, 2004Page H3877 14jn04-88


   APPOINTMENT OF MEMBERS TO ATTEND THE FUNERAL OF THE LATE HONORABLE 
       RONALD WILSON REAGAN, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to House Resolution 663, and the 
order of the House of December 8, 2003, the Speaker appointed himself 
and the entire membership of the House to attend the funeral services 
for former President Ronald Wilson Reagan held Wednesday, June 9, 2004, 
in the rotunda of the Capitol and Friday, June 11, 2004, at the 
Washington National Cathedral.


            Wednesday, June 16, 2004Page E1152 18jn04-17


                          Hon. Robert Menendez


                              of new jersey

  Mr. Speaker, today I am proud to be joining Senators Bond and 
Mikulski, and my House colleagues, Representatives Chris Smith and Ed 
Markey, in introducing the Ronald Reagan Alzheimer's Breakthrough Act of 
2004. This legislation will significantly increase our government's 
investment in Alzheimer's disease research and patient and caregiver 
support initiatives.
  As a son whose mother suffers from Alzheimer's, I know personally the 
sacrifice--both financially and emotionally--of families caring for a 
parent with this horrific disease. It is the story of so many Hispanics 
in this Nation--a story of so many Americans. My family fled Cuba to 
come to find freedom in the United States. My mother worked her entire 
life as a seamstress in the factories of New Jersey. She spends half of 
her Social Security check on prescription drugs. If it was not for my 
sister and me, she would not live with the dignity she deserves.
  Because of my personal experience with Alzheimer's, I have always 
admired Nancy and Ronald Reagan's strength and perseverance throughout 
the President's battle with this heart-wrenching and devastating 
illness. By having gone public, Ronald Reagan increased awareness of 
this debilitating disease, providing hope, comfort, and companionship to 
4.5 million Americans living with Alzheimer's today. We feel there is no 
more fitting tribute to honor President Reagan's memory than to join 
together in a bipartisan manner and support the Ronald Reagan 
Alzheimer's Breakthrough Act.
  Today, Alzheimer's disease is the most common cause of dementia in 
older people. One in 10 people over 65 and nearly half those over 85, 
suffer from Alzheimer's disease. And with the aging of our population, 
we can expect those numbers to increase. In fact, unless scientific 
research finds a way to prevent or cure the disease, it is estimated 
that between 11.3 and 16 million people in the United States will have 
Alzheimer's disease by the middle of the 21st century.
  Just a few weeks ago, I, along with the Alzheimer's Association, 
released a report that focuses on the impact of Alzheimer's on 
Hispanics. The report predicts that, because Hispanics are the fastest 
growing population in the country and have the greatest life expectancy 
of any ethnic group, the community will experience a sixfold increase in 
the disease by 2050. In numbers, this means that 1.3 million Hispanics 
will have Alzheimer's disease by 2050, compared to fewer than 200,000 
currently living with the disease.
  The legislation introduced today will increase the National Institutes 
of Health funding to $1.4 billion a year so we can continue to advance 
our ability to one day prevent, treat, and ultimately cure this disease. 
This increase is necessary if we are going to be serious about reducing 
both the physical and economic costs of Alzheimer's. According to 
experts, delaying the onset and progression of Alzheimer's for even 5 
years could save as much as $50 billion in annual health care costs. 
Alzheimer's costs American businesses more than $36.5 billion annually 
due to lost productivity of employees who are caregivers and the health 
care costs associated with the disease.
  Alzheimer's is a far-reaching disease and a serious strain on families 
because it not only affects families' lives, jobs, and finances, but 
also their mental and physical well-being. In response, this legislation 
provides a tax credit of up to $3,000 to help pay the expenses of 
families who care for loved ones with long-term care needs.
  In addition, this bill increases authorization levels for a series of 
programs to help families care for their loved ones; increases funding 
levels for research initiatives focused on prevention and care; and 
authorizes funding for a public education campaign to inform the public 
about prevention techniques.
  Congress needs to make wise investments on behalf of the American 
people. Alzheimer's research is one of those important and critical 
investments we must make now, so that future generations of Americans 
will have the medical resources and knowledge to cope with the challenge 
of caring for a parent, family member, or friend living with this 
disease. By making this investment today, it is my hope that one day 
soon a cure will be found so Alzheimer's will be a part of medical 
history instead of a family's reality.


        Thursday, June 17, 2004 Page E1155-E1156 18jn04-27 


                             Hon. Dan Burton


                               of indiana

  Mr. Speaker, all over America, people are honoring the memory of 
President Ronald Reagan, who passed away on June 5. Among those who have 
paid homage to President Reagan's legacy is the Council of Khalistan, 
led by my friend Dr. Gurmit Singh Aulakh. Dr. Aulakh wrote an excellent 
letter to President Bush offering condolences to the American people on 
President Reagan's passing. He took special note of President Reagan's 
vision and his efforts to extend freedom all over the world.
  President Reagan referred to America as ``the shining city on a 
hill,'' the bright hope for the entire world. It is our job to pick up 
that torch and continue to promote freedom wherever it is denied. A good 
start would be to work to extend freedom to all peoples and nations of 
South Asia. In India, there are 18 official languages. Over 300,000 
Christians have been murdered in Nagaland, as well as more than a 
quarter of a million Sikhs, almost 88,000 Kashmiri Muslims, thousands of 
Muslims in other parts of the country, and tens of thousands of 
Assamese, Bodos, Dalits, Manipuris, Tamils, and other minorities. Over 
52,000 Sikhs are being held as political prisoners, some for as long as 
20 years, without charge of trial. According to Amnesty International, 
tens of thousands of other minorities are also being held as political 
prisoners. A Sikh named Gurnihal Singh Pirzada was recently arrested for 
attending a meeting of ``dissidents,'' a meeting he says he didn't 
attend, while noting that it would not have been illegal for him to have 
done so. This does not sound like freedom or democracy to me.
  Mr. Speaker, we should give serious thought to reconsidering our aid 
to India until basic human rights are freely exercised by all, and we 
should support the very basic principle of democracy through a free and 
fair plebiscite on independence for the Sikhs of Punjab, Khalistan, for 
predominantly Christian Nagaland, for Kashmir, and for every nation 
seeking to free itself from the yoke of Indian oppression. That is the 
way to bring freedom, security, stability, dignity, and prosperity to 
one of the world's most troubled regions. Perhaps the best memorial we 
can give to President Reagan is to help the people of South Asia achieve 
their freedom, just as we did in so many other countries during his 
administration.
  I would like to have the text of Council of Khalistan's letter to 
President Bush placed into the Congressional Record following my 
statement.

                                                   Council of Khalistan,


                                          Washington, DC, June 15, 2004.

                    The Honorable George W. Bush,

                    President of the United States,

                    The White House,

                    Washington, DC.

  Dear President Bush: On behalf of over 500,000 Sikh Americans and the 
25 million strong Sikh Nation, I would like to send our condolences to 
the people of the United States on the passing of President Ronald 
Reagan. Although his illness had already taken him from us in many ways, 
the finality of his death is still a cause for grief.

  We appreciated your very classy remarks at President Reagan's state 
funeral, as well as those of your father, Lady Thatcher, and former 
Prime Minister Mulroney. All of you gave moving tributes to President 
Reagan that helped to inspire and uplift a grieving nation.

  President Reagan was a great American leader. His rise from humble 
beginnings in Dixon, Illinois to becoming a sportscaster, a movie star, 
governor, and President inspires us all to continue trying to achieve 
the very highest and best that we can.

  His Words, ``Whatever else history may say about me when I'm gone, I 
hope it will record that I appealed to your best hopes, not your worst 
fears; to your confidence rather than your doubts. My dream is that you 
will travel the road ahead with liberty's lamp guiding your steps and 
opportunity's arm steadying your way'' serve as an inspiration to 
Americans of all backgrounds today. That is exactly how he will be 
remembered.

  President Reagan believed in the greatness of America and its people 
and in extending freedom throughout the world. His work in defeating the 
Soviet Union and in restoring the American economy marked the greatness 
of President Reagan and of the people of the country he so loved. We 
must continue to extend freedom in his memory.

  One place where freedom needs to be extended is the Indian 
subcontinent. Today in India, the Indian government has murdered over 
250,000 Sikhs since 1984, almost 88,000 Kashmiri Muslims since 1988, 
over 300,000 Christians in Nagaland, and tens of thousands of other 
minorities. More than 52,000 Sikhs as well as tens of thousands of other 
minorities are held as political prisoners without charge or trial, some 
since 1984. I hope that you will press India to support human rights and 
self-determination for these oppressed minorities. I am convinced that 
this would be a great follow-through to President Reagan's vision.

  Once again, our condolences to the American people on the loss of 
President Reagan.

  Sincerely,


                                                Dr. Gurmit Singh Aulakh,


                          President, Council of Khalistan Page E1170 
                                                             18jn04-68


                           Hon. Henry Bonilla


                                of texas

  Mr. Speaker, I ask to enter the following tribute recognizing 
President and Mrs. Reagan's involvement in the war on drugs into the 
Congressional Record.

  A Tribute: President & Mrs. Ronald Reagan's Leadership in the War on 
                                  Drugs


  We, representing countless parents. community volunteers, civic 
leaders, business leaders, physicians, teachers, church leaders, policy 
makers, law enforcement officers, media representatives, and youth from 
across America, want to express our deepest gratitude to President and 
Mrs. Reagan for their extraordinary leadership in the battle against 
drugs and for saving the lives of so many children through drug 
prevention. Together they encouraged and supported a nationwide effort 
to reduce the demand for drugs by increasing Americans' knowledge and 
changing their attitudes and behavior. They inspired us with hope, 
knowledge, and conviction. The result was a dramatic turn around in 
illicit drug use in America, and thus lives were saved, health care 
costs were reduced, crime was reduced, and innovative strategies and 
scientific research were developed to enhance drug abuse treatment, 
prevent AIDS, and other drug-related social problems. Our nation and the 
world owe them a tremendous debt. We recommit ourselves to continuing in 
this noble fight to protect our children from the nightmare of drugs and 
to carry forward the message of prevention with hope and optimism.

  Milestones of the Reagan legacy include: Raising the drinking age 
throughout the country from 18 to 21. The workplace drug prevention 
program including federal drug testing and standards. Nancy Reagan's 
Just Say No campaign that ratified and promoted the Parents' Movement. 
These programs brought about a dramatic fall in illegal drug abuse 
throughout the nation after two decades of rising levels with the peak 
coming in 1978 and the bottom in 1991. President Reagan's leadership was 
a key in this element in this historic progress.

Robert L. DuPont, MD, First Director of National Institute on Drug Abuse, 
President of the Institute for Behavior and Health, Inc., Maryland.

Joyce Nalepka, Drug Free Kids: America's Challenge, former President of 
Nancy Reagan's National Federation of Parents for Drug Free Youth, Silver 
Spring, Maryland.

Edward Jacobs, MD, FAAP, Everett Clinic, Everett, Washington.

Theresa Costello, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Daniel Bent, Fair Mediation, Honolulu, Hawaii.

Sue Rusche, National Families in Action, Atlanta, Georgia.

Eric Voth, MD, FACP, Chairman, Institute on Global Drug Policy, Topeka, 
Kansas.

Michelle Voth, Kansas Family Partnership, Topeka, Kansas.

David Evans, Esq., Drug Free Schools Coalition, Flemington, New Jersey.

Calvina Fay, Executive Director, Drug Free America Foundation, Inc., St. 
Petersburg, Florida.

Peggy Sapp, National Family Partnership, Miami, Florida.

Steven Steiner, DAMMAD, Tioga Center, New York.

Steven Steiner, Barton, New York.

Rebecca Hobson, Richton, Mississippi.

Brenda Truelove, Gainesville, Georgia.

Karen Dewease, Petal, Mississippi.

Julie Steiner, Barton, New York.

Mikki Howard, Austin, Indiana.

Martha McWhirter, Lawrence, Mississippi.

Susie Dugan, PRIDE Omaha, Omaha, Nebraska.

Judy Dinerstein, Naperville, Illinois.

Betty Sembler, Chairman, S.O.S.--Save Our Society From Drugs, St. 
Petersburg, Florida.

Grainne Kenny, International President, EURAD (Europe Against Drugs).

John English, Springfield, Oregon.

Susan Baum, Loyalhanna, Pennsylvania.

Frank Richardson, Binghamton, New York.

Patsy Parker, Moss Point, Mississippi.

Sharon L. Smith, President--MOMSTELL, Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania.

Connie Moulton, Committees of Correspondence, Danvers, Massachusetts.

Robert Peterson, Esq., Vice President of International Affairs, PRIDE Youth 
Programs, Fremont, Michigan.

Jay DeWispleare, Executive Director, PRIDE Youth Programs, Fremont, 
Michigan.

Lea Cox, Concerned Citizens for Drug Prevention, Norwell, Massachusetts.

Jack Gilligan, Global Drug Prevention Network, Peoria, Illinois.

Malcolm K. Beyer, Jr., Student Drug-Testing Coalition, Jupiter, Florida.

Peter Stoker, Director, National Drug Prevention Alliance, Great Britain.

Carla Lowe, Legal Foundation Against Drugs, Sacramento, California.

Jim Kester, Austin, Texas.

Beverly Barron, Former Executive Director of Texans War on Drugs, Odessa, 
Texas.

Peggy Goble, Great Meadows, New Jersey.

Karin Kyles, New Canaan, Connecticut.

DeForest Rathbone, Chairman, National Institute of Citizen Anti-drug 
Policy, Great Falls, Virginia.

Mr. & Mrs. Robert Dey (DEA Retired), Georgetown, Texas.

Ginger Katz, President of the Courage to Speak Foundation, Connecticut.

State Representative Toni Boucher, Assistant Minority Leader District 143, 
Connecticut.

Geraldine Silverman, New Jersey Federation for Drug Free Communities, Short 
Hills, New Jersey.

Wevley William Shea, Anchorage, Alaska.

Beverly J. Kinard, President, Christian Drug Education Center, Canon City, 
Colorado.

Judy Kreamer, Educating Voices, Inc., Naperville, Illinois.

Becky Vance, Executive Director, Drug Free Business Houston--A division of 
the Council on Alcohol and Drug Abuse, Houston, Texas.

Cathey Brown, Rainbow Days, Inc., Dallas, Texas.

Lynda Adams, Alaskans For Drug Free Youth, Ketchikan, Alaska.

June M. Milam, Former CEO, DREAM, Inc., Madison, Mississippi.

Joyce Tobias, Parents' Association to Neutralize Drug & Alcohol Abuse 
(PANDAA), Annandale, Virginia.

Judy Cushing, President-C.E.O., Oregon Partnership, Portland, Oregon.

Judy Arendsee, Rancho Sante Fe, California.

Stephanie Hayes, Former Board Chairman, Texans War on Drugs, Alpine, Texas.


            Thursday, June 24, 2004 Page E1265 25jn04-109


                         Hon. Michael K. Simpson


                                of idaho

  Mr. Speaker, every visitor who comes to my office is greeted by a 
plaque that bears the inscription of Ronald Reagan's signature and this 
quote, ``There's no limit to what a man can do or where he can go if he 
doesn't mind who gets the credit.'' These words are characteristic of 
the great man that served as the 40th President of the United States of 
America. I am involved with politics today because of the inspiration I 
received from Ronald Reagan. I believe he was the true example of what a 
statesman can be, and I hold that example close to my heart as I carry 
out my own duties.
  President Reagan will always be remembered as an unabashed patriot. He 
was convinced of the ability of the United States to provide the hope of 
freedom to those enslaved by totalitarianism and communism. President 
Reagan's vision of the world and the future of this country would not be 
dimmed or daunted by ideological threat, and he was not afraid to stand 
up to tyranny and aggression. From the beginning of his Presidency, 
President Reagan realized the potential cost of inaction and weakness in 
the face of Soviet defiance and nuclear threat, and he took action. 
Through a series of defense budgets, he increased defense spending 35 
percent during his two terms, ensuring the country the resources 
necessary for security. Additionally, President Reagan managed to 
negotiate the first U.S.-Soviet treaty to reduce the number of nuclear 
weapons through a series of four summits with Mikhail Gorbachev. 
President Reagan was always clear about what he expected and never more 
so than when he pleaded at the Brandenburg Gate, ``Mr. Gorbachev, tear 
down this wall!''
  President Reagan planted democracy in regions of the world that have 
never tasted the joys of freedom. He taught newly liberated people 
across the globe that hard work and faith in God could result in 
prosperity, a sense of satisfaction in one's own legacy, and a better 
outlook for tomorrow. He wanted the American dream to be a reality 
throughout the world.
  President Reagan will also be remembered as a man of humble 
beginnings. He proclaimed America as a place where everyone can rise as 
high and as far as his ability will take him. Born in Tampico, IL, 
President Reagan used his abilities to establish a career in Hollywood. 
He continued to work and learn as he rose through California politics 
and went on to serve two successful terms as the leader of our Nation. 
He wanted all Americans to have the same freedom and opportunity to 
pursue success, and he consistently promoted that ideal through policies 
of limited government. He said, ``Government can and must provide 
opportunity, not smother it; foster productivity, not stifle it.''
  What makes Ronald Reagan most unforgettable was his unfailing 
optimism. Even as our Nation mourns, we cannot help but smile at the 
thought of his cheerful and radiant personality. President Reagan 
possessed a sense of humor strong enough to withstand even the pain of 
an assassin's bullet. Demonstrating his trademark good nature, he said 
to the doctors about to operate on his bullet wounds, ``I hope you're 
all Republicans.'' It was this characteristic sanguinity that swept up a 
downtrodden America and reenergized its faith in freedom, the 
Presidency, and our military.
  Ronald Reagan was many things. He was a man of reason, a man of 
sincerity, a man willing to listen. And he is a man whose character, 
grace, and wisdom will be deeply missed by this Nation.


          Tuesday, July 6, 2004 Page H5173-H5180 06jy04-59


                           Hon. Duncan Hunter


                              of california

   . . . this cold war was won by American service personnel. I look at 
Korea and Vietnam as two of the important battles in that war--battles 
which helped to bring that war to a successful conclusion.
  The gentleman [Mr. Wilson of South Carolina] makes a great point about 
people who used to be behind the Iron Curtain now serving side by side 
with Americans. And I am reminded also that troops from Nicaragua and El 
Salvador, which were the centers of the so-called Contra wars during the 
eighties, when America's liberals said Ronald Reagan should stay out of 
Central America; that if the Soviets want to have an influence in 
Central America, which they were having with the communist Sandinista 
and the FMLN in Salvador, let them have it, said the liberals, and let 
us stay out of Central America; we cannot possibly win that war. And of 
course they brought back the old Vietnam thing, they said you are going 
to get bogged down in another Vietnam. Today we have fragile democracies 
in each of those countries, and they have sent troops to stand side by 
side with Americans in Iraq to try to bring freedom to yet another 
country.
  I was told, incidentally, that the Salvadorans in particular have 
fought fiercely in the Iraq theater; that they are excellent fighters 
and they very much support the coalition, and that they have brought a 
measure of strong support to our operation there. So I thank the 
gentleman for bringing that up because I think that is important.
  When Ronald Reagan was bringing down the Wall, and when he met that 
first move of force by the Russians during his administration, when the 
Soviet Union started to ring Western Europe with SS-20 missiles and 
Ronald Reagan started to push in ground launch cruise missiles and 
Pershing missiles into Europe, the liberal commentators across the world 
said, essentially, now you have gone and done it; we will never have 
peace with the Soviet Union, and we have to get this Ronald Reagan out 
of there.
  Yet, by meeting the strength of the Soviet Union with American 
strength, the President produced a situation where at one point the 
Russians picked up the phone and said, Can we talk? And when they 
started talking, they talked not about a negotiated settlement but they 
talked really about the disassembly of the Soviet empire brought about 
by American strength.
  I think this operation in Iraq, while it is tough and hard and very 
dangerous, is going to produce a good result in that very difficult part 
of the world.


                             Hon. Joe Wilson


                            of south carolina

  Mr. Speaker, I want to also join in thanking the gentleman from Hawaii 
[Mr. Abercrombie] for his constructive suggestion.
  But I want to reiterate again too that the war we are into, this 
global war on terrorism, is not something the United States sought. It 
is my humble opinion that the first attack was really in 1979, with the 
attack on our Embassy in Tehran. We can all remember the signs that were 
carried at that time were ``death to America.'' It does not need a 
discussion. That is what the intent is. And the reason for this feeling 
is because the United States represents freedom of association, of 
speech, as we just saw, freedom of women to participate in society, and 
freedom of media. All of this is being opposed by people who want to 
construct a 14th-century lifestyle.
  This is not a religious war. To me, it is a group of extremists who, 
as we saw last week, there was a heinous suicide bomber who attacked a 
Shiite mosque in Pakistan. Imagine just going straight into a mosque and 
killing 20 people. This is just something that has to be faced, and we 
either face the enemy overseas or we will again see them here in the 
United States, as we did on September 11.
  September 11 was the culmination of a direct attack on the United 
States in 1993 on the World Trade Center, a direct attack on our 
Embassies in 1998, at Embassies all throughout Africa, and then, of 
course, the infamous attack on the USS Cole in Yemen in the year 2000, 
and finally the attack of September 11, 2001. America is responding.
  And I am very grateful that just as after World War II we helped 
rebuild Germany so it would not be a breeding ground for communism, we 
are helping to rebuild Iraq. I am sorry that it does not get the 
attention it should. It is probably just dull to hear that there is 
freedom of the press and media in Iraq. It is dull to hear the schools 
have been reopened. It is dull to hear the hospitals have all been 
reopened and the health clinics are available. But it is not dull. It is 
creating a civil society that protects the American people. We were able 
to protect the American people and defeat communism, and I am confident 
we can do the same thing in defeating terrorism.
  I am so happy the gentleman brought up Ronald Reagan. It was 20 years 
ago virtually this minute that he was attempting to win the cold war by 
putting Pershing missiles in Western Europe. Millions of people 
demonstrated against that in the United States and Western Europe. It 
ultimately led, again, to our victory.
  I had the extraordinary opportunity Sunday to meet with people at our 
church who are from Russia, and I was telling them how incredible it was 
for me to be there with them, because 15 years ago we were told that 
they like living under communism; that due to their serf background, 
they liked being slaves; that they really did not want to have to make 
decisions of who to elect and how to elect, what jobs to take, how much 
money to earn, whether they could buy a car or not; that they really 
enjoyed living in oppression.
  We know that is not true. The dear Russians that I met with on Sunday 
said how much they appreciated what President Reagan and the American 
people have done to provide for their liberation. The same analogy 
applies to the people of Iraq and Afghanistan. It is such a positive 
time to see what our troops are doing.


                            Hon. Robin Hayes


                            of north carolina

  Mr. Speaker, President Bush stood up for freedom, as well he should.
  Just a couple of weeks ago at President Reagan's funeral here in 
Washington, I had the unique privilege of standing in line waiting to 
walk by the casket of former President Reagan with Mikhail Gorbachev.
  They called Reagan a cowboy; but Mikhail Gorbachev, his adversary at 
that time, was at his funeral saying that that man stood up for freedom, 
and he won the cold war, just like President Bush is standing up and 
winning the war on terrorism and our troops are making that happen.


                           Hon. Duncan Hunter


                              of california

  Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Hayes). It 
must have taken a lot of grit for Mikhail Gorbachev to have all of the 
previous speakers or the speakers at that ceremony talk about how Ronald 
Reagan equipped him; but, you know, he put up with that and then paid 
his respects to President Reagan. And I think there is a message there, 
and that is that the goodness of America comes through, and ultimately 
it persuades others to follow the path of freedom. I thank the gentleman 
for his comments.


         Wednesday, July 7, 2004 Page E1306-E1308 07jy04-58


                           Hon. J.D. Hayworth


                               of arizona

  Mr. Speaker, yesterday was the official end of the period of national 
mourning for former President Ronald Reagan. During this month there 
have been many tributes to this great President, all of which were 
deserving.
  Recently, I was given a copy of a book review by the well-respected 
administrative law judge John C. Holmes, who is now retired. In August 
1998, Judge Holmes reviewed Dinesh D'Souza's book, ``Ronald Reagan: How 
an Ordinary Man Became an Extraordinary Leader.'' It was an excellent 
review that summed up how so many of us view Ronald Reagan and his life. 
I would like to submit the review for the Record and I commend it to my 
colleagues.

                       [From the Free Press, 1997]

    Ronald Reagan: How an Ordinary Man Became an Extraordinary Leader


                           (By John C. Holmes)


  Dinesh D'Souza, who served briefly as a low-level advisor to President 
Reagan in 1987-88, is an open admirer of Reagan's accomplishments. Yet 
not even Reagan's harshest critics are more revealing of his character 
flaws and human weaknesses. Rather than expressing scorn and derision, 
however, the author is in turn bemused, delighted, curious, and 
intrigued in candidly reporting the former president's character and 
personality idiosyncrasies. After careful examination, he concludes that 
Reagan's very real limitations in fact assisted as much as deterred this 
seemingly ordinary man in becoming an extraordinary leader. Beneath his 
apparent simplicity was a complex and sometimes contradictory person.

  For example, Reagan's sunny personality and near continuous optimism 
masked a psychological curtain that could descend on even his most 
intimate friends and family, keeping them at a distance. There was also 
the contradiction that, while constantly extolling the virtue of the 
family and its values, Reagan exhibited a disjointed personal one, 
having been divorced from his first wife, Jane Wyman, and distant from 
his son, daughter, and stepdaughter. Reagan's acknowledged short 
attention span masked a tenacious adherence to those principles and 
policies that concerned him most. His good-natured jokes and story-
telling, sometimes criticized as irreverent and irrelevant, served to 
disarm and win over adversaries from Tip O'Neill to Mikhail Gorbachev. 
His famous line in the presidential debate with Walter Mondale that he 
``would not use Mondale's youth and inexperience against him'' caused an 
involuntary grin and chuckle from his surprised opponent, totally 
diffusing the increasingly serious campaign issue of Reagan's age, and 
propelling Reagan into one of the largest presidential victories ever. 
He loved pomp and cavorted with the wealthy, but had a singular capacity 
to connect with, and was beloved by, the common man.

  The author dispels or modifies some public misconceptions. While 
Reagan himself self-deprecatingly joked about his nap times, he worked 
sometimes grueling hours, particularly for a man of his age, exhibiting 
strong discipline in doing homework on those issues he needed to know. 
His discipline in keeping physically fit probably saved his life early 
in his presidency when he was the recipient of a would-be assassin's 
bullet that lodged less than an inch from his heart. His character was 
revealed during this frightening time when despite the seriousness of 
the situation he could extemporaneously joke to his wife Nancy: ``Honey, 
I forgot to duck!'' and to his treating physicians: ``I hope you're all 
good Republicans.'' Such good humor in the face of adversity won him a 
reservoir of good will by an appreciative public.

                      taking on the ``evil empire''


  Reagan was a naive, rosy optimist, thinking that, if he could only 
show Gorbachev how ordinary Americans lived, Gorbachev would recognize 
the differences between the two systems and make big changes for the 
better. Reagan was a foolhardy, almost comical belligerent, standing at 
the Berlin Wall and challenging Gorbachev to ``tear down this wall!'' He 
was an embarrassment, a blind, unsophisticated patriot who had the gall, 
bad manners, and political incorrectness to call the free world's 
adversary an ``Evil Empire.'' He was an actor who knew nothing of 
foreign policy, a genial dummy who straddled between reckless action and 
somnolent inattention. Or so he was portrayed and so many believed.

  But D'Souza recognizes Reagan's historic accomplishment in fostering 
the dissolution of the Communist empire, which emanated at least in 
substantial part from the man's own willful, steadfast purpose. This 
dissolution was not foreordained, as has become the fashionable view. 
The author demonstrates the transparency of Reagan's critics, quoting 
extensively from their pronouncements on the growth, stability, and 
power of the Soviet economy and the folly of attempting directly to 
challenge Russia itself. Liberal historian Arthur Schlesinger Jr. 
observed in 1982 that ``those in the United States who think the Soviet 
Union is on the verge of economic and social collapse are wishful 
thinkers.'' John Kenneth Galbraith, Harvard economist and guru during 
the Kennedy-Johnson years, pronounced that ``the Russian system 
succeeds, because, in contrast with the Western industrial economies, it 
makes full use of its manpower.'' Such assessment was concurred in by 
even ``neutral'' economists such as Paul Samuelson and Lester Thurow, 
who as late as 1989 marveled at the Russian growth process.

  As for confronting Russian expansion, Sovietologist Stephen Cohen of 
Princeton University thought that Reagan was pathologically wrongheaded 
in apparently abandoning the comforting previous policies of containment 
and detente for the objective of ``destroying the Soviet Union as a 
world power and possibly even its Communist system.'' Strobe Talbot, 
then a senior correspondent at Time magazine and later deputy secretary 
of state in the Clinton administration, indignantly scoffed at Reagan's 
unrealistic and misguided attempts to return to the '50s goal of rolling 
back Soviet domination in Europe.

  Though criticized as too ideological, Reagan appointed skilled 
pragmatists to implement his aggressive foreign policy. They included 
the maligned but effective Bill Casey at the CIA, Cap Weinberger at 
Defense, and George Schultz at State. Reagan's overarching plan was 
relatively simple: he would outspend the Russians on defense, thereby 
showing the vulnerability of the Russian economic system which Reagan, 
almost alone, was convinced would not keep pace. This culminated in the 
proposed future deployment of defense missiles and lasers dubbed ``Star 
Wars,'' a concept ridiculed by many, and not fully understood even by 
Reagan, but greatly feared by the Russian leadership. D'Souza presents 
the still-minority viewpoint, which I believe history will eventually 
confirm, that the elevation by the Russian leadership of Gorbachev was 
largely stimulated as an antidote for the very presence of Reagan, who 
by then had emerged as a popular and effective world leader who 
articulately advocated challenge of Russian aspirations for world 
dominance. Reagan took an immediate liking to Gorbachev and 
instinctively felt they could do business. His subsequent perseverance 
in challenging Gorbachev to reform the system, combined with U.S. 
military buildup, precipitated the eventual dismembering of the formerly 
impenetrable Russian political hegemony and military might.

  For this accomplishment alone Reagan should be recognized as the 
single most important person in the second half of this century in 
pointing our world in the direction of freedom and democracy. However, 
to the surprise and even anguish of liberal opponents, and the 
consternation of some conservative friends, his challenge was not 
limited to the communist totalitarian system, but to dictators 
everywhere, whether in the Philippines, South America, or Africa. The 
resulting extensive conversion from socialist and totalitarian states to 
democracies and free economies was truly remarkable, never before seen 
in the history of the world.

                        taking on big government


  As Reagan ran against the political wisdom and apparent majority 
public opinion in advocating defeat of, rather than detente with, 
communism, so too he opposed the belief that a powerful central 
government was essential to ensure freedom, justice, and the general 
welfare. Reagan presented the then-heretical view that central 
government was the problem, not the solution. While Reagan accepted much 
of Roosevelt's New Deal as a necessary reaction to the economic 
emergency following the Great Depression, he felt the Great Society 
agenda fostered by President Johnson took the country too far along the 
path toward a suffocating central government that would eventually 
stifle individual initiative and freedom. His conversion from Democrat 
to Republican resulted.

  Reagan carried his message forward in speech after speech, initially 
while traveling the country for General Electric. Although the 1964 
Republican Convention produced the spectacularly losing campaign of 
Barry Goldwater, Reagan's nominating speech--which has been since dubbed 
merely ``The Speech''--launched him into the national scene as the 
future messenger and leader of the conservative cause. It also brought 
him to the attention of king-makers in California, who lured him into a 
successful run against the incumbent, the firmly entrenched Governor Pat 
Brown, who, like every candidate Reagan has run against, underestimated 
his talents, personality, and character.

  As Governor, Reagan preached austerity, but in his first term did 
little in practice to put California's economic house in order. His main 
contribution, perhaps, was in standing up to the most radical of the 
free speakers, thereby keeping the universities open and restoring a 
modicum of stability during those turbulent times. The author labels 
Reagan's governorship as only moderately successful. Reagan, however, 
gained a stage that eventually catapulted him into the presidency.

  While running for and entering the presidency, his economic message 
remained the same: limited government. On the one hand, as his critics 
are quick to point out, Reagan never directly achieved his economic 
goals, as the high cost of defense build-up and his insistence on a tax 
cut made a balanced budget impossible. Moreover, this imbalance was 
exacerbated by the Democratic-controlled Congress, whose ``compromise'' 
meant more spending on cherished domestic programs rather than cuts that 
would have helped pay for the defense build-up. On the other hand, his 
intense lobbying efforts on his first budget, while not reaching all the 
results he envisioned, provided the mechanism for a future more limited 
domestic spending program, and provided more funds for the private 
sector through tax cuts. Through a numbing recession in 1982, with 
critics contending his ``voodoo'' supply-side economics were a proven 
failure, Reagan elected to ``stay the course,'' retreating to his 
California ranch for resuscitation and refusing the siren song to ``do 
something.'' He was assisted by a supportive Federal Reserve, which 
tightened credit to reduce the fever of double digit inflation prevalent 
during the preceding Carter administration. With recover came increasing 
public and business confidence. A growing economy meant more dollars to 
pay for the defense build-up.

  The author points to the ``outrageous'' act of firing the air traffic 
controllers as a further plank in economic recovery. Though their union, 
the Professional Air Traffic Controllers (PATCO), was one of the few to 
support Reagan's presidential bid, Reagan had no compunction in firing 
them and replacing them by non-union workers. Considering them 
``untouchables,'' no previous president had so directly taken on unions 
and government workers. To Reagan, the moral basis was simple: 
government workers were servants of the people and not their masters. 
The law supported his viewpoint. Condemned, ridiculed, and pressured 
even by allies, and temporarily losing popular support, particularly 
from new-found ``Joe Six-Pack'' converts to the Republican party, Reagan 
stuck to his guns. This action, and his subsequent refusal to 
compromise, so shocked and silenced union leaders and government workers 
that corporations and government agencies were afforded for years to 
come the opportunity to downsize and ``reorganize.'' The seemingly 
forgotten principal that jobs were a privilege and not a right was at 
least partially restored and the economy further stimulated.

  Reagan's goals were not all achieved while in office. Nevertheless, he 
left an agenda that is still in many respects being followed today. Free 
international trade through agreements such as NAFTA, and the outline 
for fiscal savings as drawn up in the ``Contract for America,'' were 
Reagan initiatives. Even the line-item veto, scorned and laughed at as a 
campaign throw-away, and impossible to enact, has become law, ironically 
co-opted by President Clinton and touted as his own accomplishment. 
While temporarily contributing to a huge unbalanced budget and an 
unfavorable foreign trade deficit, the successful war against communism 
eventually allowed a resulting ``peace dividend,'' a prosperous economy, 
and a curtailed federal government. A balanced budget would be achieved 
10 years after he left office.

  Reagan again knew instinctively what the most sophisticated economists 
were oblivious to. Reduction of tax rates during times when government 
has become too large and costly can actually increase total revenues by 
freeing the private sector from stifling governmental costs and 
regulations, thereby enabling sales and profits (as well as taxes paid) 
to rise. What was to become known worldwide as ``privatization'' 
resulted from these policies. Where previous Republican administrations 
had merely attempted to cut around the edges to make governments a 
little more efficient and accountable, Reagan attacked it head on, by 
word and deed freeing the private sector to accomplish its goals with 
minimal intervention.

                          taking on ``malaise''


  A third area that Reagan sought to change flowed naturally from and 
was dependent upon success in his attack on communism and big 
government: restoration of the prestige and respect of the presidency, 
and the confidence, optimism, and patriotism of the American people. 
Following the ``Peace and Prosperity'' and ``Return to Normalcy'' of the 
1950s under Eisenhower, we had experienced the assassinations of 
President Kennedy, Martin Luther King, and Robert Kennedy; the quagmire 
of Vietnam, causing President Johnson's decision not to run; Nixon's 
seemingly moderately successful presidency brought down by Watergate; 
and the failed Carter presidency, ending in American hostages being 
ignominiously held in Iran, communism seemingly on the march in 
international expansion, and Carter himself describing a ``malaise'' in 
the American psyche. Onto the stage strode the unlikely candidate the 
conservatives lusted for, but mainstream Republicans merely tolerated, 
and Democrats welcomed as ``easy pickings''--seemingly too old, too 
ideological, and too inexperienced to be elected or to accomplish the 
job.

  The reigns of government had barely been grasped when a sickening 
feeling of deja vu returned as an attempt was made on Reagan's life. 
Reagan's humorous reaction and relatively quick recovery boded well, 
allowing him to initiate his foreign and domestic programs. The 
sputtering of the economy in late 1981, leading to recession, however, 
dispelled this good will and left the nation in a sullen mood. As 
recovery finally came and Reagan's ``stay the course'' was more or less 
vindicated, his personality and talents as a ``Great Communicator'' 
began to sharpen and shape the American and world landscape. He 
entreated the people of the United States, the country he felt destined 
to be ``a shining city on the hill,'' to support and further his program 
and policies. He restored a sometimes teary-eyed patriotism, encouraging 
Americans to take pride in and celebrate our country, its meaning, and 
its history. Using his powers as a former actor and the sincerity of his 
own belief in the goodness of America, whose ``morning had just begun,'' 
he sought to enlist the people to assist the world along a better path 
to a brighter future. He returned a pride in military service, severely 
wounded since the Vietnam war. His own dedication to duty and pride of 
office restored dignity and world leadership to the presidency.

  History may record Reagan as having been extraordinarily lucky to have 
accomplished his successes at such an advanced age, barely before 
senility and the eventual ravages of Alzheimer's disease fully took 
over. D'Souza does not think so. He credits--too much, some will argue--
Reagan's ability to cut through the thicket of unimportant matters and 
take the correct action at nearly every important juncture. Far from 
being a mere bystander, Reagan led on matters that mattered, even when 
his decisions were unpopular.

  D'Souza notes a nearly mystical aura that President Reagan himself 
privately acknowledged as governing some of his actions. While many 
presidents donned the mantra of churchgoing for public consumption, and 
Reagan himself supported, mainly as a sop to the religious right, a 
constitutional amendment to allow public school prayer, his own 
religious beliefs were more complex. Not an active churchgoer before or 
during his presidency, he apparently firmly believed in an intervening 
and active higher authority from whom he privately sought solace and 
guidance. When asked what person he most admired, Reagan invariably 
answered, ``The man from Galilee.'' Though public ridicule was made of 
his wife Nancy's seeking guidance from astrologers, without serious 
objection and perhaps active support from the President, Reagan's truer 
belief would have been the personally delivered opinion of Mother 
Theresa that he had been put on this earth for a divine purpose.

  This book will not find favor with liberal economists, with those 
Jeanne Kirkpatrick labeled ``Blame America Firsters,'' or with 
apologists for the former Soviet communist system who then had advocated 
accommodation and appeasement, but many of whom now find its demise 
historically inevitable and Reagan irrelevant. One of D'Souza's obvious 
purposes in the book is to attack this attempted instant historical 
revisionism. In so doing, he can fairly be accused of straying too often 
from a ``pure'' chronicle of Reagan to a strident attack on his critics. 
No doubt in anticipated rebuttal, D'Souza points to a ``stacked deck'' 
committee chaired by Arthur Schlesinger Jr. and commissioned by the 
editors of the New York Times in December 1996 to render a collective 
verdict on how history will rank the U.S. presidents. Not surprisingly 
these ``history experts,'' which included Doris Kearns Goodwin, James 
MacGregor Burns, ex-Governor Mario Cuomo, and ex-Senator Paul Simon, 
liberals all, ranked Reagan in the lower half, below George Bush and in 
the undistinguished company of Jimmy Carter, Chester Arthur, and 
Benjamin Harrison. In contrast, D'Souza believes Reagan should be ranked 
with the Roosevelts, Wilson, Lincoln, and Washington.

  Interestingly, however, the ideologically conservative ``true 
believers'' who allege that Reagan was merely a popular messenger for an 
irresistible movement will not be overjoyed with the book. D'Souza 
paints Reagan as a unique individual, the likes of which are unlikely to 
return. Though Reagan articulated the principals of the ascending 
conservative movement, he was flexible rather than rigid, and his sunny 
personality lent itself to compromise on everything except his hardcore 
principals. This enabled Reagan to overcome popular reluctance to accept 
his conservative agenda.

  D'Souza describes an apparently simple, but actually a flawed, 
complex, and contradictory man who accomplished his aims by 
concentrating on a few specifics that were fundamental to his beliefs. 
To this reviewer, who was initially extremely skeptical of Reagan's 
governing capability, let alone his electability to the presidency, but 
who has come to the happy realization that there really was something in 
the stars that brought forth this unlikely man to lead our country at 
such an important time in history, Ronald Reagan gets it exactly right.


    Tuesday, July 13, 2004Page H5642-H5646 13jy04-83 Page H5642


                             Hon. Nick Smith


                               of michigan

  Mr. Speaker, after listening to the previous speakers, I think of 
Ronald Reagan's words, ``There you go again.''
  Every 4 years we sort of experience the spinning and the demagoguery 
that takes place in this Chamber using these podiums and C-SPAN to 
criticize the sitting President. Of course, Republicans did it 4 years 
ago and 8 years ago.
  When I first came into office and was elected in 1992, the Democrats 
in this Chamber were using this forum to criticize the first President 
Bush, all the things that went wrong. But I think of what the criticisms 
were of President Reagan when he came into office. When President Reagan 
came to office America was demoralized. President Carter had spoken 
about our malaise in Watergate, and our defeat in Vietnam had all shaken 
our self-confidence.
  We had given up the Panama Canal. The Shah of Iran and supporters of 
the Ayatollah Khomeini held 52 of our Americans hostage for more than a 
year at our Embassy in Tehran. The military rescue mission, of course, 
failed in the desert, and we lost eight of our servicemen in that 
venture.
  Communism was on the march, and after South Vietnam fell, Cambodia 
followed. The Sandinistas took control of Nicaragua and communist 
insurgencies were under way in Ethiopia, Angola, and certainly the 
Soviets invaded Afghanistan in 1979 and were suppressing the solidarity 
movement in Poland.
  Our economic situation was very dire in 1980, and President Reagan 
came in and actually renewed our faith. America, in most American's 
minds, no longer seemed to be special, and we needed that kind of 
determined leadership.
  The point I want to make, in reacting to some of the Democrats' 
criticism of this administration, was the criticism that President 
Reagan received when he believed we should stand up to the Soviet Union 
and we ended up doing that.
  It was President Reagan's resolve that repulsed communism in the 
Caribbean and Central America and repulsed it also in Afghanistan. It 
was Reagan's resolve that nurtured solidarity in Poland and gave heart 
to the dissidents of the Soviet bloc, and it was Reagan's faith in 
American ideals that toppled the Berlin Wall. All of this time he was 
being criticized as being a trigger-happy President that might push the 
red button for a world war III with the Soviet Union.
  When he went to Berlin, and he was writing a speech for Berlin, he 
started out writing in that he wanted to include ``Mr. Gorbachev, tear 
down this wall!,'' and all of his advisers and his speechwriters said, 
No, do not do that; it will anger the American people and the world. 
They will think you are too bold; they will think you are too 
challenging. That might end up in war. You should just try to get along 
and make peace. But he insisted it go in despite that criticism, and 
that leads me to what historians are going to say 30 years from now in 
analyzing the decision and the determination of this President to go 
into Iraq.
  Most everybody in this Chamber and the Senate had the same kind of 
intelligence information that the President and the administration had. 
Some of that intelligence information, we have now discovered, was very 
inaccurate in some regards.


            Thursday, July 15, 2004Page H5898 15jy04-108


                           Hon. Jim McDermott


                              of washington

  Mr. Speaker, in London yesterday Prime Minister Tony Blair did 
something that leaders do. Speaking to the House of Commons, Mr. Blair 
said, ``I accept full responsibility for the way the issue was presented 
and, therefore, for any errors made.''
  Leaders lead, and leaders know the buck stops with them. Leaders lead, 
and leaders accept responsibility when things go wrong.
  An independent report in England blamed its intelligence community for 
massive intelligence failures before the Iraq war. What did Tony Blair 
do? The Prime Minister got up in front of his nation and the world and 
accepted personal responsibility.
  That did not happen when a similar report was released to the United 
States. The President did not accept responsibility. The President 
assigned blame.
  In 1961, President John F. Kennedy accepted full responsibility for 
the Bay of Pigs fiasco. It did not matter that the planning for the Bay 
of Pigs had started in the Eisenhower administration. It did not matter 
that the intelligence failures directly led to the foreign policy 
disaster that was the Bay of Pigs. President Kennedy stood before the 
Nation and the world and accepted personal responsibility.
  At one news conference not long afterward, President Kennedy used his 
legendary wit and intelligence to sum it up. ``There is an old saying,'' 
Kennedy said, ``that victory has a hundred fathers and defeat is an 
orphan.''
  The buck stops at the President's desk, except in this administration. 
Since the release of the U.S. report on pre-Iraqi intelligence failures, 
this President has done everything possible to pass the buck.
  During the administration of President Ronald Reagan, the Iran-Contra 
scandal was a crisis that shook the Nation to its core and the White 
House to its foundation. President Reagan was given ample opportunity to 
assign the blame to Oliver North. What did Ronald Reagan do? When asked 
directly about Mr. North, Ronald Reagan said, ``I do not feel betrayed. 
He has a fine record.''
  Leaders lead. Whatever your politics, you have to acknowledge that 
President Reagan was a leader. When our country faces a crisis, people 
look to the President for leadership.
  Not long ago, America faced a moral crisis. America faced an ethical 
crisis. America faced a military and political crisis. When pictures of 
prison abuse stunned the world, the world looked to America, to our 
President, for a response. The President did not stand up and accept 
responsibility.
  Outside the White House and then in an interview broadcast throughout 
the Middle East, the President did not or could not or would not tell 
the world he accepts responsibilities for the failures of the Americans 
under his command. He could not utter the words that the world needed to 
hear and that Americans needed to say.
  Over the last half century, Presidents from both political parties 
have braved grave crises. They did what leaders do. They did not pass 
the buck. They stood and accepted responsibility, until now.
  In little over 110 days, the American people will elect a new 
President, and leadership is fundamental to that choice.
  The British historian Arnold Toynbee once said, ``As human beings, we 
are endowed with freedom of choice, and we cannot shuffle off our 
responsibility upon the shoulders of God or nature. We must shoulder it 
ourselves. It is up to us.''
  Martin Luther King Junior once said, ``The ultimate measure of a man 
is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience but where 
he stands at times of challenge and controversy.''
  In just over 110 days, this Nation will make the most important 
political decision of the next 4 years. Democrats and Republicans will 
argue issues, and that is expected, but fundamental to the selection of 
the person who leads the free world for the next 4 years is the quality 
of leadership. Leadership is more than a commercial or a campaign 
brochure. Leadership is one of the most important qualities the 
President must have. There is a record of what America expects and what 
Americans demand of their President. Leadership is at the top of the 
list.
  The President had to be taken out twice from the White House to 
finally say that he was sorry for what had happened to the Arab 
prisoners that were held in Iraq. You have to ask yourself, does this 
President believe that the requirement of his job is to accept the 
responsibility, Mr. Speaker? Because he has not shown it yet. He never 
has said, ``I accept responsibility.''
  One hundred and ten more days, Mr. Speaker.


          Monday, July 19, 2004 Page E1427-E1428 20jy04-30


                         Hon. Christopher Shays


                             of connecticut

  Mr. Speaker, on June 5, 2004, our Nation lost a distinguished 
statesman, a world leader and a fine President in Ronald Reagan. 
President Reagan was a man of his word, and his principles were 
unquestionable. He had extraordinary faith in the promise of America and 
the belief that the best of America is yet to come. Page E1428
  On July 2, 2004, Ambassador Joseph Verner Reed, Under-Secretary-
General of the United Nations, paid homage to Mr. Reagan at Kyung Hee 
University in Seoul, Korea. I submit the text of Mr. Reed's address to 
be entered into the Record.

 Statement of Ambassador Joseph Verner Reed at the Graduate School for 
   Pan Pacific International Studies of Kyung Hee University, Seoul, 
                            Republic of Korea


  An event in the United States eclipsed matters in the media recently, 
and that was the passing of President Ronald Reagan.

  I was privileged to have been appointed to three posts by President 
Reagan. First as Ambassador to the Kingdom of Morocco, then as Deputy 
Permanent Representative to the United Nations as Ambassador to the 
Economic and Social Council and lastly as the Under-Secretary-General 
for Political and General Assembly Affairs of the United Nations.

  Several years ago I was privileged to accept on behalf of President 
Reagan, here at Kyung Hee University, the Great World Peace Award. It 
was an honor and a privilege.

  Ronald Wilson Reagan--father, husband, actor and dedicated public 
servant--restored the pride, optimism and strength of the United States 
and earned deep respect and affection of his fellow citizens. When he 
passed away, we witnessed an outpouring of solemnity, sorrow and 
reflection in our country. In the view of many people, President Reagan 
remains the most significant United States President since Franklin 
Delano Roosevelt. He was a man who changed the course of American 
politics, culture and world history. He was right on the most important 
questions of his era: the role of government and the defeat of the 
Soviet Union. The structure of the American economy was altered 
profoundly by his term. Top tax rates have never returned to their 
previously punitive levels. America's current standing in world affairs 
is also a direct result of President Reagan's calling the Soviet Union's 
bluff in the 1980s and restoring US military power and self-confidence. 
This was not evident at the time. Everything President Reagan did was 
challenged. He was a polarizing figure--more disdained in Europe than 
President George W. Bush is today. For at least half his presidency he 
was unpopular at home as well, as most effective Presidents are.

  With his Californian optimism, President Reagan transformed 
conservatism into a progressive force, into a political philosophy that 
took risks and changed things. President Reagan took conservatism into a 
reformist, unapologetic governing philosophy. That achievement endures 
in the United States.

  I feel blessed to have been appointed to posts in public service by 
President Reagan. He inspired; he amused; he gave conviction a sunny 
disposition. Because of him, millions live in freedom where they once 
labored under tyranny. Because of Ronald Wilson Reagan, America was 
recharged and freedom reborn. In life it is rare to live under a 
political leader who evokes love as well as respect.

  President Reagan's extraordinary political gifts carried him through--
his talents as a communicator, his intuitive understanding of the 
average American, his unfailing geniality even after being hit by an 
assassin's bullet, his ability to build and sustain friendships across 
partisan lines. Those gifts--and his conviction that words counted for 
far more in politics that mere deeds--enabled him to convince large 
majorities that as long as he was in charge, it would remain ``Morning 
in America''. I believe the cool eye of history will place Ronald Reagan 
in the list of the great Presidents.

  President Reagan believed that America was not just a place in the 
world, but the hope of the world. He came to office with great hopes for 
America. He was optimistic that a strong America could advance peace, 
and he acted to build the strength that this mission required. He was 
optimistic that liberty would thrive wherever it was planted, and he 
acted to defend liberty wherever it was threatened. And Ronald Reagan 
believed in the power of truth in the conduct of world affairs. When he 
saw evil camped across the horizon, he called that evil by its name. Who 
can ever forget President Reagan in Berlin calling ``Mr. Gorbachev, tear 
down this wall''?

  Ronald Wilson Reagan belongs to the ages; a great American story has 
closed.


             Tuesday, July 20, 2004 Page E1428 20jy04-31


                     Hon. Randy ``Duke'' Cunningham


                              of california

  Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the USS Ronald Reagan and 
its crew on their arrival this week at their new home port of San Diego, 
CA.
  I am pleased that one of President Reagan's many legacies is the 
Navy's newest nuclear carrier, the USS Ronald Reagan. The ship recently 
set sail from Norfolk for its rightful home in San Diego. Throughout his 
political career, President Reagan always concluded his campaign in San 
Diego. He called it his lucky city. It is only fitting that our 
``shining city on the hill,'' San Diego, will be home to the USS Ronald 
Reagan.
  This ship is perhaps the most fitting tribute to Ronald Reagan's 
legacy of strength and security, to the imprint he had on our past, and 
the promise that we hold for the future. The ship's motto, ``Peace 
Through Strength,'' was borrowed from one of President Reagan's radio 
addresses and embodies the essence of his vision of national security.
  The USS Ronald Reagan is the most advanced aircraft carrier in the 
world. It has the newest hull design, 2 nuclear reactors, a length of 
1,092 feet, a top speed over 30 knots, over 6,000 highly-trained service 
members, and more than 80 of the world's top aircraft. Finally, its 4.5 
acres of flight deck are American territory that can be used to project 
our presence anywhere in the world.
  A U.S. ship is a powerful symbol and the USS Ronald Reagan stands to 
be the most powerful of all. It will be a welcome sight to many around 
the world who see it as an example of America's strength and protection 
of freedom. It will also bring caution to people and nations who would 
deny that freedom.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask that you urge our colleagues to join me in 
recognizing the outstanding service of the USS Ronald Reagan and its 
crew and wish them the best in all their future endeavors. San Diego 
anxiously awaits the arrival of the USS Ronald Reagan and our 
opportunity to welcome it home to its lucky city.


        Thursday, July 22, 2004Page H6700-H6705 22jy04pt2-220

                      PUBLIC BILLS AND RESOLUTIONS

  Under clause 2 of rule XII, public bills and resolutions were 
introduced and severally referred, as follows:

  By Mr. Ose (for himself, Mr. DeLay, Mr. Doolittle, Mr. Gallegly, Mr. 
Gary G. Miller of California, Mr. Sessions, Mr. Hobson, Mr. Rohrabacher, 
Mr. Gibbons, Mr. Neugebauer, Mr. Baker, Mr. Smith of Texas, Mr. Duncan, 
Mr. McKeon, Mr. Hyde, Mr. Souder, Mr. Osborne, Mr. Cannon, and Mr. 
Radanovich):

  H.R. 4980. A bill to direct the Secretary of the Interior to arrange 
for the carving of the figure of former President Ronald Reagan on Mount 
Rushmore National Memorial, and for other purposes; to the Committee on 
Resources.Page E1491 22jy04pt2-71


                          Hon. Darrell E. Issa


                              of california

  Mr. Speaker, I rise today, on the eve of the home porting ceremony of 
the USS Ronald Reagan, to welcome America's newest aircraft carrier and 
its crew to San Diego.
  The USS Ronald Reagan CVN-76, our Nation's ninth Nimitz class carrier, 
is the world's most advanced and most capable carrier ever built. The 
USS Reagan, along with its crew of 6,000 and its commanding officer 
Captain James A. Symonds, will give America greater capabilities to 
address threats to the safety of Americans and international peace and 
stability than ever before.
  For most of the world's history, the oceans have been a dangerous and 
lawless place. For over 60 years, however, America's Navy has reigned 
supreme over the world's oceans. Today, our Navy ensures freedom of the 
seas for all nations who seek to use the world's shipping lanes for 
peaceful purposes. The USS Ronald Reagan enhances our Navy's ability to 
do its job.
  For California, the USS Ronald Reagan will serve as a proud reminder 
of the legacy left behind by our former Governor and President. 
President Reagan understood the importance of maintaining a strong and 
effective military. Throughout his administration, which brought about a 
successful end to the cold war, President Reagan rebuilt America's armed 
forces with a steadfast belief in the pursuit of ``peace through 
strength.'' Because of this legacy, it is entirely fitting that the most 
powerful and diplomatically visible symbol of the American Navy now 
shares both the name and home State of President Ronald Reagan.
  The crew of the USS Reagan will find the San Diego community to be 
warm and welcoming. San Diego has a mix of many cultures and, as someone 
who moved my family here 20 years ago, I can assure the entire crew that 
San Diego is a great place to live, work, and raise a family.
  Mr. Speaker, in closing, I would like to recognize Mrs. Reagan who 
will participate in tomorrow's home porting ceremony. The USS Ronald 
Reagan is a testament to the many great things Ronald and Nancy Reagan 
accomplished together. Ronald Reagan gave our Nation hope and reminded 
us that with hard work and determination we could do great things. 
President Reagan may have moved on, but his legacy is as strong and 
steady as the ship that now bears his name.


           Tuesday, September 7, 2004Page H6709 07se04-14

                         MESSAGE FROM THE SENATE

  A message from the Senate by Mr. Monahan, one of its clerks, announced 
that the Senate has passed a concurrent resolution of the following 
title in which the concurrence of the House is requested:

  S. Con. Res. 135. Concurrent resolution authorizing the printing of a 
commemorative document in memory of the late President of the United 
States, Ronald Wilson Reagan. Page H6751 07se04-76

                          SENATE BILLS REFERRED

  A concurrent resolution of the Senate of the following title was taken 
from the Speaker's table and, under the rule, referred as follows:

  S. Con. Res. 135. Concurrent Resolution authorizing the printing of a 
commemorative document in memory of the late President of the United 
States, Ronald Wilson Reagan; referred to the Committee on 
Administration.


          Tuesday, September 28, 2004 Page H7698 28se04-85

 AUTHORIZING PRINTING OF COMMEMORATIVE DOCUMENT IN MEMORY OF PRESIDENT 
                          RONALD WILSON REAGAN

  Mr. DOOLITTLE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee 
on House Administration be discharged from further consideration of the 
Senate concurrent resolution (S. Con. Res. 135) authorizing the printing 
of a commemorative document in memory of the late President of the 
United States, Ronald Wilson Reagan, and ask for its immediate 
consideration in the House.
  The Clerk read the title of the Senate concurrent resolution.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from California?
  Mr. LARSON of Connecticut. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the right to object, 
although it is not my intention to object; and I turn to the gentleman 
from California for an explanation of his request.
  Mr. DOOLITTLE. Mr. Speaker, will the gentleman yield?
  Mr. LARSON of Connecticut. I yield to the gentleman from California.
  Mr. DOOLITTLE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to support this resolution 
which authorizes the printing of a commemorative document in memory of 
the late President of the United States, Ronald Wilson Reagan. I will be 
offering an amendment that will require the document to be printed under 
the direction of the Joint Committee on Printing, to be compiled by both 
bodies of Congress for the use of the full Congress.
  Mr. LARSON of Connecticut. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for that 
explanation. Clearly, Congress most recently published tributes to 
President Nixon and in the past President Johnson and President Truman, 
and I am in concurrence with our distinguished gentleman from 
California.
  Mr. Speaker, I withdraw my reservation of objection.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from California?
  There was no objection.
  The Clerk read the Senate concurrent resolution, as follows:

                            S. Con. Res. 135


  Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives concurring),


SECTION 1. COMMEMORATIVE DOCUMENT AUTHORIZED.


  A commemorative document in memory of the late President of the United 
States, Ronald Wilson Reagan, consisting of the eulogies and encomiums 
for Ronald Wilson Reagan, as expressed in the Senate and the House of 
Representatives, together with the texts of the state funeral ceremony 
at the United States Capitol Rotunda, the national funeral service held 
at the Washington National Cathedral, Washington, District of Columbia, 
and the interment ceremony at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, 
Simi Valley, California, shall be printed as a Senate document, with 
illustrations and suitable binding.


SEC. 2. PRINTING OF DOCUMENT.


  In addition to the usual number of copies printed, there shall be 
printed the lesser of--

  (1) 32,500 copies of the commemorative document, of which 22,150 
copies shall be for the use of the House of Representatives and 10,350 
copies shall be for the use of the Senate; or

  (2) such number of copies of the commemorative document that does not 
exceed a production and printing cost of $1,000,000, with distribution 
of the copies to be allocated in the same proportion as described in 
paragraph (1).

                   Amendment Offered by Mr. Doolittle

  Mr. DOOLITTLE. Mr. Speaker, I offer an amendment.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                   Amendment Offered by Mr. Doolittle:


  In section 1, strike ``Senate document, with illustrations and 
suitable binding'' and insert ``House document, with illustrations and 
suitable binding, under the direction of the Joint Committee on 
Printing''.

  The amendment was agreed to.
  The Senate concurrent resolution was concurred in.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.


         Tuesday, October 5, 2004 Page H8117-H8130 05oc04-53


                              Hon. Ron Paul


                                of texas

  Mr. Speaker, I rise to oppose H.R. 163 [Universal National Service Act 
of 2003] in the strongest possible terms. The draft, whether for 
military purposes or for some form of ``national service,'' violates the 
basic moral principles of individual liberty upon which this country was 
founded. Furthermore, the military neither wants nor needs a draft.
  The Department of Defense, in response to calls to reinstate the draft 
has confirmed that conscription serves no military need. Defense 
officials from both parties have repudiated the need to reinstate the 
draft. For example, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld has said that, 
``The disadvantages of using compulsion to bring into the armed forces 
the men and women needed are notable,'' while President William 
Clinton's Secretary of the Army Louis Caldera, in a speech before the 
National Press Club, admitted that, ``Today, with our smaller, post Cold 
War armed forces, our stronger volunteer tradition and our need for 
longer terms of service to get a good return on the high, up-front 
training costs, it would be even harder to fashion a fair draft.''
  However, the most important reason to oppose H.R. 163 is that a draft 
violates the very principals of individual liberty upon which our Nation 
was founded. Former President Ronald Reagan eloquently expressed the 
moral case against the draft in the publication Human Events in 1979: 
``. . . [conscription] rests on the assumption that your kids belong to 
the State. If we buy that assumption then it is for the State--not for 
parents, the community, the religious institutions or teachers--to 
decide who shall have what values and who shall do what work, when, 
where and how in our society. That assumption isn't a new one. The Nazis 
thought it was a great idea.''
  Some say the 18-year-old draftee ``owes it'' to his (or her, since 
H.R. 163 makes women eligible for the draft) country. Hogwash! It just 
as easily could be argued that a 50-year-old chicken-hawk, who promotes 
war and places the danger on innocent young people, owes more to the 
country than the 18-year-old being denied his (or her) liberty.
  All drafts are unfair. All 18- and 19-year-olds are never drafted. By 
its very nature a draft must be discriminatory. All drafts hit the most 
vulnerable young people, as the elites learn quickly how to avoid the 
risks of combat.
  Economic hardship is great in all wars and cannot be minimized. War is 
never economically beneficial except for those in position to profit 
from war expenditure. The great tragedy of war is that it enables the 
careless disregard for civil liberties of our own people. Abuses of 
German and Japanese Americans in World War I and World War II are well 
known.
  But the real sacrifice comes with conscription--forcing a small number 
of young vulnerable citizens to fight the wars that older men and women, 
who seek glory in military victory without themselves being exposed to 
danger, promote. The draft encourages wars with neither purpose nor 
moral justification and that are too often not even declared by the 
Congress.
  Without conscription, unpopular wars are difficult to fight. Once the 
draft was undermined in the sixties and early seventies, the Vietnam war 
came to an end. But most important, liberty cannot be preserved by 
tyranny. A free society must always resort to volunteers. Tyrants think 
nothing of forcing men to fight and serve in wrongheaded wars. A true 
fight for survival and defense of America would elicit, I am sure, the 
assistance of every able-bodied man and woman. This is not the case for 
wars of mischief far away from home which we have experienced often in 
the past century.
  A government that is willing to enslave some of its people can never 
be trusted to protect the liberties of its own citizens. I hope all my 
colleagues join me in standing up for individual liberty and to shut 
down this un-American relic of a bygone era and help realize the 
financial savings and the gains to individual liberties that can be 
achieved by ending Selective Service registration.Page E1808-E1809 
06oc04-45


                          Hon. John A. Boehner


                                 of ohio

  Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commend my neighbors in Butler County, 
OH, for renaming a park at the former site of the Voice of America's 
Bethany station ``Ronald Reagan's Voice of Freedom Park.'' This park is 
enjoyed by Butler County families each and every day, and it has been 
made all the more special by the fact that it is located on the same 
spot from where Voice of America broadcasts originated from 1944 to 
1994.
  In many ways, this name change isn't much of a name change at all. 
Ronald Reagan was and in many ways still is the Voice of America.
  It's that voice which brought us back from the Vietnam era and the 
malaise of the seventies. It's that voice that urged Mr. Gorbachev to 
``tear down this wall!'' And it's that voice that ended the cold war 
through his policy of ``peace through strength.''
  So we're not marking the end of one name for this park and the 
beginning of a new one. Instead, we're celebrating the passage of title 
from one cold war messenger of freedom to another. Ronald Reagan 
recognized what an effective and influential tool the Voice of America 
was in our battle to end the cold war. In fact, in 1983 he delivered an 
address via Voice of America, in which he outlined his vision for long-
term negotiations with the Soviet Union. He recognized the vital role 
Voice of America played in our struggle against the Soviets, and he used 
it to the advantage of our Nation and our fight for freedom.
  Last week, another American President--George W. Bush--spoke in that 
park. He spoke of a different battle--this time against the evils of 
terrorism--in which we are currently engaged. Just like the cold war, it 
will be a long struggle--but one which we know we will win. Why? Because 
we have the same message of freedom on our side that we did when Reagan 
and the Voice of America led us to victory against communism. And so 
that message of freedom and the Voice of America continues, in that park 
and across the globe.
  Mr. Speaker, I thank my friends back home in Butler County who were 
involved in the effort to place President Reagan's name on the park. In 
this year of tributes to a man I know as a hero, I can think of very few 
higher than this one.


        Wednesday, October 6, 2004 Page E1844-E1845 08oc04-24


                            Hon. Trent Franks


                               of arizona

  Mr. Speaker, one of the core principles on which our Nation is founded 
is the belief in an individual's God-given right to pursue happiness 
without government interference. Traditionally this has been understood 
as an endorsement of the quintessential entrepreneurial spirit and of 
free-market economics. The great, late President Ronald Reagan liked to 
talk about America as a ``city on a hill,'' a light that offers guidance 
to the nations of the world.
  I rise today to pay tribute to a small island nation that has been a 
shining example in a sometimes troubled region of the world. Under the 
capable leadership of Prime Minister Nelson Oduber, the Government of 
Aruba has led the way in exemplifying stable and democratic good 
governance and in creating an ownership society with a growing, 
prospering private sector. Most of us understand the vital role a lively 
private sector plays in a nation's success.
  During Mr. Oduber's terms in office, a long list of government-owned 
companies were either fully or partially privatized. Among them were 
water production facilities and power plants, the public transportation 
company, the seaport and the airport, the national telecommunications 
company and the postal services. Many of these former government 
agencies today are 100 per cent privately owned. The government has 
demonstrated that its belief in a free market with a plethora of 
empowered stakeholders is much more than lip service.
  The companies on their part showed that they were well able to get the 
capital from the financial markets without help from the government. 
Today, not one of these companies' employees is on the taxpayer-funded 
government payroll. In addition, the companies can quickly and 
proactively respond to market forces without any government 
interference.
  While it sometimes seems easier to criticize countries that are doing 
things wrong, I thank you, Mr. Speaker, for the opportunity to pay 
tribute to a small nation, a stable ally of the United States, that has 
put into practice the principles we believe are essential in creating a 
better, freer, more prosperous and more secure world.
?


                                     

                                     

                            Memorial Tributes


                               I N   T H E


                       Senate of the United States


                         I N   E U L O G Y   O F


                              Ronald Reagan

    
                   In the Senate of the United States


                          Monday, June 7, 2004

                                 prayer

  The Chaplain, Dr. Barry C. Black, offered the following prayer:
  Let us pray.
  Almighty God, generous giver of wonderful gifts, thank You for the 
life of former President Ronald Wilson Reagan and for the gift of 
talented leaders. We praise You for people with vision who see things 
that are not and ask why not. Thank You for visionaries who call us out 
of the night of selfish living to the sunrise of sacrifice and service. 
Help us to celebrate the lives of faithful leaders while they can still 
hear our appreciation.
  Thank You for the Members of Congress who provide stellar leadership. 
Keep them from evil and infuse them with a spirit of kindness.
  As death reminds us of life's brevity, we turn our eyes toward You, O 
God. You are our refuge and strength and not even death can separate us 
from Your love. We pray in Your changeless Name. Amen. CR: June 7, 2004 
(Senate)] [Page S6485] 07jn04-14 CR: June 7, 2004 (Senate)] Page 
S6486-S6488] 07jn04-18


                          Hon. William H. Frist


                              of tennessee

  Mr. President, this week we mourn the passing of Ronald Wilson Reagan, 
the 40th President of the United States. My wife Karyn and I, and indeed 
the entire Senate family, extend our deepest sympathies to his beloved 
Nancy and the entire Reagan family. More than 15 years have passed since 
Ronald Reagan gave his final cheerful salute as President of the United 
States. He left the Oval Office with the highest approval rating since 
Franklin Delano Roosevelt.
  Ronald Reagan had restored our confidence and our optimism in what it 
meant to be an American. The countless tributes and recollections of the 
past few days have brought forth a flood of memories, not only of his 
extraordinary leadership but of his truly exceptional character. We 
remember Ronald Reagan and love him as we did the day he left the 
highest post in the land. We feel a strong personal and unbreakable 
connection with our 40th President.
  Some attribute Ronald Reagan's ability to connect with the American 
people to his abilities as an actor. No politician was better or more 
comfortable around the camera. When he looked into the lens, he was 
looking directly into the eyes of the American people. His timing was 
flawless, and he had a soft touch that could disarm even his most 
stubborn political opponents.
  After being wounded by an assassin's bullet as he lay on a hospital 
gurney drifting toward unconsciousness, Ronald Reagan quipped to his 
beloved Nancy, ``Honey, I forgot to duck.''
  So many stories like this remind us that Ronald Reagan was a man of 
remarkable courage, coupled with boundless good humor. There was more to 
him than what he said and how he said it, as there was more to Abraham 
Lincoln than his stirring speeches, and more to Franklin Roosevelt than 
his fireside chats. Ronald Reagan believed in what he said, and that 
conviction came through. He believed there is good and evil in the world 
and that America stands for the good. He believed we must protect 
freedom wherever it may be threatened and plant its seeds wherever 
freedom may take root. He believed democracy to be not the privilege of 
a fortunate few but the rightful and ordained destiny for all mankind.
  At the 1992 Republican Convention in Houston, TX, he expounded on 
these beliefs, telling the American people:

  Whether we come from poverty or wealth; whether we are Afro-American 
or Irish-American; Christian or Jewish, from big cities or small towns, 
we are all equal in the eyes of God. But as Americans that is not 
enough. We must be equal in the eyes of each other.

  There was one thing--second only to the Almighty--in which he had more 
faith than all else, and that was the American people. We trusted Ronald 
Reagan, we respected Ronald Reagan, we loved Ronald Reagan, because he 
trusted, respected, and loved each and every one of us.
  This week we will bear witness to a rare and extraordinary tribute to 
one of our greatest leaders. Half-masted flags will snap in the wind. 
Cannons will pound the air with salutes. And a horse-drawn caisson will 
solemnly pull the flag-draped casket of Ronald Wilson Reagan up to the 
Hill of our Capital City.
  Americans will line up by the thousands to pause at his side, bow 
their heads, and pay their final respects. Hundreds of leaders will 
gather at the National Cathedral to show their deep appreciation of a 
grateful Nation and a grateful world, and on Friday, when President 
Reagan is laid to rest, each of us will give a moment of our day to 
remember a man who gave us his very best.
  All of this is right and fitting. This is how we honor the lives of 
great leaders whom we love. But our tribute to Ronald Reagan must be 
more than a passing historical moment. Although we say goodbye to the 
man, we must never say goodbye to his values. Let this week reaffirm the 
goodness of our Nation. Let it reaffirm our faith in freedom. Let it 
reaffirm democracy as the destiny of all mankind. And let our fond 
memories, our deep affection and regard for Ronald Wilson Reagan 
reaffirm that we believe, above all, in ourselves as Americans.


                           Hon. Elizabeth Dole


                            of north carolina

  Mr. President, this past weekend we lost one of America's greatest 
leaders, Ronald Reagan. I had the privilege of serving under President 
Reagan's strong, principled leadership for 7 years--2 years in his White 
House as assistant to the President, or public liaison, and almost 5 
years as his Secretary of Transportation.
  Greatness in a President is marked by the ability to chart and 
implement a new course, a better course, and by his level of decency and 
integrity. Ronald Reagan knew why he wanted to be President. He came to 
office with the clearest of vision, a passion for achieving his goals 
and in conveying them with an eloquence almost unsurpassed.
  Ronald Reagan made all of us, the American people, believe in 
ourselves again. He literally changed the world. Despite conventional 
wisdom, he determined that communism had to be defeated, not tolerated. 
He rejected the Iron Curtain, rejected the status quo, and his legacy to 
the world is freedom. His strength of character and bedrock belief in 
right and wrong ended the cold war, and his leadership unshackled the 
yoke of tyranny for millions upon millions of people who had known only 
oppression.
  I will always remember his remarkable rapport with the American people 
and what a true gentleman he was. During my time on his White House 
staff, I brought scores and scores of people, organizations, and groups 
into the Oval Office, the Cabinet Room, the Roosevelt Room, and he 
treated every person with courtesy and respect. Occasionally, there 
would be some who had a difference of opinion with him on some issue or 
another, and they were going to give him a piece of their mind. Well, 
they came into his presence and you could almost see that anger just 
fading away. He would express his views, he would address their 
concerns, and then he might sit back and tell them a story or two--
perhaps a humorous one--and maybe pass jellybeans around. They would be 
ready to climb any hill for Ronald Reagan. When the President explained 
his position, obviously, he did it in a very eloquent manner.
  What a remarkable person his wife Nancy is. What a tremendous partner. 
She was his best friend, his confidant, his trusted, beloved spouse. She 
deserves great credit for his accomplishments and hers.
  When I left the Cabinet, a farewell function was planned, and we 
talked about the fact that it would be nice to invite to that farewell 
party people who would not otherwise be able to meet the President of 
the United States. He readily agreed.
  I can remember one young woman from Arkansas. She was a part of the 
Make a Wish group. She had a terminal illness and her great desire was 
to meet President Ronald Reagan. I can still see her there in the White 
House and the compassionate way in which he greeted her and talked with 
her.
  There was a young man named Tommy, from my hometown of Salisbury, NC, 
who was in a wheelchair; he had to wear a helmet most of the time 
because if he were to fall, it would be very severe. His mother and his 
uncle very tenderly brought him to Washington to carry out his wish to 
meet the great Ronald Reagan, President of the United States. Once 
again, to watch the President and his compassion as he talked with Tommy 
is something I will remember forever.
  One of the things that will really be an inspiration to me for the 
rest of my life is a conversation I had with the President when the two 
of us were alone. We were waiting in the holding room for him to give a 
speech. You don't often find yourself alone with the President of the 
United States. On this particular day, as we waited for the speech I 
said:

  Mr. President, I just cannot resist. I have to ask you how in the 
world, when you have the weight of the world on your shoulders, are you 
able to be so gracious, so thoughtful, and so kind? I never see you 
flustered or frustrated. How do you do it with such weight on your 
shoulders?

  He kind of leaned back, and he loved to tell a story and to reminisce. 
He said:

  Well, Elizabeth, when I was Governor of California, it seemed like 
every day yet another disaster would be placed on my desk, and I had the 
urge to hand it to someone behind me to help me. One day I realized I 
was looking in the wrong direction; I looked up instead of back. I am 
still looking up. I don't think I could go 1 more day in this office if 
I didn't know that I could ask God's help and it would be given.

  There is no doubt in my mind that President Reagan was welcomed into 
the gates of Heaven with open arms and with the words ``Well done, good 
and faithful servant.'' Well done, indeed.
  God bless President Ronald Reagan and his family, and God bless this 
great land of the free, America.


                          Hon. Lamar Alexander


                              of tennessee

  Mr. President, a few years ago when Ronald Reagan was President of the 
United States, he attended one of the many press dinners which are held. 
I think it was the gridiron dinner. I think it is well known that maybe 
90 percent of the press corps in Washington had a different point of 
view on issues than President Reagan did, but they liked him anyway, and 
they respected him and he had fun with them, just as they did with him.
  I remember on that evening he strode into the gridiron dinner looking 
like a million dollars, smiling big. The press rose, smiling back, 
applauding. He stood in front of them until it subsided, and then he 
said to his adversaries in the media, ``Thank you very much. I know how 
hard it is to clap with your fingers crossed.'' And they laughed, and 
they had a wonderful time with President Reagan.
  The first thing we think about, those of us who had any opportunity to 
get to know him--a great many of us--was that Ronald Reagan was a very 
friendly man. He was a congenial person, an easy person to know, the 
kind of person you want to spend a lot of time with, if you had the 
opportunity, and that what you saw in private was what everyone else saw 
in public.
  Howard Baker, the former majority leader of the Senate when Ronald 
Reagan was President, got to know him especially well, and then in 1987, 
President Reagan invited former Senator Baker to come to be his Chief of 
Staff, which he was for nearly 2 years.
  I remember Senator Baker telling me that, to his surprise, when his 9 
a.m. meetings came every morning with President Reagan, he discovered 
that Mr. Reagan had a funny little story to tell to Senator Baker, his 
Chief of Staff. What surprised Senator Baker even more was President 
Reagan expected Senator Baker to have a funny little story to tell back. 
So for that whole 2 years, virtually every morning at 9 a.m. when the 
President of the United States and the Chief of Staff of the White House 
met, they swapped funny little stories. It is very reassuring to me that 
two men who have maybe the two biggest jobs in the world were 
comfortable enough with themselves, each other, and their 
responsibilities to begin the day in that sort of easy way. That is the 
part of Ronald Reagan we think more about.
  Another part of Ronald Reagan which I think is often overlooked is 
that he was a man of big ideas. I would say intellectual, although I 
guess there is a little difference between being devoted to ideals and 
being intellectual but not much difference.
  Unlike most people who are candidates for President of the United 
States, Ronald Reagan wrote many of his own speeches. When he had a few 
minutes, he would sit in the back of a campaign airplane and make notes 
on cards in the shorthand that he had. His former aide, Marty Anderson, 
has written a book about that and told that, to a great extent, Ronald 
Reagan's words were his own words, ideas he expressed or ideas he 
gathered himself and ideas he had thought through and wanted to 
promulgate.
  Maybe that is partly why he seemed so comfortable with himself when he 
finally entered public life. He came to it late in life. He was 55 when 
he became Governor of California, so by then he knew what he thought, 
and he had a sense of purpose, and he knew what he wanted to do.
  I got an idea of that kind of big thinking when I went to see 
President Reagan in my second year as Governor--third year, I guess it 
was, his first year as President in 1981. I talked to him about a big 
swap which I thought would help our country.
  I suggested, ``Mr. President, why doesn't the Federal Government take 
over all of Medicaid and let the State and local governments take over 
all responsibility for kindergarten through 12th grade?'' ``That would 
make it clear,'' I said, ``where the responsibility lies. You cannot fix 
schools from Washington, and it would make our health care system more 
efficient if we did things that way.'' He liked the idea. It fit his 
unconventional brand of thinking. He advocated it. It was a little too 
revolutionary for most people in Washington in the early eighties.
  He had the same sort of unconventional attitude toward national 
defense policy. Many people overlooked the fact that Ronald Reagan did 
not just want us to have as many nuclear weapons as the Soviet empire 
did, he wanted to get rid of nuclear weapons. He saw them as wrong, as 
bad, and he wanted a world without nuclear weapons. Instead of mutual 
assured destruction, which was the doctrine at the time, he built up our 
strength so we could begin to reduce nuclear weapons and then 
unilaterally begin to do it before the Soviets did, hoping they would 
then follow. We can see the results.
  At the time, some people said Ronald Reagan was naive to think we 
could transfer power from Washington, from an arrogant empire at home, 
or naive to think we could face down an evil empire abroad, and 
especially naive to think our policy should be based upon getting rid of 
nuclear weapons. It turned out Ronald Reagan saw farther than most of 
those critics did.
  Perhaps his most famous speech, not my favorite speech--my favorite 
speech is the one we heard a lot about this weekend, 20 years ago at 
Normandy, which moved the whole world to tears and reminded Americans 
why we are Americans and what we fought for--but his most famous speech 
may be the one in 1987 at the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin where he said, 
``Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!''
  Earlier this year, I visited Berlin with John Kornblum who at the time 
was U.S. minister and deputy commandant in the American sector of West 
Berlin where tanks challenged tanks and white crosses marked gravesites 
of those who were killed trying to escape over the wall from East 
Berlin. Mr. Kornblum talked about the development of that speech that 
Ronald Reagan gave that day. Those words, or the thought, ``tear down 
this wall,'' went into the speech at an early stage. Some fought to keep 
it in. Many fought to take it out. Those who had thought Ronald Reagan 
was wrong to say the Soviet Union was an evil empire were not anxious 
for him to say, ``Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!''
  Some suggested that President Reagan try his hand at German as 
President Kennedy had in a memorable speech at the Berlin Wall in the 
early sixties. Some suggested that the speech should not be made at the 
Brandenburg Gate. That was too provocative, Mr. Kornblum remembers. But 
the speech was made at the Brandenburg Gate, and Mr. Reagan did keep his 
words in that speech. He did make his point, and his point was clear: 
``Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!''
  For those of us who had a chance to see the new countries of Eastern 
Europe and their enthusiasm for freedom and for a free market system, we 
can see the legacy of Ronald Reagan and his unconventional thinking. I 
think it is important for us to remember that this genial President was 
a man of ideas.
  Ronald Reagan also taught us something about leadership. I recall in 
1980 when he and Mrs. Reagan visited the Tennessee Governor's mansion 
during the Presidential campaign. I had not known him very well. He had 
served as Governor. He was several years older. He was from the West. It 
was really my first chance to meet him.
  After an hour or an hour and a half of breakfast with him the next 
morning, I remember going away thinking this man has a better concept of 
the Presidency than anyone I have ever been privileged to meet.
  Ronald Reagan understood what George Reedy said in his book, ``The 
Twilight of the Presidency,'' is the definition of Presidential 
leadership: First, see an urgent need; second, develop a strategy to 
meet the need; and, third, persuade at least half the people that you 
are right.
  Ronald Reagan was as good as anyone at persuading at least half the 
people that he was right. He taught that and he also taught us the 
importance of proceeding from principles.
  Sometimes we are described in Washington these days as being too 
ideological, too uncompromising, too partisan. President Reagan was a 
principled man. He operated from principles in all of his decisions, 
insofar as I knew. He advocated his principles as far as he could take 
them, but he recognized that the great decisions that we make here are 
often conflicts between principles on which all of us agree. It might be 
equal opportunity versus the rule of law. And once we have argued our 
principle and the solution, and strategy has been taken as far as it 
could go, if we get, as he said 75, 80, or 85 percent of what we 
advocated, well, then that is a pretty good job.
  So he was very successful because he argued from principles. He argued 
strenuously. He was good at persuading at least half the people he was 
right. Then he was willing to accept a conclusion because most of our 
politics is about the conflict of principles.
  There is another lesson that he taught us, and that was to respect the 
military. Now, that seems unnecessary to say in the year 2004 where we 
have a volunteer military that is better than any military we have ever 
had in our history; when we have witnessed the thousands of acts of 
courage, charity, kindness, and ingenuity in Iraq and Afghanistan 
recently; when the men and women of our National Guard and Reserves are 
also being called up. We have a lot of respect for our military.
  In 1980, we were showing a lot less respect for the men and women of 
our military. I remember riding with President Reagan in a car in 
Knoxville during the 1980 campaign. As we pulled out of the airport by 
the National Guard unit, there were a number of the soldiers waving at 
him, understanding and sensing that he respected them. He turned to me 
and said something like this: I wish we could think of some way to honor 
these men and women more. He said, We used to do that in the movies in 
the thirties and forties. We would make movies honoring men and women in 
the military and that is how we showed our respect for them.
  Well, he did find a way to honor them during his Presidency in the 
eighties, and by the time he left at the end of that decade there was no 
question but that the American people remembered to honor the men and 
women in the military.
  There is one other aspect of President Reagan's leadership that I 
would like to mention, which is probably the most important aspect of 
the American character, and that is the belief that anything is 
possible. The idea that we uniquely believe in this country, and people 
all around the world think we are a little odd for believing it, is that 
no matter where you come from, no matter what race you are, no matter 
what color your skin, if you come here and work hard, anything is 
possible.
  That is why we subscribe to ideals such as all men are created equal, 
even though we know achieving that goal will always be a work in 
progress and we may never reach it. That is why we say we will pay any 
price, bear any burden, as President Kennedy said, to defend peace, even 
though we know that is a work in progress and we may never reach it.
  That is why we say more recently we want to leave no child behind when 
it comes to learning to read. We know that is a work in progress and we 
may not reach it, but that is our goal.
  We Americans say that anything is possible, and nothing symbolizes 
that more than the American Presidency. And no President has symbolized 
that more in the last century than Ronald Reagan. He has reminded us of 
what it means to be an American. He lifted our spirits, he made us 
proud, he strengthened our character, and he taught us a great many 
lessons. CR: June 7, 2004 (Senate)] Page S6490


                            Hon. Thad Cochran


                             of mississippi

  Mr. President, with the death of President Ronald Reagan, our Nation 
has lost a very successful and inspirational leader. He led us to 
believe in ourselves and our system of government, our market economy, 
and our ability to defend freedom and liberty against all threats.
  President Reagan had a contagious sense of optimism. He believed 
deeply America was capable of solving our problems through our 
democratic process of self-government, and that other nations could do 
the same.
  His greatest success was improving our economy and establishing a more 
peaceful and cooperative relationship with the former Soviet Union, in 
particular with the former communist countries of Eastern Europe.
  The Berlin Wall was a symbol of intransigent tyranny. He called for it 
to be torn down and it was, giving the people of Eastern Europe the 
opportunity for freedom and hope for a brighter future. We will always 
remember President Reagan's great smile, his good humor, his sincerity, 
and his love of country. We are a better Nation and the world is a safer 
place because of Ronald Reagan.Page S6491-S6492] 07jn04-22


                            Hon. John Cornyn


                                of texas

  Mr. President, as the whole world knows by now, America and the world 
lost a great man, Ronald Reagan, last Saturday. After battling 
Alzheimer's disease for the last 10 years, he finally succumbed and left 
this life for the next.
  This week, in this Senate, on television, in the newspapers, and all 
around the world we will hear people talking of their memories of this 
great man and what a difference he made in this country and to freedom-
loving people all around the world. I offer a few of my own comments in 
that regard out of respect for him and his family and the great example 
he was for all who believe in freedom, hope, and opportunity.
  Ronald Reagan, perhaps during his entire political career, was 
underestimated. He was written off by some as an actor or by some as a 
nice man but maybe not particularly effective. Because he was a man of 
good humor who loved a good joke, some thought he could not and should 
not be taken seriously.
  The fact is, Ronald Reagan demonstrated for everyone how a serious 
person--that is, someone who believes deeply in their principles, indeed 
in the principles upon which this country was founded, and who is 
willing to put themselves out in the public domain and to argue and 
fight, sometimes to lose but sometimes to win, in advocacy of those 
principles--Ronald Reagan reminded us that a good man, indeed a kind 
human being, a gentle person, a loving husband and father, can also 
survive in this sometimes difficult, some might even say ugly, world of 
electoral politics.
  In many ways, his death gives another reason to remember that politics 
today seems in many ways to become personal, so adversarial. Indeed, it 
need not be. There is no reason why individuals cannot disagree about 
public policy and differing points of view. There is no reason they 
cannot do that without becoming personal and hurtful.
  I believe it was Margaret Thatcher who once said that a person who 
reverts to name-calling simply has run out of anything else to say. 
Indeed, what we ought to be focused on is the policies we believe are in 
the best interests of the American people and avoid the sort of personal 
acrimony and hurt which too often seems a characteristic of our modern 
politics.
  Ronald Reagan taught us you can be a successful politician, you can 
rise to the greatest heights in our system--indeed, to be the leader of 
the free world--and still keep your good humor, still treat every person 
with dignity and respect, and still show the milk of human kindness to 
others.
  The one thing that made Ronald Reagan such an attractive person in 
public life was his basic principles. Indeed, there are some who 
underestimated him his entire political career. What they failed to 
appreciate was the power of his convictions and the ideals for which he 
stood. One of those convictions was putting people first. Ronald Reagan 
said putting people first has always been America's secret weapon. It is 
the way we have kept the spirit of our revolution alive, a spirit that 
drives us to dream and dare, and to take great risks for a greater good.
  I know Ronald Reagan has been touted as a great man. I believe he was 
a great man. But he never considered himself to be a great man, merely a 
man committed to great ideas.
  He also was sometimes criticized for being too much of a dreamer, but 
he made no apologies about that. He said, ``There's no question I am an 
idealist, which is another way of saying I am an American.''
  But when I think of the policies of the Reagan administration and the 
successes of what some have called the Reagan revolution, but which I 
think in many ways was not revolutionary as much as it was a restoration 
of our basic principles upon which this country was founded, I think of 
the fall of communism and the subsequent liberation of tens of millions 
of people who had known nothing other than oppression and tyranny and 
dictatorship, and, also, the resurgence of the American economy.
  First, so far as his role in the fall of communism, although he was a 
genial, friendly, humor-loving optimist, he was a hardnosed realist when 
it came to the terrible impact and consequences of communism on people 
across this globe. Indeed, he knew it was important for us to maintain a 
strong military and made no apologies when it came to the importance of 
``peace through strength,'' not going hat in hand to our allies or our 
enemies asking them to do us a favor but recognizing that America has a 
unique role in the world as the one remaining superpower, after the fall 
of the Soviet Union, and recognizing the failure of communism as an 
alternative to freedom and democracy.
  But it was, in large part, his commitment to rebuilding our military 
and ``peace through strength'' and hardnosed negotiating across the 
conference table with various opponents of our country and leaders of 
other countries that caused freedom to reign for tens of millions of 
people who had never known freedom.
  The other thing he believed in was the freedom here at home. He 
believed that big government was the enemy of individual freedom, and 
that if, in fact, we were going to be able to continue to enjoy the kind 
of prosperity and opportunity that has been synonymous with America, we 
needed to get a handle on big government. Indeed, when Ronald Reagan 
became President, it is hard to believe now, but the highest marginal 
income tax rate was 70 percent. By the time he left office, it was 28 
percent. Today it stands at 35 percent.
  But Ronald Reagan understood, as all Americans understand--all folks 
outside of Washington especially understand--that in order to grow the 
economy you do not tax it more, you cut taxes, because only then can you 
provide the incentive for the individual American worker to work hard, 
save their money, invest their money, perhaps in their small business, 
and then create jobs and opportunity for others who may not have those 
jobs or that opportunity. It was by growing the economy, by providing 
that incentive for work and investment and savings and risk taking that 
we have all been the beneficiaries in modern times of the new economic 
freedom that was brought in by Ronald Reagan's leadership.
  Most of all, I think my memories of Ronald Reagan center around his 
call for us to believe in ourselves once again, to believe in America 
again, and believe in the ideals we all identify with this great country 
of ours. America is different from virtually every other country in the 
world in that it was founded on ideals, on an ideal of liberty and 
justice for all, something not shared by any other country in the world 
that was formed or based on history or collective experience. But, of 
course, our country was formed on the basis of these ideals, and Ronald 
Reagan believed in them fervently and, more importantly, he fought for 
them, even against those who suggested that perhaps it was not possible 
for America to be great again.
  There were those who suggested that somehow America's greatest days 
were behind us. Ronald Reagan never believed that. He always believed 
America's greatest days lay ahead of us. And indeed they do, even today.
  He understood and preached, perhaps better than anyone, that big 
government and high taxes are the enemy of individual freedom, that 
smaller government and lower taxes would be an incentive to work and 
savings.
  I mentioned a moment ago his belief in the individual initiative of 
risk takers, of entrepreneurs, of those who would take the risks, make 
the investment, and create jobs for the American people. At one point he 
said:

  Too often, entrepreneurs are forgotten heroes. We rarely hear about 
them. But look into the heart of America, and you'll see them. They're 
the owners of that store down the street, the faithfuls who support our 
churches, schools, and communities, the brave people everywhere who 
produce our goods, feed a hungry world, and keep our homes and families 
warm while they invest in the future to build a better America.

  Now, those who only saw the genial, friendly, humor-loving side of 
Ronald Reagan did not know the entire man. As I mentioned, behind that 
genial countenance was a man of strong principle and a man as tough as 
they come. For example, when the air traffic controllers defied a back-
to-work order, he fired them, emphasizing the fact that the greater good 
is always paramount and more important than special interests.
  Of course, he survived an assassin's bullets with great humor, telling 
his wife, ``Honey, I forgot to duck,'' and expressing to his physicians, 
the ones who saved his life in the emergency room, ``I hope you're all 
Republicans.''
  With every fearsome challenge he encountered in life, he met it with 
good humor, humanity, kindness, and optimism in a way that inspired and 
continues to inspire the American people, which, to me, will be one of 
his greatest legacies.
  He also taught us that politics can be a noble calling. Unfortunately, 
today, it seems that is forgotten too often and people ask: How in the 
world can you be involved in politics and be a good person? How can you 
believe in doing the right thing and be involved in politics since it is 
all about getting reelected and raising money and a fight for power? 
But, indeed, Ronald Reagan exemplified the fact that a good person, with 
strong convictions, committed to great ideals and the principles upon 
which this country was founded, can be successful in life and in 
politics. Indeed, he was as the leader of the free world.
  Mr. President, as the Nation grieves with his family, we also 
celebrate the life of this great man, a quintessential American whose 
hopes and dreams knew no bounds.
  Ronald Reagan loved America, and America loved him back.


                            Hon. Conrad Burns


                               of montana

  Madam President, I come to the floor today after receiving the news 
over the weekend of the passing of President Reagan. I see today these 
young folks called pages who work for us on the floor of the U.S. 
Senate. They will be here this week during a very historic period. Here 
are young people who never met President Reagan. They have never seen 
him give a speech live, nor have had conversations with him, and never 
really will be able to hold the man in their hearts like some of us who 
were inspired to go into political life by his words and by the example 
that he set for political life. It is too bad they didn't get to do 
that. But that is not their fault.
  This week, we will be celebrating his life. He will come to this town, 
and there will be a lot of recollections from those who knew him. I did 
not get to serve with him because he left the Presidency the same year 
that I was elected to the Senate. I came here under the Presidency of 
President George Herbert Walker Bush.
  One of the photographs of which I am most fond, of the President and 
me, one I shall cherish to the end of my life, was taken in 1982 when he 
came to Billings, MT. We had a little bit to do with that meeting. I 
think it was the first personal meeting I ever had with the President. 
You could tell from the way he carried himself, the way he walked, the 
way he spoke, the way he treated people, the handshake, that he was not 
only the Commander in Chief and President of the United States, but he 
was also a man of the people. He had midwestern roots--Illinois, the 
great prairies. He was successful in Hollywood. He was a successful 
broadcaster. He was of an age, at the time he was called to political 
life, that basically everyone said he was too old. Yet he went on to 
serve two terms.
  You may not have agreed with everything he stood for, but you didn't 
ever have any problem figuring out where he stood. He never wavered. He 
was the same the day he left office as the day he came into office. That 
example probably put into public life a lot of us who never thought of 
it.
  I can remember something that happened in 1988, when I ran. In this 
political life, they said you have to come back to Washington, DC, and 
you have to have your picture taken with President Reagan. They gave me 
the date to be here. I said, ``I am sorry, I can't be there that date.''
  They reminded me and said, ``This is the White House calling. This is 
the date.''
  I said that I wasn't concerned about what color their house was, but 
on that date I happened to have an auction. I am an auctioneer. I had to 
make a living first, in 1988.
  So that conversation closed. Then all at once, the political director 
called up. I explained the same thing to him. I said, ``It is not that 
important, no big deal. I am busy, he is busy, we have a date, they 
didn't jibe, so we will move on.''
  Well, as it turned out, even the President called. He said, ``I 
understand about auctions, once you have one advertised. You go ahead 
and have the auction.''
  That surprised me a lot. He was something. He was one of those who 
really won the cold war without firing a shot. And the chemistry between 
him and Prime Minister Thatcher of England was one of an unbelievable 
partnership. They stood alone against the world on the deployment of 
tactical nuclear weapons as a deterrent to the aggression of a country 
that he called evil. You see, he had come to the Presidency knowing that 
about communism. He knew it for what it was--degrading, dehumanizing. 
There was no upward mobility, no chance of any individual ever attaining 
any kind of freedom--either economically or politically. There was no 
opportunity to take their own talents and go into the field of their 
endeavor. He understood communism for what it was and he said, ``This 
cancer has to go.''
  As a result, through his steadfast leadership--and I know there were 
lonely times with decisions that he made--he brought down the Berlin 
Wall without a shot being fired.
  We honor him. This should be a week of celebration of a life--a life 
in the history of this country that will live as long as the country 
lives, as long as free men want to breathe. His name will be remembered. 
He has made his mark.
  At that first meeting in Billings, I was sitting on a horse, and we 
were getting ready to take him into a building. There were two others 
who were supposed to escort the stagecoach. I can remember him saying, 
``You know, the rowels on those spurs aren't very big.'' And I said, 
``You don't need a big rowel if you have a spirited horse.'' He said, 
``I understand that.''
  We will celebrate this man's life this week. We named a post office in 
Billings, MT, 59105, after Ronald Reagan this year. I am proud of that.
  But what a gifted man he was, the way he could communicate, the way he 
could touch people, the time he gave to this country for which we should 
be very thankful. He wasn't a perfect man. I haven't seen one yet who 
didn't have a few bruises, scars, marks, bumps, warts, and such. But he 
was an American, and he was an American who took those principles to 
heart. He lived them every day he drew breath--while he was in the White 
House and after he left the White House.
  Mr. President, we welcome you back to Washington this week to 
celebrate your life and your contribution to this great country. We say, 
Thank you. 
  CR: June 7, 2004 (Senate)] Page S6499] 7jn04-32 Page S6501-S6502] 
07jn04-35

                          SUBMITTED RESOLUTIONS

  Mr. FRIST (for himself, Mr. Daschle, Mr. Lott, and Mr. Dodd) submitted 
the following concurrent resolution; which was considered and agreed to:

                            S. Con. Res. 115


  Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives concurring), That 
in recognition of the long and distinguished service rendered to the 
Nation and to the world, by the late Ronald Wilson Reagan, the 40th 
President of the United States, his remains be permitted to lie in state 
in the rotunda of the Capitol from June 9 until June 11, 2004, and the 
Architect of the Capitol, under the direction of the President pro 
tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, 
shall take all necessary steps for the accomplishment of that purpose. 
Page S6592] 07jn04-40

 IN MEMORY OF RONALD WILSON REAGAN, 40TH PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES

  Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate 
proceed to the immediate consideration of S. Res. 371, which was 
submitted earlier today.
  Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the resolution be agreed 
to and the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The resolution (S. Res. 371) was agreed to, as follows:

                               S. Res. 371


  Resolved, That in recognition of the long and distinguished service 
rendered to the Nation by the late Ronald Wilson Reagan, the 40th 
President of the United States, when the Senate recesses or adjourns on 
each of the days during the period from June 7 through June 11, 2004, it 
do so as a further mark of respect to the memory of Ronald Wilson 
Reagan. Page S6595] 08jn04-101


                    Tuesday, June 8, 2004 Page S6595

                                 prayer

  The guest Chaplain, Dr. Prentice Meador, of Prestoncrest Church of 
Christ, Dallas, TX, offered the following prayer:
  Shall we pray.
  Holy Father, we affirm You as Lord of our lives and our Nation. We are 
comfortable to come into Your presence on this special moment because 
You have invited us before Your throne. Gratitude and praise flows from 
our hearts for giving our Nation blessings that would have astonished 
our ancestors.
  Lord, in this historic week, our Nation mourns the death of President 
Ronald Reagan. Father, we celebrate his patriotism, optimism, and 
courage. Bless Mrs. Reagan, her family, and our Nation with peace from 
Your heart.
  And, Father, may we never forget our heritage. Sovereign Lord, we are 
keenly aware that 60 years ago today, heroic men were fighting their way 
off the beaches of Normandy. Lord, we shall never forget places like 
``Bloody Omaha,'' Carentan, Sainte-Mere-Eglise, Caen, Bastogne. Keep in 
our memory those who fought together and now lie together in death that 
we might be free. Father, may their voices of valor be heard in this 
Chamber in clear, crisp tones.
  Merciful Father, in a world that sometimes drowns out such voices, 
empower the women and men of this great body to hear again words from 
our past: integrity, faith, bravery, sacrifice, and godliness. At this 
special time, I pray that each Senator might recommit to the clarity of 
Your truth, the depth of Your wisdom, and the power of Your love.
  Father, help the Senators to know that many in this Nation pray for 
them and their faithfulness to their most solemn obligations. May they 
bow their knees before You so they may know what is right for our 
country. Lord, sanctify this assembly by dwelling in the hearts of each 
of these respected leaders. May glory, honor, and dominion be Yours 
forever and ever.
  In Your most holy Name. Amen. Page S6595] 08jn04-105 Page S6596-
S6604] 08jn04-112


                             Hon. Judd Gregg


                            of new hampshire

  I rise today, as many Americans, to pay my respect and thanks, and 
also to celebrate the life of Ronald Reagan, an extraordinary man who 
has had such a huge impact on our generation and the generations to come 
in the world--especially Americans' place in the world.
  I have a lot of fond and personal memories about Governor and 
President Reagan. First, I had the opportunity to meet him with my wife 
Kathy when he and Nancy Reagan came to New Hampshire to campaign in 
1976. He was running against a sitting Republican President, Gerald 
Ford, appointed, of course, coming out of the Watergate era. Some in our 
party thought maybe it was time to move on, put a new face on our party, 
and put someone forward who had a certain charisma and attitude which 
was a little different. Certainly Reagan met that test.
  As we traveled around New Hampshire, he was not the national figure he 
is today, although he was a significant figure. In fact, he was a movie 
star. People were flocking to meet him and see him. They wanted to hear 
what he had to say. But as we traveled around, a fairly small contingent 
in a bus and a few cars, we had a chance to get to know him a little 
bit. What came through most apparently to myself and Kathy was he was a 
genuine person who had a real sense of self and who had a way of making 
people feel at ease around him. He had a charisma, to say the least.
  Then I had the great fortune of being elected to Congress in 1980. 
Prior to that, ironically I had been at the famous national debate in 
January 1980 where President Reagan actually set the course for getting 
the nomination and moving on to become the President with the famous 
comment, ``I am paying for this microphone, Mr. Green.'' Ironically, I 
was at the site and in charge of the site in advance of the nomination. 
So I had a chance to see a bit of history there.
  But in 1990, along with 54 other Republicans, I was elected to the 
House of Representatives, and we came here with President Reagan. We had 
a purpose. We had a definite purpose. People will recall at that time 
coming out of the seventies the inflation rate was 12 percent, interest 
rates were 22 percent, and we had American citizens being held captive 
in Iran. The President--then-President Jimmy Carter--said we were in a 
period of national malaise. We didn't feel that way. We felt America was 
a great and wonderful Nation. Ronald Reagan epitomized that view of the 
future being bright rather than dark--the future being one of unlimited 
opportunities rather than one of a decreasing pie. So 54 of us arrived 
in the House of Representatives.
  It was a unique situation because the House of Representatives was 
being controlled at that time--and people do not appreciate it today, 
but it had been controlled by the Democratic Party for 26 years; 
continuously controlled by the same party, and it produced a lot of very 
interesting and very aggressive and strong individuals to manage the 
House. The strongest, of course, was Tip O'Neill, who was then the 
Speaker. He was not going to tolerate those 54 new Republican Members 
who arrived in the House of Representatives and were carrying the water 
for President Reagan. We were treated with an experience in education on 
how politics really works by Tip O'Neill, as we were exposed to what 
real power can do and how it can be managed in a congressional body.
  We continued to charge the Hill, however, for the President, because 
President Reagan had a clear and defined agenda. He intended to 
fundamentally shift this country. The shift was going to be toward 
strengthening our national defense capabilities, toward reducing the 
burden of government, toward reducing the burden of taxation, and toward 
reestablishing our confidence as a Nation. There was a lot of 
legislation brought forward, with very difficult battles over the 
budget, very difficult battles over issues of making our defense 
capability stronger once again.
  We became known as Reagan's robots. That was a derisive term used by 
some of our friends in the media and it was thrown at us. As Reagan's 
economics were called Reaganomics, a derisive term put out in the 
intelligentsia community by our friends who saw it as inappropriate 
economics and saw it as waterbearers for a President whom they 
considered to be superficial, and in some cases a caricature, but we 
took that as sort of a red badge of courage, those who came in that 
class. We enjoyed the fact we were tweaking the institution of the House 
at the time led by Speaker O'Neill, whom I happened, over the years, to 
come to like as an individual very much. He obviously had a very strong 
personality and led the House very aggressively in a very partisan way. 
It was a unique and special time to have a chance to serve under a 
President such as President Reagan.
  Going to the White House with Kathy and our two oldest children, I 
remember a lot of fond personal memories of how kind he was. Our 
daughters were then quite young. I think they were 4 and 5 or maybe 5 
and 6. He took them aside and got hotdogs for them; he got popcorn for 
them.
  He was just a wonderful, inclusive individual and had a naturalness 
about him that was extraordinary and made everybody who was around him, 
when they had the chance, feel good. It was that personality that I 
think caused him to be able to be President during a time when there was 
a fair amount of strident partisanship. At the same time, there was less 
of a personal vindictiveness in the atmosphere, which was nice at that 
time, to have at least that sort of atmosphere where people were not 
into the personal assassination level that we sometimes see occur in 
politics, although it did happen to some degree.
  The fond memories are there from an individual standpoint, but the 
real memory, the real force of President Reagan goes beyond the personal 
contact. It goes to what his mission was, what he accomplished for our 
Nation, which was so extraordinary, and what he accomplished for the 
world. It has been discussed. There is nothing unique about the 
discussion because it is so broadly accepted now what he did accomplish.
  That was, essentially, this: He took a Nation which was, as I said by 
its own definition, by its then-leader, Jimmy Carter, in a period of 
national malaise and he turned us and reawakened our natural optimism. 
We are a Nation of optimists. We are a Nation that believes we can 
accomplish whatever we seek to pursue, whatever goal we set. He made us 
believe in that again. His ``city on the hill'' belief in our Nation was 
deep in him, but, more important, he was able to project it across our 
country and give people a sense of self and a sense of purpose that was 
optimistic and upbeat, that was essential to our country at that time.
  Probably equally important to the world, he set America back on a 
course of leading us in what was then the true great confrontation of 
the 20th century, which was the question of whether communist, socialist 
economics, and a totalitarian state would dominate or whether democracy 
and market-oriented economies would dominate.
  There were three major trends of the 20th century that were tested. 
The first, of course, was the issue of the philosophy of communist 
versus market-oriented economies. The second, of course, was 
totalitarianism, first presented in fascism and second presented in the 
communist states of Stalin, by Stalin and Mao, versus democracy. The 
third was the issue of relativism. On those first two issues, he led the 
world and delivered the results which said unequivocally that democracy 
and market-oriented economies were the future for mankind and that 
individual rights meant something.
  In accomplishing that, he passed on to our generation and all the 
generations to come a gift of freedom and a gift of possibility in the 
area of economic well-being that was not necessarily a given. It would 
not necessarily have occurred without him. It is possible the Soviet 
Union and certainly the mutations of the Soviet Union could have 
proceeded for a considerable amount of time. We could still be dealing 
with that issue today had he not been willing to stand up, because he 
had unequivocal confidence in our Nation and in the values that drive 
our Nation, had he not been willing to stand up and say essentially that 
we were going to compete in that race at a level that would essentially 
make it impossible for the Soviet Union and communist-style regimes to 
compete with us. That is what he did.
  He did it first in the military where he essentially said to the 
Soviet Union, we are just simply going to outbuild you and we are going 
to exceed your ability to compete, so they crumbled from within. Second, 
he did it by establishing, once again, that the basic values of 
democracy far exceeded any values that were being put forward, and 
clearly our much better lifestyle than anything being put forward by a 
Soviet communist state.
  So we owe him a great debt of thanks and we certainly owe his family a 
great debt of thanks. We thank Nancy Reagan for her wonderful service to 
this Nation. We thank his family for the gift of this great man to our 
country.


                          Hon. Olympia J. Snowe


                                of maine

  Our Nation mourns the passage of a man who called Americans to their 
common purpose and renewed our age-old faith in the limitless 
possibilities of freedom.
  With heavy but immensely grateful hearts, our country grieves the 
passing of President Ronald Reagan and extends our collective thoughts 
and prayers to his extraordinary wife Nancy and his children, Michael, 
Patti, and Ron.
  Reflecting today on the hope that President Reagan inspired in 
America, I am reminded of the story of Benjamin Franklin near the close 
of the Constitutional Convention. Franklin pointed to the painting 
behind Washington's chair, a landscape of the Sun just on the horizon 
and remarked:

  I have often looked at that sun behind the President without being 
able to tell whether it was rising or setting. But now I have the 
happiness to know it is a rising and not a setting sun.

  Let the record forever show that in a time of great consequence, 
President Reagan assured an uncertain Nation that ours remains always a 
rising Sun. He brought a passionate belief in American ideas to bear in 
advancing freedom as a force for good in the world and heralded a new 
dawn of confidence at home.
  Like so many Americans, I remember well the steep challenges facing 
the Nation in 1980. At that time, having already served 2 years in the 
House of Representatives, we could look back to the late seventies as an 
incubator of change that foreshadowed the transformation to come.
  Before President Reagan, we had become conditioned to accept 
limitations on what we might aspire to as individuals and as a Nation. 
But out of those days of national disillusionment and political drift 
came a bold leader to inspire confidence.
  The year 1980 was the culmination of a period of self-doubt for 
America. Internationally, our country was mired in the cold war and 
reeling from the Iranian hostage crisis. On the domestic front, our 
economy had been sapped by double-digit inflation, double-digit prime 
interest rates, and stifled by massive tax burdens, including a top tax 
rate of 70 percent. We also had been undercut by a serious energy 
crisis. In fact, we had gasoline lines here in Washington and all 
through the country. So suffice it to say, these were not bright days in 
Washington or America. As I said at the time, whoever won the White 
House would bear the responsibility for making America productive once 
again, and President Reagan did. With his conviction that the greatest 
untapped potential lies in the American people themselves--by embracing 
hope, not resignation, and by projecting an optimism in our Nation and 
her people that was as genuine as the man himself--he charted a course 
for America for greater prosperity and security.
  As President, as we know, he confronted the world's only other 
superpower, laying the foundation for victory in the cold war. He 
campaigned to reduce the size of the Federal bureaucracy, to return tax 
dollars to the families that had earned them, and to devolve out of 
Washington and back to local governments--all ideas whose time had come, 
just as President Reagan's had. Not only that, but he reinvigorated 
America with his unabashed faith in her essential goodness.
  The other night, I had the opportunity to recount the Reagan era with 
my husband, former Governor Jock McKernan, who also served 4 years in 
Congress under the Reagan Presidency representing the other 
congressional district in the State of Maine. We were recalling a time 
in which we visited the White House, regarding the shaping of defense 
policy. As Senator Gregg has mentioned, we were building up our national 
defense.
  We remembered the statement the President made at the time, which I 
think summed up his belief in trying to make a distinction between the 
United States of America and the Soviet Union. He said, ``You know, it 
tells something about a country when more people want to leave the 
country than want to come in.'' His simple logic was indeed compelling.
  President Reagan was a conservative Republican from California, and I, 
of course, was a moderate Republican from New England. Obviously, there 
were times--and many times, in fact--when we differed on policy. Yet I 
can also recall meeting with him and other members of the Republican 
Caucus, as well as Democrats. We had numerous meetings at the White 
House either in the Cabinet room or within the Oval Office itself. We 
were able to negotiate our differences, whether it was within our party 
or across party lines. The issues ranged from defense policy, to the MX 
missile, to Central America, to the budget. Indeed, we had numerous 
budget discussions where we negotiated the actual budget resolutions and 
the budget numbers themselves.
  Thinking back this week, I also recall how the President was willing 
to hear disparate views on trade policy. In fact, Jock and I met with 
the President in the Oval Office to discuss the potential negative 
impact of trade proposals on Maine's industries such as potatoes, shoes 
and lumber in advance of the President meeting with Canadian Prime 
Minister Brian Mulroney. Indeed, coincidentally, I saw the former Prime 
Minister in the Capitol prior to the viewing in the rotunda on Wednesday 
night, and I recounted that meeting with the President.
  Moreover, I spearheaded an effort for Republican women in the House 
and Senate to meet with President Reagan to discuss matters critical to 
America's women. In the end, these initiatives led to ultimately passing 
landmark child support enforcement legislation and pension reform for 
widows that previously had not even been part of the Federal lexicon, 
let alone part of Federal policy. And in speaking of women's issues, I 
fondly reflect on my cherished friendship with the President's daughter, 
the late Maureen Reagan who died in 2001, and how we also worked 
together on behalf of issues of concern for women in this country.
  And on an entirely different issue once again, to this day I have on 
my wall a letter of appreciation from President Reagan for my efforts to 
help develop and pass the 1986 Omnibus Diplomatic Security and 
Antiterrorism Act, which he signed and which contained a provision I 
authored to create an accountability review board within the State 
Department to investigate all incidents involving serious security 
failures.
  He was always respectful of divergent views and willing to keep his 
Oval Office door open, even as he always knew what he believed. In terms 
of his principles, his compass was steady. At the same time, he was 
certainly committed to the fine and, in Washington, all too rare art of 
listening. He was also willing to seek consensus, even though we surely 
had a partisan environment at that time.
  We had a divided government, and obviously a Republican Presidency. 
But again, he was willing to forge a consensus because he believed that 
was the only way you could get things done. Rather than by controversy 
and division, in the end he recognized you had to reach your goals with 
persuasion and openness. So he was willing to develop pragmatic 
approaches in the final analysis because he was a problem-solver. 
Actually, he gave life to what he once said, ``if I can get 70 or 80 
percent of what it is I'm trying to get . . . I'll take that and then 
continue to try to get the rest in the future.''
  He certainly did live by that axiom throughout his tenure of 8 years, 
regardless of the differences. Ultimately, he wanted to achieve the 
great things he set out to do when he became President and also to 
ensure he could be resolute in implementing his vision for this country.
  He was entirely comfortable with stepping outside of others' 
conventional perception of himself and his politics. He was extremely 
credible as Commander in Chief, as leader of this country when he set 
about to build up our military and to defy the Soviet Union and to 
ultimately bring down the Wall. The fact is, he also, on the other side 
of the coin, ultimately negotiated the first pact to reduce the United 
States and Soviet nuclear arsenals--he negotiated that with Mikhail 
Gorbachev--because, again, he understood what needed to be accomplished 
in the end.
  His legacy will forever be his vision that brought about the end of 
the cold war because, again, he saw the difference between dictatorships 
and democracy and our ability to foster liberty in the dark corners of 
the world. Indeed, I will never forget the meeting I participated in 
with members of Solidarity in January 1988 in Poland. There was no 
question that, for them, knowing of our resolutions in Congress in 
support of freedom for the people of Poland, Vice President Bush's 1987 
visit to Warsaw, and certainly President Reagan's relentless pursuit of 
the ideal of freedom for people everywhere, gave them a hope they 
translated into strength and persistence in finally prevailing. How 
extraordinary that Solidarity's leader would become Poland's President--
and how fitting that Lech Walesa would attend President Reagan's funeral 
to express his profound appreciation and deepest respect.
  And who would have predicted two decades ago that Mikhail Gorbachev--
leader of the former Soviet Union--would be attending the funeral of 
President Ronald Reagan, who brought about the collapse of the Soviet 
Union and urged Gorbachev to tear down the Berlin Wall? But that is yet 
another testament to President Reagan's legacy.
  Some thought President Reagan's bold descriptions of the wide chasm 
that separated democracy from despotism were ill considered. Yet he 
viewed the world through that crystal clear prism of, in the words of 
Shakespeare, ``simple truth miscalled simplicity.'' I believe that says 
it all because President Reagan understood that in order to be an 
effective leader, to be a strong President, to be the leader of this 
country who was a force for good and to project that force for good, you 
ultimately had to move the process, and you had to work within the 
system and with the other branch of government to make that happen.
  Another great of the 20th century refused praise for having lent his 
lionhearted strength to an entire nation. Instead, Winston Churchill 
remarked, it was his nation that had the ``lion's heart'' all along, and 
it fell to him only to ``give the roar.''
  So it was with President Ronald Reagan. His words summoned our resolve 
and our goodness, and his steady hand guided America to a triumph for 
all free people. As providence would have it, President Reagan gave 
America's roar during what would become--in no small part, thanks to 
him--the last decade of the cold war. With ``peace through strength,'' 
Ronald Reagan called America to a purpose he described in his own hand 
in 1980 when he wrote:

  Page S6599I believe it is our pre-ordained destiny to show all 
mankind that they too can be free without having to leave their native 
shore.

  For this legacy, the American people and free people everywhere are in 
his debt, just as he is in our hearts and his family, as well, in our 
prayers.


                           Hon. Barbara Boxer


                              of california

  Mr. President, I rise today to pay my respects to one of California's 
own, President Ronald Reagan.
  I first met President Reagan right after I was elected to Congress in 
1982. We were a large Democratic freshman class, and when I was invited 
to the White House, I wondered how President Reagan would greet us. 
After all, he had campaigned hard for a Republican Congress, and having 
lost an election myself I knew the feeling of disappointment. When we 
arrived at the White House, President Reagan could not have been more 
gracious to us; the same for Mrs. Reagan. I still have the photo from 
that evening hanging in my home office.
  Twenty-two years ago, Ronald Reagan taught me that you can disagree 
without being disagreeable, that you could set aside those disagreements 
even though they were deep.
  President Reagan once said, ``A lot of trouble in the world would 
disappear if we were talking to each other instead of about each 
other.''
  He believed if we were all respectful and pleasant to one another, we 
could find those areas of common ground. We can reach across the aisle. 
We can get things done. Believe me, that was a good lesson for me and 
for all of us that evening because clearly, in the Senate, with the 
rules of the Senate, the only way to get things done is by working 
together. I look at the occupant of the chair, and I know that with our 
disagreements on many issues, we have come together on a few occasions, 
and we have won for our constituents and for this country.
  When I look back to President Reagan's record, I realize that not only 
did he bring this kind of an attitude of working together to Washington, 
but that had been his hallmark in California as well. As a Republican 
Governor, he was working with a Democratic State legislature. So it 
seems President Reagan had to learn how to do this both in the State and 
in the Nation's Capital.
  In those years as Governor, in keeping with the values and wishes of 
most Californians, he helped to establish the Redwood National Park. He 
regulated auto emissions to reduce pollution. He signed a bill that 
liberalized a woman's right to choose. He opposed the State proposition 
that discriminated against teachers based on sexual orientation. You can 
see Governor Reagan was willing to reach across and find consensus.
  Ronald Reagan, of course, did continue to reach across the aisle when 
he became President. Although there were serious disagreements, he 
worked closely with a Democratic House to ratify and sign important arms 
control agreements, increasing funds for math and science education, 
reauthorizing the Superfund hazardous waste cleanup program, which is so 
important. The basis of the program is that the polluter should pay. 
Interestingly, we don't seem to have that kind of support today.
  President Reagan once said, ``There is no limit to what a man can do 
or where he can go, if he doesn't mind who gets the credit.'' And how 
important that quote is when it comes to politics. President Reagan was 
a conservative. He was not an ideologue. He fulfilled a campaign promise 
to appoint the first woman to the Supreme Court. He chose Sandra Day 
O'Connor as the first woman Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, even 
though she was considered too moderate by many conservatives. He tried 
to abolish the National Endowment for the Arts but, after losing that 
fight, he moved on. I remember that. He moved on without trying to force 
the issue through the backdoor. I respect that.
  I remember the fight to keep the National Endowment for the Arts. Many 
Republicans in my State didn't agree with President Reagan. They 
mobilized with the Democrats. President Reagan said, Well, this is what 
I think. He went forward, and when he lost, that was it.
  Of course, there are other issues of disagreement--from offshore oil 
drilling to the role of the National Government, to the fight against 
AIDS, to policies in Central America. Those disagreements were deep, but 
they were never taken personally by President Reagan. He and House 
Speaker Tip O'Neill were genuinely fond of each other. They often shared 
a drink after work, and they laughed after a day of locking horns. Their 
good nature was infectious. It raised the level of comity throughout the 
Nation's Capital. How I long for those days. It is time that in the 
spirit of Ronald Reagan and Tip O'Neill, we see more bipartisan spirit 
in our work.
  In California, there are tributes to Ronald Reagan running around the 
clock. I know it is true nationally, but because he was our Governor and 
we are so proud he is part of our legacy, we are seeing and listening to 
Ronald Reagan's stories and Ronald Reagan quotes. I found one of these 
very interesting.
  There was a question asked to President Reagan after he had completed 
his 8 years in office. The question was: What do you most want to be 
remembered for? His answer was this: The millions of jobs that were 
created while he was President and America regaining respect in the 
world. Millions of jobs created and America regaining respect in the 
world. You think about how universal those two achievements are because 
right now that is a lot of the focus of attention--job creation and 
respect in the world. It is interesting how prophetic those words are.
  I personally believe that 50 years from now, if not now, President 
Reagan will be remembered for his focus on freedom for the people behind 
the Iron Curtain. He saw in Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev a man he 
could successfully challenge to step to the plate. And when President 
Reagan said, ``tear down this wall!'' he said it directly to Mr. 
Gorbachev. He touched Mr. Gorbachev, and he touched America. He touched 
people around the world.
  In a moving eulogy in yesterday's New York Times Mr. Gorbachev wrote:

  Reagan was a man of the right but while adhering to his convictions, 
with which one could agree or disagree, he was not dogmatic. He was 
looking for negotiations and for cooperation.

  In that, you have to understand that respect for other people and 
their ideas, the ability to step into their shoes is very important.
  We name buildings and rooms and public places after leaders, and we 
have named many public places after Ronald Reagan. But I truly believe 
that now the greatest thing we can do in Ronald Reagan's memory is to 
find a cure for the disease that took his life and took him away from 
his loved ones and the world stage long before his physical life ended.
  Alzheimer's disease is a plague that ravages millions of Americans and 
those who love them. Caused by abnormal plaques and tangled nerve fibers 
in the brain, the disease attacks the cells that control thought, 
memory, and language. The brain, if you look at it, becomes more and 
more like a child's brain. It kills nerve cells that are vital to 
memory. If you think about it, when you lose your memory, you lose who 
you are. And to see someone like Ronald Reagan, who held all the power 
for 8 years that anyone could ever dream to hold, and to have him not be 
able to remember that is a tragedy.
  Alzheimer's lowers the level of chemicals that carry messages between 
nerve cells and the brain. The progress of Alzheimer's is usually slow, 
but it is inexorable. Beginning with mild symptoms, such as 
forgetfulness, Alzheimer's gradually robs its victims of the ability to 
think clearly, speak clearly, understand others, or care for themselves 
in any way.
  Ten years ago Ronald Reagan knew he was battling Alzheimer's. He knew 
he was losing the battle. In an act of tremendous courage and in a 
handwritten open letter, he told the American people he was suffering 
from the illness. He wrote, ``I now begin this journey that will lead me 
into the sunset of my life.''
  And he movingly wrote, ``I know that for America there will always be 
a bright dawn ahead.''
  So even in his darkest hour, President Reagan's eternal optimism shone 
through.
  Nancy Reagan stood by her husband throughout this long ordeal, 
protecting him in his most vulnerable time. In recent years, she has 
become a leading advocate of increased funding for medical research to 
fight Alzheimer's and other diseases. She has been brave and courageous 
in her advocacy.
  Ironically, just a few weeks ago, I wrote an open letter to her 
praising her for her strength and moving forward to use her considerable 
influence to push forward stem cell research.
  To honor Ronald Reagan and relieve the suffering of millions of 
American families, we must pursue every avenue of research and treatment 
for Alzheimer's and other diseases.
  In memory of Ronald Reagan and all of the families who have lost loved 
ones to Alzheimer's, let us seek a brighter dawn for Alzheimer's victims 
and their families.
  So, Mr. President, Californians are speaking across party lines for a 
man who was able to set aside ideology to make progress, to work with 
those who might not have agreed with him on every point. I think it is a 
terrific lesson to all of us in this time and in this place in our 
Nation's history.


                             Hon. Harry Reid


                                of nevada

  Mr. President, Ronald Reagan is seen by the State of Illinois as being 
his birthplace, as well it should. They feel very strongly about the 
legacy of Ronald Reagan in Illinois. California, of course, is where 
Ronald Reagan became famous. They have tremendous ties to Ronald Reagan. 
The State of Nevada has lots and lots of ties to Ronald Reagan. Not only 
are we a neighbor to the State of California, but the history of Ronald 
Reagan and the State of Nevada are intertwined. I come to the Senate 
today to join a procession to praise Ronald Reagan as a great leader and 
a fine man.
  My first trip to the Oval Office was to meet with Ronald Reagan. I was 
a young Congressman and I was called to the Oval Office to discuss with 
the President the situation in Nicaragua, aid to the Contras. I was 
joined there by three other Members of Congress. Vice President Bush, at 
the time, was there. It is the first time I had the opportunity to visit 
with, in any depth, Ronald Reagan as President of the United States.
  There was a time when I was Lieutenant Governor of Nevada, and 
Governor O'Callaghan was unable to go to an event at Lake Tahoe. I 
represented the State. Governor Reagan at the time, and I spent time 
together, but it was in a public setting and really not a time where you 
got to know anyone well.
  My first trip to the Oval Office was one that I will always remember. 
Not only was it my first trip to the Oval Office, it was my first 
experience in sitting down and talking with Ronald Reagan, President of 
the United States. His personality came through in that meeting. I have 
often repeated the story of my visit there.
  A Congressman said to Ronald Reagan at the time, ``Mr. President, I'm 
afraid you're going to invade Nicaragua.'' President Reagan did not wait 
a second. He came back so quickly, with that smile on his face, and 
said, ``I'm not going to invade Nicaragua, but I want those SOBs going 
to bed every night thinking I'm going to.''
  That was Ronald Reagan. His views of the world were views that all of 
us could understand. He made it very clear to us that he was not going 
to invade Nicaragua but he was not about to show any weakness to the 
Nicaraguans. That is exactly how he said it. From where I come, that was 
talk that I understood.
  I have fond memories of Ronald Reagan. Ronald Reagan, of course, is 
someone we all watched on TV, ``Death Valley Days.'' But those in Nevada 
remember him also, and the papers in Nevada have been full the last few 
days about his entertainment qualities in Las Vegas.
  He came to Las Vegas as an entertainer. He appeared on the Las Vegas 
strip as an entertainer. We were discussing what he did. I don't know 
what he did, but he came all the time. He was a headliner. I don't know 
if he sang or danced. I don't know what he did. He made money and they 
kept bringing him back.
  He was born in the Midwest but he was really a son of the West. He 
stood for a lot of what we now identify with Ronald Reagan. He believed 
in freedom, independence, and opportunity. These are the values that all 
Americans share. We probably understand them a little better in the 
West.
  He handled the Soviet Union much as he handled the situation in my 
first meeting in the Oval Office. He was direct and to the point with us 
about how he felt about Nicaragua. In the situation with the Soviet 
Union, he was direct and to the point.
  The first breakthrough in peace for Israel in the Middle East came as 
a result of a hawk by the name of Menachem Begin. Menachem Begin was the 
leader of the underground against the British. He was someone who fought 
the British as no one else did. He did it in secret. But he was the 
leader. And Menachem Begin's own family did not know that he was the 
leader of the underground until after the British announced that he was. 
It took Menachem Begin, somebody who was very hawkish, to make a deal 
with Egypt. None of the other Israeli leaders could have done it because 
they would have been seen as capitulating to the Egyptians.
  The same with President Reagan. No one could take away his communist-
fighting credentials. He had them from the time he was an actor, with 
the Screen Actors Guild, Governor, and President.
  I watched a TV program, and the same speech that Ronald Reagan gave as 
head of the Screen Actors Guild, he gave as Governor, he gave as 
President. He was a certified anticommunist. So who could better make a 
deal with the communists than Ronald Reagan?
  No one could question his credentials, no more than they could 
question the credentials of Menachem Begin. Had it been Jimmy Carter or 
Bill Clinton, it would not have happened. But no one could question his 
communist-fighting credentials, and, therefore, people accepted the deal 
we made with the Soviet Union, which was good for the world and good for 
our country.
  Ronald Reagan has been a good neighbor to the State of Nevada. The 
State of Nevada shares a national treasure. It is called Lake Tahoe. 
There is only one other lake like it in the whole world, and that is 
Lake Baikal in Russia. I acknowledge that Lake Tahoe is smaller than 
Lake Baikal, but so is every other lake in the world. But it is an 
alpine glacial lake that is a wonder of beauty. Ronald Reagan identified 
that something needed to be done about this beautiful lake.
  I spoke yesterday to Paul Laxalt. Paul Laxalt and I have been 
political adversaries all of my adult life and a lot of his life. But I 
do not have a better friend than Paul Laxalt. We are friends. We call 
each other all the time. We have done that for many years. Even though 
we have been political adversaries, we are friends.
  Anyway, I called Paul Laxalt yesterday and asked him to talk to me 
about his relationship with Ronald Reagan. Everyone in Nevada knows and 
most everyone knows in Washington--my distinguished friend from New 
Mexico is in the Chamber who served with Senator Laxalt in the Senate--
Ronald Reagan's No. 1 guy in the Senate was Paul Laxalt, period. I do 
not say that saying, oh, somebody may question that. That is a fact of 
life. Ronald Reagan said it. That is the way it was.
  Paul Laxalt said Ronald Reagan should be remembered for two things by 
Nevadans. First is the bi-State compact to which the two Republican 
Governors, Laxalt and Reagan, agreed. They sent it to the California and 
Nevada State legislatures, and it was ratified eventually by both 
legislatures. They recognized that something had to be done to preserve 
Lake Tahoe.
  Second is what he did to stop the MX missile from coming to the State 
of Nevada. The MX missile--most people don't know what that means--but 
it was a missile, the MX, with 10 warheads on each missile. It was to 
cover hundreds and hundreds of square miles through Nevada and parts of 
Utah. That would have been a blight to the environment there, but it was 
also deemed to be wasteful moneywise. So Ronald Reagan personally 
intervened, and that never came to be. Page S6601
  That is what Paul Laxalt wanted the people of Nevada to remember about 
his best friend, Ronald Reagan--what he did for the State of Nevada. Of 
course, there were many other things.
  Paul told a story that they were campaigning together. Paul Laxalt 
gave every one of his nominating speeches, the time he did not win and 
the two times he won. He said Ronald Reagan was such a forgiving man 
that he never held a grudge. They were campaigning in some northeastern 
State, and somebody had given a speech--somebody Ronald Reagan had 
helped a lot--and he gave a speech blasting Ronald Reagan's economic 
program. He was a Republican, and everybody around Reagan was mad at 
him. So he was getting ready to give this speech, and he said to Paul, 
``I can't remember, why am I mad at this guy?'' It was because he did 
not hold grudges. It was not in his nature.
  So it is wonderful we had someone like Paul Laxalt who had such close 
contact with the President of the United States. But not only did he 
have contact with Paul Laxalt, President Reagan did many other things 
for the people in Nevada.
  Sig Rogich was a special assistant to the President. Because of Ronald 
Reagan, Sig Rogich developed a great personal friendship with the first 
President Bush. They are friends. People wonder why President Bush 
always comes back to Nevada. It is to see his friend Sig Rogich. He, of 
course, made Sig Rogich an Ambassador to Iceland, where Sig Rogich was 
born.
  Sig Rogich is an extremely successful businessman. But people should 
also understand Sig Rogich was head of the Tuesday Team that developed 
that great campaign slogan for President Reagan: ``It's morning in 
America.''
  Rogich wrote and directed most of those pieces. He was heavily 
involved in the life of President Reagan. He came and moved back here. 
But, as a result, not only do we have Rogich back here, but Frank 
Fahrenkopf became chairman of the National Republican Committee. I 
talked to Frank Fahrenkopf today. He said Reagan did this in typical 
fashion. He had been offered the job in 1980. He had a great law 
practice in Nevada and did not want to come to Washington.
  Jim Baker called him and said, The President wants you to give a 
report about what happened in the 1982 elections--where the Democrats 
did very well; the Republicans did very poorly. He was asked to come 
back and give a report.
  Frank said, ``Well, I have to fly all night because I'm going with 10 
State chairs. We are going to China.''
  And Baker said, ``I think it would be a good idea if you came. The 
President wants you to come back here.''
  So he got back here. And Senator Laxalt said to Frank Fahrenkopf, 
``Would you reconsider being the national chairman of the Republican 
Party?''
  And Frank said, ``Well, Paul, I have a problem. I have this law 
practice.''
  He said, ``Well, think about it.'' He said he knew he was in trouble 
when he went to breakfast at the White House and they seated him right 
across from the President, and the President said, ``Dick Richards is 
retiring as chairman of the National Republican Party.'' He said, ``We 
have here Frank Fahrenkopf who has said he is going to think about it.''
  So he knew right then he was going to be the national chairman because 
the President asked him to do it. So Frank Fahrenkopf became the 
national chairman of the Republican Party.
  But my favorite Ronald Reagan memento--I have always been opposed to 
term limits. I have opposed term limits for the House and Senate. I have 
always spoken forcefully against that. I think it is wrong. It is wrong 
that we have the 22d amendment to limit the Presidents to 2 terms.
  Ronald Reagan agreed with me. He did not like term limits. He thought 
the 22d amendment was bad. I offered a resolution to do away with the 
22d amendment. I spoke out against term limits. President Reagan, after 
he had retired as President of the United States, wrote me a handwritten 
note. Here is what he said, ``Dear Harry, I'm glad . . .''--it is in 
Ronald Reagan's handwriting, and I have that in my scrapbook. I love my 
scrapbook and have this in it. I had announced that I supported repeal 
of the 22d amendment. Here is what he wrote:

  I'm glad you are moving on repeal of the 22nd Amendment. I've made a 
number of speeches to national business groups. . . In every speech I've 
announced my support for repeal and have received an ovation from every 
audience. I charge that the 22nd is a violation of the people's right to 
vote for whomever they want.


                                                           Ronald Reagan

  Here is the guy. He believed in States rights. He believed in people 
being able to make their determination, not some arbitrary law that we 
passed saying: You can't serve in the Senate because you have been there 
two terms. He believed the people have the right to choose their 
representatives.
  I have a number of pictures with Ronald Reagan. I liked him as a 
person. I did not agree with everything he did politically, as we all 
know, but I liked him as a person.
  So I stand here today honored that I had a chance to work with 
President Ronald Reagan, someone with whom I knew and felt comfortable. 
He surrounded himself with good people. They were not mean spirited. 
They were good people. They were pragmatists. I liked the people with 
whom he surrounded himself.
  He is going to be remembered in history, of course, as one of our 
great Presidents. This is a time to mourn his death, but it is more 
important to appreciate his life.
  I can remember a person with whom I practiced law when Ronald Reagan 
was President. He said, ``He has no chance of winning. He is an actor. 
Look how old he is.''
  Well, people liked him for who he was, not how old he was or what he 
had done before he was elected Governor of the State of California. His 
amazing journey was the American dream come true. He helped bring the 
dream a little closer to all of us.


                          Hon. Pete V. Domenici


                              of new mexico

  Mr. President, I was privileged to become chairman of the Senate 
Budget Committee at the same time Ronald Reagan was sworn in as 
President. I never thought I was going to have that job, but with his 
victory, we took over the Senate. I recall Senator Howard Baker called 
me at home, and his greeting was ``Mr. Chairman.'' I kind of wondered 
what he was talking about, and then he told me. That was quite startling 
because I knew I was going to be chairman when Ronald Reagan would be 
asking that we carry out his program.
  From January 1981 until President Reagan left office in January 1989, 
it was my privilege to work closely with him and his senior advisers, as 
with any President before or since. I suspect I saw President Reagan 
exhibit all his legendary traits: the man of principle, the man of 
strength, the man of strong convictions, the man of humor, and, in one 
famous case, a man with an Irish temper.
  Even before he was sworn in, Mr. Reagan asked Cap Weinberger to head 
up his transition team for the Reagan budget and fiscal policy. I worked 
closely with Cap and then Dave Stockman, whom I knew when he was a 
Member of the House. He was announced to be the incoming OMB Director.
  I was impressed by the three principles that Ronald Reagan insisted on 
in the budget that I would prepare: Restraint of domestic spending, long 
overdue increases in defense spending, and tax cuts to stimulate the 
economy. The economy was a dormant economy. Those three principles 
guided every decision that I had with the President and his senior 
staff. He was not going to compromise on these three principles.
  I saw his strength on many occasions, most notably, of course, after 
the assassination attempt. But I also saw his strength when he insisted 
that the air traffic controllers either go to work or lose their jobs. 
That signal, clear and strong, persuaded me this man was, in fact, a man 
who would risk political standing in order to stand for the good of the 
public.
  I saw his humor time and time again. Once when I showed up late for a 
meeting with him, there were other Senators present. It was very 
embarrassing. He was amused. And when my good friend, Senator Howard 
Baker, became Chief of Staff to the President, he told me one of his 
jobs was to try to come up with a good joke to tell the President, that 
Reagan's humor came from the same sense of perspective that produced his 
strength and commitment to the American people.
  I learned first-hand that the Irish in President Reagan also included 
a bit of an Irish temper. In 1993, I had the delicate task of telling 
the President that I would not put off my budget for the upcoming fiscal 
year, and that I would not be able to supply him with the entire 
increase in defense spending for the upcoming fiscal year. Cap 
Weinberger had made that request on behalf of the President. Cap and I 
discussed this for weeks, and we put off this action over the Easter 
holiday and for weeks to give them a chance to work on their defense 
budget.
  The Senate Armed Services Committee chairman, Senator John Tower, and 
I discussed it, and Senator Tower knew we couldn't get the entire 
request. Finally, just as the markup of the budget was to occur, at 
about 10 minutes until 10 in the morning, the President called me on the 
telephone in the back room of the Budget Committee's hearing.
  ``Hello,'' I said to the President.
  ``Hello, Pete,'' he said pleasantly. ``You know, I really need you to 
put off the markup of the budget until we can get an agreement on the 
defense spending.''
  ``Mr. President, I really appreciate and am honored by your call, but 
I have delayed this for too long and just cannot get the full number 
that you have requested for defense.''
  ``Well, will you postpone the markup?'' he asked with little 
amiability in his voice.
  ``No, sir; I cannot do that,'' I replied.
  At that point, the President said goodbye. At least I think that is 
what he said. I was told later by someone who was present in his office 
during the call that the President turned a little red in his face and 
threw the phone on the floor. Yet he was absolutely wonderful to me 
after that. He campaigned for me. He turned his budget over to me for 
implementation. And I had a great relationship not only with him but 
with those who served him, in particular Dave Stockman.
  Let me note something about the first budget exercise. The President 
and his staff had some thoughts about the proper legislative approach. I 
disagreed and argued for something we now know and have learned to use, 
and we understand it well. But it was truly historic, the use of a 
process called reconciliation. That was the first time we ever did it. 
Nobody understood it. The President, with the guidance of Leader Howard 
Baker, went along with our recommendation. Senator Fritz Hollings joined 
me in this historic reconciliation effort. We had all the President's 
budget restraints in it. We had his tax cuts in that extraordinary 
document. And in the budget resolution for fiscal year 1992, we had room 
for all the President's defense spending increases to which he ended up 
agreeing.
  Some Members of the Senate expressed dismay and even anger over the 
use of this process called reconciliation. Even some Republicans were 
perplexed by its complications and wondered how it would really work. I 
know the President and his staff relied on us in the Senate and on the 
committee to carry out what we promised.
  It is to President Reagan's credit that he supported us every step of 
the way. Perhaps that was one of the things I admired most about this 
man. He made a decision, entrusted it to those on whom he relied, and 
used all of his power to make a plan succeed.
  I cannot tell you how complimented I felt when Howard Baker came to me 
and said, ``The President says if you and I think we can do this, then 
he will back us all the way.'' And he did.
  What a great President. What a great American. What a great man. It 
was truly my privilege to work with him. I think history will record 
that our work was of historic importance as the President moved toward 
making this economy stronger than ever, this Nation more secure than 
ever, and the world safer than ever.
  In closing, let me say I honestly wish I had occasion to know him even 
better. I didn't have the opportunity to get to know him on a personal 
basis. Most of what I learned of him is expressed and explained in the 
remarks I have made. But the wonderful stories I have heard about him 
are clearly believable, because what I saw of him was remarkable. What I 
saw of him in the numerous meetings was truly incredible.
  Some spoke ill of him during those days. It is wonderful to note that 
most of those have forgotten those days and are now part of this great 
chorus in our country that is praising him as one of our greatest.
  I knew most about the economic situation because of the Budget 
Committee, but it is easy for me to see how he succeeded in foreign 
affairs. It is clear no one could have accomplished what he did with the 
Soviet Union, because most Presidents would not be believed, and most 
Presidents would not be permitted to propose and make the kinds of 
agreements with the Soviet Union that he did.
  To sum it up, he made a stronger America. Our economy grew somewhere 
between 18 and 20 million jobs. Think of that. We are now talking about 
2.2 million jobs. He took an economy that was in terrible shape. Does 
anybody remember 21-percent interest? We have grown so accustomed to low 
inflation and low interest rates in the last few years that most of us 
don't understand inflation was so rampant and interest rates so high 
that, in our grocery stores, those who filled the shelves would also 
bring along a stamp and they would change the price as they walked down 
the aisles, because the foodstuff had to go up day by day, week by week. 
Can you imagine what Americans would think about that today? But we had 
to take it back then and we had to wait for something else to work. That 
something else was Ronald Reagan's policy, his approach to lower taxes, 
which stimulated this economy.
  So it is with deep regret that I join with many others and many in the 
Senate who will have words to say about him. Again, my best to his wife 
Nancy and his family. I understand their great grief. But they had him 
for a very long time, and I am sure with the passage of time they will 
begin to understand that. I hope they can and I hope they will.


                           Hon. Arlen Specter


                             of pennsylvania

  Mr. President, I have sought recognition to comment about the passing 
of President Ronald Reagan, and to comment about the great legacy he has 
left and the occasions when I had an opportunity to meet and deal 
personally with President Reagan.
  While I had met him prior to the 1980 election cycle, I had an 
opportunity to work with him during that Presidential election year when 
he was elected President of the United States and I was first elected to 
the Senate. I recollect his presence in Philadelphia on one August day, 
when the timing for his presentation was to coincide with the beginning 
of the 6 o'clock news cycle, so he would be carried live over the 
broadcast stations. I recollect standing behind the curtains at the 
Bellevue-Stratford Hotel, where he was later to be the guest of honor at 
a fundraiser on my behalf.
  What a sense of expectation there was by then-Governor Reagan and Mrs. 
Nancy Reagan, with Mrs. Reagan expressing the question: Do you really 
think it is possible we will be successful in this Presidential bid? I 
commented that I thought the chances were excellent. Precisely at 6 
o'clock, the curtain was pulled back, and the President-to-be stepped 
forward and made an eloquent speech.
  He traveled to Pittsburgh where again he was the guest of honor at a 
fundraiser. I recollect attending that event, and at one appropriate 
moment he demonstrated his insight into the drama and to the field by 
grabbing my hand by the wrist and lifting it high in a traditional 
victory celebration. Watching him as a campaigner was a very instructive 
opportunity.
  The day after the election, when he was victorious, I, along with the 
other 15 Republican Senators who were elected on that same day, was 
called by President Reagan to hear words of congratulations. The 
Republicans took control of the Senate in that 1980 election with a 53 
Senate majority. President Reagan's sense of cheer and sense of optimism 
was with him at all times. I was to learn as I got to know him better 
that he really liked to make congratulatory phone calls when there was 
good news in the offing. As President, he had the practice of calling 
every nominee to the Federal bench to personally tell the nominee that 
he, the President, had nominated the individual to be a Federal judge, 
and, of course, that is great news, but that was the sort of moment that 
President Reagan relished.
  When we were sworn in, in January 1981, Senator Howard Baker, the 
majority leader, designated me as spokesman for the group. He did that 
because I was last in seniority. Seniority at that time among Republican 
Senators was decided on the basis of alphabetical listing, after the 
preference was given to former Members of the House and former 
Governors.
  As the spokesman for the class, I had the honor of sitting next to the 
President during our frequent luncheon meetings. At one of the meetings, 
Senator Mack Mattingly was seated across the table. This was after the 
President had been reelected in 1984. Senator Mattingly said to the 
President, ``Why is it, Mr. President, that you don't age at all?''
  President Reagan was fast with one of his famous stories. He said:

  Well, Mack, it is like the two psychiatrists who came to work the same 
time every day. Both were immaculately dressed. When they left in the 
afternoon at the same time, one psychiatrist was totally disheveled, and 
the other continued to be immaculately dressed. After day after day, 
week after week, month after month of this happening, finally one day 
when they left, the disheveled psychiatrist said, ``How is it that we 
come to the office the same time every day to see our patients, and day 
after day, week after week, month after month, you leave immaculately 
dressed and I am disheveled?'' The immaculately dressed psychiatrist 
looked at his colleague and said, ``Who listens?''

  This was President Reagan's way of saying he can take all of the tough 
spots of the Presidency and still retain his composure and still retain 
his vigor and his freshness.
  I was very much impressed with President Reagan when he was near the 
end of his first term and he was asked a question about whether he was 
going to run for reelection. His answer was, ``The people will tell me 
whether I should run for reelection.'' I have been asked the same 
question from time to time. I have used President Reagan's answer 
because I believe it is a really terrific answer.
  The first legislation which I proposed after being elected to the 
Senate involved the armed career criminal bill. I sought a meeting with 
the President. That was a bill, which has been enacted into law, that 
provides for mandatory sentences of 15 years to life for career 
criminals who have three or more major felonies on their record.
  When I described it and discussed it with President Reagan, he 
immediately related that to his own experience, and referred to a James 
Cagney movie in which there was a three-time loser. He became a 
supporter and ultimately signed that bill into law.
  President Reagan traveled frequently to Pennsylvania and on those 
occasions would invite Senator Heinz and me to join him. One such 
occasion was extraordinarily memorable. It was on the 200th anniversary 
of the signing of the U.S. Constitution. It was a real experience to 
ride with the President in Air Force One and in a limousine and to have 
a chance to talk with him and discuss with him some of the major issues.
  He had made a comment that when we develop the strategic defense 
initiative, we would share it with other nations. I asked him about 
those plans and how he could carry that forward since the strategic 
defense initiative was not likely to be accomplished for many years and 
it would require an act of Congress to share one of our national assets. 
The President's reply was that this was a matter of leadership, and that 
in moving toward the strategic defense initiative, we wanted to assure 
other countries we would not use it only for ourselves but would make it 
available to others.
  At that time, the mutual assured destruction doctrine was operative 
with the stalemate between the United States and the Soviet Union, each 
knowing that if there were to be an aggressive act, it would be 
responded to. So the mutual assured destruction doctrine was in effect, 
and to move to a strategic defense initiative required assurances that 
this kind of defense would be shared.
  President Reagan leaves a phenomenal legacy. Perhaps his greatest 
achievement was presiding over the end of the cold war, in which the 
United States defeated the Soviet Union. When the United States was 
rearmed, the Soviet Union could not keep up and ultimately was bankrupt.
  President Reagan led the arms control talks with Soviet President 
Gorbachev. With his famous words at the Berlin Wall to tear the wall 
down, and ultimately with the demise of the Soviet Union, all of Eastern 
Europe was free, and liberty and democracy has come to so much of 
Eastern Europe and to so many people in the world because of President 
Reagan's leadership.
  His optimism and sense of buoyancy were just what the United States 
needed when he came to office in 1981. His emphasis on less government, 
his determination to lower taxes, and his spirit of determination to 
defeat communism were trademarks and legacies which will last forever.
  One final note. When President Reagan came to Independence Hall on the 
200th anniversary of the signing of the Constitution on September 17, 
1987, we arrived at the hall and there was an enormous wheel with George 
Washington and then sequenced, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, and the 
wheel came all the way around and Ronald Reagan was situated right next 
to President George Washington. I asked President Reagan how it felt to 
be on that wheel right next to President Washington. He said, ``Arlen, 
it is a humbling experience.''
  I think the humility of President Reagan in the context of his great 
achievements is another addition to a really great legacy.


                            Hon. Tom Daschle


                             of south dakota

  Mr. President, we have heard many remembrances of President Reagan 
these last few days. One of my own favorite stories about President 
Reagan appeared in the Boston Globe on St. Patrick's Day, 1983. It 
begins:

  In his corner office, House Speaker Thomas P. O'Neill Jr. has proudly 
hung a photograph of President Reagan. It shows the two men, their faces 
agitated in the heat of a argument over jobs and the economy, each 
jabbing a finger at each other.

  Underneath, a puckish inscription from `Ron Reagan' to `Tip' reads, 
`From one Irishman to another--Top o' the morning to you.' That 
photograph conveys the flavor of perhaps the most important political 
relationship in Washington, for it juxtaposes the sharp partisan 
confrontations between the two men with the personal cordiality that 
suits the current mood of bipartisanship.

  The headline on that article read: ``Reagan and O'Neill: Each One 
Needs the Other.''
  Ronald Reagan was many things in life: An actor, a Governor, the 
President.
  For countless millions throughout the world, he was the voice and the 
image of American confidence and optimism.
  Even those who disagreed strongly with many of his policies admired 
his sunny disposition, his easy grace and charm, his quick wit, and his 
unshakable conviction, as he said so often, that America's best days are 
just ahead of us.
  He was a self-made son of small-town, middle America who loved this 
Nation because of the chance it gave him--and generations of Americans 
before and after him--to go as far in life as their talents and 
ambitions could take them.
  Historians will still be taking the measure of Ronald Reagan and his 
Presidency for decades to come. But even now, it is clear that President 
Reagan presided over, and helped bring about, enormous changes in 
America, and in the world.
  His unflinching opposition to communism helped bring down the wall and 
bring about the end of the Soviet Union. For that, the world owes Ronald 
Reagan a great debt of gratitude.
  Americans, and friends of America throughout the world, are saddened 
by President Reagan's death.
  Our hearts go out to the Reagan family, especially Mrs. Reagan and the 
Reagan children and grandchildren, as well as to President and Mrs. 
Reagan's friends. Even when someone has been slipping away for a long 
time, as President Reagan did, the final goodbye is still heartbreaking. 
We wish them comfort in this time of great sorrow.
  In his 1987 autobiography, ``Man of the House,'' Tip O'Neill recalled 
the time President-elect Reagan visited him in his office in early 1981. 
The Speaker told the man who was soon to be President that in the House, 
Democrats and Republicans ``are always friends after 6 o'clock and on 
weekends.''
  For the next 6 years, until he retired, Tip O'Neill recalled, 
President Reagan always began their phone conversations by asking, 
``Tip, is it after 6 o'clock?''
  It has been nearly 10 years since President Reagan wrote his 
courageous letter to America telling us that he had Alzheimer's disease.
  In the decade since President Reagan began his quiet withdrawal from 
public life, the civility and personal decency that we associate with 
him seems, at times, to have all but disappeared from much of our public 
discourse. The elbows in politics have become sharper, the words have 
become meaner--and the accomplishments have become scarcer.
  Sadly, there is a tendency today to assume ill will and bad motives of 
those who belong to the other party--or even another wing of one's own 
party.
  This decline of civility in politics and public discourse is not good 
for America. It does not make us safer, or stronger.
  President Reagan spoke to all that was good and decent in America. We 
would honor him by restoring decency to our politics.
  Ronald Reagan was a man who believed deeply in his core principles. He 
would not want any of us to compromise our own core principles in his 
memory. But there is such a thing as principled compromise. President 
Reagan understood that. He knew that accommodation was needed to make 
the system work.
  Like many conservatives, President Reagan had some basic philosophical 
qualms about Social Security. But he appointed a bipartisan commission 
to find ways to save Social Security from imminent insolvency--and he 
backed the commission's plan. That was principled compromise at work.
  Twenty-four years ago this week, Ronald Reagan had just clinched the 
delegates needed to win his party's 1980 Presidential nomination. It was 
a nomination he had worked for for 12 years.
  A newspaper reporter asked him what he thought he needed to do next.
  He replied that he wanted to dispel the notion that he was a hardnosed 
radical who would oppose compromise on principle. As he put it: You 
know, there are some people so imbued with their ideology that if they 
can't get everything they want, they'll jump off the cliff with the flag 
flying. As Governor, I found out that if I could get half a loaf, 
instead of stalking off angrily, I'd take it.
  Perhaps because he himself was a Democrat early in his life, President 
Reagan never demonized his political opponents--even when he disagreed 
profoundly with them.
  When Tip O'Neill turned 70, President Reagan hosted a reception for 
him at the White House. There they were: the opposing champions of 
laissez-faire economics and New Deal liberalism. President Reagan 
toasted Tip O'Neill by saying, ``Tip, if I had a ticket to Heaven and 
you didn't have one too, I would give mine away and go to Hell with 
you.''
  President Reagan and Tip O'Neill, I am convinced, are reunited in 
Heaven now.
  As we prepare here in the Capitol to say our final goodbye to 
President Reagan, let us remember his capacity to see the best in 
everyone, including those whose political views differed starkly from 
his own. Let us remember that there is no dishonor in accepting a half a 
loaf.
  In the months ahead and for as long as we are given the honor of 
serving in Congress, let us search and work for principled compromises 
that serve the interests of the vast majority of Americans. In that way, 
we can help to preserve President Reagan's great belief and hope that 
America's best days are, indeed, just ahead.


                         Hon. Richard C. Shelby


                               of alabama

  Mr. President, I rise today to pay tribute to the life and the legacy 
of former President Ronald Reagan. President Reagan served our country 
with honor and distinction, and I feel privileged to have the 
opportunity to reflect on the contributions he made to our country and 
to the world.
  Upon hearing the news of his death, I thought back to the footprints 
he left on my memory. He was, indeed, one of the greatest leaders, I 
believe, of our time, and I was honored to know him.
  President Reagan provided our country with an enormous amount of hope 
following a period of national remorse and confusion about the direction 
of our country and about its place in the world. Let us not forget the 
context into which he emerged to seize his place in history and to move 
the United States forward with a determination and an optimism about the 
future that was so recently lacking.
  The ghost of Vietnam haunted our foreign policy and the specter of 
Watergate informed our politics.
  The election of Ronald Reagan, however, truly changed America. He 
instilled hope that every American could be optimistic about his or her 
future; hope that communism would not endure and that freedom and 
democracy could ultimately vanquish the forces that sought to pull our 
country, and many others, into the abyss of despair and hostility that 
permeated much of the world; hope that personal freedom without the 
encumbrances of big government would revitalize the economy; hope that 
the rejuvenated Armed Forces he would lead as Commander in Chief could 
make the United States once again truly the leader of the free world in 
a struggle for survival against the Soviet Union.
  President Reagan's eternal optimism gave our country a renewed sense 
of self, a belief that the American dream was possible and that every 
individual had the opportunity to create his or her own success. Ronald 
Reagan believed that each new day was filled with high purpose and 
opportunity for accomplishment. He gave America back the hope we had 
lost for many years.
  President Reagan's leadership and courage were central to ending the 
cold war. He was certain that freedom and democracy could prevail in all 
corners of the globe if only the one country with the capacity to do so 
would step in and show the way. Page S6605
  Many Americans who were not yet born or were too young to understand 
could not appreciate what this man accomplished. The first half of the 
20th century was marked by warfare on a global scale. The First World 
War--the war to end all wars--had decimated much of Europe. A generation 
was lost to the trenches and newly introduced technologies of 
destruction such as the machine gun and the tank.
  The war that followed, World War II, managed to go well beyond its 
predecessor, as the failure of European diplomacy once again dragged the 
continent into the continued horrors and devastation that man wrought. 
The epic struggle against the forces of fascism, a struggle we 
remembered this past weekend with the anniversary of the Normandy 
landings, was a fight against evil in every sense of the word. Its 
ending, however, set the stage for a new type of conflict--a conflict 
that would take the second half of the century to resolve, mercifully 
without the nuclear war that existed as the logical culmination of the 
standoff that came to be known as the cold war.
  The skills, strengths and enormous fortune that kept the cold war from 
turning hot transcended, of course, multiple Presidential 
administrations. It was brought to its successful resolution, however, 
through the vision and strength of exactly one man: President Reagan. 
Decades of conflict management, in which experienced diplomats and 
elected officials sought primarily to prevent nuclear war and to contain 
the Soviet threat, had succeeded in preventing nuclear war. That was an 
incredible feat, to be sure.
  What set Ronald Reagan apart, however, was his vision of a world 
without the nuclear standoff that had become an indelible image in the 
public psyche of virtually the entire world. What set Ronald Reagan 
apart was his visceral belief that the United States, and the freedom 
and prosperity it represented, had to, and could, not just contain the 
threat but eliminate it without the awful specter of nuclear war coming 
to fruition.
  Derided by his opponents both here and abroad as a dangerous cowboy, 
President Reagan stood firm in his beliefs and led the country to 
victory. He believed, correctly, and at variance with the views of many 
a university professor and politician, that the United States could 
force the Soviet Union over the cliff on which it rested, buttressed on 
the backs of the millions it held in its tyrannical grip.
  This was a truly great man.
  Limited government, lower taxes, and individual responsibility will 
also be part of President Reagan's legacy. He believed that each 
American and each community were the best problem-solvers. Rather than 
making government bigger to address the challenges our country faced, 
Reagan stood firm in his commitment to the contributions that could be 
made through personal empowerment and a renewed sense of political and 
social responsibility.
  I was just a second-term Congressman when President Reagan came into 
office. Although a Democrat at the time, I closely identified with his 
commitment to lower taxes, limit government and rebuild the military. I 
shared President Reagan's conservative philosophies, and he helped me, 
and millions of other Americans have a restored faith in the purpose of 
our government.
  I also recall a time when President Reagan asked me to breakfast at 
the White House. I, a second-term Congressman at the time, was certainly 
impressed. I had always been a conservative Democrat, and he had hoped 
that I would change parties, as he had done when the Democratic Party 
ceased to represent the values he held dear. I declined his offer to do 
so at the time, explaining my strong desire to work to fix the 
Democratic Party from within. The President knew better, telling me that 
the party was in the midst of a transformation that would not be 
reversed any time soon. It took me more years to fully appreciate the 
President's wisdom. But appreciate it, I did, and I followed his lead in 
abandoning the party of my youth in deference to another. While I took a 
little longer to change than he would have liked, he did provide me with 
much of the foundation as to why I needed to leave the Democratic Party. 
I have always appreciated his guidance, humility and humor.
  I believe history will treat Ronald Reagan well. He uplifted a 
frustrated country through his optimism and hope. He changed a troubled 
world with his devotion to the spread of freedom. Ronald Reagan embodied 
the American spirit, and our country and the world are forever grateful 
for his service.
  I offer my condolences to Mrs. Reagan and the entire family. They have 
endured much heartache with his illness, much grief with his passing, 
and much joy with his life. My thoughts and prayers are with them in 
this difficult time.
  May God bless Ronald Reagan and his memory.


                            Hon. George Allen


                               of virginia

  Mr. President, my colleagues, and Americans, President Ronald Reagan 
will be returning to Washington tomorrow for the very last time. I rise 
to honor the memory and life of the greatest leader of the 20th century 
and to express my sympathy to his wonderful and loyal family--in 
particular, his loving wife and partner Nancy.
  Nancy Reagan has always been an outstanding and inspirational role 
model for our entire Nation. And that has never been more clearly 
displayed than through her wonderful courage and love during the 
difficult journey she and President Reagan traveled during the past 
decade.
  Like so many, I was inspired to actually answer the call of public 
service because of then-Governor Ronald Reagan's positive, principled 
message. In 1976, I began as a young lieutenant in the Reagan revolution 
when I was asked to chair Young Virginians for Reagan. Today, I am still 
motivated to work to advance his individual empowering philosophy in 
government.
  Ronald Reagan entered the political stage in 1964 with a speech which 
summed up a philosophy that would guide him through his Presidency two 
decades hence, and which turned the tide of world history.
  Mr. Reagan said in 1964:

  You and I have a rendezvous with destiny. We will preserve for our 
children this, the last best hope of man on earth, or we will sentence 
them to take the first step into a thousand years of darkness. If we 
fail, at least let our children . . . say of us we justified our brief 
moment here. We did all that could be done.

  Indeed, Ronald Wilson Reagan did have a rendezvous with destiny. 
President Reagan rejuvenated the spirit of America. His determined, 
optimistic leadership lit the torch of liberty and allowed it to shine 
in the dark recesses of oppressed countries around the world.
  Ronald Reagan believed in the innate goodness of mankind. He believed 
and advocated the wisdom of our country's foundational principles. He 
believed that given the opportunity, all men and women would seek 
freedom and liberty and with it unleash creativity, ingenuity, hard 
work, and economic growth.
  He touched deeply the hearts and minds of Americans through his 
genuinely believed, commonsense conservative words of encouragement--
from his first inaugural speech in 1981, to his inspirational State of 
the Union Addresses, to his moving memorial tribute to our lost 
Challenger explorer, to his strong demand to tear down the wall of 
oppression, to his passionate tribute to the defenders of liberty at 
Normandy 20 years ago this week. Those were the words he delivered. 
Those words which he delivered are now as much a part of the fabric of 
America as the threads of our flag, Old Glory. Lee Greenwood's song, 
``God Bless the U.S.A.,'' was an anthem to Ronald Reagan's renewed 
America.
  Historians will surely discuss and debate the impact of Ronald 
Reagan's 8 years as President for generations to come. But there is no 
doubt his legacy has already been revealed. In fact, he foresaw his 
legacy. He was there at the bicentennial in 1981 of the Battle of 
Yorktown. He gave a wonderful speech at Yorktown, VA.
  He said as follows:

  We have come to this field to celebrate the triumph of an idea--that 
freedom will eventually triumph over tyranny. It is and always will be a 
warning to those who would usurp the rights of others: Time will find 
them beaten. The beacon of freedom shines here for all who will see, 
inspiring free men and captives alike, and no wall, no curtain, nor 
totalitarian state can shut it out.

  To put this in context, when Ronald Reagan became our 40th President, 
Americans had lost their faith in our leaders and in the role of America 
in the world. Government at home was restraining its citizens with 
oppressive taxation and burdensome regulations. Our national malaise led 
to historically high unemployment, high interest rates and inflation, 
low productivity, and a stagnant stock market.
  Our moral authority around the world had been eroding, and confidence 
in the ideals of liberty and democracy were replaced by the fear of 
expanding tyranny, communism, and repression.
  America yearned for a leader who could change the direction of our 
Nation and make them proud of our heritage once again. Ronald Reagan 
answered that call.
  Many tributes this week rightfully point to President Reagan's 
unwavering optimism and belief in the inner strength of Americans, and 
indeed all human beings. He understood that they could be motivated and 
inspired to higher ideals with our competitive nature. No more 
handwringing. He wanted action. Indeed, he challenged us to look no 
further than his administration and ourselves for solutions. He said, 
``If not us, who? And if not now, when?''
  Beyond his unshakable faith in mankind was his consistent adherence to 
principles which were unfashionable and often scorned when he came to 
office but today which are solidly embraced and winning the minds of 
people across our country and throughout the world. He acted on his 
beliefs that government interference should be restrained and that free 
people should be unrestrained, without limits. We prospered and we 
thrived with the creation of jobs and opportunities.
  One of my very favorite principles of President Reagan was declared in 
his 1985 State of the Union Address when he said, ``Every dollar the . . 
. Government does not take from us, every decision it does not make for 
us will make our economy stronger, our lives more abundant, and our 
future more free.''
  And so it is. Through tax cuts that return tax dollars to those whose 
hard work and ingenuity earned them, to reducing burdensome regulations, 
President Reagan presided over the beginning of the most robust peace 
expansion of our economy in the history of our Nation.
  But President Reagan believed the blessings of liberty must not be 
bestowed only on a few nations and only to those blessed to be born on 
free soil; Ronald Reagan, with the strength of his convictions, exported 
and advanced democracy to continents, countries, and people yearning to 
taste the sweet nectar of liberty.
  He knew the evil communistic empire could not be sustained and would 
collapse under the weight of a determined effort to challenge the 
Soviets on their failed policies, both foreign and domestic. He reversed 
decades of policy calling for containment of that oppressive tyrannical 
system, and he boldly asserted that the advancement of freedom and 
liberty must be America's No. 1 foreign policy objective. Indeed, he 
believed that it is our solemn moral obligation to do so.
  Now we are seeing his greatest legacy. Hundreds of millions of free 
people, from the Baltics in Lithuania, Estonia, Latvia through Poland, 
Hungary, Slovenia, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Bulgaria and Romania, 
all people once repressed behind the Iron Curtain are now joining NATO. 
They are true friends and allies. Yes, they are breathing that 
invigorating wind of freedom.
  One of the last public statements Ronald Reagan made was in 1983. He 
provided us with a vision which will guide us now and in the future. 
Ronald Reagan said:

  History comes and history goes, but principles endure and ensure 
future generations to defend liberty--not as a gift from the government, 
but a blessing from our Creator. Here in America the lamp of individual 
conscience burns bright. By that I know we will all be guided to that 
dreamed of day when no one wields a sword and no one drags a chain.

  It is Ronald Reagan's inspiring character, courage, unflinching 
adherence to principles, policies, and eloquence that brought forth a 
renaissance for the United States of America, a rebirth of freedom, and 
the world also experienced that renaissance at a crucial juncture in 
history. He fanned the flames of freedom and that torch of liberty will 
continue to burn brightly by his inspiration and example. We all thank 
God for blessing the United States and the world with Ronald Reagan.
  President Reagan, as you finally enter the gates of that ``shining 
city on the hill'' you always talked about, rest peacefully, knowing you 
left the world a much better place than it was when you arrived. For 
that, the free people of your Nation are eternally grateful.


                            Hon. Ted Stevens


                                of alaska

  Mr. President, I come to the Senate today to join others to remember a 
good friend and a great American leader.
  In 1977, I was elected to the Senate leadership and served as 
assistant minority leader until the 1980 election. I don't think anyone 
at that time could have predicted the sweeping changes that were about 
to take place. When Ronald Reagan was elected, he ushered in a new era 
of government so profound it became known as the Reagan revolution. That 
was an exciting time in Washington.
  I became assistant majority leader and began a new life--Howard Baker 
was the majority leader. The day before I was to marry my wife 
Catherine, Howard called and asked me to replace him on a trip to China 
because Deng Xiaoping wanted to understand what Reaganism meant. My wife 
Catherine and I were married on December 30, and we left for China on 
December 31. To prepare for those talks, I reviewed all of President 
Reagan's actions as Governor of California and his promises made during 
the election. I was honored to be offered the opportunity to explain and 
defend his record.
  When Congress convened in 1981, those of us in the Senate leadership 
went down almost weekly for meetings at the White House. Occasionally, 
President Reagan came up to Howard Baker's office as majority leader to 
meet with us. I don't think any other President has done that as often 
as Ronald Reagan. President Reagan always tackled very serious subjects 
in these meetings, but he kept us relaxed. He usually began our 
discussions in the Cabinet room with a joke or a story. His leadership 
brought out the best in all of us.
  During his administration we were able to accomplish a lot for the 
American people and set the Nation and the world on a new course. Much 
has been said already about the mark President Reagan left on our 
national defense and foreign policy. Those were his greatest 
contributions as President, and I viewed those decisions from a unique 
advantage point.
  I was sworn in as chairman of the Senate Appropriations Defense 
Subcommittee just days before President Reagan took the oath of office. 
He immediately began to move toward a 600-ship Navy, new aircraft 
development, and space-based missile defense systems. President Reagan 
understood that the first thing we had to do was restore our military 
capability. The Soviets were outspending us at that time and stealing 
our secrets. The President took control of that situation, and in the 
years since President Reagan left office, either Senator Inouye or I 
have been chairman of the Appropriations Defense Subcommittee. Each of 
us has carried forth the vision President Reagan had for our military.
  History has overlooked President Reagan's personal commitment to arms 
control, however. In 1985, the President supported the creation of the 
Arms Control Observer Group in the Senate, a group of Senators that 
served as official observers at any arms control negotiations involving 
the United States. I co-chaired that group along with Senators Lugar, 
Nunn, and Pell. Our goal was to avoid the problems we faced in the 
seventies when three successive arms control treaties were unable to 
achieve ratification in the Senate. Our group went to Geneva three or 
four times a year and came back and briefed the President, Secretary 
Shultz, and the Senators who were involved in arms control matters.
  The President encouraged the Soviets to decrease the size of their 
arsenals and to reduce the size of our nuclear forces. This was one of 
the most significant parts of the Reagan agenda, the overall concern 
with arms control.
  The President also created a revolutionary new approach to defense 
space research. He brought down the walls between isolated research 
projects and advocated a more comprehensive approach. A lot of the 
aspects of the missile defense system, which he called star wars, were 
based upon the research he put into effect then.
  When President Reagan passed away on Saturday, I noted that his death 
coincided with another sad day in American history: On June 5, 36 years 
ago, another great American leader, Senator and Presidential candidate 
Robert Kennedy, was struck down by an assassin's bullet in Los Angeles. 
Although they were from different generations and different political 
parties, Robert Kennedy and Ronald Reagan had a lot in common. Both men 
were leaders who did more than just point the country in the right 
direction. In the words of Bobby Kennedy, they inspired Americans to 
envision a ``world that never was and ask `Why not?' `'
  On June 12, 1987, President Reagan inspired all of us to envision a 
new world when he gave his famous speech at the Brandenburg Gate. I will 
never forget the image of President Reagan standing before that gate 
demanding that Gorbachev ``Tear down this wall!''
  Weeks before he gave that speech, the President learned that his 
remarks would be carried in East Germany over the radio, and in one part 
of the speech he spoke directly to the people of East Germany. One can 
only imagine the hope the people on the other side of that wall must 
have felt when they heard the President of the United States declare in 
their native tongue: ``There is only one Berlin.''
  Here at home, President Reagan built, as he called it, a ``shining 
city upon a hill.'' He borrowed that phrase from John Winthrop, an early 
Pilgrim who used it to describe the kind of America he envisioned.
  For Reagan, the idea of a shining city was:

  A tall proud city built on rocks stronger than oceans, wind-swept, 
God-blessed, and teeming with people of all kinds living in harmony and 
peace, a city with free ports that hummed with commerce and creativity, 
and if there had to be city walls, the walls had doors and the doors 
were open to anyone with the will and the heart to get there.

  I will always be grateful to President Reagan for teaching us to 
believe in that shining city and for opening its doors so Alaska could 
finally enjoy full citizenship.
  Under President Ronald Reagan, the freeze on the transfer of Alaskan 
lands to our new State and to the Alaskan Native people was finally 
lifted, and we began to receive the land that rightfully belonged to us 
under the Statehood Act that admitted Alaska into our Union. President 
Reagan instructed the Department of the Interior to move as quickly as 
possible on that. I do not believe it would have happened that fast had 
he not been elected.
  Under President Reagan, the Village Built Clinic Program began, and we 
set out to establish Indian health service clinics in every Native 
village in Alaska.
  Under President Reagan, we finally addressed the injustice of Aleut 
internment during World War II by awarding reparations to Aleuts who had 
been taken from their homes and sent to what were called ``duration 
villages'' in southeastern Alaska for the duration of the war.
  President Reagan understood Alaska's military and geopolitical 
significance better than any other President. The modernization of 
Alaska's military bases accelerated during his administration.
  What most Alaskans probably remember best about President Reagan is 
how well he understood our State and our way of life. When he came to 
Fairbanks to meet Pope John Paul II, he told the crowd that every time 
he came to Alaska he thought of the poet Robert Service and threatened 
to recite ``The Shooting of Dan McGrew.'' In fact, he did that just that 
one night when Catherine and I were attending a dinner in Chicago. We 
had just flown in from Fairbanks, and I told the crowd that was present 
that the 20-degree weather in Chicago could not compete with the harsh 
weather back home, where the temperature was 50 below. Ronald Reagan got 
up to give his remarks, and he recited Robert Service's poem ``The 
Shooting of Dan McGrew'' from memory.
  I distinctly remember him saying this phrase from Service's poem:

When out of the night, which was fifty below, and into the din and the 
glare,

There stumbled a miner fresh from the creeks, dog-dirty, and loaded for 
bear.

  On the plane ride home, the President told my wife Catherine that his 
mother had kept a first edition of Robert Service's poetry by his 
bedside and read those poems to him as a child. Catherine later sent him 
a first edition of Robert Service that she found in a bookstore in New 
York, and he wrote her a nice letter back telling her he planned to 
memorize ``The Cremation of Sam McGee'' once more.
  I tried many times to get the President to come back to Alaska, but, 
unfortunately, he decided, as the years went by, that he wanted to go 
back to California to ride horses.
  We understood that, and honored him for it. Alaskans took comfort in 
knowing that even if his heart belonged to California, he was raised on 
the words of Robert Service, our favorite poet.
  One of my fondest memories of President Reagan is, strangely enough, a 
phone call I received from him as chairman of the Appropriations 
Subcommittee on Defense. The President called to ask me if I had placed 
funding in the Defense bill that year to procure a new pair of Air Force 
I airplanes. I told him that I had. President Reagan told me that he had 
not requested that funding and would veto the bill.
  He said, ``Ted, I'm the President.''
  I said, ``Sir, I understand that, but you won't be President by the 
time the new planes arrive.''
  There was silence on the other end of the line, and when he finally 
spoke, the President said, ``Ted, do you have a design for these 
planes?''
  I will never forget that because the first time a President flew in 
those new planes was when one of them took the retired President and 
Nancy back to California in 1989.
  This week, President Reagan will fly back to Washington for the last 
time. Thousands of Americans will pay tribute to him in the Capitol 
rotunda and millions more will reflect on his life. Catherine and I 
extend our deepest sympathies to Nancy and the Reagan family, as all of 
us will mourn the loss of a true American hero.


                              Hon. Jon Kyl


                               of arizona

  Mr. President, America mourns the loss of an epoch-making leader, 
Ronald Wilson Reagan.
  As the biographer Lou Cannon has said, Reagan ``possessed a special 
`something' that transcended the appeal of ordinary politicians,'' and 
he knew it. Even so--and this is an important point--he was neither a 
vain man nor in love with power. In not misusing that special appeal 
that he had, he showed such character and goodness. He could have been, 
but was not, a demagog. He was trying to accomplish his exalted vision 
of this country, only that. And in large measure, he succeeded.
  Militarily, he rebuilt America's capacity to defend itself and its 
allies. Reagan's defense buildup led to U.S. victories in the cold war, 
the Persian Gulf war, and beyond. In fact, dealing skillfully with a 
Congress controlled during most of his Presidency by the other party, he 
secured funding for weapons systems that are still being used.
  Diplomatically, he achieved with the Soviet Union, our adversary 
during most of the last century, an accord that eliminated whole classes 
of nuclear weapons from the stockpiles of both countries.
  Politically, he enabled us to regain confidence in America. His 
confidence in his country and its goodness was utterly unshakable, so he 
was just the right leader to rise to the fore when the national spirit 
had been battered by our withdrawal from Vietnam, the scandal of 
Watergate, and the malaise that his predecessor identified but could not 
seem to counteract.
  Economically, he slew the dragon of double-digit inflation. He braved 
unpopularity to stay the course with Paul Volcker, Chairman of the 
Federal Reserve, in tightening the money supply. This steadfastness saw 
the United States through its worst economic crisis in 50 years. The 
economy slid deep into a recession before recovering in late 1982.
  Along with tightening the money supply to kill inflation, Reagan was 
convinced that marginal tax rates must be cut to stimulate growth. These 
anti-inflation and tax policies defied the conventional wisdom of that 
time. But they worked. They gave us what the late, great journalist 
Robert Bartley called ``the seven fat years,'' a time of unprecedented 
job creation and economic expansion in America.
  Even as Ronald Reagan won through in domestic policy, he was a 
statesman who left his mark on the world.
  During his two terms in office, early 1981 to the end of 1988, he 
championed the cause of human rights in the Soviet Union and Central and 
Eastern Europe, standing up for freedom, democracy, and civil society. 
He spoke passionately of God-given rights and said self-government and 
free markets were the only way to vindicate those rights. He wanted the 
people who were living under oppression to regain their dignity, and his 
words gave hope to millions.
  In his 1982 ``Evil Empire'' speech before the British House of 
Commons, President Reagan said:

  While we must be cautious about forcing the pace of change, we must 
not hesitate to declare our ultimate objectives and to take concrete 
actions to move toward them. We must be staunch in our conviction that 
freedom is not the sole prerogative of a lucky few, but the inalienable 
and universal right of all human beings.

  The Reagan administration fostered democracy around the world in the 
eighties, in Central America, South America, Asia. The Philippines, 
Taiwan, and South Korea all liberalized their societies in ways that may 
not have been possible without the Reagan administration's support.
  President Reagan will go down in history for his doctrine of ``peace 
through strength.'' It turned this country around militarily and 
diplomatically and turned the course of the cold war dramatically in our 
favor. It was also a negotiating strategy--just not the right one, it 
turned out--for dealing with a communist power that was ailing 
economically but still aggressive. The Soviet Union had last invaded a 
country the year before he was elected, Afghanistan in 1979. The 
U.S.S.R. was engaged in the seventies in a rapid military buildup. I 
remember also that the prevailing nuclear standoff between the two 
superpowers when Reagan came into office was frightening. They were 
locked in a decades-old equilibrium under which neither attacked the 
other because each could, at the push of a button, destroy the other's 
populations with nuclear weapons. President Reagan once said this 
nuclear standoff, which was called mutual assured destruction, was ``a 
sad commentary on the human condition.''
  He had the courage and the imagination to think of a way out of it: 
erecting a defense against nuclear arms. This would end the practice of 
holding civilian populations hostage to the atomic bomb. It was, he 
believed, both militarily and morally necessary to strike off in this 
new direction. As he pointed the way, he endured heavy criticism and 
even ridicule, but it didn't faze him.
  His idea was brilliant, for even if embarking on this high-tech shield 
against missiles did not lead to a deployable U.S. system right away, he 
knew the Soviets would pour their resources into matching our progress 
toward missile defense. It was a competition they could ill afford. The 
extra burden--economically, and even psychologically, of keeping up with 
missile defense and the entire Reagan military buildup--hastened the 
collapse of the Soviet economy and the communist system itself.
  People who didn't agree with President Reagan called him a saber 
rattler and worse. Opponents wrung their hands at this peace-through-
strength approach, insisting a buildup of U.S. military capabilities 
couldn't possibly help us if the goal was a safer and more peaceful 
world. Yet the critics were wrong. President Reagan, the so-called saber 
rattler, sat down with Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev in Washington in 
December 1987 and the two men signed the Intermediate Nuclear Forces 
Treaty which abolished the use of all intermediate and shorter range 
missiles by the United States and the Soviet Union.
  The following year the Reagan administration created the On-Site 
Inspection Agency to conduct U.S. inspections of Soviet military 
facilities and to aid Soviet inspections at our facilities. The Reagan-
Gorbachev diplomacy set the stage for the 1990 signing between NATO and 
the Warsaw Pact of the Conventional Forces in Europe Treaty.
  One of the well-known personal traits of Ronald Reagan was that he 
didn't care who got credit for successful policies. Goodness knows, his 
detractors, then and even now, will deny him any credit he might deserve 
for making the world safer. He did make the world safer, though. That is 
the truth of it. And history will remember him that way.
  We can say of Ronald Reagan what Lincoln said in praise of his, 
Lincoln's, personal role model Henry Clay:

  He loved his country partly because it was his own country, but mostly 
because it was a free country.

  The role model of our time is Ronald Reagan. His principles are the 
principles we now embrace. They will help us to keep this a free country 
and to help others who want to be free.
  As we continue in the wake of September 11 to fight the war on terror, 
we all take comfort and inspiration from the jaunty optimism and the 
seriousness of purpose of Ronald Reagan. And President George W. Bush 
practices Reagan's doctrine of ``peace through strength.'' He has done 
so by confronting and defeating tyranny in Afghanistan and Iraq; by 
pursuing deployment of missile defenses; by leading the international 
community to stop the spread of weapons of mass destruction; and by 
demonstrating to the world that the United States is willing to rally 
free peoples in defense of our civilization and our democratic way of 
life.
  Thank you, Ronald Reagan, for showing the way.


                           Hon. Sam Brownback


                                of kansas

  Mr. President, I rise to pay tribute to Ronald Reagan, my political 
guiding light. I came to Congress on the second Reagan wave in the 1994 
election, when Republicans took over the House of Representatives. Many 
of us were raised on Ronald Reagan. His was my first Presidential 
campaign in 1976, when I was still a student at Kansas State University. 
I was riding in a tractor in Kansas when I heard the ``Evil Empire'' 
speech. I started pounding on the dashboard, saying, That is right, that 
is right. Then all the pundits came on afterward and said how terrible 
it was. I was a bit confused but decided Reagan was right and the 
pundits were wrong. He went on to prove that.
  He was a great contributor to our time and our legacy. I only had the 
pleasure of meeting Ronald Reagan once. I was a White House fellow in 
the Bush 1 White House. We met him in southern California. People had 
always given examples of his legendary humor. This meeting was no 
exception. We were having a meeting for a period of time, and then one 
of the people with whom I was traveling asked him a question, ``What one 
thing didn't you get done as President that you wish you had gotten 
done.'' I think he had heard this question before and he had given this 
line before, but he tilted his head back, and you could see the glint in 
his eye and the smile comes across the face, and he said, ``I wished I 
had brought back the cavalry.'' That was a line people enjoyed at the 
time, and it was the sort of humorous thing he was so known for in his 
policies. It was part of his greatness.
  While he was a great President, he didn't consider greatness to be 
inherent to him. He considered this country great. He considered the 
position of President to be great. But he wasn't full of the feeling of 
greatness for himself, and he always had self-deprecating humor. That 
was part of him.
  Following on the previous speaker, Senator Kyl, I had a chance several 
years back to talk with Eduard Shevardnadze, Foreign Secretary under 
Mikhail Gorbachev, about when Reagan and Gorbachev were negotiating on 
missile reduction and nuclear weapons reduction. This was a meeting that 
took place within the last 3 or 4 years with Mr. Shevardnadze. I asked 
him to reflect on that time period when we were having a military 
defense buildup here under Ronald Reagan and what took place in the 
Soviet Union in that time period. I wanted to get a measure from him on 
that.
  He said of Reagan:

  Reagan saw the central weakness of the Soviet Union. That was its 
inability to produce goods and services. They were spending somewhere 
between 60 to 80 percent of the GDP of the Soviet Union on the military. 
Along comes Reagan and says: I am moving more chips on the table. You 
will have to match me if you want to stay in this race.

  The Soviet Union then was looking around saying, how do we stay in the 
race when we are putting virtually every chip we have right now into 
this military buildup for the cold war. And it was a long way from 
secure at that point in time that the Soviet Union was going to fall any 
time soon. This was a very well-established, militarily strong country. 
What it forced in the Soviet Union was for them to restructure their 
economy and move to openness to try to get more chips on the table to 
grow their economy.
  They introduced the likes of glasnost and perestroika, openness and 
restructuring of the economy. But when you looked at the totalitarian 
communist system, glasnost and perestroika were inherent inconsistencies 
and led to the demise of the Soviet Union, that along with Ronald 
Reagan's words. These words are from Eduard Shevardnadze. Many talked 
about star wars and how the Soviet Union, at that time when Reagan 
announced star wars--the Soviet Union's leadership sent its best 
scientists to come back and appraise it and tell the political 
leadership if the Americans could do this. The Soviet scientists came 
back after a few months of studying the American proposal--the Reagan 
proposal--for star wars and said we could not. They spent another few 
months looking at it and then returned to the Soviet leadership and said 
if the Americans are willing to stay on this path and put the money into 
doing it, they can do it.
  It sent a shock wave through the leadership in the Soviet system that 
the United States could get this accomplished. Clearly, the deciding 
factor of opening that system led to the demise of the Soviet Union and 
the end of the cold war. There was this wave of freedom for people who 
had been in oppressed societies for their entire existence, and that was 
Ronald Reagan. He understood the source of our national greatness was 
not our wealth or our military power but, rather our belief in the 
dignity of the individual and in the God-given freedom of ordinary 
people to order their lives as they wished. That was the source of his 
view of the United States being a ``shining city on a hill'' and a model 
to people the world over, and an inspiring example of a political system 
that put power in the hands of the people, not bureaucrats or judges. 
That was Ronald Reagan.
  We remember President Reagan for restoring our national confidence at 
a time when our country was on the heels of the Vietnam war and the 
impeachment of a President, uncertain about the way forward. We remember 
him for his staunch defense of innocent, unborn human life--an issue on 
which he never wavered--and for the extraordinary step he took in 
authoring a book as President, entitled ``Abortion and the Conscience of 
the Nation,'' because he felt so strongly about the prolife cause. We 
remember his brave challenge to a new Soviet leader to ``tear down this 
wall,'' because it was an affront to human dignity. We remember his 
vital role in bringing the cold war to an end--an end hastened by both 
President Reagan's military buildup and his revitalization of the 
American economy.
  In all of Ronald Reagan's political life was his passionate belief in 
two core principles: human freedom and human dignity, both inalienable 
because they were given by God. He believed in the unbounded 
inventiveness and ingenuity of the individual freed from the tyranny of 
government but firmly rooted in our recognition of a higher moral 
authority. He understood that, in his words, ``The City of Man cannot 
survive without the City of God, that the Visible City will perish 
without the Invisible City.''
  President Reagan recognized that the vitality of our society and 
culture has always been dependent on the religious faith and practice of 
the people. As he said:

  Those who created our country . . . understood that there is a divine 
order which transcends the human order. They saw the state, in fact, as 
a form of moral order and felt that the bedrock of moral order is 
religion.

  Ronald Reagan was never reticent in speaking about his own faith and 
the primary place it held in his life. In all of these things, President 
Reagan was, and continues to be, an inspiration to millions, and 
certainly to me. He transformed the world for the better, and we are 
thankful he graced this Nation with his life, his example, and his 
divine calling.
  Our thoughts and prayers go out to him and to his family. And for all 
of us who mourn his passing, may we continue to be inspired and elevated 
by all he was, all he achieved, and all he sought for us to be.
  God bless you, Ronald Reagan.


                          Hon. Byron L. Dorgan


                             of north dakota

  Mr. President, I would like to extend my deepest sympathy to the 
Reagan family, and to send a thank you from a grateful Nation to someone 
who served this country so well. And I know that the citizens I 
represent in North Dakota feel the same way.
  President Reagan had a profound impact on the demise of the Soviet 
Union and the end of the cold war. I recall in the eighties, in the 
middle of the cold war, when the lives of two men intersected--Ronald 
Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev. These two men were very different in many 
ways, but they changed the course of history. Together, President Reagan 
and Mikhail Gorbachev sat down together to reduce the threat of nuclear 
weapons, to reduce the stockpile of nuclear weapons in both countries.
  The Soviet Union no longer exists. Eastern Europe and the Warsaw Pact 
no longer exist. The communist threat and cold war that stemmed from 
them is gone. And much of the credit, in my judgment, belongs to 
President Ronald Reagan.
  We all recall the historic occasion when he stood at the wall in 
Berlin and said, ``Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!'' It was a moment 
I will never forget.
  But President Reagan was defined by more than this moment.
  When hundreds of American troops were killed in Lebanon, it was Ronald 
Reagan who went to the press room and said he was accountable. You don't 
see many in politics do that, but he did.
  In 1986, I served on the House Ways and Means Committee, in which we 
provided the most significant tax reform that had been done in many 
decades in this country--under the leadership of a President who said 
let's reduce tax rates for all Americans and get rid of some of the tax 
loopholes. This President led and the Congress followed. I was proud to 
be a part of that.
  His Presidency was not without substantial controversy and difficulty. 
I felt his fiscal policy would produce very large budget deficits, and 
it did. And the Iran-Contra scandal was a serious problem for the 
administration. Yet, despite those problems and setbacks and 
controversies, I think President Reagan provided leadership in some very 
important areas.
  The charm of President Reagan was considerable. He had that cowboy hat 
kind of cocked back on his head. He had movie-star good looks. He had 
that famous smile. He was a great storyteller with a gleam in his eye. 
He told the story often about the pile of manure and the child who 
insisted that if there is a pile of manure, there must be a pony 
somewhere. The President loved to regale people with stories.
  I don't pretend to have known him well, but I sat behind him on the 
west front of the Capitol in 1981, when he gave his inaugural address. I 
recall that he announced to the country that planes had just left the 
tarmac in Iran with the American hostages now freed. It was a gray, cold 
day and the first inaugural of President Reagan. As he began to speak, 
the clouds began to part and rays of sunshine began to come through. It 
was a remarkable moment.
  And I was a freshman Member of the House when, one day, I was called 
to the bank of telephones in the Democratic Cloakroom. They told me it 
was President Reagan calling.
  The President wanted my vote for a policy he was proposing to the 
Congress. I listened to him, but in the end, I felt he was not right on 
that particular issue, and I said I could not support him on it. He 
said, ``Well, you are a good man, and thanks for taking my call.'' It 
was just like him to frame it that way.
  I had the opportunity to have breakfast with him, along with a handful 
of my colleagues, one morning in the White House. Once again, he regaled 
all of us with wonderful, charming stories.
  I have always said that if you could have dinner with anyone, you 
could not do better than Ronald Reagan or Tip O'Neill, both Irish, both 
wonderful people with a wit and a charm, and both great storytellers.
  I believe that for President Reagan, politics was not bitter or 
rancid. In fact, he used to talk about the ``11th commandment'' for his 
party: Thou shalt not speak ill of someone in his own political party. 
It is a commandment that has been long forgotten, regrettably. I am 
afraid that today's politics have taken a turn for the worse.
  President Reagan was aggressive in debate but always respectful. I 
believe he personified the notion that you can disagree without being 
disagreeable.
  He was a man of great strength. After he was shot during an 
assassination attempt--seriously wounded--he was wheeled into the 
hospital emergency room, and he was ready with a quip for the doctors.
  He was a remarkable person. When the Challenger accident occurred and 
this country was horrified by seeing the explosion of the Challenger and 
the death of those astronauts, it was Ronald Reagan who came on 
television and talked about that ill-fated flight. But he did it in such 
an inspiring way, and finished with the refrain from that poem: ``[They 
have] slipped the surly bonds of earth'' and ``touch[ed] the face of 
God.''
  Later in life, as President Reagan lived in retirement in California, 
he began a long journey into the darkness of a devastating illness 
called Alzheimer's. His last statement to the American people was a 
poignant statement, in which he described his illness and its 
consequences.
  This is a man who served his country with great distinction, someone 
with whom I had disagreements from time to time, but someone whom I 
believe is owed the admiration of an entire Nation.
  I am reminded of a book that David McCullough wrote about another 
President, John Adams. In the book, you learn that John Adams wrote to 
his wife Abigail, as our Founding Fathers tried to put this country of 
ours together--and he asked these questions: From where will the 
leadership come? Who will be the leaders? How will the leadership emerge 
to create this new country of ours? And then he would plaintively say to 
his wife: There is only us. There is me. There is Ben Franklin. There is 
George Washington. There is Thomas Jefferson and James Madison. There is 
George Mason.
  Of course, in the rearview mirror of history, we recognize that these 
men were some of the greatest human talent ever assembled on Earth. But 
every generation has asked that same question for this great democracy. 
From where will the leadership come? Who will be the leaders? And this 
country has been fortunate that, in generation after generation, men and 
women of virtually all political persuasions have stepped forward to 
say: Let me serve this great country.
  Ronald Reagan was one of those leaders. He served in California as 
Governor and then served two terms as President of the United States. He 
had, in my judgment, a kind of a peculiar quality, a quality that gave 
him an almost quenchless hope, boundless optimism, an indestructible 
belief that something good was going to happen, and he communicated that 
to a grateful Nation.
  So today we say thank you. Thank you for your service. God bless your 
memory, and God bless your family.


                            Hon. Wayne Allard


                               of colorado

  Mr. President, some people have the capacity to change your life. For 
me, Ronald Reagan was one of those people. Ronald Reagan's message of 
strengthening individual liberties, maintaining a strong national 
defense, cutting through the thicket of government regulations and 
lowering taxes inspired me to run for public office in the eighties. He 
made me believe it is possible to bring about change for the better.
  I first ran for the Colorado State Senate in 1982, the second year of 
Reagan's Presidency, and fought to pass resolutions there supporting the 
policies that the President advocated, such as the balanced budget 
amendment.
  I was a small businessman. I operated a private veterinary practice. 
So Ronald Reagan's vision of strengthening America's small businesses, 
because they are the backbone of our economy and way of life, had a 
great deal of appeal. His belief in small government and cutting taxes 
to allow people to decide how best to spend their own money have been 
two of my guiding principles since I was first elected to public office. 
I believe him to be the father of the modern Republican Party.
  My wife Joan and I never had the opportunity to meet Ronald Reagan 
until he came to Colorado in 1988. Talking to him one on one was an 
emotional high point of my life. We smiled all the way back home to 
Loveland, CO. I have kept his picture hanging in my office, first in the 
U.S. House of Representatives and now in the Senate, ever since.
  It is hard to describe to the young people who live in our vibrant 
economy and confident culture just how unsure and discouraged Americans 
were in the late seventies. Everything that could go wrong had. America 
seemed to be shrinking before our eyes. Those in charge of our 
government had apparently given up on winning the cold war. The Soviet 
Union loomed dangerous and, we were told, invincible. We were being 
admonished to get used to a dysfunctional economy that combined high 
inflation with low growth, a demoralized military, an ever more 
intrusive and intruding government, a depressed and depressing spiritual 
malaise that left many in doubt about our fundamental values. No one 
offered a way out.
  Ronald Reagan's fresh voice of optimism was like manna to our hungry 
spirits. He talked about how our idling economy could regain its 
formidable power. He talked about how great our country was and how much 
greater it could be. He talked about facing down our foes and our fears. 
He talked about restoring American pride and patriotism. He, more than 
any other individual in the second half of the 20th century, brought 
America back from the brink of self-imposed defeat and despair. He made 
us proud once again.
  Ronald Reagan was a monumentally gifted man, and a man of many gifts.
  To those in doubt, he brought the gift of optimism.
  To his supporters and allies, he brought the gift of confidence and 
assurance.
  To an audience, he brought a magnificent gift of humor.
  To his opponents, he brought the gift of disagreeing without being 
disagreeable.
  His gift to the world was even more significant. He brought about the 
end of a cold war that had cast a 50-year shadow of fear over all the 
people on the planet.
  Ronald Reagan never doubted his country's need to defend itself from 
all foes. ``Of the four wars in my lifetime,'' President Reagan said, 
``none came about because the United States was too strong.''
  It is of paramount importance for us to remember, during this period 
of threat and conflict, the wisdom of one of his favorite phrases: 
``Peace through strength.'' Among his greatest achievements was to rearm 
us, to reinvigorate the American military, and to let our adversaries 
know, beyond any doubt, that they were in a race they were not going to 
win.
  In the past 15 years or so, the United States has decisively fought 
and won two significant wars. The keys to those victories were highly 
motivated and skilled combat personnel fighting with unmatched military 
equipment and employing unprecedented tactics.
  How did this renewed and reinvigorated American military might come 
about?
  Let's look back to Ronald Reagan's acceptance speech at the 1980 
Republican Nominating Convention. As only the Great Communicator could, 
he laid out his vision for us with not only clarity, but with a 
conviction that rings true and is still good counsel today.
  He said:

  We are awed--and rightly so--by the forces of destruction at loose in 
the world in this nuclear era. But neither can we be naive or foolish. . 
. . We know only too well that war comes not when the forces of freedom 
are strong, but when they are weak. It is then that tyrants are tempted.

  He added:

  Let our friends and those who may wish us ill take note: the United 
States has an obligation to its citizens and to the people of the world 
never to let those who would destroy freedom dictate the future course 
of human life on this planet. . . . This nation will once again be 
strong enough to do that.

  He was, of course, as good as his word. Once assuming office, 
President Reagan launched a military renaissance that not only led to 
the demise of the Soviet Union, Soviet communism, and the cold war, but 
also set the course for our military leadership that continues to this 
day ensuring our safety.
  President Reagan's initiative was threefold: upgrade our military 
equipment; improve the training and morale of our service men and women 
to improve recruitment and retention; and restore national pride in--and 
global respect of--the U.S. military.
  A major accomplishment of President Reagan's was the development of a 
credible, modern strategic deterrent. He reinvested in our strategic 
ballistic missile weapons inventories, modernized a complement of land, 
sea, and aircraft-based platforms to project our strategic force.
  This display of offensive force proved to be an effective deterrent, 
but President Reagan envisioned a world with far fewer of these 
destructive weapons, and pressed throughout his Presidency for 
significant reductions of nuclear weapons. In 1983, President Reagan 
launched the Strategic Defense Initiative in the hopes of one day 
rendering all such ballistic missiles impotent and obsolete.
  Today we are building on his legacy by deploying strategic missile 
defenses and aggressively eliminating excessive nuclear stockpiles. 
President Reagan's legacy to us, of a safer world, is one we must 
constantly guard and honor.
  There is no doubt that President Reagan was one of the greatest 
Presidents of the modern era. A man of huge confidence and unwavering 
principle, he revived the American spirit, revitalized our economy and 
engineered the fall of communism. He changed the world for the better. 
We share his family's grief, and keep them in our prayers.
  In his memory, let us recommit ourselves to President Reagan's goal of 
ensuring that America always remains the bright, ``shining city on the 
hill.''


                            Hon. Chuck Hagel


                               of nebraska

  Mr. President, on January 20, 1981, Ronald Reagan, after being sworn 
in as the 40th President of the United States, looked out over The Mall 
and addressed the Nation. He told us that the challenges of our day 
required:

  Our best effort and our willingness to believe in ourselves and to 
believe in our capacity to perform great deeds, to believe that together 
with God's help we can and will resolve the problems which now confront 
us. And after all, why shouldn't we believe that? We are Americans.

  I remember the celebrations that evening as if they happened 
yesterday. It was a bitterly cold evening. As our Nation celebrated a 
new beginning, it was as if the cold January winds swept away a Nation's 
doubts and fears and replaced them with a renewed American spirit.
  Ronald Reagan was a unique American leader who understood the 
greatness and the goodness of America. He knew who he was and what he 
believed. Over the last century, no American President was as well 
grounded as Ronald Reagan. He had faith and confidence in the people of 
America, and that trust was reciprocated.
  As much as anyone who came before or after him, Ronald Reagan 
possessed an innate understanding of the significance of the American 
Presidency. Ronald and Nancy Reagan set the gold standard for grace, 
dignity and class in the White House. Reagan understood the weight and 
consequences of his office beyond the borders of the United States. The 
world looked to him as a standard bearer of freedom. Reagan also 
understood the importance of the Presidency to young people. The 
responsibility of being a role model to a nation's youth rested easily 
on his shoulders.
  Ronald Reagan is known as the Great Communicator. While he certainly 
was one of the best communicators ever to hold the Presidency, he was 
far more than just a talented communicator. Reagan was a thinker and a 
writer. He was constantly writing beautiful letters and his speeches in 
longhand. Today, these speeches and letters are national treasures. 
Reagan thought deeply about the great issues of his time without getting 
dragged down into the underbrush of detail and trivia. He was not a 
superfluous man. Our Nation was guided by his clarity of purpose, 
understanding of the purpose of power and the limitations of government.
  Since President Reagan left the American political stage, we have 
missed his imagination and creativity. Since his days of sitting in a 
radio studio doing play-by-play broadcasts for baseball games from news 
wire service copy, he had a genuineness that served him well. He was a 
masterful storyteller. In today's age of processed politics and 
politicians, President Reagan's candor and humor are sorely lacking.
  Ronald Reagan was a child of humble beginnings who never forgot the 
little guy. He believed every American had something special to 
contribute. Reagan let people know that each thread of the American 
fabric mattered. In late September 1980, I was working as an adviser on 
the Reagan-Bush campaign.
  One evening, I was part of a group invited to an estate near 
Middleburg, VA, where then-Governor and Nancy Reagan were staying. They 
wanted to thank us for the work we had done for the campaign with a 
wonderful dinner. As the evening was ending, an aide to Governor Reagan 
asked me to remain after the dinner because Governor Reagan wanted to 
speak with me. I was taken into the house where Governor Reagan was 
staying. He sat down next to me and told me he wanted to talk about 
Vietnam. He wanted to know about my experience and what I thought about 
the war. That was the kind of man he was. He wanted to understand 
things. He wanted to know things and he wanted to make the world better 
than it was.
  Though his individual accomplishments are great, Ronald Reagan will be 
remembered for something far greater than the sum of his individual 
accomplishments; he will be remembered for renewing the American spirit. 
He was a true American original. We will never see one like him again.
  Over the last decade as we struggled to meet the challenges of our 
time, Ronald Reagan slipped away from us. He now belongs to the warmth 
of eternity and the pages of history. However, he has not left us to 
meet our challenges alone. The lessons of his leadership and the 
strength of his spirit that swept across our country on a cold day in 
January 24 years ago, guide us still today.


                            Hon. Don Nickles


                               of oklahoma

  Mr. President, I rise today to pay tribute to a man who meant a great 
deal to me and a great deal to my State and to our country. That, of 
course, is President Ronald Reagan. It is with sadness I learned that he 
recently passed away. But I have great confidence he has moved on to a 
better home. I express my condolences and sympathies to his family and 
also thank them for their generosity in sharing Ronald Reagan with us in 
the public life, both as Governor of the great State of California, and 
also as President of the United States for 8 wonderful years.
  I had the privilege, in the same year as Ronald Reagan was elected 
President, to be elected to the Senate. I have many fond memories of 
Ronald Reagan. I remember very well during his inaugural address when 
the rumors were coming out, and then later confirmed, that the American 
citizens who were held hostage in Iran for 444 days were released. I 
remember the euphoria that came across the stage. I remember the 
euphoria that came across America. It was such an exciting, positive 
change. Americans really felt great. This was suppressing our country, 
the very fact that we had American citizens held hostage for over a 
year, in many cases being beaten or tortured or abused, with American 
flags burning in Tehran continually. It was such a great day when they 
were released.
  I happen to think it was because, in many respects, the leadership of 
Iran decided they did not want to worry about this new President, Ronald 
Reagan, and what actions he might take. I think they made a very good 
decision. I was very pleased they did so. I was very euphoric at the 
time and probably could not have been much more excited at that time.
  When we were sworn in, there were 18 new Senators elected in 1980 and 
sworn in early in 1981. Of the 18, 16 were Republicans. The leadership 
of the Senate changed for the first time, I believe, since 1954. So we 
had new committee chairmen; we had new leadership. Howard Baker assumed 
the responsibility and role as majority leader and did an outstanding 
job. The Senate was a great place to work and to serve, and to work with 
a President as generous, as humorous, and with such strong leadership as 
Ronald Reagan.
  I look at the economy that Ronald Reagan inherited, and I see great 
accomplishments. A lot of people do not remember that in 1980 the 
inflation rate was 13.5 percent and it fell to 4.8 percent by 1989. The 
interest rate in 1980 was 15.27 percent and fell to 10.87 percent by 
1989. Actually, the interest rate had risen to 18.87 percent in 1981. I 
remember that now. Interest rates were at 18 and 19 percent. The 
unemployment rate in 1980 was over 7 percent. In 1981 it reached 7.6 
percent but by 1989 it was down to 5.3 percent.
  So we had record high inflation rates, record high interest rates, and 
maybe not record high but very high unemployment rates. We inherited an 
economy that was going nowhere fast. It was going in the wrong 
direction. You could not afford to build a home. You could not afford to 
expand your business. It was a very difficult time.
  Ronald Reagan came in with such great enthusiasm, such an optimist. He 
did not say, ``let's moan about it,'' but ``let's do something about 
it.'' He had an economic game plan for which we fought, and we passed in 
the House and the Senate. These were remarkable accomplishments when I 
think about it.
  He actually was responsible for pushing Congress, Democrats and 
Republicans, to pass enormous changes in the Tax Code. I happened to 
enjoy working on taxes, and during his 8 years he actually moved the 
maximum tax rate from 70 percent to 28 percent. That is a phenomenal 
accomplishment. Phenomenal. And he was able to do it with a bipartisan 
majority. It was not a strictly partisan House and Senate. As a matter 
of fact, the House was always controlled by the Democrats. Tip O'Neill, 
who was the Democrat leader, the House Speaker at the time, was opposed. 
So we had big confrontations, political confrontations, big battles over 
the tax cuts, and over the budgets. Yet they passed them.
  Even though we had big battles, we had a certain dignity and respect 
in large part because of Ronald Reagan. And because of his affection for 
individuals, Democrats and Republicans, even political adversaries who 
would have political battles still had a collegial, working 
relationship. They respected each other and respected individuals 
regardless of their political philosophy. As a result, he was able to 
enact enormous changes in the Tax Code and budgets, and increase 
defense.
  Ronald Reagan came in with an agenda, and he largely accomplished 
those objectives. The result has been economic freedom in this country.
  He was not satisfied, frankly, with just expanding and improving the 
economic lot of Americans. He wanted to improve the economic lot and the 
freedom of people throughout the world. Ronald Reagan was the leader of 
the free world, and he spoke eloquently and often and encouraged freedom 
through the world and countless countries that have been oppressed or 
suppressed through communist leadership. Ronald Reagan was speaking to 
them. He would go right over the leaders of Congress. If he wanted to 
get something done budgetwise, taxwise, or defensewise, and if Congress 
was not listening, he would go to the American people. And when he would 
travel internationally he would go over the leadership of those 
countries and speak to their people with great success.
  We all remember his speech when he was in Berlin, the speech that 
says: ``Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!''
  The favorite picture of all my memorabilia that I have in my home is a 
picture of me standing before the Berlin Wall, and behind it somebody 
spray-painted on the wall: ``When this wall falls, the rest will, too.'' 
And they did. The Berlin Wall did fall, and I think it was in large part 
because of Ronald Reagan's leadership.
  When that wall fell, other countries that had been suppressed and 
under the reins of the Iron Curtain of communism began speaking up, 
exercising their rights, and demanding freedom and obtaining it.
  Ronald Reagan was the leader in winning the fight in the cold war. As 
Mr. Gorbachev said, probably no one else in the world could have done 
it, but Ronald Reagan did it. And he was able to do it with Mr. 
Gorbachev. Many times they were political adversaries in negotiating 
arms control treaties and so on. Yet they still became friends as only 
Ronald Reagan could do. He could become friends with his adversaries and 
eventually that kind of friendship and bond would lead to arms control 
reduction, would lead to a significant reduction in nuclear weapons, 
would lead to agreements with our NATO allies and other countries to 
expand freedom.
  Ronald Reagan, probably more than any individual since Churchill or 
Roosevelt, was responsible for expanding freedom throughout the world. I 
compliment him for his great contributions in doing so.
  He became somewhat of a role model for many of us. I was elected with 
this group in 1980. Many of us called ourselves Reaganites and 
considered ourselves part of the soldiers in the field trying to get an 
agenda done to expand freedom. I am proud to have been part of that. I 
am proud to have had the opportunity to serve with such a great 
individual.
  I remember many times going down to the White House, talking issues. I 
remember Ronald Reagan almost always having humor, almost always not 
caring who got the credit as long as we accomplished our objective.
  I remember many times he let other people wrestle with the details, 
but he knew where he wanted to go. He knew the course he was trying to 
direct our ship of state, and he managed it very well.
  I have a lot of fond memories. I remember Ronald Reagan coming in to 
campaign for me in 1986. We had him visit Norman, OK, the University of 
Oklahoma, Lloyd Noble Arena. We packed the place. It was more than 
packed. The fire marshal had to turn down people who could not get in. 
We had thousands and thousands of people. I told President Reagan: This 
is Reagan country. They love you here. You don't need to make a prepared 
speech. You can say whatever you want. They will applaud. They love you 
here.
  There was a nice, big sign: ``This is Reagan country.'' Very positive. 
The entire rally speech could not have gone better from my standpoint. 
It was great. Page S6613
  Ronald Reagan concluded his speech. He said, ``That is why we need Don 
Rickles in the Senate.'' And I thought: Did he really say that? I told 
him to wing it, and he did. I have had that honor of being able to call 
myself Don Rickles for a long time.
  But Ronald Reagan leaves a legacy. He leaves a legacy of decency. He 
leaves a legacy of integrity. I think he helped restore so much pride in 
America. He was a true patriot, a patriot who loved this country from 
the very inner core of his being. And it was contagious. It was 
contagious through the fact that not only did he love America, but he 
made Americans feel better about our country.
  He made other people envy us to some extent. They wanted to be like 
us. They wanted to be free. What does America have that we don't have? 
They have freedom, optimism. And that freedom would be economic freedom, 
personal freedom, and political freedom.
  Ronald Reagan wanted to expand it all for all people. He believed 
everybody--even if they lived in China or Russia or North Korea or El 
Salvador--if people were trying to take that freedom away, he was 
freedom's friend. He carried that banner very well.
  He helped people learn to love and respect the United States. I can 
honestly say I have the greatest admiration and respect for Ronald 
Reagan. I loved Ronald Reagan. He has moved this country forward in a 
way that I think all of us can be very proud.
  Again, I express my condolences and sympathy to Nancy Reagan and to 
the family. Nancy Reagan was one great First Lady. The love and 
affection she showed toward her husband throughout not only his 
Presidency and governorship but, frankly, throughout the last 10 years 
is more than commendable, and it is the kind of role model that we 
expect from Nancy Reagan. She is a first-class First Lady, a first-class 
lady for all of us.
  Again, my condolences and sympathy to her. And I thank her and her 
family for allowing us to share Ronald Reagan for many years as the 
leader of our country. He has made this country and this world a much 
better place to live.


                        Hon. Barbara A. Mikulski


                               of maryland

  Mr. President, I, too, rise in memory of President Ronald Reagan. 
President Reagan will be remembered for his strong convictions, his 
unfailing optimism, and his deep and abiding patriotism.
  My heartfelt condolences go out to the Reagan family. They have been 
through so much in the last 10 years.
  Our former First Lady, Nancy Reagan, has met one of the greatest 
challenges that one can face with grace, dignity, and dedication. Her 
courage is a model for the Nation. I know how tremendously difficult it 
is for a family when a loved one has Alzheimer's. My own dear father 
suffered from this disease. And, my family and I know what the long 
goodbye meant. So, I speak for my family, and I think all families who 
have endured this disease when we salute Nancy Reagan as we pay our 
respects to our President.
  Mr. President, as our country reflects on President Reagan's life, 
many will ask, how should we honor him? I believe the greatest tribute 
we could give to President Reagan and the Reagan family is a living 
memorial, something that he would want to see us do, not something we 
would like to do, and something that would have lasting value. 
Therefore, I would like to issue a bipartisan call to support 
legislation that Senator Kit Bond and I will be introducing next week, 
legislation to create breakthroughs for Alzheimer's disease.
  Let's honor President Reagan's life with new research and new 
initiatives on how to prevent Alzheimer's, how to care for those who 
have it, how to support the gallant caregivers, and how, ultimately, to 
find a cure.
  President Reagan was a man of vigor. Let's attack Alzheimer's with the 
same type of vigor that President Reagan demonstrated during his life.
  The time to act for real breakthroughs is now. Just last month, 
Senator Bond and I held a hearing on Alzheimer's research. Expert after 
expert told us: We are on the verge of amazing breakthroughs; we will 
lose opportunities if we don't move quickly; we are at a crucial point 
where National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding can make a real 
difference.
  Researchers, families, and advocates all said the same thing, we need 
to do more, we need to do better.
  Let's answer that call by introducing and passing the Ronald Reagan 
Alzheimer's Breakthrough Act of 2004.
  Friends, we are on the brink of something that could make a huge 
difference in the lives of American families. We know that families face 
great difficulties when a loved one has Alzheimer's. There is great 
emotional cost as well as financial cost. We know that for our public 
investment we could get new treatments that would prolong a patient's 
cognitive abilities.
  Each month we delay admission to a long-term care facility is 
important to the family and to the taxpayer. Everybody wants a cure; 
that is our ultimate goal. But even if we keep people at home for 1 or 2 
more years, to help them with their memory, their activities of daily 
living, it would be an incredible breakthrough, and what a great tribute 
it would be to President Reagan.
  It is amazing how far we have come. From the time President Reagan 
took office in 1981 until the time he wrote that incredibly moving 
goodbye letter to the Nation--and I note it with great emotion because, 
again, I know how my own father felt. Back in the early eighties, when 
President Reagan first came to office, Alzheimer's was a catch-all term. 
Today, doctors diagnose Alzheimer's with 90-percent accuracy. Every day 
NIH is making progress to identify risks, looking at new kinds of brain 
scans for appropriate detection, and understanding what this disease 
does to the brain.
  How did we get this far, this fast? With a bipartisan commitment like 
the one represented by Senator Bond, Senators Specter and Harkin, the 
Alzheimer's Task Force that is led by Senators Collins and Clinton, and 
all of us who are working on this issue. With a bipartisan commitment of 
the authorizers and appropriators, we have been working to increase the 
funding for the National Institute on Aging. Remember, there are 19 
institutes at the NIH. One of them is the National Institute of Aging.
  In 1998 the National Institute on Aging was funded at approximately 
$500 million. Thanks to our bipartisan effort, it is at $1 billion. Now 
is the time to do more.
  That is why I want to join with my esteemed colleague, Senator Kit 
Bond, who himself has been a very strong advocate for research and 
breakthroughs, to introduce the Ronald Reagan Alzheimer's Breakthrough 
Act of 2004.
  We want to strengthen our national commitment to Alzheimer's research, 
to increase and double the funding of research at NIA, to give them the 
resources they need to make those breakthroughs they say they are on the 
horizon of doing. This will mean more clinical trials to test the best 
way to detect, prevent, and treat Alzheimer's.
  NIH is looking at a range of behaviors and therapies that can make an 
incredible difference.
  In our legislation, we also call for a national summit on Alzheimer's 
to bring together the best minds to examine current research, to look at 
priorities, and also to look at how we can help families.
  While we are looking at research to find the cure or the cognitive 
stretch out, we have to support the caregivers. God bless the 
caregivers. These are family members, often spouses, who take care of 
someone with Alzheimer's. The first caregiver is always the family. We 
saw that with Nancy Reagan who went from being First Lady to first 
caregiver.
  We need to support families. We need to give help to those families 
practicing self-help. We now have legislation on the books to do that. 
But, we need to add more to the Federal checkbook. Most families don't 
know where to turn to get what services are available. I have a family 
caregiver tax credit that would reimburse families for prescription 
drugs, home health care, and specialized daycare. Too often, for 
families with Alzheimer's, family responsibility brings them to the 
brink of family bankruptcy.
  There are other things we want to be able to do with this legislation, 
such as providing news people can use. The legislation would establish a 
network so information can get out people about the advances, and things 
that could be done right now to slow the onset of symptoms. We need to 
get the word out, such as the wonderful program developed by the 
Alzheimer's Association called ``Maintain Your Brain.'' But private 
philanthropy cannot be a substitute for public policy and public 
funding. We have to fund these initiatives.
  I believe very strongly in this. There are 4.5 million people with 
Alzheimer's. They live in every State, in cities and suburbs and on 
farms. They are from every walk of life, like my father, who owned a 
small grocery store, or a man who was the President of the United 
States. Alzheimer's is an all-American disease. It affected an all-
American President. Now we need an all-American effort to find the 
breakthroughs.
  I encourage everyone to consider this when Senator Bond and I 
introduce this legislation. This research and treatment is very 
important. I do not want to be so bold as to speak for Mrs. Reagan, but 
based on what I know she has gone through and what other families have 
gone through, I believe the legacy she would approve of is an all-
American effort--an effort to speed up the day when no family ever has 
to have that very long goodbye.


                        Hon. Christopher S. Bond


                               of missouri

  Mr. President, I thank and commend my colleague from Maryland who has 
been a great champion of the effort to deal with the terribly 
distressing and fatal disease of Alzheimer's in proposing--and I am 
happy to join her--a measure to honor Ronald Reagan, his memory, his 
life, his work, and his family with a living tribute, a redoubled effort 
on behalf of this Nation to deal with Alzheimer's.
  Senator Mikulski and others who have lived with and lost a loved one 
from Alzheimer's can say very clearly how difficult it must have been 
for Mrs. Reagan and the Reagan family as this true leader went through 
the final stages of his life, crippled and debilitated by Alzheimer's, 
to see this man who was so vigorous, who had contributed so much be 
reduced to the indignities of Alzheimer's.
  His life and legacy can be honored in many ways. People will remember 
him for many reasons. I will speak of those in a moment. But by 
increasing research for Alzheimer's disease, helping to limit the number 
and maybe even eliminate Alzheimer's, providing assistance to families 
who must deal with patients with Alzheimer's, and providing assistance 
in identifying and preventing Alzheimer's is vitally important.
  One of the facts that struck me as we listened to the experts was that 
as we get older more and more of us are going to suffer from Alzheimer's 
disease. We were told in our hearing about a month ago that if you reach 
85, you have a 50-percent chance of getting Alzheimer's disease. What a 
tragic figure. There is something we must do, and we believe this 
legislation is one way of making a major effort, showing a commitment, 
reaching out a hand of hope to the families of those who have 
Alzheimer's, providing information to all of us on what we might be able 
to do to lessen the likelihood we will be struck with Alzheimer's.
  As Senator Mikulski said, this bill will serve as a tribute to 
President Reagan by doubling the funding for Alzheimer's research at the 
National Institutes of Health. It would increase funding for the 
National Family Caregiver Support Program to $250 million. It would 
reauthorize the Alzheimer's demonstration grant program that provides 
grants to States to fill in gaps in Alzheimer's services, such as 
respite care, home health care, and daycare.
  I have done a fair amount of work in home care and daycare. I can tell 
you that a family living with a patient with Alzheimer's needs a break. 
They need someone to care for that loved one so they can get out and 
renew their batteries, refresh their view on life. This can help.
  We would authorize $1 million for a safe return program to assist in 
the identification and safe, timely return of individuals with 
Alzheimer's disease and related dementias who too frequently wander off 
from their caregivers. We hear the tragedies where they can't find their 
way home and fall victim to natural or even automobile accidents while 
they are gone. We would establish a public education program to educate 
members of the public about prevention techniques, how you can maintain 
your brain, as you age, based on the current research being undertaken 
by NIH.
  We would establish a $5,000 tax credit to help with the high health 
costs of caring for a loved one at home.
  Today, as Senator Mikulski said, about 4.5 million Americans have 
Alzheimer's, costing about $100 billion a year. But if current trends 
continue, and as more of us age, by 2050, 11 to 16 million individuals 
could have this disease.
  Over the past 20 years tremendous progress has been made in the 
prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of Alzheimer's. It is now possible 
to diagnose Alzheimer's with more than 90-percent accuracy. There are 
new drugs, new treatments introduced each year, and investments in 
research have set the stage for scientific and medical advances to 
prevent or slow down the progression of Alzheimer's. Quite frankly, most 
of the successful research to date has been in slowing the impact, not 
preventing it. But this research offers hope for the 4.5 million people 
and their families who suffer from the disease today.
  These are some of what we can do as an honor to the President. It is 
my great pleasure to speak in this Chamber about the life and leadership 
and the truly remarkable legacy of the 40th President of the United 
States, Ronald Reagan.
  We mourn his loss. We pray for comfort for his family. But most of 
all, we give thanks for his life, his leadership, and his contributions. 
Truly, he is a man who changed the mood of the country. He changed the 
economy of the country. And in many ways, he changed the mood and the 
attitude of the world.
  People talk about President Reagan as the Great Communicator. Nobody 
could deliver a line better than he could. But do you know something 
about communication? Communication is only as good as the message you 
have to communicate. The power of Ronald Reagan was that he delivered 
with enthusiasm, with optimism, with cheer, with love, a message of 
hope, freedom, and opportunity, not just for Americans but for the 
world.
  I had the pleasure of getting to know Ronald Reagan. He was a 
genuinely optimistic person who brought the spirit of optimism and hope 
to us as Americans and to enslaved peoples around the world. Ronald 
Reagan was a man who took disappointment and moved on. He was a man of 
unfailing good humor, care, and thoughtfulness. Even people who 
disagreed with his policies across the board could not help but like 
him.
  And those of us who may have disappointed him found it did not 
interfere with his friendship. He campaigned for me in 1972 when I was a 
33-year-old kid running for Governor of the State of Missouri. I had 
never seen anything like it. When he came into town, we had all of the 
security and escorts. But it wasn't until he went up on stage and 
started making his presentation that I saw what it was that had brought 
so many people from southwest Missouri in to hear this leader. He had a 
message then--the same message--of optimism, growth, and hope for the 
future.
  I was fortunate enough to be elected and to serve with him for 2 
years. Two years after that, I hosted the Republican National 
Convention, and I had made a commitment to our President at the time, 
who selected our State for the national convention. So I supported him 
and not President Reagan. But about 10 years later, when I was running 
for the Senate, he came to Missouri three times and he put on the most 
amazing campaign rallies I ever had. We still talk about it, because 
people came to hear his message. I stood there, side by side with Jack 
Danforth, and we smiled and glowed in the wonderful feeling he 
generated. He helped me a great deal.
  President Reagan helped the United States. He came to the Presidency 
at a time when a lot of people were saying maybe the Presidency cannot 
work, maybe nobody can govern this country, maybe it is too much to 
expect somebody to lead. Well, he led very boldly. Quite simply, he 
thought that if you returned tax dollars to the average American and 
took off the fetters on small business, you would create jobs and build 
the economy. By the significant lowering of the tax rates, as my friend 
from Oklahoma, Senator Nickles, said, he put money back into the pockets 
of small businesses, and small business became the engine of economic 
growth, creating three-quarters of the new jobs. He built an economy, 
and that economy allowed us to put money into defense.
  He tried to negotiate with the Soviets. He asked Mr. Gorbachev if he 
would sit down and talk with him about how we could end the competition 
between Soviet communism and the United States. Mr. Gorbachev didn't 
respond. So he built up our defenses and showed the Russians, the 
Soviets, that they could not defeat us. He went boldly to Berlin and 
called on Mr. Gorbachev--much to the distress of the State Department, I 
might add, and some of his own team--``Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this 
wall!''
  Well, that wall came down literally and figuratively. He had a message 
that went far beyond Mr. Gorbachev. That message went to the enslaved 
peoples behind the Iron Curtain. I had the pleasure of visiting some of 
those countries right before and right after they fell, a few years 
after President Reagan had set in motion the inexorable machine of 
freedom. His message of hope, freedom, and opportunity continues to 
reverberate around the world. I have had the pleasure of meeting with 
people and traveling to other countries and seeing how this message--the 
American dream--he championed is taking hold. He wasn't the only one 
responsible for it, but we never had a better proponent of it. I believe 
this message of the American hopes and the American ideals, for which 
Ronald Reagan spoke so eloquently, is winning the battle.
  Finally, in his last and boldest move, when Ronald Reagan learned he 
had Alzheimer's--a disease which was not spoken about often because 
people hated to think of what would happen to their loved ones, so they 
didn't talk about it--he said, ``I have . . . Alzheimer's disease,'' and 
Americans woke up and they thought, this is a world leader who is 
suffering from this disease; let's do something about it. Let's get 
serious about Alzheimer's disease. That public announcement gave us a 
push that I believe we can continue by carrying on with his work with a 
living memorial.
  So as we say goodbye to this remarkable American, we join in our 
prayers and thoughts with Mrs. Nancy Reagan and her family, and we 
celebrate the life of a great American who made a real difference for 
people throughout the world. Let us honor his memory by helping millions 
more whom we might be able to save from the scourge of Alzheimer's 
disease and the burdens and the sorrow that imposes on their families.


                            Hon. Gordon Smith


                                of oregon

  Mr. President, in the elections of 1980 and 1984, the State of Oregon 
sent its electors to the electoral college to vote for Ronald Reagan. He 
was the last Republican to win the State of Oregon in a Presidential 
election, and he did so at a time of great peril both for my State and 
our country.
  When that occurred, America was in economic malaise, communism seemed 
to be in its ascendancy, and America was struggling for leadership. 
Winston Churchill once said of a predecessor as British Prime Minister, 
``He had had the misfortune to live in a time of great men and small 
events.'' When you think of where America was and where it ended after 8 
years of the administration of Ronald Reagan, truly it can be said that 
all free men and women are better and freer, more prosperous and more at 
peace because Ronald Reagan was a great man called to a great time.
  As I contemplated what I could do in my small way to add some measure 
of tribute to the life of Ronald Reagan and to express to Nancy Reagan 
and her family my heartfelt condolences, I thought I should keep my 
words to a minimum and focus, instead, on the warm and wise words of 
President Reagan in his farewell address. It has been the practice of 
the Senate for the last 140 years that on or around the birthday of 
George Washington, a Senator is selected to read Washington's farewell 
address. I thought I would begin that tradition this day, with President 
Reagan's great speech, to come to the floor on or around President 
Reagan's birthday, and share his speech--or if one of my colleagues 
would like to do so, I would offer them the opportunity. I believe that 
this new tradition would be a fitting tribute to Ronald Reagan, to let 
Ronald Reagan's words speak again to the American people, far more 
eloquently than I could on an occasion when we all struggle to find the 
right superlatives to say thank you to him.
  So with the Chair's indulgence, I will read the farewell address of 
President Ronald Reagan, given shortly before he left the Oval Office 
and George Herbert Walker Bush became the President.
  The words of President Reagan:

                            Farewell Address


  This is the 34th time I'll speak to you from the Oval Office and the 
last. We've been together eight years now, and soon it'll be time for me 
to go. But before I do, I wanted to share some thoughts, some of which 
I've been saving for a long time.

  It's been the honor of my life to be your president. So many of you 
have written the past few weeks to say thanks, but I could say as much 
to you. Nancy and I are grateful for the opportunity you gave us to 
serve.

  One of the things about the presidency is that you're always somewhat 
apart. You spend a lot of time going by too fast in a car someone else 
is driving, and seeing the people through tinted glass--the parents 
holding up a child, and the wave you saw too late and couldn't return. 
And so many times I wanted to stop and reach out from behind the glass, 
and connect. Well, maybe I can do a little of that tonight.

  People ask how I feel about leaving. And the fact is, ``parting is 
such sweet sorrow.'' The sweet part is California, and the ranch and 
freedom. The sorrow--the goodbyes, of course, and leaving this beautiful 
place.

  You know, down the hall and up the stairs from this office is the part 
of the White House where the president and his family live. There are a 
few favorite windows I have up there that I like to stand and look out 
of early in the morning. The view is over the grounds here to the 
Washington Monument, and then the Mall and the Jefferson Memorial. But 
on mornings when the humidity is low, you can see past the Jefferson to 
the river, the Potomac, and the Virginia shore. Someone said that's the 
view Lincoln had when he saw the smoke rising from the Battle of Bull 
Run. I see more prosaic things: the grass on the banks, the morning 
traffic as people make their way to work, now and then a sailboat on the 
river.

  I've been thinking a bit at that window. I've been reflecting on what 
the past eight years have meant and mean. And the image that comes to 
mind like a refrain is a nautical one--a small story about a big ship, 
and a refugee and a sailor. It was back in the early eighties, at the 
height of the boat people. And the sailor was hard at work on the 
carrier Midway, which was patrolling the South China Sea. The sailor, 
like most American servicemen, was young, smart, and fiercely observant. 
The crew spied on the horizon a leaky little boat. And crammed inside 
were refugees from Indochina hoping to get to America. The Midway sent a 
small launch to bring them to the ship and safety. As the refugees made 
their way through the choppy seas, one spied the sailor on deck, and 
stood up, and called out to him. He yelled, ``Hello, American sailor. 
Hello, freedom man.''

  A small moment with a big meaning, a moment the sailor, who wrote it 
in a letter, couldn't get out of his mind. And, when I saw it, neither 
could I. Because that's what it was to be an American in the eighties. 
We stood, again, for freedom. I know we always have, but in the past few 
years the world again, and in a way, we ourselves rediscovered it.

  It's been quite a journey this decade, and we held together through 
some stormy seas. And at the end, together, we are reaching our 
destination.

  The fact is, from Grenada to the Washington and Moscow summits, from 
the recession of 1981 to 1982, to the expansion that began in late 1982 
and continues to this day, we've made a difference. The way I see it, 
there were two great triumphs, two things that I'm proudest of. One is 
the economic recovery, in which the people of America created--and 
filled--19 million new jobs. The other is the recovery of our morale. 
America is respected again in the world and looked to for leadership.

  Something that happened to me a few years ago reflects some of this. 
It was back in 1981, and I was attending my first big economic summit, 
which was held that year in Canada. The meeting place rotates among the 
member countries. The opening meeting was a formal dinner for the heads 
of government of the seven industrialized nations. Now, I sat there like 
the new kid in school and listened, and it was all Francois this and 
Helmut that. They dropped titles and spoke to one another on a first-
name basis. Well, at one point I sort of leaned in and said, ``My name's 
Ron.'' Well, in that same year, we began the actions we felt would 
ignite an economic comeback--cut taxes and regulation, started to cut 
spending. And soon the recovery began.

  Two years later, another economic summit with pretty much the same 
cast. At the big opening meeting we all got together, and all of a 
sudden, just for a moment, I saw that everyone was just sitting there 
looking at me. And one of them broke the silence. ``Tell us about the 
American miracle,'' he said.

  Well, back in 1980, when I was running for president, it was all so 
different. Some pundits said our programs would result in catastrophe. 
Our views on foreign affairs would cause war. Our plans for the economy 
would cause inflation to soar and bring about economic collapse. I even 
remember one highly respected economist saying, back in 1982, that ``the 
engines of economic growth have shut down here, and they're likely to 
stay that way for years to come.'' Well, he and the other opinion 
leaders were wrong. The fact is, what they called ``radical'' was really 
``right.'' What they called ``dangerous'' was just ``desperately 
needed.''

  And in all of that time I won a nickname, ``The Great Communicator.'' 
But I never thought it was my style or the words I used that made a 
difference: It was the content. I wasn't a great communicator, but I 
communicated great things, and they didn't spring full bloom from my 
brow, they came from the heart of a great nation--from our experience, 
our wisdom, and our belief in principles that have guided us for two 
centuries. They called it the Reagan revolution. Well, I'll accept that, 
but for me it always seemed more like the great rediscovery, a 
rediscovery of our values and our common sense.

  Common sense told us that when you put a big tax on something, the 
people will produce less of it. So, we cut the people's tax rates, and 
the people produced more than ever before. The economy bloomed like a 
plant that had been cut back and could now grow quicker and stronger. 
Our economic program brought about the longest peacetime expansion in 
our history: real family income up, the poverty rate down, 
entrepreneurship booming, and an explosion in research and new 
technology. We're exporting more than ever because American industry 
became more competitive and at the same time, we summoned the national 
will to knock down protectionist walls abroad instead of erecting them 
at home. Common sense also told us that to preserve the peace, we'd have 
to become strong again after years of weakness and confusion. So, we 
rebuilt our defenses, and this New Year we toasted the new peacefulness 
around the globe. Not only have the superpowers actually begun to reduce 
their stockpiles of nuclear weapons--and hope for even more progress is 
bright--but the regional conflicts that rack the globe are also 
beginning to cease. The Persian Gulf is no longer a war zone. The 
Soviets are leaving Afghanistan. The Vietnamese are preparing to pull 
out of Cambodia, and an American-mediated accord will soon send 50,000 
Cuban troops home from Angola.

  The lesson of all this was, of course, that because we're a great 
nation, our challenges seem complex. It will always be this way. But as 
long as we remember our first principles and believe in ourselves, the 
future will always be ours. And something else we learned: Once you 
begin a great movement, there's no telling where it will end. We meant 
to change a nation, and instead, we changed a world.

  Countries across the globe are turning to free markets and free speech 
and turning away from ideologies of the past. For them, the great 
rediscovery of the 1980s has been that, lo and behold, the moral way of 
government is the practical way of government: Democracy, the profoundly 
good, is also the profoundly productive.

  When you've got to the point when you can celebrate the anniversaries 
of your 39th birthday, you can sit back sometimes, review your life, and 
see it flowing before you. For me there was a fork in the river, and it 
was right in the middle of my life. I never meant to go into politics. 
It wasn't my intention when I was young. But I was raised to believe you 
had to pay your way for the blessings bestowed on you. I was happy with 
my career in the entertainment world, but I ultimately went into 
politics because I wanted to protect something precious.

  Ours was the first revolution in the history of mankind that truly 
reversed the course of government, and with three little words: ``We the 
people.'' ``We the people'' tell the government what to do; it doesn't 
tell us. ``We the people'' are the driver, the government is the car. 
And we decide where it should go, and by what route, and how fast. 
Almost all the world's constitutions are documents in which governments 
tell the people what their privileges are. Our Constitution is a 
document in which ``We the people'' tell the government what it is 
allowed to do. ``We the people'' are free. This belief has been the 
underyling basis for everything I've tried to do these past eight years.

  But back in the 1960s, when I began, it seemed to me that we'd begun 
reversing the order of things--that through more and more rules and 
regulations and confiscatory taxes, the government was taking more of 
our money, more of our options, and more of our freedom. I went into 
politics in part to put up my hand and say, ``Stop.'' I was a citizen 
politician, and it seemed the right thing for a citizen to do.

  I think we have stopped a lot of what needed stopping. And I hope we 
have once again reminded people that man is not free unless government 
is limited. There's a clear cause and effect here that is as neat and 
predictable as a law of physics: As government expands, liberty 
contracts.

  Nothing is less free than pure communism--and yet we have, the past 
few years, forged a satisfying new closeness with the Soviet Union. I've 
been asked if this isn't a gamble, and my answer is no because we're 
basing our actions not on words but deeds. The detente of the 1970s was 
based not on actions but promises. They'd promise to treat their own 
people and the people of the world better. But the gulag was still the 
gulag, and the state was still expansionist, and they still waged proxy 
wars in Africa, Asia, and Latin America.

  Well, this time, so far, it's different. President Gorbachev has 
brought about some internal democratic reforms and begun the withdrawal 
from Afghanistan. He has also freed prisoners whose names I've given him 
every time we've met.

  But life has a way of reminding you of big things through small 
incidents. Once, during the heady days of the Moscow summit, Nancy and I 
decided to break off from the entourage one afternoon to visit the shops 
on Arbat Street--that's a little street just off Moscow's main shopping 
area. Even though our visit was a surprise, every Russian there 
immediately recognized us and called out our names and reached for our 
hands. We were just about swept away by the warmth. You could almost 
feel the possibilities in all that joy. But within seconds, a KGB detail 
pushed their way toward us and began pushing and shoving the people in 
the crowd. It was an interesting moment. It reminded me that while the 
man on the street in the Soviet Union yearns for peace, the government 
is Communist. And those who run it are Communists, and that means we and 
they view such issues as freedom and human rights very differently.

  We must keep up our guard, but we must also continue to work together 
to lessen and eliminate tension and mistrust. My view is that President 
Gorbachev is different from previous Soviet leaders. I think he knows 
some of the things wrong with his society and is trying to fix them. We 
wish him well. And we'll continue to work to make sure that the Soviet 
Union that eventually emerges from this process is a less threatening 
one. What it all boils down to is this: I want the new closeness to 
continue. And it will, as long as we make it clear that we will continue 
to act in a certain way as long as they continue to act in a helpful 
manner. If and when they don't, at first pull your punches. If they 
persist, pull the plug. It's still trust but verify. It's still play, 
but cut the cards. It's still watch closely. And don't be afraid to see 
what you see.

  I've been asked if I have any regrets. Well, I do. The deficit is one. 
I've been talking a great deal about that lately, but tonight isn't for 
arguments. And I'm going to hold my tongue. But an observation: I've had 
my share of victories in the Congress, but what few people noticed is 
that I never won anything you didn't win for me. They never saw my 
troops, they never saw Reagan's regiments, the American people. You won 
every battle with every call you made and letter you wrote demanding 
action. Well, action is still needed. If we're to finish the job, 
Reagan's regiments will have to become the Bush brigades. Soon he'll be 
the chief, and he'll need you every bit as much as I did. Finally, there 
is a great tradition of warnings in Presidential farewells, and I've got 
one that's been on my mind for some time. But oddly enough it starts 
with one of the things I'm proudest of in the past eight years: the 
resurgence of national pride that I called the new patriotism. This 
national feeling is good, but it won't count for much, and it won't last 
unless it's grounded in thoughtfulness and knowledge.

  An informed patriotism is what we want. And are we doing a good enough 
job teaching our children what America is and what she represents in the 
long history of the world? Those of us who are over 35 or so years of 
age grew up in a different America. We were taught, very directly, what 
it means to be an American. And we absorbed, almost in the air, a love 
of country and an appreciation of its institutions. If you didn't get 
these things from your family, you got them from the neighborhood, from 
the father down the street who fought in Korea or the family who lost 
someone at Anzio. Or you could get a sense of patriotism from school. 
And if all else failed, you could get a sense of patriotism from popular 
culture. The movies celebrated democratic values and implicitly 
reinforced the idea that America was special. TV was like that, too, 
through the mid-sixties.

  But now, we're about to enter the nineties, and some things have 
changed. Younger parents aren't sure that an unambivalent appreciation 
of America is the right thing to teach modern children. And as for those 
who create the popular culture, well-grounded patriotism is no longer 
the style. Our spirit is back, but we haven't reinstitutionalized it. 
We've got to do a better job of getting across that America is freedom--
freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of enterprise. And 
freedom is special and rare. It's fragile; it needs protection.

  So, we've got to teach history based not on what's in fashion but 
what's important: Why the Pilgrims came here, who Jimmy Doolittle was, 
and what those 30 seconds over Tokyo meant. You know, four years ago on 
the 40th anniversary of D-Day, I read a letter from a young woman 
writing of her late father, who'd fought on Omaha Beach. Her name was 
Lisa Zanatta Henn, and she said, ``We will always remember, we will 
never forget what the boys of Normandy did.'' Well, let's help her keep 
her word. If we forget what we did, we won't know who we are. I'm 
warning of an eradication of the American memory that could result, 
ultimately, in an erosion of the American spirit. Let's start with some 
basics: more attention to American history and a greater emphasis on 
civic ritual. And let me offer lesson No. 1 about America: All great 
change in America begins at the dinner table. So, tomorrow night in the 
kitchen I hope the talking begins. And children, if your parents haven't 
been teaching you what it means to be an American, let 'em know and nail 
'em on it. That would be a very American thing to do.

  And that's about all I have to say tonight. Except for one thing. The 
past few days when I've been at that window upstairs, I've thought a bit 
of the ``shining city upon a hill.'' The phrase comes from John 
Winthrop, who wrote it to describe the America he imagined. What he 
imagined was important because he was an early Pilgrim, an early freedom 
man. He journeyed here on what today we'd call a little wooden boat; and 
like the other Pilgrims, he was looking for a home that would be free.

  I've spoken of the shining city all my political life, but I don't 
know if I ever quite communicated what I saw when I said it. But in my 
mind it was a tall proud city built on rocks stronger than oceans, wind-
swept, God-blessed, and teeming with people of all kinds living in 
harmony and peace, a city with free ports that hummed with commerce and 
creativity, and if there had to be city walls, the walls had doors and 
the doors were open to anyone with the will and the heart to get here. 
That's how I saw it and see it still.

  And how stands the city on this winter night? More prosperous, more 
secure, and happier than it was eight years ago. But more than that; 
after 200 years, two centuries, she still stands strong and true on the 
granite ridge, and her glow has held steady no matter what storm. And 
she's still a beacon, still a magnet for all who must have freedom, for 
all the pilgrims from all the lost places who are hurtling through the 
darkness, toward home.

  We've done our part. And as I walk off into the city streets, a final 
word to the men and women of the Reagan revolution, the men and women 
across America who for eight years did the work that brought America 
back. My friends: We did it. We weren't just marking time. We made a 
difference. We made the city stronger. We made the city freer, and we 
left her in good hands. All in all, not bad, not bad at all.

  And so, good-bye, God bless you, and God bless the United States of 
America.

  I would only add, God bless Ronald and Nancy Reagan, and God bless the 
United States of America.


                             Hon. Mike Enzi


                               of wyoming

  Mr. President, this past weekend, the news quickly made its way across 
the country and around the world. Ronald Reagan, our 40th President, had 
died. For many of us, we received the news with a mixture of sadness 
together with a sense of relief that his long battle with illness was 
now over and he had now found peace at the end of his life.
  I first met Ronald Reagan when I was president of the Wyoming Jaycees 
at the National Convention which was held in California, and he was the 
Governor. I next met the President when I was mayor of Gillette, WY, and 
the National League of Cities held its national meeting and the 
President flew to California and addressed it.
  Now the greatest thinkers and writers will take up their pens in an 
attempt to determine his place in history and his significance as one of 
our greatest Presidents. For those of us who observed his service as our 
President and admired his leadership, those questions had been long 
since answered. For us, his place in history was long ago determined by 
his place in our hearts.
  Many of those who will examine his life in detail will tell a story 
about a man who was born without the great privileges and trappings you 
might expect of such a successful life. That is true, but there is so 
much more to the story.
  Ronald Reagan was born in Illinois, the son of a traveling shoe 
salesman. Growing up he was strongly influenced by his mother who taught 
him how to read at an early age. She urged him to read good books that 
would encourage him to dream and set goals in his life. She knew that he 
could be anything he wanted to be if he was willing to work hard and 
expect more of himself than anyone else had any reason to expect. That, 
more than anything else, really determined his character and ultimately 
mapped his destiny.
  His natural confidence and determination began to show itself during 
his school years and again, later, when he began his career as an actor. 
He was a natural leader and he took a leadership role at virtually every 
stage of his life. In his college days he served as student body 
president. In his acting days he served as the president of the Screen 
Actors Guild. In between he worked hard and built a career as a 
successful actor in film and on television.
  If that had been all he had done, it would have been a remarkable 
life. He would have earned the rags to riches label and inspired others 
to follow his path just by his success in Hollywood and on television. 
That would have been enough for just about everyone. It was not, 
however, enough for Ronald Reagan.
  With his beloved wife, Nancy, by his side, Ronald Reagan began to 
pursue his dream. He wanted to make a greater impact on the world than 
he could by being a television and movie star, so he began to take a 
more active role in politics. He discovered he had a talent for that, 
too. After a great deal of thought and deliberation, he decided to put 
his vision for America to the test. He took his case to the people and 
began a run for Governor of California.
  People thought it was an impossible dream and he could never win a 
State like California. Ronald Reagan proved them wrong. He put together 
a coalition of both Republican and Democratic voters and, when all the 
votes were counted, he had made it happen and he was elected Governor by 
almost 1 million votes.
  Reagan then set his sights on the Presidency of the United States and, 
after a narrow loss to Gerald Ford, he spent the next few years 
traveling around the country, sharing his dream for a better United 
States with the people who came to hear him speak. Many doubted he could 
do it, but once again, he found the support he needed to win the 
Republican nomination. The contest for the Presidency put him up against 
an incumbent who talked about the serious problems facing the Nation. 
Ronald Reagan, on the other hand, spoke with passionate certainty that 
working together the Nation could overcome them. When the votes were 
counted, Ronald Reagan had won the Presidency in a landslide.
  As President, Ronald Reagan proved himself to be a man of principle, 
someone who said what he believed and believed what he said. He had 
excellent communication skills, and his speeches on television were 
extremely effective.
  When he took the oath of office as our 40th President, he took over 
the reins of a country that had great problems. He had often referred to 
our economic woes as the ``misery index.'' There was high inflation, 
high interest rates, and high unemployment. Perhaps worst of all, the 
Nation seemed to have lost its confidence in its ability to dare to do 
great things--and succeed.
  There was a lot of doubt and cynicism that any one individual could do 
much to change things and reenergize the Nation. Again, Ronald Reagan 
proved the doubters wrong. As President, his spirit of optimism, 
patriotism and personal pride in his country proved to be infectious. 
Before long, there was a new spirit in the United States, a renewed 
sense of pride and excitement about our flag and our Nation that hadn't 
been around for a while. Ronald Reagan was just what we needed. He 
inspired a generation to look toward the future with hope and a renewed 
commitment to the principles upon which our Nation was founded. It is 
still alive today. It is his legacy that he left with us, his gift to 
the younger generations of the Nation.
  During his two terms in the White House, Ronald Reagan spoke the 
truth, regardless of the sensitivities of those who might not want to 
hear it. It was over the objections of much of his staff that he 
challenged Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev to ``tear down this wall!'' 
when he was in Berlin. It was against the advice of much of his staff to 
refer to the Soviet Union as an evil empire. For Ronald Reagan, it was 
simple. If it was the truth, it must be said. For him, there were good 
guys and bad guys in the world. If the good guys worked hard and were 
determined to succeed, they won. In Ronald Reagan's world, we were the 
good guys. And, during Ronald Reagan's Presidency, more often than not, 
we won.
  For historians and the history books, Ronald Reagan will be remembered 
as the President who brought a successful end to the cold war; had a 
great deal to do with the collapse of communism in the Soviet Union and 
the destruction of the Berlin Wall; and, dramatically turned the 
Nation's economy around. For those of us who observed his style as our 
President, he will also be remembered for his spirit, and his attitude 
of patriotic optimism, which rejuvenated the Nation when our spirit was 
low. He was a great leader and a great American. His words and his 
actions will long be remembered.
  Ronald Reagan dared to do the impossible, not because it was easy but 
because it had to be done. The challenges he encountered in his life 
brought out the best in him, and the challenges we faced as a Nation 
under him brought out the best in all of us. His is a legacy that we 
will always cherish. We will miss him.


                            Hon. Bill Nelson


                               of florida

  Mr. President, on this occasion, when the Nation is mourning the loss 
of President Reagan, I wish to bring to the attention of the Senate a 
couple of stories which are fresh in my memory about President Reagan.
  I had the privilege during his two terms as President of serving in 
the House of Representatives, representing a district from the State of 
Florida.
  The first story I wish to share is of a time of great loss to this 
country, the loss of the space shuttle Challenger. The American people 
could hardly believe it. The entire technological prowess of our country 
was symbolized by America having a very successful space program. We 
were the first to the Moon. This new contraption called a space 
transportation system was reusable, with new technologies that had been 
developed. America was quite proud.
  I had the privilege of flying on the 24th flight of the space shuttle, 
6 days in orbit, returning on January 18, 1986. Only 10 days later, the 
crew that we had stayed with in quarantine--we had been one of the most 
delayed flights in the history of the space program--was the crew of the 
Challenger.
  We all know the story. Ten miles high in the Florida sky, the 
Challenger's solid rocket booster had hot gases escaping from a field 
joint in that rocket. The gases happened to come out at a place where 
the strut was burned. That caused the solid rocket motor to then 
cantilever and it punctured the big apricot-colored fuel tank that held 
all of the liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen. The whole space shuttle 
then disintegrated.
  Naturally, the feelings I had were very raw and very emotional on that 
day, having trained with that crew and having just returned from space 
10 days earlier.
  America's feelings were as raw and as emotional because our whole 
symbol of technological and scientific prowess had suddenly 
disintegrated in front of our eyes on our television screens.
  At a time of a grieving Nation, there can be only one person who can 
speak for the country. That is the President. President Reagan rose to 
the occasion. That speech on television that night, delivered from the 
Oval Office, was a masterpiece, in which he ends up quoting a Canadian 
pilot from World War II--a pilot who had experienced the joys of 
flying--and those immortal words that ended the poem that he had reached 
out and touched the face of God.
  President Reagan applied that poem to the feelings of the country at 
the time about what the seven astronauts had experienced. That is 
political genius. That is a leader. That is a leader who has the ability 
through communication to connect, to inspire, and in this particular 
case, on January 28, 1986, to help the Nation through the process of 
grieving, to accept what had happened and then pick up and move on, 
which we have.
  And of course, 17 years later, we had another very similar kind of 
experience when we lost seven astronauts.
  That speech, in my mind, was only exceeded by the speech that occurred 
3 days later by President Reagan at the Johnson Space Center in Houston 
in a memorial service for the astronauts, the astronauts whose bodies at 
that point still had not been recovered from the floor of the Atlantic 
Ocean where, hopefully, they had perished before they ever hit the 
water. Somehow that crew compartment had been punctured at that altitude 
and therefore there would have been instant decompression and there 
would have been instant loss of consciousness.
  But with all of that swirling in all of our minds, with all of that 
swirling in the minds of that NASA community--NASA really is a family--
again, the leader of the Nation had to rise to the occasion to summarize 
and to continue the process of healing in the time of grief.
  I saw rough, tough test pilots who were some of the best of the best 
of our astronaut pilots grabbing each other and hugging in that time of 
grief. And President Reagan, in the moment, gave comfort to all of 
those, especially to the families of that crew who were lost, led by the 
commander of that mission, Dick Scobee.
  Another story I wish to tell about President Reagan is very personal 
to me as well. It was just about the middle of the decade of the 
eighties. I was a Member of the House of Representatives. There was a 
particular vote coming up that was critically close. I had already made 
up my mind that the way I was going to vote in this particular case was 
the way President Reagan had wanted the vote to go but had not 
telegraphed that to the leadership of either side because there was 
something I wanted to tell the President.
  There was a 6-month-old infant in my hometown of Melbourne, FL, who 
was dying because he needed a liver transplant. Mind you, this is 20 
years ago. Twenty years ago we did not have the very sophisticated 
system we have set up today which allowed people to exchange information 
about organ donors. Twenty years ago it was catch as catch can. Twenty 
years ago, if a donor became available, it was just almost accidental 
that you found out if there was a donor of a particular organ. And when 
it involved an infant, like a 6-month-old infant, you not only had to 
match the blood type for a liver transplant, but the liver had to be the 
exact size in order to successfully transplant. You can see the 
difficulty. You can see this child lie dying, with only hours to live.
  The preparation had been made for the jet airplane to fly the child to 
the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center where all the surgeons were 
standing by. They kept waiting and waiting for a donor. No donor was 
produced because we did not know when any became available. There was 
not an exchange of information.
  So at my home in Melbourne, on a weekend, the call from the President 
of the United States came. He said, ``Bill, this is President Reagan. We 
are going to have a close vote and I need your vote.'' I said, ``Mr. 
President, I have already decided that I am voting with you. Now there 
is something that I would like to ask you--to help in the saving of the 
life of a child.'' I told him the story, and he said he would have 
Margaret Heckler, the Secretary of HHS, call me the next day and get the 
particulars, which he did.
  Margaret Heckler immediately held a press conference, and because of 
that press conference, within 3 days, a tragic death of a child on the 
west coast of the United States that we would have never known about was 
known, and the parents donated the child's liver, which was of the same 
blood type and the same size. That liver was packaged and cooled and 
flown to Pittsburgh, arriving at the same time Ryan Osterblom arrived, 
as they wheeled him into surgery.
  Mr. President, as you can see, I have a catch in my voice because that 
little boy is going to college this year. He wants to be a surgeon. 
After that successful transplant, the President had called the mother, 
Karen Osterblom, and for years he continued to correspond with them.
  It is going to be my pleasure to have the family come up here on 
Thursday as the President is lying in state and have them walk through 
the line in the rotunda of the U.S. Capitol to show their respects to 
President Reagan. Page S6619


                          Hon. James M. Inhofe


                               of oklahoma

  Mr. President, we have heard so many stories about a great man, the 
Gipper, and none of them are surprising because he was always such a 
gentle person. I have to share with you that I had the honor, about a 
month ago, of giving the commencement address at Oral Roberts 
University. When I did, I used a lot of the 1964 speech ``A Rendezvous 
with Destiny.'' I said it should be required reading for anyone to 
graduate at any level in America to read ``A Rendezvous with Destiny.'' 
It is a speech that changed my life. Ronald Reagan gave it in 1964. I 
remember I almost memorized that speech. In fact, I still have most of 
it memorized. As a result of that, the next year I decided, well, if he 
did it, if he really feels this concerned, I should, too, and I went and 
filed for office and ran for the State legislature. So that is how I 
happened to get started.
  But that is not as far back as we go. I believe I have had the honor 
of knowing Ronald Reagan longer than any other Member of this U.S. 
Senate. In fact, I am sure that is true. Even though I represent the 
State of Oklahoma, I moved to the State of Oklahoma when I was 8 years 
old. I moved from Des Moines, IA. We were enduring the poverty of the 
Depression at that time. Everyone was poor, not just us.
  My dad was an insurance adjuster. Ronald Reagan was a sports announcer 
for WHO Radio in Des Moines, IA, and they shared the same office. They 
became very close friends, and they used to play the pinball machine at 
that time. You guys would not know what that is. I guess they don't have 
those anymore. On Saturdays they would play cards for a couple hours. 
All I know is, it was a room above the drugstore.
  But the man I had seen occasionally at that time I thought of as a 
giant. He was a very large person. We were not all that large. I 
remember that when I was growing up.
  Well, we moved to Tulsa, OK, shortly after that. But we did not lose 
contact. As the years went by, Ronald Reagan, who my dad affectionately 
referred to as ``Dutch,'' ``Dutch Reagan''--every time there was a Dutch 
Reagan movie we would see it. You see, we never went to movies. In those 
days, we just didn't go to movies except when there was a Dutch Reagan 
movie. It did not matter what it was conflicting with.
  One time we went to Durant, OK, in the southern part of Oklahoma. My 
home was in the northern part. I remember driving on those roads at that 
time. I say to my good friend from Minnesota, the roads were--if you 
could average 30 miles an hour, you were doing well. So we drove 5 hours 
down, watched a Dutch Reagan movie, and drove 5 hours back. We never 
would consider missing a Dutch Reagan movie.
  Then, of course, the famous speech took place in 1964. That is when he 
expressed his interest in politics. But at that time my father was much 
better off and so was our family. So when Dutch Reagan was going to run 
for Governor of California, my father became one of his first large 
contributors. Again, the friendship had never stopped at any point. So 
he won.
  At the time, after he served in that capacity and ran for President--I 
know that the presiding officer right now knows what I am talking about 
because he and I were both mayors of major cities back at the same time 
in 1980 when Ronald Reagan was elected President. I was the mayor of 
Tulsa, OK, for 4 years. Ronald Reagan and I were closer together than we 
had ever been before--I was out in Oklahoma--because he had me do his 
domestic policy stuff. He would have me on TV. At that time, they did 
not have CNN and Fox, but they had ``Good Morning America'' and the 
``Today'' show. So I was debating all these liberal Democrat mayors on 
the Reagan policy--the dynamics of the free enterprise system as opposed 
to the government doing everything, and my arguments worked beautifully. 
So I am sure I spent 10 times as much time with him at that time than I 
do with George W. today, and I am here in Washington. But it was a real 
pleasure.
  Those of us present--and right now I see in the Chamber the Senator 
from Minnesota, Mr. Norm Coleman, and the Senator who is presiding, Mr. 
Voinovich--all three of us were mayors. We understand what a hard job it 
is. When I was mayor, I was able to build a low-water dam, and President 
Reagan referred to it in his speeches as the largest totally privately 
funded public project in America. Those were the dynamics of Ronald 
Reagan. That is what he thought, that government should be doing less, 
people doing more. And it worked.
  What a visionary the guy was. When I see things that are going on 
today and I remember things that he said many, many years ago. Right now 
we have a serious problem in America. Probably one of our most serious 
problems is we do not have an energy policy. So we make speeches. All of 
us make speeches on a regular basis about why we do not have an energy 
policy and why we should have one. I would like to read to you what 
Ronald Reagan said. This was in 1979. Listen carefully because this 
applies to today, but it was 1979:

  Solving the energy crisis will not be easy, but it can be done. First 
we must decide that ``less'' is not enough. Next, we must remove 
government obstacles to energy production. And, we must make use of 
those technological advantages we still possess.

  It is no program simply to say ``use less energy.''

  Sound familiar?

  Of course waste must be eliminated and efficiency promoted, but for 
the government simply to tell people to conserve is not an energy 
policy. At best it means we will run out of energy a little more slowly. 
But a day will come when the lights will dim and the wheels of industry 
will turn more slowly and finally stop. . . .

  The answer, obvious to anyone except those in the administration it 
seems, is more domestic production of oil and gas. We must also have 
wider use of nuclear power within strict safety rules, of course. There 
must be more spending by the energy industries on research and 
development of substitutes for fossil fuels.

  And on and on and on. That speech very well could have been made today 
because the problem still exists today. And he knew it was coming.
  When he talked about the SDI, the Strategic Defense Initiative, that 
was something no one seemed to care about, and no one believed there was 
any great risk facing the American people. Yet he saw that risk. The 
risk was there. We all know now the risk is very real, even today. So he 
looked back at the ABM Treaty that was put in place in 1972.
  He said, ``This is senseless now. It may have made sense in 1972 when 
Henry Kissinger and Richard Nixon put this in, but the policy of mutual 
assured destruction is not a good policy.'' So he said, ``What we will 
have to do is have a very strong country.'' And he was quite scriptural. 
He quoted from Luke, ``If a strong man shall keep his court well 
guarded, he shall live in peace.'' And that is exactly what he was doing 
in his rebuilding of the defense system of America. We are so thankful 
he did that in those days. But he was saying we must do away with the 
ABM Treaty. Finally, after all this time, we recognized 2 years ago he 
was right, and we got rid of the ABM Treaty--how prophetic.
  As for tax cuts, he gave credit to his predecessors. He said, ``We do 
need more money. The best way to get more revenue for government is to 
reduce tax rates.'' He said, ``That is what President Kennedy did 25 
years ago. He reduced tax rates.'' And keep in mind, that was a 
Democratic President. And by reducing tax rates, he almost doubled the 
revenue coming in at the end of his term. It gave people the freedom and 
money to invest and to breathe and to reinvest in the country. So that 
is the problem. That is what President George W. Bush has been trying to 
do. That is the reason we are out of the recession he inherited, and we 
are now coming out because we have reduced some of those marginal rates. 
We know we need to do more. This is what the President did.
  If you remember, in 1980, the total amount of revenue that was 
generated from marginal rates, taxes paid by people, was $244 billion. 
In 1990, it was $446 billion. It almost doubled in that 10-year period. 
Yet that 10-year period was the period where we had the largest 
reduction in taxes, thanks to Ronald Reagan, of any 10-year period or 8-
year period in our Nation's history: marginal rates going down from 70 
percent to 28 percent. Yet it had the effect of doubling the revenues. 
This guy knew it, and he did it. That is good advice for us today.
  I have mentioned quite often that it should have been required for all 
of our graduates to read ``A Rendezvous with Destiny.'' Let me read a 
couple things to remind us on this very solemn occasion how grateful we 
are now to have had a President who was so prophetic.
  In talking about the freedom of our country, he told a story about 
Castro and how a Cuban had escaped Cuba in a small craft and had floated 
over to the south shores of Florida. As his small craft came up there 
was a refugee there, and he told the refugee about the atrocities of 
Castro's communist Cuba. After he was through, the refugee said, I guess 
we don't know how lucky we are in the United States.
  He said, How lucky you are? We are the ones who are lucky. We had a 
place to escape to.
  That is what Ronald Reagan said, that we would be the beacon of 
freedom, the last place in the world to escape to. If we lose it here, 
there is nowhere else to escape to.
  On the recognition of the dynamics of the free enterprise system, he 
said,

  They also knew, those Founding Fathers, that outside of its legitimate 
functions, government does nothing as well or as economically as the 
private sector of the economy.

  He practiced that. It worked. His domestic policies worked.
  He was prophetic. He accurately described such things as:

  We have so many people who can't see a fat man standing beside a thin 
one without coming to the conclusion that the fat man got that way by 
taking advantage of the thin one.

  Ronald Reagan talked about bureaucracy, how difficult it would be for 
him to cut down the size of government. He is the one who said, in that 
very famous speech in 1964, there is nothing closer to life eternal on 
the face of this Earth than a government agency once formed. And he went 
on to explain the reason for it. The reason for it is very simple. Once 
a government agency is formed to respond to a problem, the problem goes 
away, and the bureaucracy stays there. The longer they stay there with 
nothing to do, the stronger they become. So that happens. He was able to 
cut that down by reminding people that that problem did exist.
  He said in 1964:

  Let's set the record straight. There is no argument over the choice 
between peace and war, but there is only one guaranteed way you can have 
peace--and you can have it in the next second--surrender.

  That was the message he had. You had to be strong. You had to have a 
Nation that believes in God, and you had to stand up for those things 
and not lie down and surrender. That is what people were trying to do at 
that time.
  He said in that speech:

  There is a price we will not pay. There is a point beyond which they 
must not advance.

  That was his rendezvous with destiny.
  I look at American heroes like the senior Senator from Hawaii who 
fought so valiantly and is very familiar with what this President did 
for our U.S. military.
  I will say this: The rendezvous with destiny was a very real one. 
Military historians have looked at us and said there is no way we could 
have won the Revolutionary War. Here we were, a handful of farmers and 
trappers with crude weapons and the greatest army on the face of the 
Earth was marching toward Lexington and Concord, and they fired the shot 
heard round the world.
  As Ronald Reagan would reflect on that great speech by Patrick Henry, 
he said there are three sentences in that speech that answer the 
questions of military historians, but people have forgotten about it. We 
are not weak when we make the proper use of those means which the God of 
nature has placed in our power. Armed in the holy cause of liberty in 
such a country as that which we possess, we are invincible by any force 
our enemy will send against us. And besides, we will not fight our 
battles alone. There is a just God who reigns over the destiny of 
nations who will raise up friends to fight our battles with us.
  Those are the favorite three sentences out of the ``Give Me Liberty or 
Give Me Death'' speech Patrick Henry made.
  For me, I think about the honor to be able to stand here in the Senate 
and, on behalf of the American people and on behalf of my wife and 
myself and our family of 20 children and grandchildren, to say we thank 
Ronald Reagan for his sacrifices. We thank God for Ronald Reagan. We 
thank God for his life. We thank God for allowing us to share that 
rendezvous with destiny with Ronald Reagan.


                            Hon. Norm Coleman


                              of minnesota

  Mr. President, I share that sense of humility that has been so 
eloquently expressed by my friend from Oklahoma, to be able to stand on 
this Senate floor and to thank God for Ronald Reagan, for what he gave 
us and what we learned from him. I must admit to being a bit envious to 
be in the Chamber with my friend from Oklahoma who knew Ronald Reagan 
when he was a young man.
  My friend, the presiding officer, on the way to the Chamber--again, we 
were all fellow mayors--talked about when he was mayor of Cleveland. 
There were some difficult times, and he talked to the President. He 
talked about what a good man the President was. What a good man, that he 
really cared, that he listened, and that he wanted to do things, wanted 
to make a difference. Sometimes when those around him were not making a 
difference, he took care of it and got it done. I think my colleagues 
were part of history being made.
  I was able to watch history during that time. But I am honored and 
humbled to be here today. To those of us who grew up in the Midwest and 
for those like myself who made it our home, Ronald Reagan has a very 
special significance. Places like Dixon, IL, have been dubbed flyover 
zones by sophisticated, powerful people who live on the coast. But we 
know places like that are the heartland, strong, simple, and true. That 
was Ronald Reagan.
  What we love about the Midwest is what America and the world came to 
know and understand and love about Ronald Reagan.
  To go on and on in flowery rhetoric about Ronald Reagan would not fit 
the subject matter. Like he did so well, his life deserves a few well-
chosen words.
  Oscar Wilde once said, ``Life is not complex. We are complex. Life is 
simple and the simple thing is the right thing.''
  Ronald Reagan could have said that because, surely, he lived it.
  Democracy is superior to communism. America is the world's best hope. 
Liberty requires limited government. The best is yet to come. Those were 
Ronald Reagan's moral anchors from the start of his public life to the 
end. Without deviation, they shaped his outlook and actions for half a 
century.
  He certainly didn't originate any of them, but we all know they are 
far more prominent in the fabric of American life today because of the 
power of his witness, as he lived his life, the power of what he did 
with those moral anchors as part of him.
  In the last few days, we are hearing a lot about Reagan as the Great 
Communicator. I think we put too much emphasis on the craft. As far as 
Ronald Reagan was concerned, the key to being a good communicator was 
having something to say. He was the message he delivered, and so he 
touched hearts and changed minds.
  He understood the key to American progress was our spirit. Resources, 
wealth, and past accomplishments have ruined more people and nations 
than they have made. He knew we needed a sense of the heroic, a stirring 
of our souls to rise above selfishness, division, and fear. He inspired 
us.
  He restored our confidence in the idea of leadership. Vietnam, 
Watergate, inflation, gas lines, and the hostage crisis were causing 
many to wonder if the American hour had passed. Not Ronald Reagan. He 
stubbornly held onto a wonderful vision of the future rather than focus 
on temporary negative circumstances. He led us.
  And perhaps of greatest importance, by his own choice, Ronald Reagan 
was not the star of our dramatic national resurgence. Neither was 
government. In Reagan's mind and words, the heroes who restored the 
American economy and won the cold war were ordinary Americans doing 
simple things, doing their duty--kind of like a national bond raising. 
He united us.
  Mr. President, I also grew up as a Democrat. President Reagan deeply 
inspired me, and he had a lot to do with the fact that I am standing on 
this side of the aisle today. He inspired me with ideas, such as if you 
want to grow an economy, you cut taxes and put money in people's 
pockets; they will spend it on a product or service, and there is a job 
connected to that. He understood that. He showed the power of it. I 
understood that. It wasn't just about policy, it was about optimism.
  When I ran for mayor in St. Paul in 1993, my slogan was ``St. Paul's 
best days are yet to come.'' When I switched parties in 1996, Jack Kemp 
came over to my house, and I made the announcement. It was that spirit 
of hope, optimism, entrepreneurship, and opportunity that he showed 
worked. That was the key, by the way. For him, it was not about 
politics; it was about results.
  My friend from Oklahoma quoted President Reagan saying that solving 
the energy crisis will not be easy, but [that] it can be done. He 
understood the importance of getting it done.
  I think Ronald Reagan would be honored to know we are shutting down 
the Federal Government on Friday. His only concern might be that we are 
starting it again on Monday. He changed us and transformed the world, 
without a doubt. Some days, Mr. President, I get concerned that we are 
changing back.
  As we remember his life, I hope we all remember that the simple things 
are the right things: Freedom, hope, liberty, and optimism.
  I thank God that he gave us Ronald Reagan when we needed him most. 
Now, this is our time. I pray that we will courageously follow his 
example and embrace America's destiny in this challenging hour.


                            Hon. John McCain


                               of arizona

  Mr. President, the strength of Abraham Lincoln's resolve to restore 
the Union, whatever the terrible cost to do so, was his unshakable faith 
that in America any father's child could come to occupy the same place 
that his father's child had attained. That uniquely American conviction 
also inspired Ronald Reagan to reach his great place in our country's 
history and in the hearts of his countrymen. I doubt Ronald Reagan was 
much surprised to become President, despite his humble origins. And I 
know for certain he never took for granted a single day he occupied the 
office. He believed such an honored privilege was within the reach of 
any American with principles, industry and talent, and that once 
attained, it was to be held with great care to preserve for succeeding 
generations the blessings of liberty that had so enriched his own life. 
His patriotism, which he expressed eloquently and often in his public 
remarks, was never affected. He believed every word. Nor was his 
unfailing good humor and optimism an actor's performance. He lived in a 
``shining city on a hill,'' and he never forgot it.
  I first met President Reagan and his lovely wife, Nancy, not long 
after I returned from Vietnam. But I knew of him in the years before I 
regained my liberty, when my fellow prisoners-of-war and I would discuss 
in tap codes and whispered conversations the Governor of California who 
was giving such eloquent voice to the convictions we believed we had 
been sent to war to advance. In the more than 30 years that have passed 
since I first met him, I have never lived a day that I wasn't grateful 
for the privilege of the Reagans' friendship, and the strength of his 
faith in America that inspired my own, and so many others.
  His accomplishments in office were historic, and will be long 
remembered as will the humility, grace and decency with which he 
achieved them. It was an honor to have known him, and Cindy and I shall 
miss him very much. We offer our sincerest condolences to Nancy, and to 
Michael, Patti and Ron, and pray that God grants this good man eternal 
life, reunites him with his daughter, Maureen, and with all his loved 
ones who have preceded him.


                         Hon. Ernest F. Hollings


                            of south carolina

  Mr. President, at a luncheon with Bernard Baruch, Mr. Baruch commented 
that Harry Truman ``had a good memory'' and ``he also had a good bad 
memory.'' We are hearing both at the passing of former President Ronald 
Reagan. There is no question that if a President is to be credited for 
the end of the cold war that credit should go to Ronald Reagan. We were 
anxious about the depletion of our defenses in the U.S. Senate in the 
year preceding President Reagan's administration so we passed a 5 
percent across-the-board increase in the defense budget. But President 
Reagan came on board and really moved to strengthen our defenses, 
building a 600-ship Navy and not hesitating to deploy intermediate 
missiles in Europe. He also moved to formalize our ballistic missile 
defense system, calling it the Strategic Defense Initiative and 
increasing its support. President Reagan can also be credited with a 
competitive trade policy. Though he had the power to rescind the 
antidumping order on the importation of motorcycles, he let the order 
stand; reviving as we all know the Harley Davidson industry. Moreover, 
he imposed voluntary restraint agreements in steel, semiconductors, 
machine tools and automobiles. There is no question, for example, that 
Intel would have had a hard time surviving had it not been for Sematech 
and Reagan's VRA (voluntary restraint agreement) on semiconductors.
  But at this time of praise, those with ``good bad memory'' forget it 
was Ronald Reagan who started supply side economics. Former Senator Bob 
Dole led the opposition to its forerunner, Kemp-Roth, and former 
President George Herbert Walker Bush characterized this cutting revenues 
to increase them as ``voodoo.'' With Reagan looking for an issue at a 
low point in his administration, he locked onto supply side, ignoring 
his campaign pledge to ``balance the budget within one year.'' It is 
good to note that in this country after 200 years existence, with the 
cost of all the wars from the Revolution up to the war in Vietnam, the 
national debt stood at less than $1 trillion. Reagan's supply side or 
``voodoo'' gave us the first trillion dollar debt and he left office 
having increased the national debt $1.7 trillion. Under Bush 41, in 4 
years the debt increased $1.4 trillion. President Clinton over 8 years 
slowed the increase of the debt to $1.6 trillion with spending cuts and 
tax increases, leaving a projected surplus. President George W. Bush, 
with three tax cuts or Reagan ``voodoos,'' has eliminated the surplus 
and increased the debt over $2 trillion in 4 years. As his chief 
counselor Vice President Cheney said, ``Deficits don't matter.'' Since 
the beginning days, this country has shown sacrifice at a time of war by 
adopting a tax measure to pay for the war. But not for the war on 
terrorism. We in the Congress need a fourth tax cut, voodoo, to get 
reelected. Today the GI fighting the war is also going to have to pay 
for the war. At this time of remembrance, let's not forget that Reagan 
dignified ``voodoo.''


                          Hon. Dianne Feinstein


                              of california

  Mr. President, on Saturday, our Nation lost a strong leader and the 
State of California lost an adopted son.
  As a citizen, Ronald Wilson Reagan embodied the American dream. He 
personified the image of California--can-do, risk-taking, cutting-edge. 
Ronald Reagan was all of those things.
  As a President, he unified a country and helped bring an end to the 
cold war, the premier struggle of his time in public life.
  My fondest memory of President Reagan took place while I was mayor of 
San Francisco at a March 1983 dinner the President and First Lady hosted 
for Queen Elizabeth II in San Francisco. The Queen was thrilled to visit 
California for the first time and especially pleased to be welcomed by a 
President from California.
  During that trip the Queen quipped at one point that she knew England 
had exported many traditions to the United States, but she hadn't 
realized the weather was one of them.
  San Francisco's London-like weather aside, as mayor I was enormously 
proud of the wonderful welcome we had provided for the Queen of England.
  Growing up in small-town central Illinois in the years leading up to 
the Great Depression, President Reagan was instilled with the values 
that would guide him as a person and as a leader. There he learned the 
importance of hard work and optimism as the key ingredients for success.
  It was this optimism combined with his ever-present sense of humor 
that characterized him best, enabling him to both ``fill the screen'' 
and make a stellar entrance wherever he went.
  After 4 years at Eureka College, where he was known as a gritty, 
though undersized tackle on the football team, he began searching for a 
job in broadcasting. In 1932, at the height of the Depression, he headed 
into the job market confident that a job would be his soon.
  After several years as a broadcaster covering University of Iowa 
football games and later recreating Chicago Cubs' games based on 
telegraph reports, a young Ronald Reagan traveled to California to cover 
the Cubs' spring training.
  It was his first trip west of Kansas City and it nurtured his 
fascination with Hollywood. While he was there, he used his considerable 
charm to convince a movie agent to arrange a screen test for him at 
Warner Brothers Studios.
  Before long, he returned to the Midwest, packed his bags and started 
the quintessential American journey westward in search of opportunity. 
Of course, he found it as a movie star.
  He won many fans through his on-screen charisma. The optimism he 
inspired was exemplified by his role as Notre Dame football player 
George Gipp in the film ``Knute Rockne--All-American.'' Years after 
Gipp's death, Coach Rockne gave a pep talk to his team urging them to 
``win one for the Gipper'' one of the more memorable lines in American 
sports history.
  But President Reagan's greatest impact on the world was as a 
politician. As a labor leader with the Screen Actors Guild, his roots as 
an activist were shaped significantly by a deep concern about communism.
  Yet despite his strongly anticommunist views, he condemned the unfair 
smearing of many liberals by Senator Joseph McCarthy and the House Un-
American Activities Committee. He refused to reveal names publicly, but 
exposed some people to the FBI privately.
  As Governor of California he had a strong record of environmental 
protection: adding 145,000 acres to the State's park system, protecting 
Lake Tahoe from rampant development, blocking the construction of dams 
on the Dos Rios and Eel Rivers, and stopping the paving of a Federal 
highway through the Sierra Nevada Mountains that would have cut through 
the John Muir Trail.
  He also signed legislation to protect rivers on California's north 
coast and approved strict car emissions standards that forced the 
Nation's automakers to manufacture cleaner-burning cars. But he lobbied 
against the Coastal Protection Act approved by voters in 1972 and 
resisted air pollution controls imposed by the Federal Government.
  Despite his personal opposition to abortion, Governor Reagan loosened 
an 1872 statute to allow abortion in cases of rape, incest, when a 
mother's health was at stake, or when there was a high risk that a baby 
would be born with birth defects. Many States followed Governor Reagan's 
lead on this important issue.
  However, his move to close down mental health facilities in California 
resulted in widespread homelessness in urban areas. Though he sought to 
steer the mentally ill into community-based mental health facilities the 
end result was a spike in homelessness, a problem that we continue to 
deal with to this day.
  While in Sacramento, he generally approached fiscal policy as a 
moderate, first presiding over a $1 billion tax increase to balance the 
State budget and another subsequent increase. He eventually lowered 
taxes, but in his two terms as Governor, State spending doubled overall 
and the State's work force grew by 34,000.
  As President, he was a unifier and an optimist. His infectious, upbeat 
attitude rallied people to his goals. He was extremely successful in 
passing legislation by joining that optimism with a willingness to 
compromise with a Democratic Congress.
  In his dealings, he was tough, but ready to negotiate. There is no 
better example of this than his relationship with former Soviet leader 
Mikhail Gorbachev. He often used harsh rhetoric in challenging the 
actions of our cold war adversary, but it was always backed by his core 
beliefs.
  Once, as he prepared for his first summit with the Soviet leader, he 
met with a room full of foreign policy advisors, each offering their 
suggestions about what he should say. After a half-hour of discussion, 
President Reagan turned to his advisors and said, ``Gentlemen, I've been 
thinking about what I'm going to say to this man my whole life. And I 
know exactly what I'm going to say.''
  Gorbachev described Reagan as ``a great President, with whom the 
Soviet leadership was able to launch a very difficult but important 
dialogue.''
  His tough negotiating stance yielded some important accomplishments 
including signing treaties reducing intermediate-range nuclear missiles 
and limiting strategic arms. These acts of diplomacy combined with his 
relentless advocacy for freedom played a major role in bringing about an 
end to the cold war.
  At the same time, Reagan had a tendency to overreach in the area of 
foreign policy. The invasion of Grenada, the intervention in Lebanon 
that left American soldiers uncertain of their role and vulnerable to 
attack, and, above all, the Iran-Contra scandal--were all cases in which 
the Reagan administration went too far in seeking to reshape the world.
  At home, President Reagan sought to limit the size of government and 
tap the entrepreneurial spirit of the American people. And though he was 
famous for cutting taxes, he approved two tax increases during his first 
term in the White House.
  Unfortunately, the tax cuts were coupled with sharp increases in 
defense spending that resulted in massive deficits. The Federal budget 
finally recovered from those years of deficit spending during the late 
nineties, but the surpluses that were generated disappeared in the blink 
of an eye under the current administration's fiscal policies.
  President Reagan's cuts to public housing, job training, and the 
broader social safety net were another serious blow domestically. And, 
as cities and mayors across the country were reeling from the advent of 
AIDS--no place suffered more than San Francisco--President Reagan failed 
to act. He would not even publicly comment on the AIDS crisis.
  Though people did not always agree with his policies, it cannot be 
denied that President Reagan redefined politics through his tremendous 
skills as a communicator. In particular, his ability to define clear 
goals and persuade others to support those goals earned him the 
admiration of many Americans.
  As we all know, President Reagan suffered from Alzheimer's Disease 
during the last decade of his life.
  As we honor his memory in the days and weeks to come, it is my hope 
that we will consider what we can do here in Congress to battle this 
terrible disease.
  A good first step would be to approve legislation that supports 
embryonic stem cell research. This research offers tremendous hope, not 
only to those who suffer from Alzheimer's, but also the millions of 
people with cancer, diabetes, Parkinson's, multiple sclerosis and spinal 
cord injuries. What a fitting tribute passage of this bill would be to 
President Reagan.
  In closing, there probably is no American who has more fully lived the 
American dream from actor to Governor to President than Ronald Reagan. 
Today, we mourn his loss, but recognize that his was a full life.
  Thank you for your service to this country, President Reagan.


                        Hon. Russell D. Feingold


                              of wisconsin

  Mr. President, today I pay my respects to a beloved leader who, with 
grace, wit, and charisma, led our country through some of the great 
challenges of the 20th century. President Ronald Wilson Reagan was a 
dedicated public servant whose confidence and optimism reinvigorated the 
American people and made him one of the most honored and respected 
Presidents in our Nation's history.
  Although he lived most of his life in California, President Reagan was 
a fellow midwesterner. Born in 1911 in Tampico, IL, Ronald Wilson Reagan 
attended high school in nearby Dixon and worked his way through Eureka 
College. There he earned his B.A., played on the football team, and 
participated in school plays. He eventually won a contract in Hollywood 
and appeared in 53 films over 2 decades.
  The father of four children became increasingly involved in politics 
and in 1966 was elected the Governor of California, and was reelected in 
1970. His optimistic message, at a time when the country was beset by 
inflation and by the taking of American hostages in Iran, helped him to 
win the Presidency in 1980. Four years later, he was reelected in a 49-
State sweep.
  In foreign affairs, it is impossible to separate President Reagan's 
legacy from the astounding change in world affairs that began while he 
was in office: the collapse of the U.S.S.R. and the end of the cold war. 
President Reagan spoke frankly and frequently about the bankruptcy--both 
moral and economic--of the Soviet regime. His words and actions 
energized dissidents and activists struggling for change and for justice 
in the face of communist repression and tyranny. His optimism helped to 
give them confidence that they were, indeed, on the right side of 
history.
  President Reagan not only recognized the monstrous nature of communist 
totalitarianism, but he also understood the horror of a geopolitical 
reality that made the entire world hostage to the threat of nuclear 
annihilation. He had the courage to act, to reach out to the Soviet 
leadership and to craft landmark arms control agreements, including one 
that, for the first time, eliminated a class of nuclear weapons.
  On the domestic front, it was under the leadership of President Reagan 
that the solvency of the Social Security Program was extended through 
reforms to the existing program. Although modest in their overall scope, 
those reforms were seen by many as politically risky, and President 
Reagan provided critical leadership that helped assure both a reluctant 
Congress and an uncertain public. Today, we should build on the Reagan 
reforms, and strengthen the existing program, as he did.
  Another significant domestic policy challenge that President Reagan 
tackled was the simplification of our Tax Code. In the face of special 
interest pressures, and under the leadership of his Secretary of 
Treasury, Donald Regan, as well as a bipartisan group of Members of the 
House and Senate, President Reagan was able to push through the last 
significant reforms to our increasingly complex Tax Code in 1986.
  At the time, I was the chairman of the Taxation Committee in the 
Wisconsin State Senate and we were holding a variety of hearings around 
the State, addressing parallel reforms. These hearings and reforms were 
driven by President Reagan's proposal. Though far from perfect, that 
reform effort is another model for action we need to undertake again. 
And policymakers in Congress and the executive branch would do well to 
follow President Reagan's example in this matter.
  Of course, no review of President Reagan's legacy would be complete 
without acknowledging his Alzheimer's disease which, sadly, defined the 
last 10 years of his life as well as the lives of his family. As the 
author of Wisconsin's Alzheimer's program, I have become all too aware 
of the heartbreaking tragedy that this dread disease brings to a family.
  President Reagan's brave, public acknowledgment of the disease, and 
the wonderful efforts of his wife Nancy, have done a great deal to 
educate the country about this horrible affliction. They have also 
helped to spur government investment in the research needed to find a 
cure, and to raise awareness of the need for long-term care services for 
those suffering from Alzheimer's.
  President Ronald Wilson Reagan helped to transform America and the 
world. He and his achievements will forever be honored and remembered.


                             Hon. Mark Pryor


                               of arkansas

  Mr. President, the Capitol today is overflowing with visitors, flags 
stand at half-staff, and the Nation has collectively stopped this week--
all to honor a remarkable man who accomplished remarkable things during 
a remarkable time.
  President Ronald Reagan gave his life to public service and has left a 
legacy of leadership that will always be remembered.
  We remember President Reagan's strong vision for political and 
economic freedom which was instrumental in the fall of communism and the 
spread of democracy in Eastern Europe. The world held its breath as 
America stared communism in the face, but in the end we peacefully won 
over the respect and cooperation of our enemy. Less than a year after 
Reagan left office, Mr. Gorbachev stepped down, the Berlin Wall fell and 
the cold war ended.
  I will never forget President Reagan's historic speech on June 12, 
1987, in front of the Brandenburg Gate near the Berlin Wall when he 
called on Mikhail Gorbachev to ``Open this gate! Mr. Gorbachev, tear 
down this wall!''
  Today, the United States is working with Russia to replace tyranny and 
fear in Iraq with peace and stability.
  Of President Reagan, Gorbachev said:

  A true leader, a man of his word and an optimist, he traveled the 
journey of his life with dignity and faced courageously the cruel 
disease that darkened his final years. He has earned a place in history 
and in people's hearts.

  We also remember Dutch, the Great Communicator, the Gipper, as a man 
of great optimism and humor. My kids' history books recall the dates and 
facts of this time, but they do not convey this Hollywood actor turned 
President's good-natured spirit or genuine optimism for a better 
tomorrow. Nor can they express his unyielding dedication and love for 
our country. However, I believe the outpouring of respect and affection 
shown by the American public this week says we will forever remember his 
character and personality.
  Finally, we remember a man who never stopped believing, never stopped 
advocating America's ability to succeed and prosper. He stuck to his 
convictions and his visions for America, whether popular or not.
  Ronald Reagan's initiatives didn't please all Americans and Democrats 
and Republicans did not always agree on President Reagan's foreign 
policy or domestic agenda, but he never encouraged or played the biting 
partisan games that exist today. Even with those people whom he had 
genuine ideological differences, President Reagan always showed a level 
of respect and acknowledged that we are all Americans and we are in this 
together.
  Years ago, President Reagan and Speaker of the House Tip O'Neill used 
to joke that, ``between 9 and 6 we are enemies, but at 6 o'clock let's 
go have a cocktail together.'' To truly honor and remember President 
Reagan--this man of great accomplishment, optimism, and oratory--perhaps 
we could find ways to work better together for a better tomorrow.
  I extend my deepest sympathies to the Reagan family in their time of 
sorrow, and I hope it is of some comfort that Americans and many others 
throughout the world mourn by their side.

   A COMMUNICATION FROM THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OFFICIALLY 
   NOTIFYING THE CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES OF THE DEATH OF FORMER 
                     PRESIDENT RONALD REAGAN--PM 84

  The PRESIDING OFFICER laid before the Senate the following message 
from the President of the United States, together with an accompanying 
report; which was ordered to lie on the table:

To the Congress of the United States:


  By this message, I officially inform you of the death of Ronald 
Reagan, the fortieth President of the United States.

  Ronald Reagan was a great leader and a good man. He had the confidence 
that comes with conviction, the strength that comes with character, the 
grace that comes with humility, and the humor that comes with wisdom.

  Through his leadership, spirit, and abiding faith in the American 
people, President Reagan gave our Nation a renewed optimism. With his 
courage and moral clarity, he enhanced America's security and advanced 
the spread of peace, liberty, and democracy to millions of people who 
had lived in darkness and oppression. As America's President, he helped 
change the world.

  The sun has now set on Ronald Reagan's extraordinary American life. 
Just as he told us that our Nation's best days are yet to come, we know 
that the same is true for him.


                                                         George W. Bush.


                     The White House, June 8, 2004. Page S6635] 08jn04-
                                           140 Page S6635] 08jn04-141

                  ADJOURNMENT UNTIL 9:30 A.M. TOMORROW

  Mr. COLEMAN. Mr. President, if there is no further business to come 
before the Senate, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate stand in 
adjournment under the provisions of S. Res. 371 as a mark of further 
respect for President Ronald Wilson Reagan.
  There being no objection, the Senate, at 6:10 p.m., adjourned until 
Wednesday, June 9, 2004, at 9:30 a.m. Page S6639] 09jn04-91


                   Wednesday, June 9, 2004 Page S6639

                                 prayer

  The Chaplain, Dr. Barry C. Black, offered the following prayer:
  Let us pray.
  Eternal God, author of true freedom and shelter from life's storms, as 
our Nation pays its final respects to former President Ronald Reagan, we 
look again to You, the source of our hope for years to come.
  In a world of change and decay, You remain the same yesterday, today, 
and forever. Undergird this land with a foundation of right living that 
exalts a nation. Deliver us from the evils that bring national decline. 
Surround our military with the shield of Your presence and give wisdom 
to all warriors for freedom. Guide our lawmakers as they seek to keep 
America strong. Strengthen them with Your spirit and inspire them with 
Your precepts.
  In these challenging days, we place our confidence in You, for Your 
steadfast love and faithfulness sustains us.
  We pray in Your strong Name. Amen. Page S6639] 09jn04-94 Page 
S6639-S6640] 09jn04-97


                          Hon. William H. Frist


                              of tennessee

  Mr. President, I wish to make a few remarks regarding President Ronald 
Reagan. It was in January 1977, as Jimmy Carter prepared to take the 
oath of office as President, that Ronald Reagan met with the man who 
would become his chief foreign policy adviser for the next several 
years, Richard Allen.
  The two spent several hours together discussing in detail the vast 
array of issues. As Allen recalls--and some people have heard this on 
the news--Mr. Reagan said a whole range of memorable things, but none 
was more profound than this:

  My idea of American policy toward the Soviet Union is simple and some 
would say simplistic. It is this: We win and they lose. What do you 
think of that?

  Ronald Reagan's words would have been shocking to the trained ears of 
any foreign policy expert of that day. The consensus was the cold war 
simply could not be won. We could not defeat communism. That is what 
people thought. That is what they felt. All we could do was to hope to 
contain the Soviet Union and chip away at the fringes of its influence. 
Page S6640
  After his meeting with Ronald Reagan, Richard Allen never looked at 
the world in the same way. When Ronald Reagan entered the White House 
and laid out his vision for winning the cold war, America never looked 
at the world the same way. And when Ronald Reagan left the White House 
and events he helped put in motion came to pass, the world, indeed, 
would never be the same.
  What were the reasons for Ronald Reagan's historic foreign policy 
success? How did he come to leave a more indelible mark on the world 
than any American President since Franklin Delano Roosevelt?
  First, Ronald Reagan believed in a strong military to defend our 
Nation and to protect peace. He marshaled the resources from this body 
for a remarkable 35-percent increase in defense spending during his 
Presidency. Critics accused Reagan of unnecessarily provoking the Soviet 
Union and putting America on a path to nuclear war. But for Ronald 
Reagan, a strong national defense was an instrument for peace. It was 
government's first and foremost duty to its people. He knew the Soviet 
Union could not match our capacity to fund our national defense, and 
should the Soviets attempt to keep pace, as they did, the communist 
state would be unable to sustain itself.
  Second, Ronald Reagan believed that America, our allies, and our 
common values were on that winning side of history. The destiny of 
mankind was not to live in the shadow of tyranny, dictatorship, but to 
be guided by the light of liberty, by the light of democracy. That was 
the destiny.
  As Reagan said in his watershed ``Westminster'' speech:

  [T]he march of freedom and democracy . . . will leave Marxism-Leninism 
on the ash-heap of history as it has left other tyrannies which stifle 
the freedom and muzzle the self-expression of the people.

  Third, Ronald Reagan viewed the world through a lens of moral clarity. 
He believed there was right and wrong and good and evil, strength and 
weakness, but, most importantly, he was not afraid to talk about the 
world as he saw it or use his words to help shape the world in that 
vision.
  He called the Soviet Union the evil empire. Why? Because the Soviet 
regime was repressive and godless and imperialist.
  In 1987, he stood before the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin and challenged 
the Soviet leadership:

  [Mr.] Gorbachev, if you seek peace, if you seek prosperity for the 
Soviet Union and Eastern Europe, if you seek liberalization: Come here 
to this gate! Mr. Gorbachev, open this gate! Mr. Gorbachev, tear down 
this wall!

  Within months, the wall was torn down. The cold war was won, and the 
new and lengthy era of peace for America and among the major powers of 
the world was born.
  In this week of tribute to the life of Ronald Reagan, let us remember 
the simple ideas upon which his foreign policy was based: a strong 
military as an instrument of peace; liberty and democracy as the destiny 
of mankind; and the moral clarity to see the world as it was and what it 
should be.
  Let us also remember that without the courage and the character of 
Ronald Reagan, his ideas would have remained just ideas, and the world 
would have remained the same.
  As Mr. Reagan once wrote of his determination to stand up for what he 
believed:

  But bearing what we cannot change and going on with what God has given 
us, confident there is a destiny, somehow seems to bring a reward we 
wouldn't exchange for any other. It takes a lot of fire and heat to make 
a piece of steel.


                         Hon. Edward M. Kennedy


                            of massachusetts

  Mr. President, I join my colleagues on both sides of the aisle in 
paying tribute to Ronald Reagan. As all of us who had the privilege of 
working with him know, he brought a special grace to the White House and 
the country in everything he did. We often disagreed on specific issues, 
but he had an undeniably unique capacity to inspire and move the Nation.
  The warmth of his personality always shone through, and his infectious 
optimism made us all feel that it really was ``morning in America.'' It 
was impossible not to respect and admire the way he revived the spirit 
of the Nation in that era, restored the power and vitality of the 
Presidency, and made it a vigorous and purposeful place of effective 
national and international leadership.
  It was no coincidence that he opened his 1984 reelection campaign year 
by citing two Democratic Presidents, John F. Kennedy and Franklin D. 
Roosevelt, in his State of the Union Address. Nor was it a coincidence 
that at the Republican Convention that year, not the Democratic 
Convention, the band played ``Happy Days Are Here Again.''
  He governed as a conservative Republican, often very conservative. But 
he had a special genius for reaching out to all Americans. Somehow, the 
hard edges of his policies always seemed smoother when he discussed and 
defended them. He was willing to step back from them when necessary, 
such as when it proved impossible to cut taxes, increase spending for 
defense, and balance the budget at the same time.
  He was an intense competitor who wanted to win, not just for himself 
but for his beliefs. But his goal was to defeat his opponents, not 
destroy them. He taught us that even though the battle would inevitably 
resume the next morning, at the end of each day we could put aside the 
divisions and debates. We could sit down together and laugh together, 
especially at his endless stream of stories. He took issues seriously, 
but he had a sense of perspective that never let him or us take 
ourselves too seriously. As a leader, he was a President of large 
principles, not small details. Some criticized him for that, but it was 
often the source of his strength.
  On foreign policy, he will be honored as the President who won the 
cold war, and his famous words ``Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!'' 
will be linked in history with President Kennedy's ``Ich bin ein 
Berliner.'' He came to office convinced that we could not trust the 
communists, or perhaps even negotiate with them, and his commitment to a 
strong national defense was never doubted by Soviet leaders.
  But he also understood the importance of working with our allies to 
protect our security, and he also understood the madness of ``mutually 
assured destruction.'' He had an instinct that Mikhail Gorbachev might 
be different, and was quick to respond when I learned on a visit to 
Moscow in 1986 that President Gorbachev was prepared to negotiate a 
separate arms control treaty on the critical issue of nuclear missiles, 
in Europe. The Intermediate-Range Nuclear-Force Treaty they negotiated 
the following year eased tensions in Europe, and became the needed 
breakthrough in U.S.-Soviet relations that made it possible to see light 
at the end of the long dangerous tunnel of the cold war.
  President Reagan was never afraid to be controversial, to confront 
when he had to, and lead where he believed. There were intense 
disagreements with many of his policies, then and now. But beyond all 
that was a defining reality. He came to power at a time of self-
fulfilling pessimism, a pervasive belief that public policy could barely 
move molehills, let alone mountains. The true achievement of the Reagan 
revolution was the renewal of America's faith in itself.
  It was more than the fact that he was a superb communicator. Some 
attributed at least part of his success to the fact that he had been an 
actor. But his deepest convictions were matters of heart and mind and 
spirit, and on them, he was no actor at all.
  He was very generous to the Kennedy family on many public and private 
occasions. Caroline and John went to see him in the White House early in 
1985 to ask if he might be willing to participate in some way in a 
dinner we were planning at my home in support of my brother's 
Presidential library. He was delighted to attend. ``Of course I'll help 
you,'' he said. ``You don't have a father to help.''
  At the dinner a few weeks later, he stood with us in the receiving 
line and shook the hand of every guest. He was quick to mention that he 
had not supported President Kennedy in 1960. ``I was for the other 
fellow,'' he told us. ``But you know, it's true, when the battle's over 
and the ground cooled, well, it's then that you see the opposing 
general's valor.''
  He proceeded to give one of the finest tributes that my brother ever 
received. As he said of Jack, ``He seemed to grasp from the beginning 
that life is one fast-moving train, and you have to jump aboard and hold 
on to your hat and relish the sweep of the winds as it rushes by.''
  He summed it up by saying of my brother, ``You have to enjoy the 
journey. . . . I think that's how his country remembers him, in his joy, 
and it was a joy he knew how to communicate.'' That's how America 
remembers Ronald Reagan, too.


                            Hon. Jim Bunning


                               of kentucky

  Mr. President, I rise to pay tribute to the memory of our 40th 
President, Ronald Wilson Reagan.
  Mary and I have deep sadness today and we send out our heartfelt 
condolences to Nancy and the rest of the Reagan family.
  I didn't personally meet Ronald Reagan until 1983, but I wish I had 
known him before.
  I will never forget how even though we hardly knew each other, he was 
there when I needed him.
  This first happened when I was running for Governor of Kentucky in 
1983. To be honest, not many people were helping me. I entered the race 
late to try to help the Republican Party because we didn't have a 
candidate. Most people either weren't very interested or weren't giving 
me much of a chance. But I called President Reagan and he helped me and 
even came out to campaign for me. I'm sure some of his advisers told him 
not to, and told him there was nothing in it for him. But he came 
anyway.
  At a time when not many other people believed in me, Ronald Reagan 
did. That was very special to me personally.
  I didn't win that race, but President Reagan's faith in me and his 
support transformed me from someone who had merely watched him from afar 
to an appreciative admirer.
  He had no reason to come and assist me other than to help because of 
the goodness in his heart.
  I asked, and that was enough for him.
  Later I was at the 1984 Republican Convention in Dallas when he gave 
the great speech about believing in America and how our Nation 
symbolized hope to the world as a ``shining city on the hill.''
  It was spellbinding and uplifting. Even though it was a political 
convention, I think his message of optimism and his belief in the 
goodness of America touched all Americans.
  President Reagan believed in me again when I ran for Congress in 1986. 
To be honest, I wasn't really interested at first in coming to 
Washington. But when Ronald Reagan and his White House turned on the 
power of persuasion, it was almost impossible to say ``no.'' And with 
Ronald Reagan's support, I was fortunate enough to win and to come join 
him as a Member of Congress for his last 2 years in office. Again, he 
believed in me and I've never forgotten it.
  I attended his last two State of the Union speeches as a Member of the 
House and they were spectacular performances.
  I remember during his last State of the Union when he dropped a copy 
of the enormous continuing resolution spending bill Congress had passed 
in late 1987 and warned us that we'd better get our work done on time 
because he wouldn't sign another bill like that.
  We knew he meant it and Congress listened and the next year we did get 
our work done on time.
  I believe the secret to Ronald Reagan's appeal was that he had such 
strong and profound fundamental beliefs about the role of government and 
he was so confident in his ability to communicate those beliefs in 
simple, but powerful ways that average Americans could understand.
  People sensed that he was sincere in his own beliefs. They knew he was 
comfortable in his own skin and had a clear idea of the direction where 
he wanted to lead the country. Because he was confident in himself and 
believed in America and its people, the American people returned that 
faith. They believed in him and they listened to him. When he led, they 
followed.
  They followed Ronald Reagan when it came to his staunch opposition to 
taxes.
  They listened to him when he warned us about the evils of communism 
and asserted our moral superiority in the struggle between the East and 
the West.
  Many in Washington criticized him when he warned that the old Soviet 
Union was an evil empire.
  But Ronald Reagan understood that the Soviets were a moral threat to 
our way of life, and that we were engaged in a struggle that we had to 
win.
  The naysayers said Ronald Reagan was dangerous, but the American 
people knew he was fundamentally right, and history will show him to be 
a visionary who probably saved our Nation and the world.
  Like every other President, Ronald Reagan had his critics. And he made 
mistakes. But there is no doubt that the strong consensus among the 
American people is that Ronald Reagan was a great President.
  He was an unusually strong and optimistic leader that we all want to 
emulate. That's why his passing has hit so many of us so hard.
  Even his strongest critics will tell you that they liked Ronald Reagan 
the man and human being. They knew that even though he might disagree 
with their policies that he still liked them as people and that he would 
treat them with respect.
  That was a hallmark of Reagan and another strength of his 
administration--he was always a gentleman and treated others with 
respect. He might not have won every policy and political argument, but 
he fought cleanly and conducted himself with civility and grace.
  In the end, I believe that few of us will see another leader the likes 
of Ronald Reagan during our lifetime.
  I believe that when he took office he set out to change not only the 
Nation but the face of the world. That is exactly what he did.


                         Hon. Robert F. Bennett


                                 of utah

  Mr. President, on the passing of former President Reagan, my mind, 
like everyone else's, goes back to a personal experience--not one that I 
had with Ronald Reagan himself because I did not know him that well, but 
in 1976, I was being interviewed for a job in the Reagan campaign for 
President. The individual, the former President's campaign manager at 
the time, who was conducting the interview, went through all of the 
specifics of the job he wanted me to take. The interview went very well. 
I seemed to have the credentials they wanted, and it was clear that a 
job offer was sitting there on the table. But I was a little troubled, 
even though things were going well, because I wanted to make something 
very clear.
  I did not know Ronald Reagan. I had met him, but I did not know him. I 
only knew the caricature of Reagan which was out there in the media, 
which was that he was a rigid, ideological, hardline conservative who 
would never, ever budge from an ideological position. So I said, in the 
spirit of full disclosure in this job interview, I want to make one 
thing clear. I said, ``I am not a true believer.''
  The individual conducting the interview smiled a little and he said, 
``That's all right, neither is the Governor.''
  That was my first glimpse into what made Ronald Reagan a truly 
successful politician. He was a politician of absolutely firm resolve, 
there is no question about that. There were things he believed and he 
believed with such passion that he would never, ever deviate from them. 
But there were also some things he realized could be compromised that 
did not require an absolute, hardline ideological stance, and the great 
genius of the man is that he had the wisdom to be able to discern which 
issue fell into which category, which issue was one in which there must 
be no compromise, and which issue was one where he could, in the words 
of former Senator Dole, take 80 percent of the deal and be happy with 
it. That requires a degree of wisdom and sensitivity that very few of us 
possess. Ronald Reagan possessed it, and that was the core of his 
genius.
  In the words of the country music song, he knew when to hold them and 
when to fold them.
  On the issue of the evil empire, that was a time when he would hold 
them. On the issue of the evil empire, he would give no quarter, and he 
was criticized firmly for that, even within his own administration. The 
story is told of a meeting where members of the administration were 
discussing how they would deal with the Soviet Union in a certain 
situation, and after one point of view was presented President Reagan 
turned to the individual and said, ``If you believe that, what are you 
doing in this administration?'' He was that firm in his determination 
that the Soviet Union was, indeed, an evil empire and had to be 
confronted as such.
  But when the confrontation truly came and the Soviet Union found they 
were up against an immovable object in Ronald Reagan and they began to 
maneuver, then he could see the areas in which 80 percent was good 
enough. He could discern the difference between where he had to stand 
absolutely firm and where he had to negotiate. He skillfully exploited 
all of those differences in such a way that the evil empire first ceased 
to be evil and then ultimately ceased to be an empire.
  I find one of the great ironies of history the fact that upon his 
passing, on the pages of the New York Times, Mikhail Gorbachev is quoted 
in praise of Ronald Reagan. The man whom Reagan outmaneuvered, 
outnegotiated, and ultimately forced from office was singing his praises 
at his passing. That is an indication of how good Ronald Reagan was at 
the job of being President of the United States.
  We have all talked about how optimistic he was, how filled with hope 
he was, what a congenial fellow he was, what a great communicator he 
was. And all of that is true and all of that is right and proper in this 
eulogy. But we should not allow ourselves to forget in these discussions 
of his wonderful qualities how effective a President he was. We live in 
Ronald Reagan's America. Indeed, we live in Ronald Reagan's world. He is 
more responsible for the kind of America we have today than any other 
man. He is more responsible for the kind of world in which we live than 
any other man.
  That does not mean he is solely responsible, by any means, because 
there are many people who have affected America and have affected the 
world for good and ill, and no one man can be solely responsible for 
what happened. But he is more responsible than any other individual for 
the kind of country we have and for the kind of world in which we live--
and both are substantially better than that which he found when he 
became President.
  Let us look back for a minute at what America was like when Ronald 
Reagan became President.
  We think of the Great Depression and how devastating that was as an 
economic event in our lives. When Ronald Reagan came to the Presidency, 
we were in the midst of the great inflation. I remember it very clearly. 
I was delighted in that period--absolutely delighted--to be able to get 
a bank loan, so I could meet payroll in the business I was running, at 
an interest rate of 21\1/5\ percent. I remember talking to my banker who 
told me, Today the Treasury auction has sold 30-year government 
securities at 15 percent. It was absolutely stunning. The great 
inflation was destroying value, destroying confidence, and created what 
is the most serious recession we have had since the Great Depression--
the double digits of the eighties which occurred in Reagan's Presidency 
but were the consequence of the great inflation that went before. This 
President stood absolutely firm on his economic policy that was being 
ridiculed, that was being castigated, that was being sneered at; and his 
message to the country was stay the course. We did stay the course. His 
party lost a lot of seats in that next election, but he stood firm. 
Along with Paul Volcker at the Federal Reserve, they squeezed inflation 
out of the economy, created an economic situation where today as the 
heirs of that enormously difficult but significant effort we find the 
time when interest rates are at their lowest in 20, 30, or 40 years.
  I remind people who derided Ronald Reagan as the playboy, lifeguard, 
football player with no intellectual base that he was the only President 
of the United States who had a degree in economics--classic economics, 
Keynesian economics--and he viewed the world in Keynesian terms and set 
an economic course that produced the base of prosperity we live in 
today. Yes, he was an optimist. Yes, he was a politician of joy. Yes, he 
was a pleasant fellow. But he was an enormously successful President in 
his domestic policies.
  During his Presidency, the American economy grew as measured in terms 
of gross domestic product as much as if it had acquired the entire 
economy of Germany. We added as much gross domestic product--that is as 
much output in the American economy--during the time he was President as 
the entire economy of Germany.
  Let us not forget that contribution as we remember and properly 
celebrate his sterling personal qualities.
  Internationally, of course, we have talked about that. Other Senators 
have talked about that. But let us remember once again at the time his 
policies were very controversial, at the time his policies were derided 
by the wise men, at the time they said he was a cowboy who was going to 
set off all kinds of danger internationally, and at the end of his 
Presidency, as I say, the evil empire was no longer evil and very 
quickly it was no longer an empire. And instead of setting off dangerous 
international consequences, what he did by standing firm on his resolve 
was transform the world by ridding it of its greatest threat. That was 
not bad for a B actor who presumably didn't know anything beyond what 
was on those 3  5 cards.
  The best summary comes from one of his staffers who wrote a book. The 
staffer was named Dinesh D'Souza. He wrote a book called ``Reagan,'' and 
the first chapter of that book is entitled, ``The Wise Men and The 
Dummy.''
  In that chapter, D'Souza said when Reagan came to the Presidency, it 
was widely assumed among all the liberal wise men in the country that he 
was a dummy. The untold secret is the conservative wise men felt the 
same way. The conservative wise men thought he won the Presidency 
because he was a great actor: He looks good on television, but we can't 
allow him to make any of the decisions. He is a front, and we will put 
together the conservative agenda. Then we will have him as our puppet to 
go out and sell it to the American people, and we will have the best of 
all possible worlds.
  Well, as D'Souza records, at the end of the day, on every major issue 
that came before the Reagan Presidency, it turned out the wise men were 
wrong and the dummy was right. And the dummy, because he was President 
of the United States and because he understood the proper use of power 
and he exercised it with tremendous skill, had views that prevailed, and 
we are the beneficiaries of his wisdom.
  At this time of his passing, I do not mourn because Ronald Reagan has 
been released by death from a tremendously debilitating, frustrating, 
and ultimately tragic situation. Ronald Reagan is now in a better place 
that does not require us to mourn but to rejoice. This time is a time to 
celebrate, a time to be grateful, and a time to thank providence for 
giving America at this time in its history this particular statesman, 
the one who knew when to stand with absolute resolve, when to be willing 
to make the deal, and possess the innate wisdom to know the difference.
  We live in Ronald Reagan's America. Indeed, we live in Ronald Reagan's 
world, and we are all better for that.


                           Hon. Jeff Sessions


                               of alabama

  Mr. President, it is a great honor for me to be a Member of this body 
at this point in history and to be able to have the privilege of making 
a few comments on the life and career of Ronald Reagan. Page S6643
  My words are inadequate to the task. Many have spoken more eloquently 
than me. Many have written beautifully about his life and the meaning of 
his Presidency.
  I will just say that I do remember being personally inspired by him. 
As a young high school student, I came to believe Barry Goldwater would 
be a good President. I believed that from the values he was 
articulating. I did what I could. I put a bumper sticker on my daddy's 
pickup truck. Although he had never been involved in politics in any 
way, he allowed me to do that.
  Of course, things did not go well in that election. Things were going 
poorly. But on the eve of that election, the Nation and many of the 
people who shared those basic values about classical America, what we as 
a Nation represent--limited government, individual responsibility, 
personal freedom, a strong national defense--were electrified by a 
speech by Ronald Reagan. I think they call it ``A Rendezvous with 
Destiny.'' Some just call it ``The Speech.'' I remember it to this day.
  After the Goldwater campaign ended--and it certainly was a major 
defeat for him--Ronald Reagan sort of inherited the flame of classical 
American values and made them the basis of his personal beliefs and his 
campaign for the Presidency.
  I was also later honored to be President Reagan's U.S. Attorney for 
the Southern District of Alabama. It was a Presidential appointment, 
confirmed by the Senate. I was a U.S. attorney, and I served in that job 
as one of his lieutenants in the war on crime for the entire two terms 
of his Presidency, and, indeed, for 4 more years under former President 
Bush. That was a great honor for me.
  As we talk about what President Reagan accomplished, I do want to take 
a moment to talk about crime and drugs. Crime and drugs had been surging 
for 20 years when President Reagan took office. The elites in this 
country actually believed that prison was ineffective, that it did not 
work, that it was counterproductive, that you should not put people in 
prison, that we ought to ask how they committed the crime, what the root 
causes of criminal behavior were, and what we could do to help the 
criminal.
  We lost sight of the victim. We lost sight of accountability. We lost 
sight of righting wrong. And it resulted in crime rates that doubled and 
tripled in the 20 years prior to President Reagan taking office.
  Drug use had surged during the sixties and seventies. By the time 
President Reagan took office, half of the high school seniors in America 
admitted to having used an illegal drug in their life. That is a 
stunning number. That is according to a University of Michigan study.
  Nancy Reagan began her ``Just Say No'' program. President Reagan 
passed mandatory sentencing policies. He passed through the Congress the 
Federal sentencing guidelines that eliminated parole and had guaranteed 
sentences for incarceration, with many substantial sentences for serious 
violations of the law. I believe the sentencing guidelines were probably 
the biggest change in law enforcement in the history of this country 
since its founding.
  The result was that drug use went down. It went down every year 
President Reagan was President. For 12 years it declined steadfastly. We 
now have less than half of high school seniors who say they have used an 
illegal drug in their life. The crime rate began to fall. We are still 
seeing declines in crime. That is because we went back to the 
fundamental precepts of crime and punishment, and how you do it. Some 
people are just dangerous. They need to be incarcerated. They need to be 
removed from society for the protection of society.
  States picked up on this. Most crimes are prosecuted in the States, 
but that leadership of the bully pulpit by the President led to State 
reforms and crackdowns and improved capacity in prisons to deal with 
repeat offenders. It has been a key element in the reduction of crime 
and why Americans are safer today than they were in 1980. It is 
something that I think we have not heard much about in the discussion of 
the accomplishments of President Reagan.
  I was also honored to have been his nominee for a Federal judgeship. 
It turned into a very unpleasant experience for me and my nomination did 
not clear the Senate Judiciary Committee, of which I am now a member and 
on which I am honored to serve. But he stood steadfastly for me. The 
fact he believed in my ability to be a Federal judge was something I 
cherish. And I cherish the letter he wrote me when I asked that my name 
be withdrawn from that appointment. It is something I will always 
cherish. It was personal and meaningful to me.
  Ronald Reagan had a deep and fully formed philosophy about America and 
American ideals when he came to office at age 69. This is something that 
did not come to him lightly. It was over a lifetime of evaluation. Even 
in the face of the most fierce opposition, he never wavered in those 
beliefs. Indeed, his very life seemed to embody the highest and best of 
American values. His very life, the way he carried himself, embodied 
American values. His courage to remain true to the highest of these 
ideals was his greatest strength, I believe.
  His goal was to free the greatness of individual Americans, assured 
that their goodness and industry would lift the Nation and inspire the 
world to freedom and progress. He believed in the individual American 
citizen. He believed that government should allow their creativity and 
industry to flourish, and as they flourished, and as they worked hard, 
and as they were creative, the world and America would benefit from it.
  His courage to be true to those ideals, I believe, was his secret 
strength. He understood that intuitively, and he remained true to it. He 
called us, in his very special way, to the natural optimistic spirit of 
America.
  His record of achievement was extraordinary. He led us with courage 
and steadfastness to defeat the evil empire. He cut our taxes. He called 
on us to renew our spiritual, moral, and family values. He said 
criminals should be punished. He not only communicated these values with 
words, but his actions and policies and life were dedicated to that.
  As a result of his constancy and courage to fight for these values, a 
serious period of pessimism abounding in our land at that time ended. 
The Soviet Union collapsed. The economy began its 20 years of remarkable 
growth. Matters of faith, morality, and family were lifted up. The crime 
rate fell, and drug use fell.
  The success of the Reagan Presidency was stunning in its scope, and it 
could not have come at a better time for the country. Like President 
Washington, President Reagan's life was given over to the country. He 
loved his country and he was selfless in his commitment to it. His 
selflessness and the purity of his principles inspired those who worked 
for him.
  I remember--and I will close; I know there are others who would like 
to speak--but I do remember how, as a U.S. attorney, we did not need to 
be told in detail what the President wanted. We heard his philosophy. We 
heard his campaign. We knew he wanted us to be more productive. We knew 
he wanted us to take charge of our governmental office and make it work 
for the people and produce as high an output as it could possibly 
achieve. We also knew he expected us to crack down on criminals and 
crime.
  I think that was good leadership because all the departments of the 
government understood where Reagan came from, what administration they 
were a part of. They did not have to be instructed in detail on how to 
accomplish the goals of his administration. That was one of his great 
strengths. The impact of it was incalculable in many ways around the 
world.
  I will just close with this story. In 1993, several years after 
President Reagan left office, I had the opportunity to go with a church 
group to Russia. It was a Methodist group. We stayed in a town 5 hours 
from Moscow, about 40,000 people, many of whom had not seen Americans 
before. We had a very nice time there. I stayed for a number of days 
with a Russian family.
  The first day we got there, the Russian host's daughter was to be 
baptized. Father Gannati was the Russian Orthodox priest. He came and he 
did a nice service, and it took some time. Then we had dinner after the 
baptism. Father Gannati explained that just 2 years before, he was not 
able to wear his robes in public. The state caused him to be moved from 
town to town every year so that he could not build bonds and roots in a 
given community. He could not meet the governmental leaders. They would 
not meet with him because they were atheists and they would not meet 
with believers. So it was a very interesting time.
  He described how since then he could wear his robe, the mayor had him 
down to meet with him the day before this event, and that he was able to 
stay and rebuild the church there that had been damaged ever since the 
Russian revolution had occurred.
  At the conclusion of those remarks, our host jumped up and said, ``I 
propose a toast to Ronald Reagan, who allowed us to believe in God 
again.'' Right in the center of the evil empire, the impact Ronald 
Reagan had to change the nature of the world in which we lived was felt 
in a very real way.


                            Hon. Craig Thomas


                               of wyoming

  Mr. President, I rise to join other colleagues in talking about 
President Ronald Reagan, the Great Communicator, the great humanitarian.
  ``I will lie down and bleed awhile, and then I will rise and fight 
again''. Ronald Reagan quoted Sir Andrew Barton's words after returning 
home from campaigning against Gerald Ford. Poignant words for a man who 
just 4 years later was elected the 40th President of the United States.
  The Nation and the world have lost a great treasure. Ronald Reagan was 
a master wordsmith, an international diplomat, a man whose genuine 
humanity gave Americans and people around the world a new sense of self-
worth. He loved America first and foremost, so we stood behind our 
leader, our captain, our coach--to win one for the Gipper.
  Ronald Reagan held a deep devotion to principle, sought ``peace 
through strength,'' and encouraged everyone to believe in their 
convictions. He had a keen intellect, but he was underestimated by his 
critics. He disarmed many naysayers with his quick wit, crooked smile, 
thoughtful words, and a jar of jelly beans.
  He will forever be remembered by ending the cold war. His words ``Mr. 
Gorbachev, tear down this wall!'' echo in our mind's eye. Known as the 
Great Communicator, his philosophies changed the political direction 
this country was taking. His domestic policies gave us a smaller 
government rather than a larger one. These are just a handful of changes 
that will be the legacy left by Ronald Reagan. Certainly, we can all be 
very proud of the leadership he has given and follow the example he left 
behind.
  Beneath the steely smile, Ronald Reagan was a cowboy. Westerners 
remember Reagan for his love of horses, his Wrangler jeans, his cowboy 
hats, something we all appreciated out West. In fact, in 1968, Ronald 
Reagan came to Wyoming to speak to the Wyoming Republican State 
Convention in Cheyenne. Clarence Brimmer, now a U.S. district judge in 
Cheyenne, remembered the cowpoke from California who delivered a 
motivating speech. He said recently, ``He was really outstanding, not 
just as a speaker, but in a cowboy suit he was really sharp. He wowed 
all the ladies.''
  The passing of Ronald Reagan has brought about a great deal of grief 
for all of us in the country and throughout the world. But through his 
dignified leadership, universal diplomatic skills, and his energetic 
persona, Ronald Reagan established a legacy that will live for 
generations to come. We should take pride in his life, in his 
accomplishments, and recognize what he left us--the great dawning of a 
new America.


                           Hon. Lisa Murkowski


                                of alaska

  Mr. President, I, too, rise to join my colleagues in honoring our 
Nation's 40th President, Ronald Reagan. It is most fitting and I know 
that I have watched, as have Americans across the country, as we see the 
stories of Ronald Reagan and his life and his contributions to this 
country, stories coming from not only those of us standing on the Senate 
floor but from other countries, from small communities. People are 
focusing on the man that was Ronald Reagan, a great leader for this 
country. The stories that have been told have been wide-ranging, 
covering President Reagan's role in the cold war, his truly undying 
sense of optimism for the country, the discussions about Reaganomics, 
and, of course, all those personal stories that make President Reagan so 
unforgettable.
  Alaska certainly has its stories to add and to share as well. 
President Reagan's impact on Alaska began before he even entered the 
Office of the Presidency. In 1980, the Alaska National Interest Lands 
Conservation Act, putting over 100 million acres of land under Federal 
control, was pending before the Congress. With Reagan's election that 
year, leaders in the House and Senate--at the time, both were under 
Democratic control--knew that if they were going to get a bill signed 
into law, it would have to be then, before President Reagan was sworn 
in, and the act, for better or for worse, was signed into law on 
December 2, 1980. But President Reagan understood Alaska and Alaskans.
  In his book entitled ``Reagan, In His Own Hand,'' the President asked 
this very important question, ``Will Alaska wind up as our biggest 
State, or will it be our smallest State surrounded by our biggest 
national park?''
  He tried to ease the impact these land withdrawals had on Alaskans 
living in and around the new parks and refuges. He fought for access to 
these lands to provide for economic development, and it was his 
administration that determined that oil drilling should be allowed in a 
small section of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, a debate that 
continues today.
  Alaskans remembered all that President Reagan did for us in both 
Presidential elections by giving him wide and broad-based support 
throughout the State.
  President Reagan had the opportunity to visit Alaska several times. He 
liked to talk about his ties to the State. He was a big fan of Robert 
Service, and one of his favorites was a poem entitled ``The Shooting of 
Dan McGrew.'' It is a poem about a particular barroom brawl, and most 
people may remember the beginning of it: ``A bunch of the boys were 
whooping it up at the Malamute saloon.''
  It is a wonderful, kind of down-and-dirty, rough-and-tumble poem that 
personified what many wanted to believe about Alaska and the Last 
Frontier.
  But President Reagan was quite fond of that. I had an opportunity last 
night to pull out ``The Shooting of Dan McGrew'' and read it yet one 
more time, and it brought good smiles to my face.
  I ask unanimous consent to have printed in the Record the full 
contents of ``The Shooting of Dan McGrew.''
  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

                       The Shooting of Dan McGrew


                           (By Robert Service)

A bunch of the boys were whooping it up in the Malamute saloon;

The kid that handles the music-box was hitting a jag-time tune;

Back of the bar, in a solo game, sat Dangerous Dan McGrew,

And watching his luck was his light-o'-love, the lady that's known as Lou.

  

When out of the night, which was fifty below, and into the din and glare,

There stumbled a miner fresh from the creeks, dog-dirty, and loaded for 
bear.

He looked like a man with a foot in the grave and scarcely the strength of 
a louse,

Yet he tilted a poke of dust on the bar, and he called for drinks for the 
house.

There was none could place the stranger's face, though we searched 
ourselves for a clue;

But we drank his health, and the last to drink was Dangerous Dan McGrew.

  

There's men that somehow just grip your eyes, and hold them hard like a 
spell;

And such was he, and he looked to me like a man who had lived in hell;

With a face most hair, and the dreary stare of a dog whose day is done,

As he watered the green stuff in his glass, and the drops fell one by one.

Then I got to figgering who he was, and wondering what he'd do,

And I turned my head--and there watching him was the lady that's known as 
Lou.

  

His eyes went rubbering round the room, and he seemed in a kind of daze,

Till at last that old piano fell in the way of his wandering gaze.

The rag-time kid was having a drink; there was no one else on the stool,

So the stranger stumbles across the room, and flops down there like a fool.

In a buckskin shirt that was glazed with dirt he sat, and I saw him 
sway;Page S6645

Then he clutched the keys with his talon hands--my God! but that man could 
play.

  

Were you ever out in the Great Alone, when the moon was awful clear,

And the icy mountains hemmed you in with a silence you most could hear;

With only the howl of a timber wolf, and you camped there in the cold,

A half-dead thing in a stark, dead world, clean mad for the muck called 
gold;

While high overhead, green, yellow and red, the North Lights swept in 
bars?--

Then you've a haunch what the music meant . . . hunger and night and the 
stars.

  

And hunger not of the belly kind, that's banished with bacon and beans,

But the gnawing hunger of lonely men for a home and all that it means;

For a fireside far from the cares that are, four walls and a roof above;

But oh! so cramful of cosy joy, and crowned with a woman's love--

A woman dearer than all the world, and true as Heaven is true--

(God! how ghastly she looks through her rouge,--the lady that's known as 
Lou.)

  

Then on a sudden the music changed, so soft that you scarce could hear;

But you felt that your life had been looted clean of all that it once held 
dear;

That someone had stolen the woman you loved; that her love was a devil's 
lie;

That your guts were gone, and the best for you was to crawl away and die.

'Twas the crowning cry of a heart's despair, and it thrilled you through 
and through--

``I guess I'll make it a spread misere,'' said Dangerous Dan McGrew.

  

The music almost died away . . . then it burst like a pent-up flood;

And it seemed to say, ``Repay, repay,'' and my eyes were blind with blood.

The thought came back of an ancient wrong, and it stung like a frozen lash,

And the lust awoke to kill, to kill . . . then the music stopped with a 
crash,

And the stranger turned, and his eyes they burned in a most peculiar way;

In a buckskin shirt that was glazed with dirt he sat, and I saw him sway;

Then his lips went in in a kind of grin, and he spoke, and his voice was 
calm,

And ``Boys,'' says he, ``you don't know me, and none of you care a damn;

But I want to state, and my words are straight, and I'll bet my poke 
they're true,

That one of you is a hound of hell . . . and that one is Dan McGrew.''

  

Then I ducked my head, and the lights went out, and two guns blazed in the 
dark,

And a woman screamed, and the lights went up, and two men lay stiff and 
stark.

Pitched on his head, and pumped full of lead, was Dangerous Dan McGrew.

While the man from the creeks lay clutched to the breast of the lady that's 
known as Lou.

  

These are the simple facts of the case, and I guess I ought to know.

They say that the stranger was crazed with ``hooch,'' and I'm not denying 
it's so.

I'm not so wise as the lawyer guys, but strictly between us two--

The woman that kissed him and--pinched his poke--was the lady that's known 
as Lou.

  I have a wonderful personal anecdote about President Reagan. He 
visited Fairbanks, AK, in 1984. It was a monumental visit because he 
joined Pope John Paul II in Fairbanks for a summit there. The President 
and Nancy Reagan arrived in Fairbanks on their way back from China. The 
following day, the Pope was arriving on his way to Korea. As we do in 
Alaska, we can facilitate great unions because of our strategic location 
at the top of the globe. So they were able to meet at the Fairbanks 
International Airport.
  During his stopover in Fairbanks, the President spent his time at my 
parent's home out on the Chena River. They were there for a couple of 
days. It would not be much of a story except that the home was brand 
spanking new. It had not yet been furnished. So in an effort to make 
sure the President and Mrs. Reagan were comfortable, the community 
literally furnished the home, complete with very fine Alaskan artwork. 
It was perhaps a showcase home for a couple of days. Everything from the 
city's artwork to the china ultimately had to be returned to wherever it 
came from. The community went all out for the President and Mrs. Reagan.
  Because this was a new house, there were some kinks that still needed 
to be worked out, specifically the water. It didn't have hot water. 
Apparently, after a long flight, it is quite nice to stop and take a 
shower, or perhaps Mrs. Reagan needed a warm bath. But there was no hot 
water. A call was made to then-Senator Murkowski at about 3 a.m. asking 
how come there was no hot water. As the story goes, the President and my 
father were wandering around outside trying to figure out how to make 
the hot water come on. They learned you had to keep the water running 
for awhile. That was the way President Reagan was. He was willing to go 
out and try to be helpful and fix the problem. He was a man who wanted 
to make things work, to cut through the redtape and bureaucracy, reduce 
the size of government, and a man who was not afraid to stand up and 
promote his vision for America, but also knowing when it was time to 
compromise on issues. He was an individual who truly made America feel 
good about itself again.
  I will close by reading a quote from Ronald Reagan during his speech 
at the 1992 National Republican Convention. I feel it is truly a fitting 
reminder of this great man's legacy. I read as follows:

  My fellow citizens--those of you here in this hall and those of you at 
home--I want you to know that I have always had the highest respect for 
you, for your common sense and intelligence, and for your decency. I 
have always believed in you and in what you could accomplish for 
yourselves and for others.

  And whatever else history may say about me when I'm gone, I hope it 
will record that I appealed to your best hopes, not your worst fears, to 
your confidence rather than your doubts. My dream is that you will 
travel the road ahead with liberty's lamp guiding your steps and 
opportunity's arm steadying your way.

  My fondest hope for each one of you--and especially for the young 
people here--is that you will love your country, not for her power or 
wealth, but for her selflessness and her idealism. May each of you have 
the heart to conceive, the understanding to direct, and the hand to 
execute works that will make the world a little better for your having 
been here.

  May all of you as Americans never forget your heroic origins, never 
fail to seek divine guidance, and never lose your natural, God-given 
optimism.

  And finally, my fellow Americans, may every dawn be a great new 
beginning for America and every evening bring us closer to that 
``shining city upon a hill.''


                          Hon. James M. Talent


                               of missouri

  Mr. President, it is an honor for me to join the Senate in honoring 
the memory and celebrating the life of Ronald Reagan. I want to say, 
first of all, how much I have appreciated the eloquence and the personal 
memories that have been offered on the Senate floor and in public by 
those who knew and remembered President Reagan. I, of course, remember 
him. I didn't know him personally.
  I also want to say how much especially I have appreciated the grace 
and the charity shown to the former President by those here who were, 
when he was in office, his political opponents. I think it is a great 
testimony to their charity of spirit that they have done so and also a 
comment on how our system operates in times such as this. We can 
remember and appreciate a person for his good qualities without 
necessarily having to retreat from any disagreements we may have had 
with that person over political issues.
  I am reminded of what Winston Churchill said on a similar occasion 
when he was offering remembrances of a colleague who had died, with whom 
he had had many differences. He said:

  The fierce and bitter controversies which hung around him in recent 
times were hushed by the news of his illness and are silenced by his 
death. In paying a tribute of respect and of regard to an eminent man 
who has been taken from us, no one is obliged to alter the opinions 
which he has formed or expressed upon issues which have become a part of 
history; but at the Lychgate, we may all pass our own conduct and our 
own judgments under a searching review. It's not given to human beings, 
happily for them for otherwise life would be intolerable, to foresee or 
to predict to any large extent the unfolding course of events. In one 
phase men seem to have been right, in another they seem to have been 
wrong. Then again, a few years later, when the perspective of time has 
lengthened, all stands in a different setting. There is a new 
proportion. There is another scale of values. History with its 
flickering lamp stumbles along the trail of the past, trying to 
reconstruct its scenes, to revive its echoes, and kindle with pale 
gleams the passion of former days. What is the worth of all this? The 
only guide to a man is his conscience; the only shield to his memory is 
the rectitude and sincerity of his actions. It is very imprudent to walk 
through life without this shield, because we are so often mocked by the 
failure of our hopes and the upsetting of our calculations; but with 
this shield, however the fates may play, we march always in the ranks of 
honour.

  I stand here for a few minutes to remember a man who always marched in 
the ranks of honor and whose shield was the sincerity and rectitude of 
his actions at all times. He was not a mentor, because I did not know 
him personally, but he was a hero of mine.
  Much has been said in the last few days about his humor and 
amiability. I agree that was a very important part of Ronald Reagan, of 
who he was and of his success. When I think of him, when I visualize 
him, I visualize him smiling, telling a joke, or offering some witticism 
or some piece of humor. I think that was a big part of his success.
  It is important not to take yourself too seriously. That is a quality 
that often is lacking in this town. I think I can say that without being 
deemed uncharitable. But it was not a quality that was lacking in Ronald 
Reagan. He thought deeply about issues. He thought deeply about the 
country. I think people underestimated, to some extent, how deeply he 
thought and understood what was going on. He never pretended to know 
everything. I think that helped him a lot in his Presidency.
  We should also remember President Reagan, however, not just for his 
qualities and his personality, but also for what he believed. He thought 
ideas were important, and he was right. I remember George Will said a 
few years ago--and I am paraphrasing him; he probably said it more 
eloquently than this--but the gist of his remarks was, the collapse of 
the Soviet Union proves that ideas not only have consequences, but that 
maybe only ideas have consequences.
  President Reagan's friends and opponents have sometimes characterized 
his political philosophy as being an antigovernment philosophy or a 
simplistic belief in making government smaller whatever the 
circumstances the country was confronting. I do not think that is 
correct. I think at best it is oversimplistic.
  President Reagan understood that the issue of our time during his 
Presidency and the issue of our time now, I suggest, is not whether 
government is going to be big or small, certainly in an absolute sense 
and often in a relative sense as well, but whether the government, in 
doing whatever functions we believe it ought to do, will consistently 
respect the values and institutions of private life.
  It is not a question of whether government is important, because it 
is; it is a question of whether the government believes it is more 
important than the private society and culture and people it is 
governing. That is where President Reagan drew the consistent line of 
his philosophy in his public life. His faith was in what the American 
people had built and have built and are continuing to build on their 
own, and in the associations and networks of private life that give life 
meaning, that give people a chance for happiness and opportunity. He 
believed in what people build in their families, in their small 
businesses, in their local schools, in their voluntary associations and 
organizations, in their churches, synagogues, and temples. He believed 
in the great traditions of American culture. He knew those traditions 
and the institutions that represent them grow and evolve organically 
over time and that they represent the wisdom of many generations of 
people about how we ought to live in our society so that we can have the 
maximum amount of justice and freedom and opportunity for all of our 
people.
  What he wanted was for the government to be vigorous in the areas it 
was supposed to operate but to respect those institutions rather than 
trying to overthrow them.
  He said once in 1970:

  It's not my intention to do away with government. It is rather to make 
it work--work with us, not over us; to stand by our side, not ride on 
our back. Government can and must provide opportunity, not smother it; 
foster productivity, not stifle it.

  I remember a few years ago when we were debating welfare reform in the 
Congress--and I was in the House at the time--a key point in that debate 
was when the Congress decided collectively that we were not talking 
about whether we were going to try in some sense to get rid of the 
welfare system. We were not going to retreat from the impulse of the 
sixties to help people who were in poverty get out of poverty.
  What we wanted, however, was a system that tried to do that in a way 
that respected and upheld the values that generations and generations of 
Americans have relied on to move up the economic ladder. We wanted a 
system that instead of punishing work, encouraged and required it. We 
wanted a system that instead of providing incentives against marriage, 
encouraged marriage and talked about its importance. We wanted a system 
that did not uproot neighborhoods and neighborhood institutions, that 
did not sweep them aside in the name of an all powerful and prescriptive 
government, but rather a system that helped build up again the vital 
parts of neighborhoods.
  The reason that bill has been so successful, the reason it was 
supported by a vast majority in both Houses, and why it has been 
successful all over the country is not because it represented, I submit, 
a retreat by the government from its commitment to helping people 
achieve the American dream, but rather because it represented a 
conscious commitment by the government to work with the values of 
Americans, to respect those values and not to uproot them.
  There is no question where President Reagan would have been in that 
fight, where he was in that fight, because the seeds of welfare reform 
were planted during his administration.
  I am not going to go on. There are others who wish to speak. I thank 
the Senator from Florida for allowing me to go out of order because we 
try to go back and forth on both sides of the aisle.
  Let me close with one of my favorite quotes from President Reagan. We 
are all doing that. It is from his second inaugural address in January 
1985, and many have commented on President Reagan's optimism about 
America, how he was optimistic about America because he not only 
believed in those values and the institutions that represented them, but 
he had a tremendous faith in their power. I think he knew we were going 
to triumph over the Soviet Union in the cold war because he knew what we 
believed in was right, was powerful, and was good, and he was not afraid 
to state it in those terms.
  Here is an example of his optimism from his second inaugural address:

  [Now] we . . . hear again the echoes of our past: a general falls to 
his knees in the hard snow of Valley Forge; a lonely President paces the 
darkened halls and ponders his struggle to preserve the Union; the men 
of the Alamo call out encouragement to each other; a settler pushes west 
and sings a song, and the song echoes out forever and fills the 
unknowing air. It is the American sound. It is hopeful, big-hearted, 
idealistic, daring, decent, and fair. That's our heritage; that's our 
song. We sing it still. For all our problems, our differences, we are 
together as of old. We raise our voices to the God who is the author of 
this most tender music. And may He continue to hold us close as we fill 
the world with our sound--in unity, affection, and love--one people 
under God, dedicated to the dream of freedom that He has placed in the 
human heart, called upon now to pass that dream on to a waiting and 
hopeful world.


                             Hon. Bob Graham


                               of florida

  Mr. President, later today, the body of President Ronald Reagan will 
be brought into this Capitol so that all Americans can pay their final 
respects.
  Much has been said, much has been written about our 40th President and 
the impact he had on our Nation and the world. In at least one respect, 
I believe part of his legacy has been mischaracterized, and I rise 
today, as has my friend and colleague from Missouri, to set the record 
straight.
  The issue that I would like to address is Ronald Reagan's view of the 
size of government. It is true that President Reagan believed the 
Federal Government was too large and too costly, but he did not believe 
that was true of all governments.
  As a former Governor of California, he believed governments closer to 
the people, governments at the State and local level, had the primary 
responsibility for essential public service and, thus, they should have 
the resources to respond to public needs. Page S6647
  The people would serve as the control of whether the State and local 
officials had fulfilled the voters' expectation of the role of their 
State, their county, or their city. I know this first-hand.
  My tenure as Governor of Florida overlapped with President Reagan's 
administration for 6 years. During that time, President Reagan and key 
members of his administration, even as they attempted to eliminate the 
U.S. Department of Education and shrink Federal spending on education, 
helped me pass a tax increase in Florida that led to great improvements 
in our State education system.
  An education reform movement swept the country in 1983 and 1984 with 
the issuance in April 1983 by the National Commission on Excellence in 
Education of a landmark report entitled ``Nation at Risk: The Imperative 
for Educational Reform.''
  At the time that report was issued, President Reagan made this 
statement:

  Parental authority is not a right conveyed by the state; rather, 
parents delegate to their elected school board representatives and State 
legislators the responsibility for their children's schooling.

  During a meeting of the National Governors Association in 1983 
President Reagan told the Governors they would be responsible for 
implementing reforms, including how to cover the costs of those reforms. 
He was not interested in having the Federal Government play a larger 
role; in fact, he was intent on cutting the Federal role in education.
  I recalled those words when back in Tallahassee I began to push a 
major educational reform package through the legislature. I was not 
alone. For instance, our colleague, the then-Governor of Tennessee, 
Lamar Alexander, was instrumental in the development and adoption of a 
similar reform package in Tennessee, and we had the opportunity to work 
together during that process with then-Governor Alexander talking to 
Republican members of the Florida legislature as I reciprocated in 
conversations with Democratic members of the Tennessee legislature.
  The Florida package had a goal. The goal was we would raise the level 
of education in Florida as judged by student performance on standardized 
tests and other measurements and also per-student funding of education 
to among the top 25 percent of the States in America. We increased 
student performance standards at all levels and had the most challenging 
standards for graduation from high school of any State in the Nation.
  The package included basic things such as smaller class sizes, more 
class and curriculum opportunities for students, and a career ladder 
with pay increases which recognized our best teachers. But all of those 
reforms depended upon additional State financing. I proposed several 
steps to raise the necessary revenue, including a revision of our 
corporate profits tax. I advocated the plan with the assurance that 
better schools would improve our State's economic climate. We even 
printed up buttons which read: ``Education Means Business.''
  I was therefore very disturbed that the success of the educational 
reform program was threatened by the lack of support by Republicans in 
the State senate and the State house of representatives. I called 
President Reagan's Education Secretary, Dr. Terrell Bell from Utah. I 
reported that I was attempting to do exactly what the President had said 
States should be doing, but could not get any Republican support.
  After consulting with the White House and gaining the President's 
personal permission, Secretary Bell called me back and asked what he 
could do to help.
  I gave him the names of a half dozen or more Republican legislators. 
Secretary Bell called them on behalf of the President to ask them to 
support the reform package. I am pleased to say that with strong 
bipartisan support, the education reform program in Florida passed in 
1983, and then by 1986 Florida had moved to 13th in the Nation in our 
per-pupil spending, and our test scores had the greatest rate of 
increase in 1986 of any State in the Nation.
  This program showed that greater gains in student performance can be 
achieved through the right set of educational reform. This would not 
have happened without the support of President Ronald Reagan.
  My point is Ronald Reagan was a more nuanced political leader in terms 
of his view of the role of government than he is generally given credit 
for by both his critics and his fans. On behalf of all Floridians, I 
express my appreciation for his support of improved education in 
Florida, and on behalf of all Floridians I express my condolences to 
President Reagan's family, especially his beloved Nancy.


                           Hon. Orrin G. Hatch


                                 of utah

  Mr. President, I would feel really bad if I didn't take a few moments 
to speak about my friend, Ron Reagan. I, as much as anybody in this 
body, revered him, respected him, and loved him.
  When I was running back in 1976, I filed literally on the last day, 
May 10. I had zero name recognition except among the legal community and 
among my initial church community. But it was zero in the public polls. 
I ran through the preconvention, the convention, and came out second in 
the convention, which enabled me to force a primary, and through the 
primary on $35,000, $18,000 of which was my own, which was a lot of 
money then back in 1976. I was about 9 points ahead and pulling away at 
that time against the favored in the race--the Republican Party favorite 
and the favorite of most of the delegates of the State convention. But 
he had spent about $150,000, and he was starting to slip. I was starting 
to pull ahead by about 9 points, according to the polls.
  Since I was the first to come out for Ronald Reagan in that race at 
that particular time in Utah as a candidate, we decided to ask Ronald 
Reagan if he would preprimary endorse me in my race for the U.S. Senate.
  I have to say when I called it didn't take them long, recognizing my 
friendship and my support for the first time in his political career, as 
far as I know--at least that is what I was told by those who were 
running his campaign, that he was going to preprimary endorse me, and he 
did. By that time I was probably known by about 60 to 65 percent of the 
people in Utah.
  After the endorsement, I won the primary. I probably would have won 
the primary by 10 or 15 percentage points. But after his endorsement, I 
won the primary 2 to 1, and I was known by, I believe, well over 95 
percent of my fellow constituents in Utah.
  I went to 36 States for Ronald Reagan as one of his major surrogates. 
I went to New Hampshire, and I was Nancy Reagan's date that night as I 
spoke for Ronald Reagan in the cattle call. That is what it was called 
in New Hampshire.
  In 1980, I gave the keynote address at Plains High School, Jimmy 
Carter's own high school in Plains, GA, before 2,000 people.
  I did everything in my power to elect Ronald Reagan. We had a 
friendship that transcended the usual friendships that are lovely and 
wonderful around here but nevertheless usually don't rise to the level 
that his friendship for me and mine for him really rose to.
  I truly love Ronald Reagan. I know what a great President he was. I 
know he did bring down the Iron Curtain, that he was the primary mover 
and articulator of the themes that actually ended the cold war.
  Most scholars will now say there are four reasons why Reagan was able 
to win the cold war: first, his military buildup; he put too much 
pressure on the Soviets; second, the placing of the Pershing II missiles 
in Europe, which was a very gutsy thing to do at the time, and highly 
criticized; third was the threat to build SDI, the Strategic Defense 
Initiative, and the Soviets knew we could do it; and fourth was a 
placing of the Stinger missiles in Afghanistan. I was here through all 
of those times.
  I honor this great President, and I honor his dear wife who has been a 
wonderful wife and supporter, who I know deeply, who has been an 
advocate for so many things that are right, and especially in later 
times. Embryonic stem cell research--she is right on that issue, and I 
support her. I honor both of them this day.
  I join my colleagues, millions of Americans, and indeed countless more 
around the world in mourning the loss of the greatest American President 
of the 20th century, President Ronald Wilson Reagan.
  After suffering nearly a decade, our beloved President died this 
weekend. I join those in this body here today in sending our condolences 
to Mrs. Reagan and their entire family.
  It is hard to imagine any American alive who has not been touched by 
the legacy of Ronald Reagan. Even those born after he left office in 
1989 have benefited from his selfless service, as they grew up in an era 
of unprecedented global freedom, a result of the end of the cold war 
brought on by President Reagan's bold vision of this country and our 
faithful mission in the world.
  Certainly, I was touched by the life of President Reagan.
  Perhaps I might not be here today were it not for the invigorating 
support of this great leader, whose endorsement of my candidacy in my 
first Senate run was certainly instrumental in my service to the people 
of Utah.
  I was pleased and honored to return the favor at every opportunity--
and, in 1980 and 1984, I campaigned for Ronald Reagan in almost every 
State of the Union.
  Let no one believe that this repaid my debt, political or personal, to 
this great man--because I believe I will remain in his debt as long as I 
live, and so will our country.
  President Reagan was both political mentor and inspiration to me as a 
young Senator.
  We both started as Democrats.
  We were inspired by our country's bold international leadership and 
sacrifice during World War II, under a Democratic President.
  Yet we both saw the political landscape shift early in our adult 
lives.
  We both grew dismayed at our country's direction, as citizens lost 
faith, lost optimism and lost the dynamism that once made this land 
great.
  At the same time, we both grew to appreciate the principles of the 
Republican Party, where individual initiative and personal freedom are 
enshrined, and where the fight against international communism took a 
backseat to no other foreign policy.
  When I came to the Senate in 1977, our country was still fresh from 
the defeat symbolized by communist tanks crashing into Saigon in 1975.
  By the time Ronald Reagan became President, the defeat in 1975 had 
been interpreted by our global nemesis, the Soviet Union, as a weakness 
in American resolve; it inspired the Soviets to proxy adventures in 
Latin America, Africa and Asia.
  As the liberal elites of the seventies denounced and disparaged our 
international sacrifices of the past decade, as it became commonplace to 
equate the use of American force with the encroachments of communist 
tyranny, America became uncertain of itself and turned inward.
  It was not our finest moment.
  Our late colleague, Senator Moynihan, once remarked,

  [T]he central conservative truth is that it is culture, not politics, 
that determines the success of a society. The central liberal truth is 
that politics can change a culture and save it from itself.

  In the seventies, liberal culture had brought this country to a period 
of social decline and international withdrawal.
  As communist tyranny gained around the world, drug use here reached an 
all-time high.
  The economy of the most productive nation in the world was unraveling 
with high taxes and higher inflation.
  Our sense of mission was gone; our belief in our natural strengths and 
goodness receded.
  One of the things I loved the most about Ronald Reagan was that he 
recognized his duty to lead a conservative movement back into the 
political majority; by so doing he declared that we would never concede 
to cultural decline.
  Reagan's victory in 1980 put an end to this malaise and changed our 
country forever.
  Originally from the Midwest, Reagan moved to California and found his 
talent in the industry of American dreams, showing our country that an 
American everyman could be a star.
  Many scorned Reagan the actor for seeking political office.
  But, once again, he showed them wrong. He won our hearts as a 
President--as he had as an actor--showing us all that a man well-
practiced in the arts of both heart and mind could be a perfect leader 
for a nation which had lost its sense of imagination.
  Only in America could a man from the middle class, from the middle of 
the country, rise to become the greatest American leader of the 20th 
century.
  Ronald Wilson Reagan achieved this by appealing to the essential 
American values in all of us--the values of individualism and 
enterprise, initiative and optimism, charity and sacrifice. And he 
restored those values in our country's policies.
  Many misjudged Reagan. Many underestimated him. Many confused a man of 
simple beliefs with a simple man.
  Those of us who knew him well recognized Reagan as a man of deep 
convictions. Deft of wit, he always deflected a tough moment with humor. 
But, under it all, a gravity of purpose shone through.
  What I came to admire in Ronald Reagan was his core belief that 
government could lead society, but not build society. He recognized that 
government's most important economic role was to foster American 
innovation and industry. And his policies followed that principle.
  In foreign policy, he knew that communism was an abominable scourge on 
the face of the planet. He eagerly tackled that challenge as he had most 
obstacles in his life, and in so doing left a legacy unparalleled by any 
American leader.
  Who can forget his momentous call, ``Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this 
wall!''?
  And who can forget watching as the wall fell just 2 years later?
  In the most fundamental way, President Ronald Reagan inspired us all 
to believe in our great Nation, and what it could do to help its people 
lead better lives.
  As a junior Senator, I watched President Reagan take office, facing 
his first challenge: an economy misfiring on all cylinders, mired in the 
mud of inflation, high taxes and bureaucracy.
  With a strong voice of optimism, President Reagan unfurled an 
ambitious plan to rejuvenate the economy and lead the Nation to economic 
recovery.
  I remember how excited we were to see his bold plan, the change in 
direction that our new President charted.
  He led us to pass the landmark Economic Recovery and Tax Act, 
including the Kemp-Roth personal income tax cuts of 25 percent over 3 
years.
  This major initiative stimulated the economy by providing for 
accelerated depreciation deductions and an investment credit.
  It also enhanced the retirement of millions of Americans by 
introducing individual retirement accounts.
  And perhaps most significantly, it indexed income tax brackets to 
inflation, limiting this punishing form of spending growth.
  The result? The economic boom in the eighties.
  Inflation dropped from 13.5 percent in 1980 to 3.2 percent in 1983.
  By 1986, the 4th year of the tax cuts, economic growth had increased a 
cumulative 18 percent.
  And, when Ronald Reagan left office in January 1989, more than 18 
million jobs had been created.
  Some have criticized the Reagan era as years of profligate spending 
and an irresponsible increase in the Federal deficit.
  However, only in 1 year, 1983, did either personal income tax 
collections or total receipts go down from the previous year. It is true 
that the budget deficit did increase during the Reagan Presidency, but 
this was clearly due to large increases in spending, not because of the 
Reagan tax cuts, without which we would not likely have had the increase 
in prosperity most Americans enjoyed.
  President Reagan also led the way for Congress to approve the landmark 
1986 Tax Reform Act.
  Despite the naysaying of critics, President Reagan did it again. The 
1986 act lowered the top marginal income tax rate from 50 percent to 
just 28 percent. Also, it reduced the number of tax brackets from 14 to 
just 2. Page S6649
  While I did not support some of the provisions in the final product of 
the 1986 act, particularly some of the drastic changes in depreciation, 
which I believed would help contribute to a crisis in real estate and 
the savings and loan industry, the act itself with its simplification 
and lower tax rates was a major accomplishment.
  The fact that subsequent Presidents and Congresses have reversed the 
gains made in terms of simplicity does not take away from the monumental 
victory that President Reagan scored by his leadership of the Tax Reform 
Act of 1986.
  Throughout the Reagan era, I had the privilege of serving on the Labor 
and Human Resources Committee, much of it as chairman. I worked closely 
with the President and his staff on issues related to public health and 
welfare issues showcasing the President' compassion and dedication to 
improving the quality of life of all Americans.
  The country was still in a major recession, and we worked to pass the 
Job Training Partnership Act. This legislation changed the emphasis of 
job assistance from providing government jobs to unemployed workers to 
providing them job training which would help unemployed find jobs in the 
private sector.
  The President's initiatives often focused on releasing decisionmaking 
initiatives from an old Federal bureaucracy, as with the innovative 
health block grants that returned decisionmaking to the States, 
providing them with the resources and flexibility to deliver preventive 
services, maternal and child health care, and mental health services in 
a totally new model.
  As chairman of the committee, I was criticized for putting this 
legislation through. But we were vindicated when the General Accounting 
Office reviewed these initiatives several years after their creation. It 
concluded that they were successful, and provided a more efficient way 
to address the health needs of America's diverse population.
  I also remember how strongly the Reagan administration supported 
biomedical research, a love for and appreciation of the power of 
scientific inquiry Mrs. Reagan carries forward to this day.
  Other key accomplishments under President Reagan's tenure were 
significant Food and Drug Administration legislation, such as the Orphan 
Drug Act, the Drug Price Competition and Patent Term Resolution Act, the 
National Organ Transplantation Act, pediatric emergency medical 
services, vaccine compensation, tobacco warning labels, and the national 
practitioner data bank.
  How well I remember the battle President Reagan waged to seat C. 
Everett Koop as the Surgeon General.
  Again recognizing that the country needed inspired leadership more 
than bureaucracy, President Reagan informed us that he wanted to 
nominate C. Everett Koop to be the Surgeon General.
  Many balked, citing Dr. Koop's age--65--as a barrier. The Public 
Health Service Act limited the age of PHS Commission Corps officers to 
64\1/2\.
  But our President, himself past that age, recognized the superior 
leadership skills of Dr. Koop.
  It was a long battle, but one which had to be fought. Dr. Koop defined 
the modern-day role of Surgeon General, and today is revered by all, 
Democrats and Republicans alike, for his independent-minded advocacy of 
public health, from AIDS awareness and prevention to antitobacco 
initiatives.
  I would be remiss if I didn't highlight President Reagan's other 
significant health care accomplishment.
  As we know, the use of illegal drugs had hit a historic high in the 
late seventies.
  Again, President Reagan recognized that government needed to find new 
ways to address this social blight. He proposed and we legislated the 
creation of the Office of National Drug Control Policy, which has taken 
the leadership role in anti-drug policy ever since.
  Once again, however, the President recognized that leadership was as 
much in the message as in the bureaucracy.
  His beloved First Lady introduced the ``Just Say No'' campaign, a flat 
rebuttal to an ingrown acceptance of drug use in our society.
  Derided by some elites, this program of declaring unequivocally the 
unacceptable use of illegal drugs has become a foundation of all 
subsequent drug use.
  No one suggests--then or now--that the problem of drug use is simple, 
and that prevention and treatment policies can be cauterized from 
interdiction policies.
  But no one suggests, after years of confirming studies, that a drug 
policy can be effective absent a strong component of social rhetoric.
  I loved President Reagan, and I loved his personal style of 
leadership.
  But I loved even more his undying love and affection for one of the 
classiest First Ladies this country has come to know.
  Nancy Reagan's quiet support of her husband, so evident in all his 
successes, is often overlooked, as is her courage in leading the ``Just 
Say No'' campaign.
  I remember as if it were today when President Reagan signed the 1986 
drug law, the one that created the Office of the Drug Czar and gave 
added resources to prevention and treatment.
  I was standing behind the President when he signed the bill. He said 
with that special twinkle in his eye, ``I am going to give this pen to 
the woman who has crusaded to end drug use in this country.''
  With that, he walked past expectant advocates and lawmakers straight 
to his wife Nancy, and presented her with the pen.
  Some focus on President Reagan's talents as an actor and imagemaker. 
Yet I have never known a more authentic man.
  And when he concluded that AIDS was a challenge to the public health 
that was reaching emergency proportions, he declared this as national 
policy.
  At the time, some criticized his administration. They wanted him to 
act sooner. They wanted more money. They wanted more research.
  But what I remember was a compassionate man who recognized that we 
needed to build the research infrastructure to make effective use of new 
funding.
  While the HIV virus was not identified until 1983, the Reagan 
administration invested close to $6 billion in fighting the disease by 
the end of his term in 1989. Once the President recognized the 
challenge, he radically increased the response of the government, and 
the breakthroughs with retroviral medicines in the nineties would simply 
have not occurred were it not for those investments.
  We all know that one of a President's greatest legacies is his 
nominations to the third branch of government.
  In appointing more judges than any President in American history, 
President Reagan's judicial legacy can be seen on two levels.
  First, he described, in both principled and practical terms, the kind 
of judge America needs.
  We had seen decades of judicial activism, through which judges took 
more and more control over the policies governing the country and the 
culture in which Americans lived.
  President Reagan came into office not just saying judges were going 
too far, but explaining why. He refocused Americans on the principles 
America's Founders laid down at the dawn of the Republic: the people, 
through their elected representatives, decide how they wish to be 
governed and make the law to do so. Judges can only interpret and apply 
that law, they cannot make or change it.
  Implementing those basic principles, President Reagan shaped the 
judiciary by the individuals he nominated and appointed. He appointed 
some of the legal academy's best minds to the U.S. Court of Appeals--
such as Ralph Winter to the Second Circuit, Frank Easterbrook and 
Richard Posner to the Seventh Circuit, and of course Robert Bork to the 
District of Columbia Circuit.
  I served on the Judiciary Committee during those years, seeing first-
hand the depth and breadth and quality of President Reagan's nominees.
  America's Founders insisted that this separation of powers, this 
restriction on judicial power, was absolutely critical for the freedom 
that self-government under a written constitution makes possible.
  For some whose agenda the people do not favor, however, a judiciary 
that won't make law means their preferred law just won't get made. And 
they fought President Reagan's nominees with increasingly intensity.
  The first cloture vote ever taken on an appeals court nominee, for 
example, occurred during President Reagan's first term, and the 
confirmation process changed entirely in his second.
  The seeds sown then have borne fruit today in the filibusters being 
used against President Bush's nominees. But the issue remains the same, 
whether unelected Federal judges may take over from the people the 
business of making law and defining the culture.
  President Reagan's record of judicial appointments is certainly a 
profound legacy. He truly blazed a trail on this issue and, through his 
leadership, Americans now know more about how appointing the right kind 
of judge is so important to protect their freedom.
  Many believe that President Reagan's lasting legacy will be his 
successful leadership during the last stage of the cold war.
  Ronald Reagan's tenure began at what was our lowest point in the cold 
war. The loss in Vietnam and the Watergate debacle led to a withdrawal 
from our global policy of containment. The Soviets filled the gap, and 
their proxies gained around the globe.
  Emboldened, the Soviet Union engaged in its most extensive military 
expansion in that dictatorship's history; during the seventies, the 
Soviets expanded their nuclear missile arsenals as well as their 
conventional arsenals in virtually every armament category. At the end 
of the seventies, the previous President was left shamefaced, following 
the invasion of Afghanistan, declaring his ``surprise'' at Soviet 
behavior.
  President Reagan came to office dedicated to redressing the military 
balance and engaging the cold war.
  His administration saw the largest peace-time growth of military 
spending in modern American history. That escalation combined American 
resolve with American ingenuity, and this was no more evident than in 
President Reagan's Strategic Defense Initiative.
  The President rejected conventional deterrence doctrine when he 
stated, ``[We] must seek another means of deterring war. It is both 
militarily and morally necessary . . . I propose to channel our 
technological prowess toward building a more secure and stable world . . 
. Our only purpose is to search for ways to reduce the danger of nuclear 
war.''
  What President Reagan imagined, when he stated this back in 1984, is 
slowly coming to be, 20 years later. We have moved too slowly, but not 
because we lacked in vision.
  President Reagan was willing to challenge the Soviets diplomatically, 
militarily and by proxy. He was unabashed in declaring that regime an 
evil empire. Who today denies the inherent evil of the gulag?
  He was bold in responding to the emplacement of Soviet SS-20s in 
occupied Europe with Pershing's in Germany. Who today denies that this 
didn't signal to the Soviets our new-found resolution to combat them 
geopolitically?
  Ronald Reagan rejected the so-called ``Vietnam syndrome'' long before 
our victory in the first Gulf war allowed Americans to believe in the 
justice of our use of force. He knew that the United States had a role 
in the world, that the use of American force was not immoral and that 
the United States could do good for the world.
  This military escalation challenged the Soviet leadership and 
ultimately bankrupted its coffers. The decision to roll back directly 
challenged and refuted the fundamental ideological tenet of communism, 
that it would prevail as an inexorable law of history.
  This perverted notion was based, of course, on the acceptance that the 
highest stage of history would rest on imprisoning nations and 
extinguishing history.
  Reagan knew in his heart that this was the greatest falsehood 
perpetrated on modern history and he built his foreign policy--the 
Reagan doctrine--on the idea of rolling back this ideology, this 
tyrannical power, and tearing down the walls that kept its citizens 
imprisoned.
  Ronald Reagan did not accept the status quo.
  He did not accept a static geopolitical division of the world between 
the free nations and the captive nations of the evil empire.
  He and his allies--and I will be proud to my dying day to have 
considered myself one of his allies--believed that we could roll back 
communism, on the ground, and in the minds of people.
  Ronald Reagan went to England in 1983, before the leftist Oxford 
Union, and announced the creation of what would become the National 
Endowment for Democracy, which would support programs around the world 
fostering democratic principles and practices.
  Last year, on the 20th anniversary of this bold initiative, President 
Bush announced a major push by the NED into the Arab world.
  Democracy remains relevant after it has triumphed over communist 
tyranny.
  But for democracy to succeed, people striving to break the yoke of 
tyranny had to have a friend in the United States. Ronald Reagan did not 
limit his friendship to diplomacy and military posturing.
  A key aspect of the Reagan legacy was the Reagan doctrine's policy of 
support for anticommunist movements around the world. We supported 
Solidarity in Poland, using the International Labor Organization.
  We supported the resistance in Nicaragua--and the wars over that 
policy were sometimes almost as intense here on Capitol Hill.
  And we supported the Afghan resistance.
  We've had democracy in Poland for over a decade, and Poland is the 
shining example of the New Europe, a country whose government and 
soldiers have bravely and proudly served besides ours in Iraq.
  Nicaragua has also had democratic elections over the past decade.
  And while the Iran-Contra episode was a policy debacle, I remain proud 
of my service in this Senate during that investigation, as I remain 
unflinching in my belief that it was right to help Nicaraguans resist 
the tyranny and thuggery of the Sandinistas.
  And our support for the Afghan resistance led to the withdrawal of 
Soviet forces from Afghanistan, dealing the Soviet Union a military, 
financial and psychological blow from which it would never recuperate. 
This blow created a major fissure in the notion of communist 
inevitability that, many of us believe, would lead to the crumbling of 
the Soviet empire.
  Many are quick to disparage that policy, because of what arose from 
the tumult of the Afghan resistance and the rise of the Taliban. We made 
mistakes in implementing the policy, we now see, primarily having to do 
with recruiting Saudi participation and relying on Pakistani management 
of arms flows.
  But our biggest mistake was abandoning Afghanistan after the collapse 
of the Soviet puppet regime, leaving that poor country an orphan child 
of the cold war. But we made no mistake in contributing to a devastating 
Soviet defeat, a defeat that brought about the end of the cold war.
  When Ronald Reagan left office, this country had been transformed.
  Malaise was not associated with the American economy, nor the American 
spirit.
  Optimism, that personal trait of Ronald Reagan, was what characterized 
our standing in the world, our economy, and our belief in ourselves.
  Reagan, a child of the Midwest who understood mythically the role of 
the western frontier in the American psyche, left us looking to the 
horizon, to the future.
  Ronald Reagan was a humble man, who left office gladly, having served 
his term, but who never stopped loving the American people.
  It was such love that led to one of the most moving letters to the 
American public ever written in our history, the letter he wrote on 
November 5, 1994, announcing that he was slowly succumbing to 
Alzheimer's Disease.
  This is a horrible disease, as so many American families know.
  My colleagues in the Senate know that, after much soul searching and 
study, I have become a strong proponent of embryonic stem cell research, 
because of the promise it offers for treatment of some of the most 
wrenching illnesses Americans face today, such as Alzheimer's, 
Parkinson's and juvenile diabetes.
  President Reagan's widow, my dear friend Nancy, knows that I will 
remain dedicated to supporting this research through all my days in the 
Senate.
  Even though retired and enjoying the privacy that was always important 
for him and his family, President Reagan wrote on November 5, 1994 one 
of the bravest and most moving letters in American history.
  He said:

  Upon learning this news, Nancy and I had to decide whether as private 
citizens we would keep this a private matter or whether we would make 
this news known in a public way. . . .

  So now, we feel it is important to share it with you. In opening our 
hearts, we hope this might promote greater awareness of this condition. 
Perhaps it will encourage a clearer understanding of the individuals and 
families who are affected by it.

  After speaking of the burdens he knew his long illness had in store--
not for him, but for his beloved Nancy, he thanked his fellow Americans. 
He said:

  [L]et me thank you, the American people for giving me the great honor 
of allowing me to serve as your President. When the Lord calls me home, 
whenever that may be, I will leave with the greatest love for this 
country of ours and eternal optimism for its future.

  I now begin this journey that will lead me into the sunset of my life. 
I know that for America there will always be a bright dawn ahead.

  These are the virtuous and loving words of a patriot, of a brave and 
humble man, of a man who lived every day in the belief that our best 
days lie ahead. It is America that pauses this week, and I thank God for 
the gift of the greatest American President of the 20th century, Ronald 
Reagan.
  We have lost a great American.
  I think it is fitting to quote another great American, Daniel Webster 
who spoke so eloquently about the passing of two other Presidents, 
Thomas Jefferson and John Adams. Webster's words were never more true 
than today:

  A superior and commanding human intellect, a truly great man, when 
Heaven vouchsafes so rare a gift, is not a temporary flame, burning 
brightly for a while, and then giving place to returning darkness. It is 
rather a spark of fervent heat, as well as radiant light, with power to 
enkindle the common mass of human kind; so that when it glimmers in its 
own decay, and finally goes out in death, no night follows, but it 
leaves the world all light, all on fire from the potent contact of its 
own spirit.

  I pray that America will always be alight with the spirit of Ronald 
Reagan.


                             Hon. Trent Lott


                             of mississippi

  Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent the remarks of our former 
colleague, Senator Connie Mack, be printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

                            Ronald W. Reagan

                                1911-2004


          (A tribute by former U.S. Senator Connie Mack (R-FL))


  Ronald Reagan was more than the President, he was an inspiration, he 
was my friend.

  As America mourns the passing of former President Ronald Reagan, one 
of the most loved American Presidents in history, it is appropriate that 
our Nation take a moment to reflect on the life of this remarkable man. 
He will not only be remembered for his vision and leadership, but also 
for his conviction to principles, his sense of pride and love of 
country.

  President Reagan made a difference in my life both personally and 
politically. When he was elected in 1980, I remember vividly saying to 
my wife Priscilla ``this is such an important election for our Nation 
that I have to become involved. I had no idea his election would one day 
lead me to seek elective office and eventually to represent Florida in 
the U.S. Senate.

  Knowing Ronald Reagan and serving in the U.S. Congress when he was 
President of the United States has been one of the greatest honors of my 
life. I remember when he came to Florida in 1988 to campaign for me in 
my race for the U.S. Senate. I introduced him saying: ``Mr. President, 
we will never forget that you gave us back a belief in ourselves and our 
Nation. You restarted our economy giving people hope and opportunity. 
You rebuilt America's military and led the fight for freedom around the 
world.'' Ronald Reagan was more than the President, he was an 
inspiration . . . he was a friend.

  Each year, the magnitude of President Reagan's accomplishments at home 
and abroad become increasing apparent. As recognition of his 
achievements and their impacts on our lives today grows so does the 
Nation's gratitude toward him. He embodied the American spirit that 
helped lift the morale of our country.

  American Presidents affect history in their own way, but fewer have 
made more of an impact or shaped the history of their times than Ronald 
Reagan.

  In the election of 1980, Americans were faced with one of the most 
simple, yet defining questions in American politics: ``Are you better 
off now than you were 4 years ago?'' Were we as Americans willing to 
accept that the once proud land of the free and the home of the brave 
was now worn and tired and lacked direction? America said ``No!''

  Ronald Reagan reaffirmed my philosophy as well as that of a whole 
generation which believed that wealth and prosperity emerge from the 
spirit of creativity that resides in individuals not government, and to 
the belief in the principles of less taxing, less spending, less 
government and more freedom. Freedom deeply mattered to Ronald Reagan, 
and freedom deeply matters to me.

  With Ronald Reagan's election came a renewed vitality in America. He 
brought a belief that freedom must ring from the bells of this great 
Nation and that opportunity should not be limited. He reminded us of the 
America that was there all along. A freedom-loving country waiting to be 
unshackled from a government that had grown too big and cost too much 
which dictated what was best for us. No, we wanted better and Ronald 
Reagan led us there.

  Under President Reagan's leadership, the spirit of America was 
rekindled and the flame of freedom burned bright--free markets, free 
ideas, free trade and freedom as the centerpiece of our foreign policy. 
The Reagan revolution had no boundaries. The winds of freedom swept 
across America and gained momentum throughout the world. Freedom's ring 
was heard in Latin America, where nations turned back communism and 
accepted the free will of the people. In Eastern Europe, freedom broke 
the rusted chains of totalitarianism and caused the Berlin Wall to fall.

  Ronald Reagan never lost faith in the freedom, dignity and liberty of 
mankind. He understood that freedom is never more than one generation 
away from extinction. He never doubted that freedom was more than a 
virtue. It was a right given to each of us by a sovereign God.

  Ronald Reagan did not invent freedom. He defined it. For through his 
wit and humility, he carried his role in history as the man who gave 
freedom a face. And through his undying faith in those who entrusted in 
him the role as their leader, Ronald Reagan achieved greatness.

  Even though President Reagan has now completed the journey he began so 
many years ago, our Nation has not yet completed the path we began under 
his leadership. Ronald Reagan made America stronger, more prosperous and 
more confident. We still need to do more to make our country and the 
world a better and safer place to live, work and raise a family. We must 
continue his legacy so as to ensure that America remains that shining 
city on the hill that President Reagan described to us.

  To Nancy and the Reagan family, our Nation is forever in your debt for 
sharing this unique and special individual with us, the American people.

  President Reagan, we say goodbye for now. You have touched our lives 
deeply. You have indeed lived the words of Sacred Scripture: ``You have 
fought the good fight, you have finished the race, you have kept the 
faith.''

  Godspeed Mr. President. Page S6651-S6652] 09jn04-101


                          Hon. William H. Frist


                                tennessee

  Mr. President, these past few days we have seen an extraordinary 
outpouring of affection for our 40th President, Ronald Wilson Reagan. In 
a few short hours, he will lie in state under the Capitol dome where 
dignitaries from around the world and citizens from across the country 
will pay their respects to the man from Dixon. Page S6652
  In his 1982 State of the Union Address, President Reagan told the 
Nation, ``We don't have to turn to our history books for heroes. They're 
all around us.'' In life, Ronald Reagan was a hero to millions. To the 
freedom fighters in the Soviet Union, to his fellow citizens striving 
toward that American dream, Ronald Reagan told the world that we are 
meant to be free.
  He was a man of faith and deeply held convictions. Like James Madison, 
Ronald Reagan believed that in the creation of our Republic was the hand 
of God. He believed our freedoms flow not from the State but from the 
Almighty. Our task was and remains to awaken in the people this 
essential truth.
  I close with a story I believe captures Ronald Reagan's remarkable 
character, his courage, and his vision. It was 1997. From a news report 
was a story of an emigre.

  Walking in Arm and Hammer Park near his home, Reagan was approached by 
an elderly tourist and his 12-year-old grandson, Ukranian emigres now 
living near Toledo, OH. They spoke with him for a moment and the 
grandfather snapped a picture of the boy sitting with the former 
President. An article about the encounter and the picture appeared first 
in the Toledo Blade and then in newspapers around the country. The other 
day, the grandfather recalled their meeting. We went to the park for a 
picnic with our friends, he said, and then he saw President Reagan. And 
we began to cheer him and said, Mr. President, thank you for everything 
you did for the Jewish people, for Soviet people, to destroy the 
Communist empire. And he said, yes, that is my job.

  Ronald Wilson Reagan was raised in a small town. Part of him remained 
a small town citizen all of his life. Not in the self-conscious way one 
thinks of a politician stumping on the campaign trail. Ronald Reagan's 
small town roots informed the way he viewed the body politic--what he 
believed people wanted from life, from each other and from government.
  As he explained, when a person grows up in a small town:

  You get to know people as individuals, not as blocs or members of 
special interest groups. You discover that, despite their differences, 
most people have a lot in common . . . [W]e all want freedom and 
liberty, peace, love and security, a good home, and a chance to worship 
God in our own way; we all want the chance to get ahead and make our 
children's lives better than our own. We all want the chance to work at 
a job of our own choosing and to be fairly rewarded for it.

  Ronald Reagan believed that the government should serve the people. He 
believed that the strength of our economy came from the creativity, 
ingenuity and productivity of the individual, not from the plans and 
schemes of government bureaucrats or intellectual elites.
  This view of America's economic success guided his economic policies 
here at home, and, in no small way, shaped his political policies 
abroad.
  When Ronald Reagan became President, the American economy was in a 
shambles. Inflation was in the double digits. Interest rates were 
soaring. Americans had to wait in endless lines to pump overpriced gas. 
Real incomes had stagnated and the American worker was demoralized. In 
his 1989 ``Speaking My Mind'' collection of essays and speeches, Ronald 
Reagan reflected that:

  Here we were, a country bursting with economic promise, and yet our 
political leadership had gone out of its way to frustrate America's 
natural economic strength. It made no sense. My attitude had always 
been--let the people flourish.

  So, he set about slashing Federal income taxes and cutting burdensome 
regulations. It was his mission to free the American worker and unleash 
the American entrepreneur. When he came to office, the top marginal tax 
rate was 70 percent. By the time he left, it was a mere 28 percent. His 
sweeping tax reforms overhauled the Tax Code and removed 6 million 
taxpayers from the tax rolls.
  At the same time, President Reagan gave Federal Reserve Chairman Paul 
Volcker free reign to tighten the money supply and bring down inflation.
  Together, these policies worked.
  True to the President's forecast, as the economy grew, so, too, did 
tax revenues. Tax revenues increased faster than GDP. By 1990, the 
economy had grown by a third--or as the Wall Street Journal put it, 
``roughly the size of Germany.'' Over the course of his Presidency, the 
economy created 19 million jobs and the stock market hit a record high. 
America enjoyed the longest economic expansion up to that time.
  Throughout, President Reagan was assailed for the growing deficit. In 
typical Washington fashion, he got the blame for adverse economic 
numbers, but never the credit for economic success. Contrary to his 
critics, however, the Federal deficit fell from 6.3 percent of GNP in 
fiscal year 1983 to 2.3 percent in 1988. The deficit actually shrank as 
a percentage of gross national product.
  At the time, his policies were dubbed Reaganomics. Now, they're 
considered common sense. President Reagan's guiding principle was 
simple, yet profound: government policies should grow the economy, not 
manage it. The impact of this idea was so great that, now, even the 
other side of the aisle speaks of targeted tax cuts and tax credits, and 
no longer openly campaigns to raise our taxes.
  Indeed, President Clinton crystallized the Reagan revolution when he 
declared, ``The era of big government is over.''
  President Reagan believed in the dreams and dignity of the individual. 
As he said in his second inaugural address, ``There are no limits to 
growth and human progress when men and women are free to follow their 
dreams.''
  Ronald Reagan reminded the American people that economic liberty and 
human freedom are two sides of the same coin.
  Some call it the Reagan revolution. Others call it the Reagan 
restoration. I prefer the latter term. The man from Dixon--lifeguard, 
radio announcer, actor, Governor, father, adoring husband, and President 
of the United States--restored not only our confidence, but our 
fundamental understanding of the source of America's greatness: the 
American people.
  Indeed, America was blessed to have such a President. Now he will 
enter the history books as one of our greatest. God bless Ronald Wilson 
Reagan. God bless America.


                          Hon. Mitch McConnell


                               of kentucky

  Mr. President, I rise today because a mighty oak has fallen. Ronald 
Reagan has left his life here on Earth, but oh what a life it was. Born 
in the middle of our great Republic in the beginning of the last 
century, his was an American tale from start to finish.
  Jack and Nelle Reagan brought a son into the world in Tampico, IL, in 
1911. Jack was a shoe salesman with an Irishman's flare for 
storytelling. Nelle was a devout Christian who made ends meet by doing 
other people's sewing out of their home. When Jack first saw their 
healthy baby in his crib, he looked at this little baby and said he 
looked like a ``little fat Dutchman.'' And the nickname stuck, 
``Dutch.''
  Times were hard for the Reagans. Ronald Reagan commented years later 
that:

  Our family didn't exactly come from the wrong side of the tracks, but 
we were certainly within sound of the train whistles.

  Even then, it was in Ronald Reagan's character to look for the Sun 
behind the clouds. Growing up, he lived a typical American boy's life. 
He was a lifeguard in the summer and a football player in the fall. In 
the fading years, when Alzheimer's robbed him of most of his memory, he 
could still summon up his youth in Illinois, proudly recalling the 77 
lives he saved as a lifeguard from the teeming Rock River, notching each 
one on a log on the shore.
  In Illinois, he discovered there was more to life than just football 
and lifeguarding. There was also acting. Connecting with an audience 
plugged him into a broader world. As he later said, ``For a kid 
suffering childhood pangs of insecurity, the applause was music.''
  Ambition led him westward out of Illinois; Hollywood, to be exact. 
There, as we all know, he started his successful acting career and, more 
important, met a young actress from Chicago named Nancy Davis. She 
became the love of his life. Nancy was focused, smart, and loved her 
Ronnie. Jimmy Stewart once remarked, ``If Ronnie had married Nancy the 
first time, he would have won an Academy Award.''
  But gradually his time in front of an audience changed from the stage 
and screen to the assembly hall. Time constraints prevent me from 
following his ascent to the highest office in the land. Let me simply 
comment that for most of us being a successful actor and pitchman, union 
president, two-term Governor of our Nation's largest State, and a 
national figure to boot would have been enough of a career, especially 
at the age of 69. But Ronald Reagan had other thoughts, and so began his 
run against President Jimmy Carter for the Presidency in 1980.
  Neck and neck until the debate a week before the election, Reagan 
broke it wide open when he closed by asking Americans a simple question: 
Are you better off than you were 4 years ago?
  On election day, Reagan won a smashing victory, winning 44 of 50 
States. He would top that mark in 1984, winning 49 out of 50 States.
  I have listened to and read countless people reflecting on what 
President Reagan meant to them and to America. Were there enough time, I 
would fill up the rest of the afternoon with my thoughts about this 
great man. But I will limit my observations to what I think will be, in 
addition to restoring America's faith in itself, the way history will 
remember Ronald Reagan, the peacemaker.
  I want to address the question, What does it mean to have won the cold 
war? Revisionists suggest that Ronald Reagan had little to do with the 
Soviet Union's fall which they now claim was just inevitable. I can tell 
you no one thought that in 1979. Communism was on the rise and freedom 
was in retreat. The United States was the toothless tiger with the 
uncertain future. Energy shortages crippled us, and rampant crime hunted 
us down. Interest rates for homes, cars, and businesses were sky high. 
Our economy was wrenched back and forth between bouts of recession and 
inflation, both at the same time. America's decline was marked by new, 
unfamiliar words. We learned ``stagflation,'' ``taxflation,'' and, of 
course, we learned malaise.
  America's economy was not the only thing in decline. So, too, was our 
foreign policy. Still suffering from a Vietnam syndrome, we watched and 
did nothing as Afghanistan was invaded by the Soviets, as hostages in 
Iran were seized, and as Cuban puppets invaded Africa and Central 
America. Our Navy was weak. Our planes couldn't fly. Our Army lacked 
volunteers and morale. The nuclear balance was tipping, and our 
intelligence services were ravaged by firings and mismanagement. Page 
S6654
  We were declining and the Soviet Union was rising. Some people were 
ready to give up. Others suggested the Presidency was too big and 
complicated a job for any single person. It seemed as if we had lost our 
nerve. But not Ronald Reagan. You see, he had a vision.
  In 1982, he explained his ``sick bear'' theory:

  The Soviet empire is faltering because it is rigid--centralized 
control has destroyed . . . innovation, efficiency, and individual 
achievement . . . the Soviet dictatorship has forged the largest armed 
force in the world . . . by preempting the human needs of its people 
and, in the end, this course will undermine the foundations of the 
Soviet system.

  With his customary humor, he had a memorable way of explaining this. 
He talked of a Soviet citizen who went to a Soviet bureau of 
transportation to buy a car. After paying and filling out all the forms, 
he is told by the seller of the car to come back in 10 years to get his 
car.
  The man asks, ``In the morning or the afternoon?''
  The official responds, ``Well, we are talking about 10 years from now; 
what difference does it make whether it is the morning or afternoon?''
  The man replies, ``Well, the plumber is coming in the morning.''
  Beneath the humor, President Reagan knew the serious truth. The Soviet 
Union was as inherently weak as the U.S. economy was inherently strong, 
a fact too few recognized. So when President Reagan's policies began to 
revitalize our economy, the confidence restored here was matched by new 
uncertainty over in the Soviet Union.
  Others have and will talk about the Reagan revolution here at home, 
but in terms of our victory in the cold war, the Reagan economic 
recovery was the first body blow that eventually exorcised the demon of 
communism from the Soviet Union.
  The real trouble for the Soviet Union was not Reagan's policies, but 
Reagan's values, his courage, and his willpower. Before he was ever 
elected, President Reagan recognized that the Soviet Union was an 
``arsenal of anarchy'' throughout the world. It was a ``sickness of the 
human condition,'' he said. And President Reagan was never afraid to do 
that which so many leaders lack the courage to do: look at evil and call 
it by its name. In this regard, Reagan was like Churchill. Reagan was 
the nemesis of communism, just as Churchill was of nazism. He understood 
the evil that communism represented and what it would do if unchecked.
  Interestingly, Reagan's understanding of this evil did not begin with 
the fate of millions, but of just one. In May 1975, a 5-year-old boy 
fell into the Spree River, which divided then-communist East Berlin from 
free West Berlin. As firemen from West Berlin--firemen, not soldiers--
started to go to the boy's rescue, an East German patrol boat barred 
their entry into East German waters. The boy drowned.
  The mayor of West Berlin described that refused rescue as ``an 
incomprehensible and frightful act, placing political considerations 
before the saving of a human life.'' But for Reagan, it was the sad 
personification of a harsh and enduring reality: Communism is a system 
where every human life is sublimated to the ruthless needs of the state.
  Focused on the value of a single human life, Ronald Reagan looked 
across the globe and saw 600 million people living like slaves under the 
communist lash. He did not mince words or deeds. He dubbed the Soviet 
Union the evil empire, a description brutally accurate, yet offensive to 
the tender sensibilities of most of the media and intelligentsia here at 
home. He called for a massive defense increase--``peace through 
strength,'' he called it--and some even in his own Cabinet opposed it.
  In the face of criticism, Reagan strengthened our defense. He quoted 
Demosthenes in dismissing the Soviets' empty assurances of their good 
intentions on arms control, ``What sane man would let another man's word 
rather than his deeds tell him who is at war and who is at peace with 
him?''
  He then translated that demand into a Russian saying of no uncertain 
words--doveryai, no proveryai. In Russian, that means ``trust but 
verify.''
  Ronald Reagan did not have timid dreams. He wasn't interested in 
slowing the decline of freedom or just holding its position steady; he 
wanted freedom to ring across the globe and communism to be relegated to 
the ash heap of history. So he went to the Berlin Wall to call out in 
front of that colossal affront to freedom, ``Mr. Gorbachev, tear down 
this wall!''
  He left Reykjavik when it was clear that Mr. Gorbachev was only 
bargaining for the end of the Strategic Defense Initiative, which 
matching, the Soviets knew, would spend them into oblivion. Margaret 
Thatcher notes that Reykjavik, deplored as a loss by Reagan's critics, 
particularly by the European and American intelligentsia, marked the 
beginning of the end of the Soviet Union.
  Of course, all the significant arms control reductions came after 
Reagan walked away from Reykjavik. But today, President Reagan is 
vindicated by some 600 million people who breathe freely because of the 
collapse of the Soviet empire.
  So what does it mean to liberate almost 600 million from fear and 
terror? It means 49 million Ukrainians will never again worry about a 
class purge.
  It means 17 million former East Germans will never be grabbed in the 
night by the STASI, the secret police of Eric Honneker.
  It means 38 million Poles will never fear General Jaruzelski 
attempting to crush the Solidarity free labor movement.
  It means 22 million Romanians will never know the torture, madness and 
human experimentation of Nicolae Ceausescu.
  It means 16 million in the Czech Republic and Slovakia will never hear 
tanks rumbling through their city streets to crush self-rule.
  It means tens of millions of former West Germans lead lives oblivious 
to the cosmic nervousness that gripped their mother's and father's 
generation.
  It means that 5 million in Finland no longer look across the Gulf of 
Finland with dread at 7.2 million people in Latvia, Estonia, and 
Lithuania, who lived in slavery as a warning to any neighbors who would 
dare dissent from the Soviet world view.
  In all, 600 million lives were emancipated by the victory in the cold 
war--the greatest liberation in the history of mankind, and hopefully 
for all time.
  Now, having said all of that, let me just mention how much I miss that 
sweethearted man, especially his sense of humor. I have been reminded 
from all the replayed speeches just how wonderful he was. For example, 
during an exchange with the press one day, he said:

  I have given my aides instructions that if trouble breaks out in any 
of the world's hot spots, they should wake me up immediately--even if I 
am in a cabinet meeting.

  It makes you wonder what President Reagan said to Saint Peter. 
Something witty, no doubt, and delivered with a warm smile.
  So now the long goodbye that Mrs. Reagan, his rock and strength and 
the love of his life, has spoken of so movingly is nearly complete. So I 
will close with President Reagan's own words in his courageous letter to 
the American people upon discovery of the disease that would ultimately 
bring about his fall. President Reagan said 10 years ago:

  When the Lord calls me home, whenever that may be, I will leave with 
the greatest love for this country of ours and eternal optimism for its 
future.

  I now begin this journey that will lead me into the sunset of my life. 
I know that for America there will always be a bright dawn ahead.

  God bless Ronald Reagan, an American hero.


                             Hon. Tom Harkin


                                 of Iowa

  Madam President, our Nation has come together this week to mourn the 
passing of former President Ronald Reagan. However anticipated his death 
may have been, it is still a profound loss for the Reagan family. Our 
thoughts and prayers are with them all and especially with former First 
Lady Nancy Reagan. Page S6655
  However, knowing the kind of man Ronald Reagan was, knowing his 
relentless optimism and his sunny disposition, something tells me he 
would prefer that Americans spend this week remembering and celebrating 
his unique character and quality. ``America in mourning'' just does not 
seem Reaganesque because Ronald Reagan was always about ``morning in 
America.'' He always looked at the bright side of every situation or 
circumstance. I remember the story he told about the little boy who 
walked into a barn and encountered a huge pile of manure. The boy, who 
was not the least bit disappointed, broke into a big smile and said: I 
just know there is a pony in here somewhere. That was the Ronald Reagan 
we remember and admire.
  Iowans relate strongly to Ronald Reagan because his roots were our 
roots. He grew up next door in smalltown Illinois and spent 5 formative 
years in Iowa. In fact, this was where the young Ronald Reagan found his 
voice as the Great Communicator--first as a radio announcer at WOC Radio 
in Davenport and later at WHO Radio in Des Moines where he became one of 
the most popular sports broadcasters in the region. That was at the 
height of the Great Depression.
  He remembered this period with obvious fondness. In his autobiography, 
``An American Life,'' he wrote:

  I spent four years at station WHO in Des Moines and they were among 
the most pleasant of my life. At 22, I'd achieved my dream; I was a 
sports announcer. If I had stopped there, I believe I would have been 
happy the rest of my life.

  During his two terms in the White House, I met President Reagan on 
many occasions, and just about every time he would eagerly tell me he 
had been an announcer at WHO Radio. He regaled me with stories of how, 
sitting in his studio in Des Moines, he faked the play by play of the 
Chicago Cubs baseball game based upon wire reports as they came through. 
He seemed to have this fixed in his mind, that when he would see me, it 
was Tom Harkin and WHO. If this is Harkin, I am going to tell him about 
my time at WHO. It sort of became a thing that every time we met, he, 
again, would tell me some story about his time at WHO Radio. So that was 
my experience with the Reagan charm.
  We disagreed on many important issues, but you could not come into 
contact with this man and not feel his personal warmth and charm. In 
fact, I have been struck this week by the bipartisan affection for this 
former President. He was the genuine article, a man who embodied so many 
of the traits we hold dear as Americans. We remember his conviction, his 
courage, his lack of pretentiousness, and, yes, his optimism.
  On a personal note, I will always be grateful to President Reagan for 
signing into law my bill to establish the National Institute on Deafness 
and Communication Disorders at the National Institutes of Health in 
1988. Quite frankly, his advisers urged him to veto the bill, but the 
President, who himself suffered from hearing loss, vetoed his advisers. 
He signed the bill into law. As a result, we have had a series of 
medical breakthroughs that are helping millions of Americans cope with 
hearing loss and communication disorders.
  Last, he and Nancy fought a heroic battle with Alzheimer's disease, 
and they did a great deal to raise the level of awareness and 
understanding of this terrible disease. I am especially proud of the 
courageous leadership Nancy Reagan has displayed in our efforts to find 
a cure for this deadly disease by her advocating a more expanded stem 
cell research program in America.
  As I said, the most fitting way to pay tribute to President Reagan is 
not so much to mourn his death as to celebrate his life and to honor his 
service to our country. As he lies in state at the Capitol this week, a 
thankful American Nation will say farewell to a truly unique American.


                        Hon. Kay Bailey Hutchison


                                of texas

  Madam President, I rise today to pay tribute to an American legend, 
President Ronald Reagan. Like all Americans, I was saddened to learn of 
his passing over the weekend. I had left our Republican State Convention 
at a time when it was moving across the floor that he might be in his 
final hours. Of course, all of us started reminiscing. It was a moment 
of great loss, but yet a recollection of his humor, his contagious 
optimism, and the historic accomplishments he made for our country 
really were comforting and engendered so many wonderful moments.
  Although I was not a Member of this body while he was in office, I 
have lived and served under his conservative principles and ideologies. 
He was in his political prime when I was just beginning in politics. 
During his first campaign, my husband Ray was chairman of the Texas 
Republican Party and spent many hours traveling with him across Texas. 
In 1992, I was honored to be temporary chair of the Republican National 
Convention in Houston, TX, when he delivered his very important message 
that turned out to be his goodbye to America. It was there that he left 
us with these final thoughts:

  [W]hatever else history may say about me when I'm gone, I hope it will 
record that I appealed to your best hopes, not your worst fears, to your 
confidence rather than your doubts. My dream is that you will travel the 
road ahead with liberty's lamp guiding your steps and opportunity's arm 
steadying your way. . . . May each of you have the heart to conceive, 
the understanding to direct, and the hand to execute works that will 
make the world a little better for your having been here. . . . my 
fellow Americans, may every dawn be a great new beginning for America 
and every evening bring us closer to that shining city upon a hill.

  At a time of great despair in our Nation, Ronald Reagan came into 
office and restored hope. He was an unequaled champion of freedom, 
smaller government, and market-oriented principles. His philosophies 
guided our Nation to become the economic and military superpower it is 
today. Of course, he was often called the Great Communicator for his 
ability to give a rousing speech that could both rally the troops and 
yet make an individual in the crowd of thousands feel as if they were 
having a heart-to-heart talk.
  Beyond his optimism, his confidence, and graceful charm was a man of 
action who implemented great change in the United States of America. 
Under his leadership, our Nation sowed seeds of prosperity and reduced 
regulatory burdens on small business. He lowered taxes for all 
Americans, including reducing the top marginal rate from an oppressive 
70 percent to approximately half that, offering new incentives to create 
wealth and jobs and rebuild America.
  He encouraged Americans to embrace their own destiny and realized that 
government was not the answer to social ills; people were. Good people 
working in concert to better their communities and their fellow man 
could accomplish far more than bureaucracy, from his vantage point.
  Perhaps most important, President Reagan took the steps to ultimately 
win the cold war. He pursued ``peace through strength'' and achieved an 
overwhelming victory that was inconceivable to a generation that was 
raised with fallout drills and backyard bunkers.
  Who can forget the famous challenge he laid down when he cried, ``Mr. 
Gorbachev, tear down this wall!''? They were indeed great, dramatic 
words but more important, words of action. Two and a half years later, 
what once seemed a permanent divider through the heart of Berlin was 
torn down piece by piece, section by section, until it was reduced to a 
pile of rubble.
  Visitors to the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center 
in Washington, DC, can view a section of that wall donated by the people 
of Berlin in honor of the President and in recognition of his 
leadership. The segment, which is over 9 feet high and weighs almost 3 
tons, is from a section of the wall near the Brandenburg Gate where 
President Reagan issued that challenge. It stands as a stark reminder of 
the great shift in global politics that spread freedom in Europe and 
encouraged new generations to pursue democracy.
  Today, we again find ourselves in a fight for freedom. This 
generation, like their World War II grandparents and cold war parents, 
has been called to stand and fight for freedom. Today, we are grappling 
with a new threat: global terrorism, an enemy with no borders, no 
uniforms, no respect for traditional rules of war, and more important, 
no respect for human life. Page S6656
  World War II took bitter years of fighting and sacrifice. The cold war 
took decades of dedication and patience. This battle against terrorism 
requires all that and more. The question is: Will our generation meet 
the test? Will we have what it takes to win the peace? I believe we do. 
I believe the strength, perseverance, and patriotism that Ronald Reagan 
embodied will help see us through.
  In 1987, he addressed a joint session of Congress saying:

  Let it never be said of this generation of Americans that we became so 
obsessed with failure that we refused to take risks that could further 
the cause of peace and freedom in the world.

  Since learning of his passing last weekend, elected officials, former 
Cabinet members, and newspapers across the world have been penning 
eulogies, remembrances, and tributes to the beloved President.
  James Baker, his former Chief of Staff and Treasury Secretary:

  President Reagan restored America's source of pride and confidence in 
itself. He was a wonderful person to work for and a truly great 
President. His willingness to stick to his principles changed the world.

  Former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher:

  He will be missed not only by those who knew him, and not only by the 
nation that he served so proudly and loved so deeply, but also by the 
millions of men and women who live in freedom today because of the 
policies he pursued. To have achieved so much against so many odds and 
with such humor and humanity made Ronald Reagan a truly great American 
hero.

  Secretary of State Colin Powell, who served as his National Security 
Adviser, said:

  President Reagan fueled the spirit of America. His smile, his 
optimism, his total belief in the ultimate triumph of democracy and 
freedom, and his willingness to act on that belief, helped end the cold 
war and usher in a new and brighter phase of history.

  Mikhail Gorbachev, once Reagan's adversary, called him:

  A true leader, a man of his word and an optimist . . . He has earned a 
place in history and in people's hearts.

  Finally, his Vice President, later our President, George H.W. Bush, 
has been giving interviews about how much fun he was and how they had 
lunch every week together and sometimes they would talk substance, 
sometimes they would talk policy, and sometimes they would just have a 
good time. They were very close, and yet he never lost that laser beam 
focus on the big issues, the things that really mattered that would move 
us one step toward the ``peace through strength'' that was his guiding 
principle.
  Indeed, his lasting place in the hearts of all Americans has been 
evidenced by the outpouring of love and admiration that we have seen 
across the Nation and around the world. Ronald Reagan was a leader who 
touched people with his words, inspired them with his actions, and led 
by his example.
  On November 5, 1994, nearly a decade ago, President Reagan announced 
to the world that he had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, the 
illness that would ultimately take his life. His poise and hopeful 
spirit, even in the face of the heartbreaking years ahead, were 
remarkable. He said:

  [L]et me thank you, the American people for giving me the great honor 
of allowing me to serve as your President. When the Lord calls me home, 
whenever that may be, I will leave with the greatest love for this 
country of ours and eternal optimism for its future.

  I now begin this journey that will lead me into the sunset of my life. 
I know that for America there will always be a bright dawn ahead.

  Thank you my friends. May God always bless you.

  Standing by his side through good times and bad, was his beloved wife 
Nancy, a beautiful woman, very slight in stature but strong as steel. 
Theirs was a partnership in every respect and one of the great love 
stories of our time. Ronald Wilson Reagan was a great President. He left 
an indelible impression on our country. As we say farewell, our thoughts 
and prayers are with Nancy and his family. We thank them and we thank 
the Lord that he gave us Ronald Reagan at a time when our country needed 
him the most.


                           Hon. John E. Sununu


                            of new hampshire

  Madam President, as Americans gather in our Capitol and across the 
country to remember and pay tribute to President Ronald Reagan, we have 
been provided a very special opportunity to reflect on his great 
achievements as our Commander in Chief, as well as the tremendous 
personal strength which he brought to the Oval Office.
  But as we salute President Reagan for his leadership, his integrity, 
and his vision, I am struck by the very personal nature of so many of 
these memories and stories. Whether here in Washington or out across the 
country, whether it is a U.S. Senator or a teacher in a small school, it 
seems that so many of these recollections begin with phrases such as, 
``I remember seeing him during his first visit to our State,'' or ``I 
shook his hand when he visited our factory,'' or ``I recall a story that 
President Reagan loved to tell,'' or even ``because of Ronald Reagan, I 
chose to run for office.''
  These recollections are enormously personal, but I think they are a 
testament to the way he touched people in a very deep and unique way. He 
affected the lives of millions of people in America and around the world 
in countless encounters. Many of these encounters may have been for only 
a moment or two in a life that spanned decades, but his gift was in his 
ability to make a strong connection that had real power, the power to 
bridge generations, the power to last a lifetime, and the power to 
change a life as well.
  We remember his touch, his smile, and his encouragement, not simply 
because when he walked into a room Ronald Reagan conveyed a great 
personal warmth. That was certainly special in and of itself, and 
something that anyone who had the chance to meet him or see him in 
person would always remember, but it was because this personal 
connection conveyed a sense of purpose, a sense of kindness, and an 
enormous love for public service. That was the power of the Great 
Communicator, the power of the personal connection that he made.
  I consider this the greatest tribute of all. Despite the myriad and 
extraordinary legislative and foreign policy victories of President 
Reagan such as cutting taxes and reforming the Code, rebuilding our 
Nation's defenses, turning back the Soviets in Afghanistan, or leading 
the West to a lasting victory in the cold war--despite the enormous 
substance of these achievements, Ronald Reagan, in the end, is not 
remembered first and foremost as a clever politician with great 
machinations of political strategy or hardball political tactics. 
Instead, the descriptive words that we heard here and across the country 
over and over again are integrity, character, courage, and leadership. 
These are qualities that transcend politics and qualities that transcend 
time. They are qualities that inspire the young and comfort the aged. 
They are the qualities of heroes.
  Ronald Reagan was fond of describing the heroes he saw in audiences at 
every speech he made or heroes he would see as he traveled across the 
country in every corner of America and coming from every walk of life. 
He saw in these men and women the very strength of character, courage, 
integrity, and leadership that he knew made our country unique and which 
kept our country prosperous and free. But by bringing these very same 
qualities to the Oval Office and drawing on them time and time again to 
guide our Nation through demanding and even dark times, he left a legacy 
that shined like the ``city on a hill'' which he knew America could be 
and would again become. It is a heroic legacy, and it is the legacy of a 
great American.


                           Hon. John W. Warner


                               of virginia

  Mr. President, I join with my colleagues in paying profound respects 
to our late President Ronald Reagan, and I do so with a deep, deep sense 
of humility. Page S6657
  It is interesting, I walked into my reception room just the other day. 
No matter how long one is around here, I think you sort of have to go 
back and refresh your recollection as to what you put up in your 
reception room, and I found six different photographs of myself with the 
good fortune to be in the presence of our former great President.
  I think back over my 26 years in the Senate, having had the privilege 
of working with all the Presidents in that period of time and, prior 
thereto, those Presidents when I was in the Department of Defense. 
Again, I say with a deep sense of respect and humility, I believe it is 
clear in my mind that I had the greatest opportunity to work with 
President Reagan, and probably had more opportunities to be with him in 
a professional capacity than any other President.
  I was ranking for a period of time on the Armed Services Committee and 
in every way supported him in his remarkable vision to build and restore 
the Armed Forces of the United States, which buildup, in my judgment, 
was a major contributor, if not the major contributor, to the eventual 
demise of the Soviet Union.
  There are several pictures of when he visited my home, which was a 
farm in Virginia, a farm in an area where I grew up in the summers as a 
very young man. He loved coming down to the farm. My farm was adjacent 
to the home of former President Kennedy, and the owner at that time was 
Bill Clements, who was a former Deputy Secretary of Defense. I served 
under him as Secretary of the Navy. He and I were very close friends. I 
introduced him to that countryside, and he bought the Kennedy home, 
which is a very small, modest home, reconstructed, so to speak, and 
enlarged by President Kennedy and Jacqueline Kennedy, his lovely, dear 
wife.
  President Ronald Reagan and Bill Clements set it up so he could come 
down there and spend some quiet downtime. And he loved to ride horses. 
In those days, I had a pretty good collection of horses, and I was happy 
to share them with him on occasion. He rode around on my farm. I 
certainly enjoyed being with him on several occasions. I have one of the 
pictures of the two of us riding together.
  I mention that because in that informal setting when there was just 
the two of us riding horses--I remember one time Mrs. Reagan was with 
us--this particular time I remember very well. We rode high up on the 
hill on the back of the farm. The hill has a vista down into the valley 
of Virginia. We checked the horses and began to talk about his great 
admiration for Stonewall Jackson and the various campaigns Jackson had 
up and down that valley during the Civil War.
  I was so impressed with his remarkable knowledge of the facts of that 
period of history, and in later years, in other discussions with him, 
again he would frequently make reference to the history of the United 
States. His knowledge was really second to none. He had a magnificent 
command of American history.
  But on this particular day, he reflected on a little self-deprecating 
humor, which he was very good at. He told me when Pearl Harbor occurred, 
he was a lieutenant in the Army Reserve Cavalry, again because he loved 
horses, he loved to ride. He promptly went down, Pearl Harbor Day or the 
day after, whatever the case may be, and said, ``I want to be 
activated.'' And sure enough, he was eventually activated. He wanted to 
take, as we say in the horse world, the bit in his teeth and charge--
``Send me right away out to the front.''
  I remember he gestured with his hand. But, no, they sent him to an old 
cavalry post, which was down in one of the Indian territories, and he 
laughed and joked and said:

  When we put those posts out there, the primary thing was to secure the 
settlers and to hopefully strike a peaceful balance with the Indians and 
make life such that those territories could be developed.

  But he said, ``I did a little homework''--as he always did--``before I 
went to this cavalry post and studied who the commanding officer and the 
other officers were.''
  Well, in those days, the custom in the military, particularly the 
Army, was that when a soldier reported, perhaps with his wife, whatever 
the case may be, the commanding officer would have them over to pay 
their respects, to get to know each other as soon as they arrived on the 
post. In the old days with the covered wagons, it was a long journey. By 
the time they reached their destination, they were pretty well 
exhausted--food and otherwise. So this was a chance to introduce them.
  Reagan described the evening with great humor. He said, ``I walked in 
and there was the little colonel. He was a rather short fellow. He was 
all dressed in his uniform, with his riding boots, his Sam Browne belt. 
I was there in my lieutenant's uniform. He greeted me very warmly. He 
looked at me.''
  And President Reagan had a remarkable way of cocking his head. His 
body language was extraordinary. His walk, his mannerism, it was a great 
part of his character that I admired, how he conveyed so much feeling 
with just the way he would use his hands and his head, his stride. It 
emulated such tremendous confidence he had in himself.
  But anyway, the colonel said, ``Now, Reagan, where have I seen you? Do 
I know you?''
  Lieutenant Reagan said, ``No, sir, we have never met.''
  The colonel failed to guess. He circled back again and said, ``Look 
here, young man, I know somehow I have seen you. Let's figure out where 
that was. What do you do?''
  And Lieutenant Reagan said, ``Well, sir, I am involved in making 
movies.''
  Suddenly this colonel became silent. Then he said, ``That is where I 
have seen you. You were in that movie called `Brother Rat,' which was 
about the Virginia Military Institute, and that movie didn't exactly, in 
my judgment, properly characterize the magnificence of that institute. 
As a matter of fact, I think it reflected dishonor upon that institute. 
And I remember you were in that movie. Lieutenant, your duty on this 
post is over. I will transfer you.''
  In due course the President said he was transferred off the post, but 
I mention that because those of us who had the opportunity to be with 
him, particularly in informal settings, remember so well the 
magnificence of this man, the lessons he taught each of us.
  Again, going back to those days in the buildup of the Soviet Union, he 
was very conscious of the fact that the Soviet Union was on pretty shaky 
financial status at that stage and that the cold war posed a threat to 
the United States--intercontinental missiles, the threat to the standard 
forces of NATO, the Warsaw Pact nations, all of which are now, save one, 
members of NATO.
  Those of us who worked in the Senate--I remember John Stennis and 
Barry Goldwater, Scoop Jackson, John Tower, to name but a few--formed a 
group to work with the President in a bipartisan way on trying to 
strengthen America such that we could send a strong signal to the world, 
particularly the Soviet Union, that we mean business. Don't ever 
entertain the idea of striking out against the free world, be it the 
United States or our NATO allies.
  And the rest is history. ``Tear down that wall, Mr. Gorbachev.'' And 
that wall did come down. Those were extraordinary days I was able to 
share with him, and I say that with the deepest sense of humility. But I 
don't want to prolong my remarks.
  I do want to tell one other chapter. Just a few days ago I was a part 
of a delegation that went over to the Normandy 60th anniversary. Senator 
Akaka was with me and the distinguished Senator from New Jersey and his 
lovely new bride were with me. So there were three of us who had some 
experience in World War II, of the six here in the Senate. We spent a 
wonderful day at the ceremonies. But the next day we took time to go out 
to Pointe du Hoc. It was fascinating.
  There on June 6, 2004, I had been on that same spot of land 20 years 
before with Ronald Reagan. I remember the delegation. Strom Thurmond led 
it. Three of us went with him. Of course, Senator Thurmond had made a 
landing on the beaches on D-day. Other Senators, the Senator from 
Nevada, and Howard Cannon had likewise participated in the D-day 
landings. Of course, I was at that time the youngster, 17 years old, in 
that group back in the United States getting prepared to take our 
training and become replacements someday. That is all history. There I 
stood on that ground, and he had passed away within that 24-hour period.
  So I thought today I would read some of the remarks he made. Page 
S6658
  I ask unanimous consent to print the entire speech, a very short 
speech, in the Record.
  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

 President Reagan's Speech at the U.S. Ranger Monument, Pointe du Hoc, 
           Normandy, France, on the 40th Anniversary of D-Day

                              June 6, 1984


  We're here to mark that day in history when the Allied peoples joined 
in battle to reclaim this continent to liberty. For four long years, 
much of Europe had been under a terrible shadow. Free nations had 
fallen, Jews cried out in the camps, millions cried out for liberation. 
Europe was enslaved, and the world prayed for its rescue. Here in 
Normandy the rescue began. Here the Allies stood and fought against 
tyranny in a giant undertaking unparalleled in human history.

  We stand on a lonely, windswept point on the northern shore of France. 
The air is soft, but forty years ago at this moment, the air was dense 
with smoke and the cries of men, and the air was filled with the crack 
of rifle fire and the roar of cannon. At dawn, on the morning of the 6th 
of June 1944, 225 Rangers jumped off the British landing craft and ran 
to the bottom of these cliffs. Their mission was one of the most 
difficult and daring of the invasion: to climb these sheer and desolate 
cliffs and take out the enemy guns. The Allies had been told that some 
of the mightiest of these guns were here and they would be trained on 
the beaches to stop the Allied advance.

  The Rangers looked up and saw the enemy soldiers--at the edge of the 
cliffs shooting down at them with machine-guns and throwing grenades. 
And the American Rangers began to climb. They shot rope ladders over the 
face of these cliffs and began to pull themselves up. When one Ranger 
fell, another would take his place. When one rope was cut, a Ranger 
would grab another and begin his climb again. They climbed, shot back, 
and held their footing. Soon, one by one, the Rangers pulled themselves 
over the top, and in seizing the firm land at the top of these cliffs, 
they began to seize back the continent of Europe. Two hundred and 
twenty-five came here. After two days of fighting only ninety could 
still bear arms.

  I thought I would read part of this very moving speech. It starts 
midway in the speech and lays out the history of the brave men who 
participated in D-day landings, and in particular the Rangers.

  Behind me is a memorial that symbolizes the Ranger daggers that were 
thrust into the top of these cliffs. And before me are the men who put 
them there.

  These are the boys of Pointe du Hoc. These are the men who took the 
cliffs. These are the champions who helped free a continent. These are 
the heroes who helped end a war.

  Gentlemen, I look at you and I think of the words of Stephen Spender's 
poem. You are men who in your ``lives fought for life . . . and left the 
vivid air signed with your honor.''

  Forty summers have passed since the battle that you fought here. You 
were young the day you took these cliffs; some of you were hardly more 
than boys, with the deepest joys of life before you. Yet you risked 
everything here. Why? Why did you do it? What impelled you to put aside 
the instinct for self-preservation and risk your lives to take these 
cliffs? What inspired all the men of the armies that met here? We look 
at you, and somehow we know the answer. It was faith, and belief; it was 
loyalty and love.

  The men of Normandy had faith that what they were doing was right, 
faith that they fought for all humanity, faith that a just God would 
grant them mercy on this beachhead or on the next. It was the deep 
knowledge--and pray God we have not lost it--that there is a profound 
moral difference between the use of force for liberation and the use of 
force for conquest. You were here to liberate, not to conquer, and so 
you and those others did not doubt your cause. And you were right not to 
doubt.

  You all knew that some things are worth dying for. One's country is 
worth dying for, and democracy is worth dying for, because it's the most 
deeply honorable form of government ever devised by man. All of you 
loved liberty. All of you were willing to fight tyranny, and you knew 
the people of your countries were behind you.

  The presiding officer, with his distinguished military service, 
understands, as do I, those words. The vision that he had not only for 
America but the free world, the strength of his convictions, the 
strength of his actions--it reestablished the strength of the Armed 
Forces which today have carried on, since that speech, with missions in 
the Balkans, Afghanistan, Iraq, and other areas of the world.
  It takes time to restructure and build up a military. I find this 
President is doing just that, President Bush. I am happy and privileged 
to be a part of the team that is working in the Senate to achieve that. 
As a matter of fact, the bill for the Armed Forces in 2005 is the 
current business before the Senate.
  Before I leave the speech, I was privileged, because of Senator 
Thurmond and the other Senators with me, we were not more than 15, 20 
yards from the President when he gave the speech, right on this little 
spit of land that I visited 2 days ago.
  And suddenly you saw the Secret Service men sort of break and go off 
and quickly perform the duties they have to protect the President. There 
was this figure which came up the cliff unexpectedly, unannounced, 
because there had been a reenactment with men of the Armed Forces 
currently on duty to scale the cliffs for all to see. So that part was 
over. Yet suddenly there appeared another individual who had scaled the 
cliffs and the Secret Service tackled him. I remember the President, 
always composed, stood there and looked at this scene. Suddenly, an aide 
went over and whispered in his ear and the President went over and 
grasped this man and gave him a hug. He was one of the original rangers 
who scaled that cliff. He wanted to show the President and the world 
that he was still able to do it. He had bits and pieces of his own 
uniform on.
  Last, what are the ways in which we can honor this great President? 
Our hearts are so filled with gratitude and a sense of deep remorse at 
his loss. But it was his wisdom and foresight that strengthened 
America's military, and I think that requires some special recognition. 
I don't have all the answers now. I will be happy to work with others.
  I am not trying to be the sole author of anything, but some thought 
has been given to the Department of Defense--and I went back last night 
and did a little research, and this morning I called the former 
Secretary of Defense Melvin Laird, a very dear and valued friend, under 
whom I served as Secretary of the Navy, and we reminisced about our days 
and some of the initiatives he took. He mentioned one specifically. 
There was some thought about naming the Department of Defense Building 
for President Eisenhower. After some very considerable thought, the 
decision was made not to do that. One of the main reasons--and I 
remember this very well--is that that building stands as a symbol of the 
bipartisanship that must be present as we work with the men and women in 
the Armed Forces. I strive to achieve that, as does the presiding 
officer and many others.
  I am proud of the committee on which I have served--Armed Services--
for 26 years, under a series of chairmen and ranking members. We have 
always tried to put partisanship aside and we have been successful. But 
it is important that the building be viewed as bipartisan.
  Therefore, I remember Secretary Laird saying the naming of the 
building was not, in his judgment, what we should do. He confirmed that 
this morning, and I shared that feeling. He said he conceived the idea 
of naming a corridor for General Eisenhower. There is a technical thing 
there. The corridor is named after him as a general of the Armed Forces, 
a five-star general. His picture in uniform and many other pieces of 
memorabilia are along the corridor by the Office of the Secretary of 
Defense. Previous Secretaries of Defense have honored the commanders in 
chief, the Presidents. So there is a corridor set aside for the 
commanders in chief, with portraits of every President since George 
Washington. Five living Presidents are there. You have Ford, Carter, 
George Herbert Walker Bush, President Clinton, and our current President 
Bush. All of their portraits are there. The way the Department of 
Defense has handled this in the past is to treat with equality the 
Presidents and their portraits, the recognition being bipartisan in 
nature in that building.
  We will have to put our minds together to see how best to do it. There 
is no question that Ronald Reagan gave a tremendous impetus to the 
concept of defending this Nation against missiles--missiles fired in 
anger or accidentally. Those things happen. He had the star wars 
concept. I was on the committee and we looked at this program. We began 
to do the initial work in the Congress to give support to the 
President's program. But eventually, from the standpoint of technology 
and costs, we looked at different ways to achieve our defense against 
missiles. It started way back under President Reagan when we put 
emphasis on this situation. Some of the thinking preceded President 
Reagan on how to defend this country against missiles. Today, we don't 
have a thing to interdict an intercontinental ballistic missile that 
would be fired in the direction of our 50 States. That is a separate 
matter.
  Therefore, I think we have to give a lot of careful thought and be 
ever mindful of how we recognize our commanders, with five still living, 
in terms of their contributions to the defense of this country. We will 
come up with an idea. I hope we can, in some way, appropriately 
recognize this great President for his extraordinary accomplishments in 
strengthening America.
  I conclude my remarks with the deepest sense of humility and gratitude 
toward the recollection, modest friendship, and the teachings I received 
from this great President.


                          Hon. Thomas R. Carper


                               of delaware

  Mr. President, today and this week, as we pause to reflect on the life 
of Ronald Reagan and his role in leading our Nation and the State in 
which I lived when I was in the Navy, I was thinking back and talking 
with my children about my first recollection of Ronald Reagan.
  My first recollection was when I was about their age, early in my 
teenage years, seeing him on television. I may have seen him earlier 
than that as a kid in the movies, but I do not remember. I remember 
fully--and the presiding officer is probably too young to remember 
this--a television show called ``Death Valley Days'' and watched later, 
I remember, a television show called ``General Electric Theater.'' He 
was the host and introduced each week's segment. My family would watch 
those shows, not religiously, but regularly. I enjoyed them as a kid 
growing up in Danville, VA.
  At the time, Ronald Reagan, who, I guess, was maybe in his fifties at 
that time, or maybe forties, had a reasonably successful career in 
motion pictures, certainly a lot more successful than any of us, except 
for former Senator Fred Thompson. But he had a reasonably successful 
career. We were in this in-between place where television was coming of 
age and playing a role with respect to ``Death Valley Days'' and 
``General Electric Theater.''
  I remember my first thoughts of him were that he was a nice-looking 
guy, a handsome kind of rugged fellow. He seemed to be amiable. He came 
across as amiable and exuded a certain warmth and also a sense of 
sincerity that came across clearly on that small television screen that 
we owned back in those days.
  I remember being surprised in 1964. I think I was 17 years old. I was 
about to enroll in Ohio State University. I was going to be a Navy ROTC 
midshipman. I was at the age of 17 a young Republican for Barry 
Goldwater. I do not know how I ended up on this side of the aisle. 
Churchill said, ``If you are young and not liberal, you don't have a 
heart; if you are old and not conservative, you don't have a brain.'' 
Somehow I ended up as a 17-year-old supporting Barry Goldwater.
  I remember watching the convention which was in San Francisco at the 
Cow Palace. Ironically, another one of our colleagues was there as a 
Goldwater supporter, too. She was there as a ``golden girl.'' Her seat 
is right behind me. It is ironic we both ended up where we are in the 
U.S. Senate. I remember watching on television the 1964 Republican 
Convention and actually watching the Democratic Convention that year.
  I remember being surprised to see Ronald Reagan speak and address the 
convention. I knew he had been a film star. I knew he played a role on 
these two television shows I watched as a kid growing up, but I had no 
idea. I heard he had been involved in the Actors Guild, sort of a labor 
union for actors, but I had no idea he was involved in politics to any 
extent and that he would end up with a major role at that convention 
speaking on behalf of Barry Goldwater.
  He came across in this speech a bit differently than he did in his 
other roles on television, but he did project a great deal of sincerity, 
a lot of conviction.
  He also suggested a good-naturedness and a certain warmth I have 
always found refreshing and endearing about him.
  We learned that evening, as we watched that speech, that this was a 
man who had some strong convictions and gave a powerful speech and one 
who got a lot of people to think about him as a future leader. Not long 
after that, he was elected Governor of California, served there for the 
most part with distinction and then ran against Gerald Ford for 
President, lost and came back a couple of years later, ran against Jimmy 
Carter and won.
  It is interesting, conventions were different then. The first 
convention I ever remember paying much attention to was in 1964. It was 
a convention with serious questions about who was going to be the 
President.
  We had the Republicans. Conservatives were supporting Barry Goldwater 
and we had the Rockefeller Republicans. There was a lot of give and 
take, and real primaries. It was hard fought right up until the 
convention.
  I remember in 1968 I was a supporter for Eugene McCarthy who was 
running for President. I respected both McCarthy and Goldwater because 
they were standup guys. They were willing to take tough positions and 
not mince their words. I respected them both for that. Conventions were 
different than they are today.
  Although I was impressed by the speech that then-citizen Ronald Reagan 
gave, I never imagined he would be Governor of California, and I 
certainly never imagined he would be President of the United States. I 
never imagined I would be a Congressman, Governor, or Senator, either. I 
am probably more surprised by that than I am about him ending up as 
Governor and President.
  As luck would have it, he ended up as President of the United States 
and I ended up here serving with our presiding officer, and that is 
something I enjoy very much.
  Before I was Governor, I served in the House of Representatives for 10 
years. Ronald Reagan was elected President in 1980; I was elected to the 
House in 1982. I had a chance to interact with him from time to time 
during limited opportunities as a Democratic Congressman. He had 
qualities I admired all those years ago when he was hosting those 
television shows. His warmth, his sincerity, his good humor, those were 
qualities he possessed in the real world off the TV screen.
  Sometimes the folks we see or admire on television and film or other 
venues do not turn out to be quite the same when we meet them in person. 
He was very much the same.
  While I did not always see eye to eye with him on environmental 
issues, for example, and I had concerns about the budget deficits we 
were starting to rack up, and questions about deploying space weapons, 
star wars, and the way we conducted our business in Central America, 
there was a lot he wanted to do and sought to do with which I did agree. 
He was an early proponent of welfare reform. He was a guy who believed 
work should pay more than welfare. We have all heard of the earned 
income tax credit. He was a major proponent of the earned income tax 
credit because he felt people who worked ought to be better off than 
folks who were on welfare.
  He presided over big tax cuts in the early eighties, 1981, and later 
on, faced with ever-growing tax deficits, he presided over some of the 
largest tax increases that were adopted in our Nation's history.
  He was a staunch opponent of communism, but a fellow who could reach 
out not just across the aisle but across the world to Gorbachev to 
become friends, and they embraced one another at the end of their 
tenures as they together helped to change the world in a better way.
  I find in Ronald Reagan that he was someone who would stake out a 
position; he would adhere to that position with his convictions for as 
long as he could, and at the end, if he had to change, he would. He was 
willing to do that, but he did not back off easily or readily. He was 
willing in the end to compromise.
  In reacting to folks in my own State in Delaware this week who asked 
me for my reaction to what he was like, I said, well, whether or not you 
liked the man's policies, it was hard not to like the man.
  Since his death, there has been a fair amount of conjecture about what 
we should do to pay tribute to him and his memory. Some people have 
suggested we ought to rework Mount Rushmore and find a way to put his 
image on Mount Rushmore. We have had a few people suggest maybe Ronald 
Reagan's picture should be on the $10 bill instead of Alexander 
Hamilton. I heard our Republican leader suggest yesterday that maybe we 
should rename the Pentagon in honor of Ronald Reagan. I do not know that 
those are good or bad ideas. I have not given those a lot of thought.
  I ask we consider a couple of other legacies that might even be more 
important and more enduring. One of those deals with the disease that 
dogged him for the last years of his life, Alzheimer's disease, a 
disease my mom also suffers from. She lives in Kentucky. I visited her 
over the weekend. She does not remember much. Actually, she remembers a 
few things that happened a long time ago, but she does not have any 
recollection of Ronald Reagan and all of those years we watched him on 
television when I was a kid growing up.
  My mom is going to be 82 years old this August and my hope is she will 
live to be as old as Ronald Reagan. I do not think that is likely, but 
that would be wonderful if it happened. My mom is 1 of 4 million people 
in the world today who suffers from Alzheimer's disease. It was 
something we saw the first signs of 5, 6, 7 years ago, and we knew where 
it was leading. Her mom suffered the same fate. Her grandmother had 
suffered the same fate as well.
  While there are roughly 4 million Americans today who suffer from 
Alzheimer's disease, by the year 2020 we are told there could be as many 
as 14 million Americans who suffer from Alzheimer's disease. It is a 
tough disease not so much for the person who suffers from it but 
certainly for their families and those who love them and who are unable 
to have the kind of relationship we once did.
  I know Senator Mikulski is going to be leading the effort, I think 
with Senator Bond, for us to focus anew as a Congress, as a Senate, on 
providing meaningful increases in funding to find a cure for Alzheimer's 
disease; not simply a way to treat the symptoms, but a way to stop it 
dead in its tracks. I commend them for their actions and I stand fully 
ready to support them. I hope others will as well.
  The other legacy I suggest that may be as important or we may be 
inspired to address and do something about other than dealing with 
Alzheimer's disease is civility. I am not the first person who has 
noticed this of late, but there has been a huge loss of civility not 
only in Washington, DC, but shortly after I heard of President Reagan's 
death I was flipping through the radio channels in my car and I came 
across one of these right-wing talk shows. There was pure vitriol coming 
out of the speaker on my radio. I find it hard to listen to that stuff 
so I turned it off. I find it hard to watch the television shows anymore 
because it seems there is no meaningful discourse; they are really 
shouting matches.
  Ronald Reagan, for whatever faults he may have had, was a civil 
person, he was a gentleman, and at a time when that kind of behavior 
characterizes too little of what not only goes on here but what takes 
place in politics throughout our country, he is a good role model in 
that the way he treated people was the way he would like to have been 
treated. It is a lesson that was good and meaningful then and it is one 
we can certainly take again today.
  I have heard our own leader, Tom Daschle, begin to speak of late of a 
new civility, and we need a new civility. We need some civility, not 
going through the formalities, but treating one another the way we would 
want to be treated; not just in this Chamber, not just in this Capitol, 
but throughout this country, even in a Presidential election year.


                        Hon. Peter G. Fitzgerald


                               of illinois

  Mr. President, as one of the two Senators from Illinois, I am very 
proud of Ronald Reagan and his contributions to this country. Ronald 
Reagan is the only American President who was, in fact, born in 
Illinois. Many people think of Abraham Lincoln as having been born in 
Illinois, but he was actually born in Kentucky and later moved there. Of 
course, I think there is no question that Ronald Reagan will join 
Abraham Lincoln as one of our Nation's greatest Presidents. I only want 
to say a few words about him.
  I didn't actually serve in the Senate when he was President. I didn't 
ever have the opportunity to get to know him. I did, however, get the 
opportunity to meet him once as a very young man, when I was about 20 
years old or so and he was campaigning for President in 1980.
  But my first real recollection of him came from watching his address 
on television in 1976 at the Republican National Convention. He had lost 
the primaries to incumbent President Gerald Ford but had nonetheless had 
a very strong showing. He gave a speech at that 1976 convention that 
literally brought down the house and fired up the delegates. I remember 
watching that at home and thinking, What an outstanding leader. You 
could see that this man certainly still had a great contribution to 
make.
  He won against all the odds. All the pundits and many of the 
commentators dismissed Ronald Reagan. They thought he was too old. They 
thought he was too conservative to run and be elected President in 1980. 
But he proved them all wrong.
  I think a pivotal moment came in 1980 during his primary elections. At 
that time he lost the Iowa caucuses and he had a lot of pressure on him 
to win the New Hampshire primary. Many of us will recall that New 
Hampshire primary debate where he grabbed the microphone as others tried 
to shut it off. He grabbed the microphone and said, ``I am paying for 
this microphone, Mr. Green.'' He wanted his other opponents to be 
allowed the opportunity to speak at that debate, as opposed to just 
having a one-on-one debate with George Bush, who later became his Vice 
President and succeeded him as President.
  I remember watching that Nashua, NH, debate in 1980 from the basement 
television room of my fraternity house in Hanover, NH, at Dartmouth 
College. I was very much paying attention to that primary because it was 
happening in New Hampshire where I was attending college. I will never 
forget seeing Ronald Reagan in that debate and his remarkable 
performance.
  Later, in 1980, I had the opportunity to meet him when he came to 
Illinois to campaign for a U.S. Senate candidate in October, about a 
month before Reagan was elected President. I was an intern on the 
campaign of a fellow by the name of Dave O'Neal who was running for the 
Senate in Illinois. He actually lost. But as an intern on that campaign, 
I had the opportunity to meet Ronald Reagan and to welcome him into the 
back room before we had the dinner in honor of Dave O'Neal.
  I will never forget Ronald Reagan. Everybody called him Governor at 
that time. That was the most recent office he had. They didn't call him 
President Reagan yet. But when he walked into the holding room, the 
bartender immediately told him, ``Governor Reagan, we have squeezed some 
fresh oranges for you. We have some freshly squeezed orange juice for 
you. Would you like some of this?''
  Governor Reagan looked at him and said, ``I'll take it if you put a 
little vodka in that.''
  I was struck immediately at the time by his charm and his sense of 
humor and his relaxed nature, even though he was just a few weeks out 
from the election day in what everyone thought would be a very close 
election with President Carter. But, of course, as we know, Ronald 
Reagan went on to win in a landslide.
  He had a remarkable career. He was an enormous source of inspiration 
to me as I was finishing college and going on to law school. I was very 
proud at the time to be a Republican and to have him as the leader of 
our party, but also to be an American and have him lead our country and 
represent us in the world. I thought he handled himself with incredible 
poise and dignity.
  His achievements are monumental. You will recall that he had few 
allies in Congress. The other party controlled both Houses of Congress 
while he was President. Yet he was able to work his will through 
Congress by calling upon the American people to lobby Congress for some 
of his important initiatives, such as lowering taxes. President Reagan 
succeeded in lowering the highest tax rates, which at that time were up 
to 70 percent. He dramatically lowered the tax rates and unleashed a 
flurry of economic activity that is still with us today.
  He went on to achieve major arms control agreements, and also, with 
the threat of his willingness to spend whatever it took to defend our 
country--his will in that regard, his sheer will to succeed in defeating 
what he saw as an evil ideology, communism--in ending the cold war with 
the Soviet Union, he ultimately succeeded in doing that. No one has a 
greater claim on ending the cold war than Ronald Reagan and, as Margaret 
Thatcher has said, he did so without firing a single shot.
  I think one of his greatest accomplishments occurred in his second 
term, and that was the simplifying of the Tax Code. If you recall, we 
went for a time where we got rid of a lot of the Swiss cheese loopholes 
and deductions that are in our Tax Code. We dramatically simplified the 
Tax Code, collapsed the rates, and it held for a few years. We have gone 
back now and allowed all the special interests to fill up the Tax Code 
with all sorts of special interest loopholes and giveaways to 
politically connected interests. Sometimes I wish we were rereading what 
Ronald Reagan said at the time about the necessity of cleaning up that 
Tax Code.
  One of the most cherished treasures in the State of Illinois is the 
boyhood home in which Ronald Reagan grew up in the twenties, in Dixon, 
IL. That home has been purchased and lovingly restored by a foundation 
and by members of the Dixon, IL, community. It is a wonderful place for 
Americans who want to pay their respects to Ronald Reagan and his 
legacy, to go by and visit on Interstate 88 in Dixon, IL, just off 
Interstate 88. I certainly hope a lot more Americans who are interested 
in the history of Ronald Reagan will visit that home.
  Ronald Reagan himself went back to visit it, I believe, after he left 
the White House even. He has recounted many tales of his growing up 
there.
  He was actually born in Tampico, IL, in an apartment above a 
commercial building in downtown Tampico, and later moved to Dixon, IL. 
Some of his fondest memories are of growing up in Dixon, along the Rock 
River.
  Of course, many people will remember Ronald Reagan talking about one 
of his proudest accomplishments in life, saving 77 people from drowning 
over the 7 years that he was a lifeguard along the Rock River in Dixon, 
IL.
  If you go to Dixon, IL, you can see this wonderful small town that 
shaped Ronald Reagan, his character, his values, his common sense, his 
midwestern way of thinking, of looking at the world. I don't think that 
ever left him.
  There is also an interesting story not many people are aware of, but 
President Reagan wrote about this in his biography. He graduated from 
Eureka College, about 130 miles south of Dixon, in Illinois. After 
graduating from college, he went back to Dixon and he applied for a job 
in the sporting goods department, I believe, at a Montgomery Ward store 
in Dixon, IL.
  Guess what happened. Montgomery Ward turned down Ronald Reagan for 
that job. That set him off in different pursuits, and he ultimately went 
to Iowa and became an announcer, did Cubs games from a regional radio 
station there. But he wrote in his biography he wonders what would have 
happened had he actually gotten that job at the Montgomery Ward store in 
Dixon, IL. He suspected he might never have left Dixon, IL.
  We need to thank somebody who failed to hire Ronald Reagan at 
Montgomery Ward in 1932, I think, because it was that little twist, that 
little turn in his life that turned out for the better, not only for him 
but certainly for our entire Nation and the world.
  I ask that we not forget the example of Ronald Reagan and his cheerful 
optimism about our country and our future. No one could communicate 
their thoughts as well as Ronald Reagan, in my judgment. I know of no 
equal he had in public service in terms of communicating with people. He 
was an inspiring leader.
  Ronald Reagan came to the Presidency of a self-doubting nation, a 
nation more suspicious of its power than inspired by its possibilities. 
And he understood--as magnificently as any American leader--the 
restorative force of faith, of conviction, of pride. He was the Great 
Communicator, not because he mastered the sound bite, but because this 
midwestern man of 10,000 handwritten letters knew that words matter--
words with simple, self-evident integrity, words that reach into the 
vagueness of a volatile democracy and perfectly describe the essential 
goodness of our character.
  Ronald Reagan returned us to ourselves. He did not work miracles. But 
he emboldened us to see the grace of God in the destiny of our great 
Nation. He enabled us to hear the still, small voice in the clamor of 
great historical conflicts. He reminded us to treasure the simple 
miracles of life, laughter and love.
  This man, who survived into the 21st century, embodied as perhaps none 
other the panoramic sweep of America's 20th century. Reagan was born in 
the small town of Tampico, IL. It was 1911, the year of the first coast-
to-coast airplane flight, a 49-day ordeal with 69 stops and 16 crash 
landings. It was also the year of the first aircraft landing--crude 
though it was--on a ship anchored in San Francisco Bay. A series of 
ropes stopped the aircraft. Ninety years later, on March 4, 2001, the 
United States christened the Navy's newest Nimitz-class aircraft 
carrier, the USS Ronald Reagan, a 90,000-ton nuclear-powered fighting 
ship, and the pride of the most powerful navy in the world.
  Ronald Reagan fundamentally changed the face of American politics--and 
profusely contributed his name to the new political lexicon. What 
American before or since Ronald Reagan has become the popular namesake 
for a theory of economics, a political and electoral sea change, and a 
decisive partisan crossover? I speak of Reaganomics, the Reagan 
revolution, and Reagan Democrats.
  The man was that large. He had strong and distinct views which he was 
able to communicate with remarkable effectiveness. He had an 
irresistibly winning personality and was irrepressibly optimistic. 
Though the establishment of both political parties often ridiculed his 
beliefs, the people somehow always seemed to have faith and confidence 
in him. In fact, they loved as perhaps they have loved no other 
President in modern history.
  Conventional intellects and comfortable pundits were aghast when 
President Reagan spoke so freely of evil in the world. In a world where 
evil is neatly banished because it is too judgmental, the moral 
declarations of Ronald Reagan were inevitably revolutionary. The Great 
Communicator understood perfectly well that communication without a 
moral compass becomes all talk. And so we are the heirs of a more 
civilized and less menacing world because Ronald Reagan had the courage 
to maintain firm beliefs and to stand up for those beliefs.
  As a Senator from Illinois, I am proud to remark briefly and 
comparatively about another great son of Illinois, the only President to 
be elected from Illinois, Kentucky-born but Illinois-settled Abraham 
Lincoln, whom our history honors as few others. Lincoln and Reagan both 
grew up humbly and gained a natural comfort with people from all walks 
of life. They were both frequently underestimated by opponents who 
imagined themselves intellectually, culturally or socially superior. 
They both possessed an equanimity and fortitude that kept them serene 
while navigating treacherous waters. They both loved the United States 
of America. And they both cherished American freedom and staked their 
public lives on the resolute promotion of it--for Lincoln, against the 
forces of disunity and enslavement at home, and for Reagan, against a 
godless imperial tyranny abroad. I am proud to hail from the State of 
Illinois.
  When we finally measure the worth of a statesman, the words of 
political or ideological adversaries can speak volumes. And here Ronald 
Reagan--a statesman with many more converts than implacable enemies--is 
a shining beacon in his own shining city. When President Clinton 
announced in 1996 that ``the era of big government is over,'' it was 
homage to the durable influence--across the political landscape--of 
Ronald Reagan's faith in the American people. When Mikhail Gorbachev 
recently said of Ronald Reagan, ``he was sincere,'' he captured with 
fitting simplicity the worldwide power of the American dream in the 
hands of America's finest dreamer.
  Ronald Reagan stayed the course, throughout and after his Presidency, 
until a progressive illness consumed him. Indeed, sliding irretrievably 
into forgetfulness a decade ago, Ronald Reagan remembered to say goodbye 
to his beloved American people.

  When the Lord calls me home, whenever that may be, I will leave with 
the greatest love for this country of ours and eternal optimism for its 
future.

  I now begin this journey that will lead me into the sunset of my life. 
I know that for America there will always be a bright dawn ahead.

  Thank you my friends. May God always bless you.

  May God rest his soul, and may God bless Nancy Reagan, who is also 
from Illinois, and all the Reagan children and their families.


                         Hon. Richard J. Durbin


                               of illinois

  Mr. President, I join my colleague from Illinois in paying tribute to 
the late President Ronald Reagan.
  Today the Senate passed by an overwhelming vote a resolution 
commemorating Ronald Reagan for his service to America and recalling his 
legacy.
  There has been a lot said on the floor about President Reagan. I come 
to this task with a little different perspective than some. Were it not 
for Ronald Reagan, I wouldn't be in the Senate today. I say that because 
I made three vain and futile attempts to be elected to public office. In 
1982, I ran for the House of Representatives against an incumbent 
Republican Congressman. Were it not for the sorry state of the economy 
in Illinois after the first 2 years of President Reagan's Presidency, I 
would have lost. But because of the economy and the troubles faced at 
that moment in time, I was successful in my campaign against a long-time 
Republican incumbent Congressman.
  I will not mislead anyone before making these remarks. I will tell you 
that while a Member of the House of Representatives during the 6 
remaining years of President Reagan's Presidency, there were very few 
things I agreed with in reference to him. In fact, over 90 percent of 
the time we didn't see eye to eye. I had some very strong philosophical 
differences with President Reagan on economic policy, foreign policy, 
and many other things. But I will tell you this: He was an extraordinary 
person, and I think even those of us who disagreed with him politically 
respected him very much.
  I recall when I was elected in one of the largest new classes of 
Congressmen since Watergate, in 1982, that President Reagan and Mrs. 
Reagan invited all of the new Members of the House of Representatives 
and their spouses to come for a dinner at the White House. It was an 
amazingly heady experience to walk in as Congressmen-elect with our 
wives and shake hands with the President and Mrs. Reagan, realizing full 
well that most of the people in the room were new Democratic Congressmen 
who had been running against President Reagan and his policies. But he 
was gracious to a fault and could not have been more cordial to all of 
us who gathered that evening. One of my great memories of that period of 
time between the election and being sworn in was sitting there in the 
White House at this dinner hosted by President Reagan and Mrs. Reagan. 
At the same table was my Senate colleague, then-Congressman Mike DeWine, 
and his wife Fran, who had made the trip from Ohio for that special 
dinner with the Reagans and new Members of Congress days after she had 
given birth to a little baby girl, whom she brought to the same dinner 
in a basket which she had right next to the table. We have laughed about 
it all the time, because obviously after 23 years that little girl has 
grown up to be a remarkable young woman.
  But those are some of the memories I have of President Reagan opening 
the door and welcoming in some new Congressmen who had spent months 
running against him and his policies.
  The same thing held true when it came to his State of the Union 
Addresses. I can remember so many different times when I marched to the 
House of Representatives Chamber for the State of the Union Address by 
President Reagan. After a while I came to understand what the rules 
were. The rules were these: You didn't have a chance as a Democrat to 
say anything critical and be successful the night of President Reagan's 
speech. He had such a magical style and was so affable and friendly and 
approachable that after he concluded his State of the Union Address, the 
best for the loyal opposition was to wave and leave the stage because he 
was so good. He was one of the best. We did learn that after 24 or 48 
hours had passed, perhaps a closer look at what he said could lead to 
some constructive criticism. But we knew right off the bat when 
President Reagan took to the floor of the House of Representatives for 
the State of the Union Address and walked up those stairs, the best 
thing the loyal opposition could do was to be quiet.
  There was another aspect of Ronald Reagan which I miss so much. It is 
part of the political life which unfortunately we don't have enough of. 
He was President in an era of some great people--Tip O'Neill, Speaker of 
the House of Representatives, and Bob Michel, Republican minority leader 
from Illinois. They brought to this business of politics a certain 
humanity and civility which we have lost almost completely.
  I can recall the bitter battles we had on the floor of the House of 
Representatives with President Reagan over very contentious issues and 
the debates going on for days. Ultimately, someone would prevail, and 
many times it would be President Reagan and his position. Without fail, 
when it came to those critical votes, Tip O'Neill, then-Speaker of the 
House, the leading Democrat, would pick up the phone, call the President 
and congratulate him. It was a gesture, but it was an important gesture 
to say that, frankly, we have both given it a good fight; the decision 
has been made; now let us move on to the people's business.
  President Ronald Reagan understood that, Tip O'Neill understood that, 
and Bob Michel understood that. I wish our generation of leaders could 
understand that more, that even though we disagree, and disagree with a 
great deal of conviction, we should try to look for that human side we 
can all share. I think time and again President Reagan did that. I 
commend him for it.
  Even though you have disagreed with him during the course of the 
debate, when it was all over, you knew you would be treated with 
respect.
  Time and again, my wife Loretta and I would go down to the White House 
for the Christmas party, the barbeques and picnics. It was always a warm 
welcome and greeting, even though the President was of a different party 
where there were very serious differences. Page S6663
  I would like to reflect, too, for a moment on the former First Lady, 
Nancy Reagan. She has been a pillar of strength since it was announced 
that the late President was suffering from Alzheimer's; 10 years 
watching the man she loved the most of any in the world slip into 
darkness. She said in a few interviews since President Reagan passed 
away, the worst part was the advancing years and not being able to share 
memories anymore because President Reagan was inflicted with Alzheimer's 
disease. That takes a toll.
  We have had friends who have gone through it. It takes a special 
commitment and sacrifice to make it through that terrible illness. My 
heart goes out to Nancy Reagan and her family, all of them, for what 
they have endured for 10 years, standing by the former President while 
he was afflicted with this disease.
  My colleague Senator Carper mentioned earlier that many people are now 
talking about tributes to President Reagan, and he is deserving. Despite 
my differences with him politically, I voted for the renaming of the 
Washington National Airport in his memory. I thought that was 
appropriate for someone who had served our Nation as President of the 
United States. Now people are trying to think of other things they can 
do. They are kind of upping the ante: Well, you know, not the 50-cent 
piece, maybe the $10 bill; no, maybe Mount Rushmore. I would like to 
suggest to them the most enduring legacy for this President would be to 
help others in his name. I can't think of anything more important to ask 
for when the time comes for those to consider what to do in his memory 
than the contribution suggested by our colleagues Senators Mikulski and 
Bond, one which I think is worthy of our immediate consideration. They 
called for the establishment of the Ronald Reagan Alzheimer's 
Breakthrough Act of 2004. They believe we are near a breakthrough in 
treating Alzheimer's and they want us to put special attention and 
special resources and special efforts in that regard. That not only will 
serve the memory of President Reagan and his courageous family who stood 
by him, but it will also serve to help 4.5 million Americans inflicted 
with Alzheimer's disease today, and their husbands, wives, children, and 
their loved ones who stand by helplessly at their side as they drift 
into the darkness of this dreaded disease. That would be such a great 
tribute to President Reagan. I hope we can do it on a bipartisan basis 
with the civility and humanity which President Reagan demonstrated 
during the course of his life.
  I might also add that the First Lady's commitment to stem cell 
research is an exceptional statement on her part. She has broken with 
some members of the Republican Party on this issue. I know her position 
is controversial, even within this administration, but she understands, 
as many do, that unless we are committed to medical research, including 
stem cell research, the chances that we can successfully deal with 
Alzheimer's, diabetes, spinal cord injuries, and other terrible 
afflictions will be diminished. I salute the First Lady and I hope we 
will, in recognition of her commitment and in memory of President 
Reagan, also decide we will step forward in this critical area of 
medical research involving stem cells.
  I am honored that President Reagan was a friend, at least in passing, 
on a political basis. I am happy he came from Illinois and happened to 
believe that perhaps his midwestern roots might have helped him in his 
various careers. It certainly helped him serving this country as 
President.
  He had an amazing record of victories. I know because I was on the 
losing end of a lot of those campaigns. I campaigned for his opponents 
with little or no success. He carried 44 States in the first election 
and 49 States in the second. Probably few Presidents in history have had 
a mandate that substantial when they were reelected. It is a tribute to 
the fact that America loved that President, America wanted Ronald Reagan 
to serve, and he served our Nation so well.


                          Hon. Susan M. Collins


                                of maine

  Mr. President, over the past few days, more than 100,000 Americans 
have stood in line in California for 12 hours or even more to pay their 
respects to President Ronald Reagan. This great show of respect and 
affection will be repeated during the coming days in Washington.
  This overwhelming outpouring cannot be explained by merely citing the 
traits for which he was so well-known--his likability, his wit and 
optimism, his courage when attacked by a would-be assassin's bullet or, 
at the end of his life, by a devastating disease, or even his skills as 
the Great Communicator. Americans are standing in line because of 
President Reagan's ideas and the principles and convictions that gave 
those ideas their power: The God-given right to freedom, responsibility 
for one's own actions, and charity toward others. The very ideas that 
are the foundation of this great Nation were the foundation of President 
Reagan's character.
  President Reagan became President at a time when the world had begun 
to question the strength of that foundation. It was a time when freedom, 
balanced by personal responsibility and justified by charity, was in 
danger of becoming just one of the many ways in which human society 
could be organized. Rather than appease or accommodate communism, he 
confronted it and exposed its moral bankruptcy.
  President Reagan emboldened freedom-loving people everywhere--those 
behind the Iron Curtain and those in danger of being enveloped by it--
and gave them faith and strength. He believed, as he said in his first 
inaugural address, that no weapon in the arsenals of the world is so 
formidable as the will and moral courage of free men and women. He was 
right.
  President Reagan became President at a time when America had begun to 
question its place in the world and the values upon which this great 
Nation was built. He opened the gate of the American spirit. He tore 
down the wall of doubt.
  Ronald Reagan was a great communicator because he had something great 
to communicate. He was the right man for his time; and now he belongs to 
all time.
  He will be missed, but President Reagan's ideas will always be part of 
the American experience.


                           Hon. Larry E. Craig


                                of idaho

  Mr. President, I have, for the last day, listened to a good number of 
my colleagues reminisce about the late President Ronald Reagan, many of 
them quoting from his speeches, many of them quoting from books written 
about him, about his phenomenal life, and his phenomenal presence in 
this city as one of our Presidents. So I would guess that by this moment 
nearly everything that can be said about Ronald Reagan has been said 
but, then again, not everyone has said it.
  I find myself in that situation in these moments just prior to the 
adjournment of the Senate and hours before a coffin bearing President 
Ronald Reagan will arrive at the rotunda of our great Capitol.
  What I might do for just a moment is reminisce about a couple of 
personal experiences I had the privilege of having with the late 
President that, to me, speaks volumes about the gentleman's personality, 
his style of Presidency, and what he meant to my State of Idaho.
  Idaho, by its conservative character and its independence, was always 
a strong Reagan State. It spoke out loudly for the President. It voted 
in large numbers for the President. There was never a question where 
Idahoans would be when it came to supporting Ronald Reagan for his 
Presidency.
  My relationship with him began at the very time he came to Washington. 
I was a freshman in the House of Representatives in the winter of 1981. 
Both President Reagan and I were elected at the same time. I was one of 
those of the large class of 54 Republican freshmen who entered the U.S. 
House, many of them because of the strength of Ronald Reagan, and we all 
became known as Reagan babies. I suspect that is a title that at the age 
of 58 I still bear with some pride. Because we came at a time when we 
had a President who was speaking of change; and the American people were 
wanting it, demanding it, and his Presidency embodied it.
  The situation I want to relate for the Record this afternoon occurred 
during the first budget process of the Reagan administration. David 
Stockman, a Congressman, had just been appointed Director of OMB. Of 
course, the major tax cut that our President was so well known for--that 
began to stimulate the economy and turn the American people back into 
entrepreneurialism--was all at hand. But there were deficits. So David 
Stockman came up with the idea that we should sell off our strategic 
minerals stockpile.
  Well, that is something you do not hear talked about hardly at all 
today, but following World War II, Congress had passed legislation 
saying that we should stockpile silver and magnesium and titanium and 
zinc and a variety of other metals in case we got in another war, so we 
would have these supplies of metals available for industrial purposes.
  By 1981, it was largely determined on the part of the Reagan 
administration and David Stockman that they were just not necessary any 
longer. It was probably true that some Members of Congress believed the 
same thing. So when the announcement of the sale of these stockpiles 
became public--and the money then from their sale was to return to the 
Treasury, and that money would offset some of the deficits that might 
occur as a result of the tax cuts--the silver market plummeted. The 
price of silver on the world market dropped because the large supply of 
silver being held by our government was going to enter the market at 
some point. So the market out there was beginning to adjust and prices 
fell.
  Because Idaho at that time was a primary silver producer, not only did 
prices fall in Idaho, but when they fell, many of our mines closed. 
There were 400 or 500 miners--men and women--out of work in the Silver 
Valley of Idaho, known as the Coeur d'Alene mining district, that was in 
part a direct result of this announcement.
  That was my congressional district. I had people out of work. This was 
largely still an old line labor Democrat stronghold in north Idaho, and 
the hue and cry was very loud. These men and women were out of work 
because of President Ronald Reagan.
  I had thought that if Ronald Reagan really understood the impact of 
what he was doing, he might change his approach. But because it was a 
directive from OMB, because it was a part of the budgetary policy of 
this administration, my small voice simply was not getting heard.
  I appealed one evening in a conversation to the then-Secretary of the 
Interior, Jim Watt. I said: Secretary Watt, how do I get to the 
President? How do I tell my story, our story, Idaho's story, about this 
particular problem?
  He said: Well, Larry, you have to get to the President directly. 
Obviously, David Stockman is not interested in hearing your story. The 
sale of the strategic metals, the sale of the stockpiles, is his idea. 
He's not going to be your champion. So if you're ever down at the White 
House, see if you can get the President's ear.
  Well, freshmen Congressmen do not often go to the White House. But 
because of the key tax votes that were coming up, I got invited to the 
White House to visit with Ronald Reagan. I had presented on one, small 
sheet of paper, on one side, a very brief, clear explanation of the 
impact of the sale of the silver stockpile out of the strategic metals 
stockpile on the people of Idaho. I put it in an envelope, and wrote 
across it ``To President Ronald Reagan,'' and stuck it in my pocket.
  Now when I was down at the White House conversations went forward. At 
the end of the conversation, I said: Mr. President, here is a note I 
would like to have you read. It's important to my people in Idaho. By 
your actions, you have put 500 Idahoans out of work.
  He said: Really?
  I said: Yes, selling off the strategic metals.
  He smiled and said: We are?
  Well, that did not surprise me. The longer I am here in Washington, I 
know not everybody knows every detail about everything. That is why you 
hire and have around you competent people, and Presidents are certainly 
no different than many of us.
  He kept the note. I saw it go into the breast pocket of his suit coat. 
A day and a half or two later, I got a call from the White House saying: 
Congressman Craig, can you come down and visit with the President about 
your problem in north Idaho and the sale of the silver stockpile?
  My, I was impressed. I went to the White House. There in the Oval 
Office was the President and David Stockman, the Director of OMB, the 
man who had established the policy of selling off the stockpiles to 
bring money to the Treasury. We discussed it at length. In fact, David 
Stockman and I had a small debate in front of the President about the 
pros and cons of doing so.
  What I said at that time was: Mr. President, I am not opposed to you 
selling off the stockpile of silver, but it's how you are approaching 
it, and how you are approaching it has had a dramatic impact on the 
market. As a result of that, it has dropped the price of silver 
worldwide, and men and women in Idaho are now out of work.
  He said: Well--in his inevitable way--let me think about that.
  A week later, there was a very small but very important announcement 
that no longer would there be any more sale of the silver stockpile, 
and, of course, the prices came back and the men and women in north 
Idaho went to work.
  What is the message? The message is that when this President, Ronald 
Reagan, understood the impact of an action--if it were hurting people or 
impacting them adversely, or if it were doing something that was against 
his market ideas and his philosophical belief in limited government and 
that government should not be the arbiter nor should government infringe 
upon the well-being of citizens--he would make changes. And he did. And 
of course, I have told that story many times in Idaho. It was very clear 
to Idahoans that the market changed because Ronald Reagan saw what he 
was doing or saw what his administration was doing and was willing to 
make a very important change to impact people's lives.
  Last, I remember coming to the U.S. Senate in 1990, certainly after 
President Reagan had left this city. The first office I took in the Hart 
Building had on a conference wall a very large map of the world. It 
filled the whole wall, and it still had the Socialist Republics of the 
Soviet Union written across that map. That will tell you how old it was 
in 1990. I remember at the time looking at that map and saying: Thank 
you, Ronald Reagan. You have made that map of the world obsolete. You as 
the President--not singlehandedly but certainly by the force of your 
beliefs and by the force of your efforts--have made the Soviet Union 
obsolete in such a way that it simply withered and died, almost without 
a whimper. And that, of course, is one of the great legacies of our 
President, and many of our colleagues have spoken about that.
  We are not going to let revisionist historians suggest that the Soviet 
Union would have crumbled anyway. There was a reality they had to face. 
The reality was Ronald Reagan and the national resolve of this country 
in the cold war, built on the strength and the beliefs of a great 
President by the name of Ronald Reagan, that we not only could overcome 
communism but we would, in essence, arm ourselves and build a military 
ready and capable of defeating the Soviet Union. That combination of 
efforts, put together with his willingness to deal with Gorbachev and 
others, obviously changed the dynamics of world politics and the 
environment I grew up in as a child, known as the cold war.
  I will attend the ceremony in the Chamber tonight, and I will mourn 
the loss of Ronald Reagan. But more important, I will celebrate. I will 
celebrate a great President, a President who came to our country's call 
at the right time in our history, to lead us with optimism and 
enthusiasm and vision in a way few Presidents have. So while I will 
certainly miss the presence of the man, I celebrate his record and the 
history that will be written about him.
  I send my prayers and the prayers of my wife Suzanne to Nancy Reagan 
and all of the Reagans. They stand with a great legacy they are 
obviously very proud of, as we all are as Americans.
  To Ronald Reagan I say: Thank you, you built a place in history that 
is well deserving of the actions you took as President of the United 
States.


                          Hon. Frank Lautenberg


                              of new jersey

  Mr. President, I wanted to be sure to have an opportunity to make some 
comments about President Reagan before we went out of session tonight. I 
will take the opportunity to do so right now.
  I join with my colleagues, so many of whom have already spoken, in 
tribute to our Nation's 40th President, Ronald Reagan. My first term in 
the Senate coincided with the last 6 years of his Presidency. I had the 
opportunity to work with him on several occasions. As someone who came 
from modest beginnings and a working-class family, I understood the fact 
that he rose from his humble beginnings to become one of the crucial 
world leaders. He was respected greatly. I had a chance to work with him 
on several occasions, not the least of which was something as simple as 
raising the drinking age to 21 across the country, thereby saving 
thousands of families a year from having to mourn the loss of a young 
person in their household. The bill was signed in the morning at the 
White House, and I was pleased I was able to return from a convention in 
San Francisco in time to be there and share those good moments with 
President Reagan and then-Secretary of Transportation Elizabeth Dole.
  We did a lot of good for families across America with that 
legislation, and also offered support to say to those who would pollute 
our environment, ``If you pollute, you must pay to clean it up,'' and 
that was Superfund. It had a very important beginning in those days.
  President Reagan is appropriately being remembered for his 
overpowering sense of optimism and rock-solid faith in the fundamental 
goodness of America. Many of his actions stand as examples of ideas that 
we ought to consider as we carry out our responsibilities in government. 
There was no doubt that he was the Great Communicator, and his ideas and 
his words will long be remembered.
  I just returned yesterday from the D-day celebration and commemoration 
in Normandy. No one will ever forget President Reagan's speech 20 years 
ago at Normandy commemorating the 40th anniversary of the D-day 
invasion; it will be permanently etched in our memories. Or his poignant 
remarks when the space shuttle Challenger exploded, and how he helped 
America recover from that terrible national tragedy. Or who can forget 
his insistence that helped break the iron grip of the Soviet Union on 
millions of people around the globe?
  President Reagan was known for his ideological zeal. But the 
interesting thing about him at the same time was that he ultimately was 
a pragmatist. Perhaps the clearest example of his pragmatic side is what 
happened after he pushed through a massive tax cut in Congress in 1981. 
One thing that President Reagan disliked enormously was Federal budget 
deficits. He thought the idea of borrowing from future generations was 
truly repugnant.
  On the campaign trail in 1980, he promised he would work to balance 
the budget. When he took office, he argued that a tax cut was necessary 
to stimulate the economy. He believed the Federal Government would end 
up with more, not fewer, revenues. But when the revenues didn't 
materialize as predicted, and the Federal Government began running huge 
annual budget deficits, his pragmatism took over and he followed his 
1981 tax cuts with tax increases that were necessary in 1982 and 1984, 
determined to reduce the burgeoning budget deficits. His tax increases 
were a tacit admission that the plan wasn't working as expected. He was 
pragmatic enough to change the course.
  His personality was so unique for someone in that high office. As 
Mikhail Gorbachev wrote in a New York Times op-ed page, President Reagan 
was ultimately someone with whom you could negotiate. His suggestion was 
that he was human enough, he was collegial, funny, and gracious, and you 
could discuss serious issues with him and accomplish goals.
  One of President Reagan's last great acts of public service was to 
acknowledge 10 years ago to the American people and to the people of the 
world that he was suffering from Alzheimer's disease.
  He handled his affliction with his customary grace, saying that he was 
sharing the news with the public in the hope that it might ``promote 
greater awareness of this condition.'' That was a courageous thing to 
do. He went on further to say that he hoped it might encourage a clearer 
understanding of the individuals and families who are affected by it. He 
really brought a focus on the disease that ultimately consumed his 
remaining years.
  One truly meaningful way that we can honor President Reagan is to 
pursue the kind of research that might produce a treatment, or even a 
cure, for Alzheimer's disease and a host of other illnesses, something 
his beloved wife Nancy has called for. Since we witnessed the pain of 
the deterioration of this great individual, we have to be mindful of 
that for the future.
  His life yielded so many more things, besides those obvious ones, 
during his service as President of the United States.


                         Hon. Lincoln D. Chafee


                             of rhode island

  Mr. President, I pay tribute to President Ronald Reagan, a man for 
whom I had the utmost respect.
  A strong, principled leader, President Reagan used his optimism and 
humor to help the Nation feel better in a post-Vietnam, post-Watergate 
country coping with an energy crisis and high inflation.
  He brought strong leadership and could relate to people from all walks 
of life very, very easily. Democrats controlled the House during both of 
his terms, and the Senate during his last 2 years in office. In order to 
advance his priorities, he had to bridge the partisan divide and work 
with members of the other party. He was also very proud of his good 
personal relations with Tip O'Neill and other Democratic leaders. The 
proof of his appeal was his ability to carry a Democrat stronghold like 
my State of Rhode Island in the 1984 election. He was the last 
Republican Presidential candidate to do so.
  With tremendous vision and dignity, President Reagan will ultimately 
be remembered for ending the cold war and promoting freedom and 
democracy throughout the world in a peaceful way.
  In closing, I recall a large color photograph on my father's office 
wall. It is a picture of merriment, Senator Robert Dole having just 
cracked a joke, with President Reagan, Alan Simpson and John Chafee 
standing by, smiling from ear to ear.
  Later, my father obtained a copy of the photo and at a later meeting 
with the President, slid it down the table toward him and asked if he 
would sign it. Without hesitation, Reagan penned a line and slid it 
back.
  It read simply, ``John--some times it is fun, isn't it?''
  Ronald Reagan, with unfailing good humor and optimism, made Americans 
feel good about their country again. I believe that is his lasting 
legacy.
  The Chafee family offers our sincere condolences to Nancy, and the 
Reagan family.


                        Hon. Christopher J. Dodd


                             of connecticut

  Mr. President, I rise today to offer words in memory of America's 40th 
President, Ronald Wilson Reagan.
  Ronald Reagan was elected President on the same day that I was first 
elected to the U.S. Senate. I was somewhat of an anomaly that year, 
being one of only two freshman Democrats elected to the Senate, compared 
with 16 Republicans.
  Over the years, there is no question that when it came to matters of 
policy, Ronald Reagan and I disagreed, in a very fundamental way, on a 
great many occasions.
  But in today's very partisan atmosphere, it is easy to forget that 
personality can be much more important than agreements and 
disagreements. Many of the qualities that distinguished Ronald Reagan--
as a President, as a leader, as an individual--went beyond policies and 
politics.
  Ronald Reagan was one of our Nation's most personable Presidents. His 
congeniality, wit and trademark sense of humor could bring a smile to 
the face of even the most ardent political opponent. And he had the 
uncanny ability to communicate his thoughts to the American people.
  As a member of the opposite side of the political aisle, I had a 
particular appreciation for Ronald Reagan's openness. As we all know, 
President Reagan was a man of great conviction. It wasn't easy to change 
his mind. But he was willing to sit down and talk. He was open to 
listening to views that were different from his own, even if he 
ultimately chose to disagree with them. Ronald Reagan was able, as the 
saying goes, to disagree without being disagreeable.
  Though we had our differences on many issues, I would never doubt for 
a minute Ronald Reagan's commitment to this Nation, just as I don't 
believe he doubted the patriotism of his political adversaries. Ronald 
Reagan believed deeply in our country and in its values, and in its 
place in the history of humankind. He correctly saw the former Soviet 
Union, with its regime of repression, imprisonment, and stifling of the 
individual spirit, as antithetical to everything in which we believe. He 
presided over a historic time period during which we witnessed the 
beginnings of a dramatic, global political sea change.
  Ronald Reagan was a leader who reflected the optimism and spirit of 
this great Nation. At the time he was elected President, our country was 
experiencing a crisis of confidence. Many wondered if America's best 
days were behind it. Ronald Reagan had an unflagging belief in America, 
and he helped restore a sense of possibility in our land.
  As a society, we often elevate our public figures to practically 
mythological proportions, and our Presidents are no exception. Toward 
the end of Ronald Reagan's life, though, we were reminded of his 
humanity. All of us, particularly those of us who have watched a loved 
one struggle late in life, were inspired by the dignity, grace, and 
courage with which he and his family battled a terrible and devastating 
disease--a disease that ultimately took Ronald Reagan, in the words of 
his wife Nancy, to a place where she could no longer reach him.
  Many tributes have been and will be paid to President Reagan's memory. 
But I can't think of a greater tribute than to commit our Nation to 
fully researching the causes of, and cures for, diseases like 
Alzheimer's that cause such great suffering for such great numbers of 
people.
  At this difficult time, my heart goes out to Nancy and the entire 
Reagan family. America celebrated with you on so many happy occasions. 
This week, we all join you in your sorrow.


                         Hon. James M. Jeffords


                               of vermont

  Mr. President, I join my colleagues in remembering our Nation's 40th 
President, Ronald Reagan, who passed away last weekend at his home in 
Bel-Air, CA.
  Of course, much has already been said, both in this Chamber and in the 
media, about the legend of his large life. His career in movies, his 
entry into politics and, of course, his two terms as President during a 
most tumultuous time have been well documented in the past several days.
  By all of these accounts, Ronald Reagan was a most admired politician, 
and while he and I had our policy differences, I have always shared in 
that admiration.
  Ronald Reagan held true to a strong conservative philosophy, which 
often made it hard for the two of us to find common ground. I was a 
Member of the House of Representatives during his 8 years as President, 
and you might say I was often a thorn in his side. We were on opposing 
sides when it came to many issues, most notably tax cuts and funding for 
the arts.
  But through all of our sometimes heated discussions and debates, it 
was so evident to me that President Reagan held a deep and abiding 
passion for his country, and an equally deep conviction for what he 
believed was right.
  As Americans take time this week to honor the life of President 
Reagan, it is that passion and conviction that they will remember and 
reflect upon. I believe, that those memories of our Nation's 40th 
President will inspire our future leaders.
  I extend my condolences to his wife Nancy, and to the entire Reagan 
family on the passing of President Ronald Reagan. May the memories of 
his life's accomplishments sustain them in their time of grief, and may 
the Nation's prayers bring them comfort.


                         Hon. Blanche L. Lincoln


                               of arkansas

  Mr. President, I rise today to pay tribute to former President Ronald 
Wilson Reagan, our Nation's 40th President.
  Like many Americans, I admired President Reagan's eternal optimism and 
his belief in America and her people.
  I am struck by the numbers of mourners who have paid their respects to 
our former President. The outpouring of respect and grief is a testament 
to the great impact that he had on so many Americans. I am sure that one 
of the reasons so many have taken time to honor President Reagan is 
because of the great optimism and purpose that he showed. His trust in 
the fundamental decency and goodness of the American people is a guide 
and inspiration to us all.
  I admired his sense of civility and his ability to disagree with his 
opponents without being disagreeable. He fought hard for the policies in 
which he believed, but after the fight, he shook hands and moved on. We 
need more of that kind of statesmanship in Washington today. And I hope 
my colleagues will join me in trying to follow his example.
  During one of our Nation's greatest challenges--the cold war--
President Reagan was a strong voice against the enemies of freedom. His 
leadership and vision helped us to overcome our enemies.
  In the final years of his life, he and Mrs. Reagan were an example of 
the kind of sacrifice and love that we should all seek to emulate. Mrs. 
Reagan's quiet dignity and support for her husband during the most 
difficult of times should be an inspiration to us all.
  My thoughts and prayers go out to his wife, Nancy, his sons, Michael 
and Ronald, Jr., and his daughter, Patti.
  Ronald Reagan lived a full life and was a great American. His 
contributions to the American political system and to our way of life 
will not soon be forgotten.


                          Hon. Debbie Stabenow


                               of michigan

  Mr. President, I rise today to pay tribute to Ronald Reagan, our 
Nation's 40th President. First, my condolences and prayers go out to 
Nancy Reagan, the Reagan family, and all of those who are mourning his 
passing.
  Ronald Reagan was an optimist. He was the best kind of optimist--a 
living example of the fulfillment of the American dream. From a small 
midwestern town, he rose to become leader of the free world and was 
respected around the world by both our allies and our Soviet bloc 
opponents alike.
  President Reagan was called the Great Communicator for a reason. Many 
of his speeches touched the heartstrings of all Americans. Whether it 
was his speech at the Berlin Wall or his 1984 tribute to those who died 
on D-day, President Reagan always conveyed a positive, optimistic sense 
of our shared destiny. His words will long be remembered.
  President Reagan loved America, and this love for our country shaded 
every word he spoke to the Nation as President. He always wanted our 
country to be the ``shining city on a hill.''
  I also pay tribute and convey my genuine respect to our former First 
Lady Nancy Reagan, a woman whose unwavering commitment to her husband 
not only provided a testament to their love but also extended hope and 
empathy to countless Americans who share in the role of caregiver.
  As we begin now to consider ways to pay proper tribute to our admired 
former President, let us go beyond the erecting of a monument or the 
etching of a portrait. Instead let us act to help the many Americans who 
needlessly suffer from the debilitating effects of Alzheimer's disease. 
Page S6667
  We should increase research funding for Alzheimer's and expand stem 
cell research, which Nancy Reagan supports.
  I am pleased to be a co-sponsor of a Mikulski-Bond bill that will 
double our investment in Alzheimer's research and refocus our efforts to 
find a cure. This bipartisan measure, if passed, would leave a lasting 
legacy to President Reagan.
  Earlier this month, I joined with 57 other Members of this body, both 
Republican and Democrat alike, to urge President Bush to broaden the 
current Federal policy regarding stem cell research. By expanding stem 
cell research beyond those stem cells derived by August 9, 2001, we will 
take the necessary first step of helping millions of Americans who are 
plagued by Alzheimer's--Americans, who like President Reagan, live out 
their daily lives traveling an unknowable journey of solitude.
  If we allow the medical experts to do stem cell research, we can begin 
the work Mrs. Reagan so steadfastly promotes: finding a cure to this 
devastating disease.
  To find a cure of Alzheimer's would indeed be the greatest tribute we 
could ever give to President Reagan.
  In this time of grief, let us evoke President Reagan's gentlemanly 
service, swift wit, jovial candor, and unconditional patriotism. With 
differences in philosophy and politics aside, let's all praise a man 
whose decorum and distinguished character exemplified the office for 
which he held.


                            Hon. Kent Conrad


                             of north dakota

  Mr. President, I want to take a few moments today to join my 
colleagues in celebrating the life of our 40th President, Ronald Wilson 
Reagan.
  In many ways, Ronald Reagan embodied the American dream. He was born 
in the small town of Tampico, IL, and grew up 30 miles down the road in 
Dixon, another small town. His was a normal, middle class American 
family, and he was the all-American boy-next-door: Good looking, 
popular, an actor, and an athlete. And from that modest background he 
fulfilled the American democratic ideal that anybody can grow up to 
become President of the United States.
  That ideal--that anyone can grow up to become President--captures 
America's optimism, so it is fitting that the word that comes most to 
mind when remembering President Reagan is exactly that: optimism. 
President Reagan was an incurable and infectious optimist when it came 
to America. By insisting that, as he said, it was morning again in 
America, he connected with Americans, lifted their spirits, and restored 
their confidence in our future.
  This power to communicate and connect with Americans from all walks of 
life was central to his success as President. He could sway skeptics and 
charm supporters with his simple eloquence and self-deprecating wit. 
People came to know him and feel comfortable with him; and they were 
moved by his simple, clear messages. President Reagan perfected the art 
of selling his policies to the American people and using that ability to 
pressure Congress to work his will. Not surprisingly, the Great 
Communicator, as he came to be known, left office with the highest 
approval rating of any recent President.
  President Reagan was one of the truly larger than life figures of the 
post-World War II era. He brought a new conservative philosophy to the 
White House, and he championed freedom at home and abroad. One of the 
reasons for his success, I believe, was his willingness to compromise, 
to put aside partisan politics and ideological purity to do what was 
right for the country. When his 1981 tax cuts caused deficits to 
skyrocket, President Reagan supported tax increases in 1982 and 1983 to 
contain the damage. After tagging the Soviet Union as the evil empire, 
he negotiated historic arms control treaties with the Soviets, coining 
the famous phrase ``trust but verify'' in the process. He had, as his 
chief of staff Howard Baker once put it, ``a capacity to surprise.''
  And throughout it all, he was a wonderful man, someone who you 
couldn't help but enjoy being with. I met with President Reagan several 
times during the last years of his Presidency. The last time I was with 
him, President Reagan was telling two or three of us in the White House 
an Irish story full of warmth and wit. I believe that best describes 
President Reagan himself--a man of endearing wit and great personal 
warmth.
  As America mourns his passing, my thoughts and prayers are with Nancy 
and the rest of President Reagan's family and many, many friends. It is 
my hope that their memories of his life, laughter, and legacy will be of 
some small comfort in these days and weeks ahead.


                           Hon. Jon S. Corzine


                              of new jersey

  Mr. President, on Saturday, June 5, 2004, President Ronald Wilson 
Reagan, the 40th President of the United States, passed away after a 
decade-long battle with Alzheimer's disease. I extend my deepest 
sympathies to the members of his family, who have suffered a terrible 
loss, and I want them to know that Americans throughout our Nation, 
regardless of their political party or ideology, share in their loss and 
mourn with them.
  Ronald Reagan was an exceptional national leader who loved this 
country and its people. He will long be remembered for his infectious 
optimism and his faith in America's future. To President Reagan, America 
was always a ``shining city on a hill''--a beacon of hope for all 
mankind. He understood just what a great country America is, and always 
remained a committed advocate for the ideal of freedom that helps define 
us as Americans.
  President Reagan was known as the Great Communicator, and he richly 
deserved the accolade. Few politicians, if any, have had his ability not 
just to connect with the American people but to inspire them. His 
speeches didn't just make a point, they touched a chord. He talked to 
Americans in a powerful and personal way.
  As is widely understood, Ronald Reagan had strongly held views about 
public policy, from his support for lower taxes to his strong 
anticommunism. But as is less widely appreciated, President Reagan was 
not inflexible or dogmatic. He actually was a practical and pragmatic 
leader who was willing to adjust his approach, sometimes dramatically, 
when circumstances called for change.
  For example, after pushing through a large tax cut at the start of his 
Presidency, he reversed course and increased taxes when the deficit 
started to explode. Perhaps most important, after denouncing the Soviets 
as an evil empire, he was willing to work closely and cooperatively with 
Mikhail Gorbachev, helping not only to end the cold war but to liberate 
millions of people and change the course of world history. In doing so, 
he was not following his party. He was not following the polls. He was 
following his conscience. And the entire world community owes him a deep 
debt of gratitude for his vision and his leadership.
  There were many issues about which I strongly disagreed with President 
Reagan. But I always had great respect for him personally and for the 
way he conducted himself while in office. President Reagan knew how to 
disagree without being disagreeable. He knew that those in the other 
party were not enemies. He knew that, at the end of the day, we are all 
Americans and, though we may disagree about particular policies, we all 
share a love of our country and a commitment to its future.
  President Reagan's life was marked by his fundamental personal decency 
and his sense of dignity. That was never more evident than when he 
announced to the world his struggle with Alzheimer's disease in 1994. 
His and Nancy Reagan's courageous fight against this debilitating 
disease brought a new awareness to the devastation that accompanies this 
illness. I hope it also will bring a new commitment to do what it takes 
to find a cure for this horrible affliction.
  In conclusion, Americans throughout our Nation are saddened at the 
passing of President Reagan, and our hearts go out to his family. Ronald 
Reagan was an extraordinary man whose impact on our Nation, and our 
world, will be felt for generations to come. Today, we join together to 
honor his memory and to give thanks for his historic service on behalf 
of the country he loved so deeply.


                              Hon. Jon Kyl


                               of arizona

  Mr. President, Robert Robb is one of the great columnists in American 
journalism today, and his tribute to Ronald Reagan is among his best 
work. I ask unanimous consent to have the following article printed in 
the Record. Page S6668
  There being no objection, the article was ordered to be printed in the 
Record, as follows:

                [From the Arizona Republic, June 9, 2004]

                My First Fan Letter Was Signed ``Reagan''


                            (By Robert Robb)


  Ronald Reagan wrote my first fan letter.

  When he announced for president in 1976, I was editor of the student 
newspaper at Occidental College in Los Angeles.

  The Los Angeles Times had developed an obsessive dislike for Reagan. 
And it pounded on his announcement speech, denouncing it and him for 
superficiality and a lack of specifics.

  Of course, it's standard fare for announcement speeches to enunciate 
broad themes. And the only thing that would have unhinged the Times more 
than a lack of specifics from Reagan would have been if he had been 
specific.

  And so I wrote a column for the student newspaper having a bit of 
sport with the Times' hypocrisy and disequilibrium.

  Not much later, I was astonished to receive a letter from Reagan. 
Apparently being defended in a student newspaper was an unusual enough 
event to catch the attention of his campaign.

  Reagan thanked me for my ``generous words,'' and allowed that ``a 
great part of my pleasure was your masterful handling of the Times.''

  That purposeful understatement was characteristic of Reagan in 
political combat. He was far more inclined to give his opponents a 
gentle and humorous poke in the ribs, rather than a rhetorical knife in 
the stomach--a restraint he maintained even as the invective and bile 
against him mounted.

  Bill Buckley invented modern American conservatism--a sometimes uneasy 
blend of anti-communism, free-market economics and traditional cultural 
values inspired and informed by religious faith. Barry Goldwater 
launched it as a political movement.

  But Ronald Reagan embodied the conservative movement. He was the glue 
that held its factions and strands together long enough, for a time, to 
be politically triumphant.

  This was no small feat. American conservatism is more naturally a 
dissenting movement than a governing one.

  Yet Reagan not only governed, he transformed the country, indeed the 
world.

  What began as Reagan Democrats are now simply Republicans, and the 
Republican Party now competes with the Democratic Party for majority 
status, rather than the semi-permanent minority role the party seemed 
consigned to before Reagan.

  To compete with Reaganism, Democrats had to overcome their legacy from 
the 1960s and 1970s, a belief that there was as much wrong as right 
about America. Democrats reconciled themselves to America's essential 
goodness, as well as its defining institutions and values: free markets, 
enterprise, faith and family.

  Bill Clinton was a reaction to Reaganism, and today's Republican 
Party, unfortunately, is as much a reaction to Clintonism as it is a 
legitimate heir to Reaganism.

  Winston Churchill believed that history was the story of great men 
altering its course. In his History of the English Speaking Peoples, 
writing about Alfred the Great, who united much of modern-day England in 
the ninth century, Churchill described his ``sublime power to rise above 
the whole force of circumstances.''

  As much as Reagan dominated and transformed the domestic political 
landscape, his greatness--his sublime power to rise above the whole 
force of circumstances--was in the way he managed the Soviet Union and 
communism.

  Early in his presidency, Reagan described the Soviet Union as an evil 
empire and said it and Marxism-Leninism would be deposited on the ``ash 
heap of history.''

  This was denounced by foreign policy sophisticates at the time as 
naive and dangerously provocative.

  Yet he quickly embraced Mikhail Gorbachev, who gained power in 1985, 
and his perestroika reforms. This made conservatives highly nervous, and 
they openly wondered whether Reagan was being had.

  But Reagan, having lived through the Hungarian and Polish rebellions, 
intuited that the Soviet Union could not both liberalize and remain 
intact.

  Reagan also knew the moment to apply pressure, as in 1987, when he 
stood before the Berlin Wall and, against the advice of his entire 
foreign policy team, famously called upon Gorbachev to tear it down.

  A few years later, I was in Berlin, after the wall had been torn down 
figuratively, but not yet physically. You could travel freely in eastern 
Berlin, but it was like Dorothy stepping from black-and-white into the 
colorful land of Oz, only in reverse--from the vibrant feel of a free 
people into the still-stale desolation of the repression of the human 
soul.

  You could visit the wall and even take a blow against it yourself. So, 
I clawed loose a few chunks and brought them home.

  They're mounted now, pieces of history's sadness and joy. I can never 
look at those chunks of concrete without thinking about Ronald Reagan, a 
champion of freedom for our time.


                            Hon. John Edwards


                            of north carolina

  Mr. President, I rise today to pay tribute to the late President 
Ronald Reagan.
  We were of different parties and very different political philosophies 
but I respected him as a strong leader--a man of principle and dignity. 
He was also good-natured and affable, never letting political 
differences drag him down into bitter partisanship.
  I was always impressed with President Reagan's ability to communicate 
and persuade and his talent for soothing our Nation in difficult times. 
In good times and bad, he sought to appeal to the best in all of us, to 
our hopes and better instincts, not our doubts and fears. And while he 
enjoyed a good political fight, he never demonized his opponents or 
accused those who differed with him of being unpatriotic. Ronald Reagan 
seemed to understand that we could disagree without being disagreeable 
and that we all love our country, even as we debate the best way to move 
toward a more perfect union. All of us can learn from his example.
  As we pay tribute to our 40th President, this man who rose from humble 
beginnings to the greatest heights, I offer my condolences to Nancy 
Reagan and the Reagan family. I join my colleagues in saying farewell to 
Ronald Reagan, a modest man who was larger than life.
  Thank you, President Reagan, for your service to our Nation and for 
the important example you set for us all.


                           Hon. Robert C. Byrd


                            of west virginia

  Mr. President, on Saturday, our Nation lost a good man and a great 
American, the 40th President of the United States, Ronald Wilson Reagan.
  A former sports announcer, actor, television performer, and Governor, 
this man from a small midwestern town was eventually elected to our 
Nation's highest office, not once, but twice, in landslide victories. 
His was a success story, an American success story. He demonstrated that 
the key to the American dream is still determination, hard work, and 
perseverance. He did it by appealing to our ``best hopes,'' not our 
``worst fears.''
  Historians will study and evaluate the impact of the Reagan 
administration--his role in ending the cold war and the results of his 
domestic policies.
  What is beyond debate was his uncanny ability to connect with the 
American people. He knew where he wanted to take the country and 
attempted to do it with remarkable determination and charm. He restored 
a much needed sense of optimism in America, and he did it with a 
cheerfulness that was absolutely contagious.
  His optimism was prevalent and penetrating and inspiring even during 
the darkest moments of his administration. With the Challenger 
explosion, we grieved and despaired, but when President Reagan spoke of 
how those courageous astronauts reached out and ``touch[ed] the face of 
God,'' suddenly all of us realized that we, as a country, would make it 
through this grievous hour, and the American adventure into space would 
go on. He was truly the Great Communicator.
  I came to know and work with Mr. Reagan from a unique and important 
perspective. I was the leader of the opposition party in the U.S. Senate 
during both of President Reagan's terms.
  From this position, I came to understand and appreciate, probably even 
more than his strongest supporters, his hold on the American people, and 
the importance of the leadership that he provided.
  In fact, I found him to be as charming in person as he was when 
speaking to an audience or appearing on television.
  Never once did I hear him engage in personal attacks on his 
challengers.
  When we disagreed, which was more often than not, it was always in 
civil tones. He was always smiling, patting you on the back, asking you 
about your family, and wishing you the best. You simply could not help 
but like him. He seemed not to confuse differences of opinion with 
differences of ideals or values. After all, he liked to point out, ``we 
are all Americans.''
  That is the way American politics is supposed to be. That was the 
decency of Ronald Wilson Reagan. He might consider me a political 
opponent, but never a personal enemy. Just as I understood his 
difficulties as the leader of the free world during 8 years of trial and 
turmoil, he understood my role as the loyal opposition.
  As much as I admired and respected him when he was President, never 
was my appreciation for him and his wife Nancy stronger than in their 
dealing with his last and greatest struggle--the struggle he eloquently 
and heartbreakingly called the ``journey that [would] lead [him] into 
the sunset of [his] life''--his battle with Alzheimer's disease. He and 
Nancy confronted this cruel, crippling disease with an openness and 
dignity that inspired a Nation.
  Mr. President, my wife Erma and I extend our most heartfelt 
condolences to Mrs. Reagan. She has been an inspiration to America, 
gracefully fulfilling the role of loyal, loving spouse even as she has 
watched her greatest love drift away into the fog of Alzheimer's. In the 
years when they should have been able to enjoy the warm memories of 
their storybook life together, she endured personal emotional tortures 
that are difficult to imagine. In these last years, the vigilance and 
caring she displayed throughout their marriage led her to become an 
outspoken advocate for medical research, a role for which she has earned 
the immense respect and gratitude of the Nation.

                             A Sunset Fancy


                      (A poem by an unknown author)

I saw the sun sink in the golden west

No angry cloud obscured its latest ray;

Around the couch on which it sank to rest

Shone all the splendors of a summer day,

And long--though lost of view--its radiant light

Reflected from the skies, delayed the night.

Thus when a good man's life comes to a close,

No doubts arise to cloud his soul with gloom;

But faith triumphant on each feature glows

And benedictions fill the sacred room;

And long do men his virtues wide proclaim,

And generations rise to bless his name.

                MESSAGE FROM THE HOUSE DURING ADJOURNMENT

  At 3:26 p.m., a message from the House of Representatives, delivered 
by Ms. Niland, one of its reading clerks, announced that the House has 
agreed to the following concurrent resolution:
  S. Con. Res. 115. Concurrent resolution authorizing the use of the 
rotunda of the Capitol for the lying in state of the remains of the late 
Ronald Wilson Reagan, 40th President of the United States. CR: June 9, 
2004 (Senate)] [Page S6673] 09jn04-114

             SUBMISSION OF CONCURRENT AND SENATE RESOLUTIONS

  The following concurrent resolutions and Senate resolutions were read, 
and referred (or acted upon), as indicated:

  By Mr. FRIST (for himself and Mr. Daschle):

  S. Res. 373. A resolution relative to the death of Ronald Wilson 
Reagan, a former President of the United States; considered and agreed 
to.

  By Mr. FRIST:

  S. Res. 374. A resolution honoring President Ronald Wilson Reagan; 
considered and agreed to.

  By Mr. ALLARD:

  S. Con. Res. 118. A concurrent resolution expressing the sense of 
Congress that an artistic tribute to commemorate the speech given by 
President Ronald Reagan at the Brandenburg Gate on June 12, 1987, should 
be placed within the United States Capitol; to the Committee on Rules 
and Administration. CR: June 9, 2004 (Senate)] [Page S6677-S6679] 
09jn04-117

                          SUBMITTED RESOLUTIONS

 SENATE RESOLUTION 373--RELATIVE TO THE DEATH OF RONALD WILSON REAGAN A 
                  FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES

  Mr. FRIST (for himself and Mr. Daschle) submitted the following 
resolution; which was considered and agreed to:

                               S. Res. 373


  Resolved, That the Senate has heard with profound sorrow and deep 
regret the announcement of the death of the Honorable Ronald Wilson 
Reagan, a former President of the United States, and a former Governor 
of the State of California.

  Resolved, That in recognition of his illustrious statesmanship, his 
leadership in national and world affairs, his distinguished public 
service to his State and his Nation, and as a mark of respect to one who 
has held such eminent public station in life, the Presiding Officer of 
the Senate appoint a committee to consist of all the Members of the 
Senate to attend the funeral of the former President.

  Resolved, That the Senate hereby tender its deep sympathy to the 
members of the family of the former President in their sad bereavement.

  Resolved, That the Secretary communicate these resolutions to the 
House of Representatives and transmit a copy thereof to the family of 
the former President.

     SENATE RESOLUTION 374--HONORING PRESIDENT RONALD WILSON REAGAN

  Mr. FRIST submitted the following resolution; which was considered and 
agreed to:

  Whereas Ronald Wilson Reagan, the 40th President of the United States, 
was born on February 6, 1911, in Tampico, Illinois, to Nelle and John 
Reagan and raised in Dixon, Illinois;

  Whereas as a lifeguard at Rock River in Lowell, Illinois, a young 
Ronald Reagan saved the lives of 77 swimmers;

  Whereas Ronald Reagan enrolled in Eureka College where he played 
football, acted in amateur theater, and graduated with a bachelor's 
degree in economics and sociology;

  Whereas Ronald Reagan landed his first job as a radio announcer for 
WOC in Davenport, Iowa, and went on to become a popular sports 
announcer;

  Whereas Ronald Reagan launched a movie career that spanned 50 movies, 
including his most famous role as the football legend, ``The Gipper'';

  Whereas Ronald Reagan, who received more fan mail than any other actor 
at Warner Brothers Studios except Errol Flynn, served as president of 
the Screen Actors Guild from 1947 to 1960;

  Whereas on March 4, 1952, Ronald Reagan married his great love, Nancy 
Davis, who was to become his lifelong confidante and companion;

  Whereas Ronald Reagan was the father of 4 children: Maureen, Michael, 
Patti, and Ronald Prescott;

  Whereas Ronald Reagan hosted the popular television series ``GE 
Theater'' from 1954 to 1962;

  Whereas in 1962, Ronald Reagan switched his party affiliation from 
Democrat to Republican and 2 years later delivered a major televised 
speech in support of Presidential candidate Barry Goldwater;

  Whereas in 1966, Ronald Reagan won the governorship of California and 
in 1970 was reelected to a second term;

  Whereas Governor Reagan campaigned for the Republican nomination in 
1968, and again in 1976;

  Whereas on July 16, 1980, the former Governor won the Republican 
nomination and on November 4, 1980, won the United States Presidency in 
a landslide vote;

  Whereas President Reagan appointed the first woman to the United 
States Supreme Court, Justice Sandra Day O'Connor;

  Whereas on March 30, 1981, only 2 months into his Presidency, Ronald 
Reagan survived an assassination attempt and upon meeting Nancy in the 
hospital, quipped with characteristic good humor, ``Honey, I forgot to 
duck'';

  Whereas President Reagan delivered on his promise to cut taxes for 
American workers in 1981, and achieved the historic tax cuts of 1986 
which overhauled the Federal tax code and reduced tax rates for almost 
all taxpayers, including removing 6,000,000 Americans from the tax 
rolls;

  Whereas under President Reagan's leadership, inflation fell, interest 
rates declined, and by the seventh year of his Presidency, the stock 
market hit an all-time high;

  Whereas President Reagan presided over the longest economic expansion 
in the history of the United States until that time and rebuilt the 
national defenses of the United States;

  Whereas President Reagan won reelection in 1984 carrying 49 out of 50 
States--one of the biggest electoral victories in the political history 
of the United States;

  Whereas during summit meetings with Soviet Union President Mikhail 
Gorbachev in December 1987, President Reagan signed a treaty to 
eliminate intermediate-range nuclear forces;

  Whereas President Reagan's steadfast opposition to communism, his 
unshakeable resolve to defeat the ``Evil Empire'', and his secure belief 
in government for and by the people, led to the collapse of the Berlin 
Wall and victory in the Cold War;

  Whereas President Reagan's belief in freedom as a God-given right of 
all peoples led to a democratic revolution across Central America; and

  Whereas Ronald Wilson Reagan, father, husband, actor, and dedicated 
public servant, restored the pride, optimism and strength of the United 
States and earned the deep respect and affection of his fellow citizens: 
Now, therefore, be it:

  Resolved, That the Senate notes with deep sorrow and solemn mourning 
the death of Ronald Wilson Reagan.

  Resolved, That the Senate extends its heartfelt sympathy to the wife 
and family of President Reagan.

  Resolved, That the Senate commends the former President for his 
Presidency and its many accomplishments.

  Resolved, That the Senate calls on all the people of the United States 
to reflect on the record of the 40th President of the United States 
during this national period of remembrance.

  Resolved, That the Secretary communicate these resolutions to the 
House of Representatives and transmit a copy thereof to the family of 
the former President.

SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 118--EXPRESSING THE SENSE OF CONGRESS THAT 
AN ARTISTIC TRIBUTE TO COMMEMORATE THE SPEECH GIVEN BY PRESIDENT RONALD 
REAGAN AT THE BRANDENBURG GATE ON JUNE 12, 1987, SHOULD BE PLACED WITHIN 
                        THE UNITED STATES CAPITOL

  Mr. ALLARD submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was 
referred to the Committee on Rules and Administration:

                            S. Con. Res. 118


  Whereas the people of the United States successfully defended freedom 
and democracy for over 40 years in a global Cold War against an 
aggressive Communist tyranny;

  Whereas President Ronald Wilson Reagan's demonstration of unwavering 
personal conviction during this conflict served to inspire millions of 
people throughout the United States and around the world to seek 
democracy, freedom, and greater individual liberty; and

  Whereas Ronald Wilson Reagan's determined stand against the Soviet 
empire during his eight years as President served as the catalyst for 
the end of that regime: Now, therefore, be it

  Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives concurring), That 
it is the sense of Congress that an artistic tribute to commemorate the 
speech given by President Ronald Reagan at the Brandenburg Gate on June 
12, 1987, during which he uttered the immortal lines ``Mr. Gorbachev, 
tear down this wall!'', should be placed within the United States 
Capitol. CR: June 9, 2004 (Senate)] Page S6682-S6683] 09jn04-151


                        Hon. Joseph I. Lieberman


                             of connecticut

  Mr. President, I am honored to have the opportunity to rise today to 
join my colleagues and, indeed, my countrymen and -women in paying 
tribute to our departed and, I would say, sincerely beloved former 
President Ronald Reagan. We mourn his loss and we give our condolences, 
of course, to Mrs. Reagan and their family.
  I cannot claim, as some can in this Chamber, to have known President 
Reagan personally and well. In fact, we met a few times while he was 
serving in the White House. I was attorney general of Connecticut and 
visited with attorneys general. We did have one remarkable rendezvous.
  Our paths crossed, figuratively speaking, as President Reagan was 
departing Washington, having completed his second term as President. I 
was arriving as a freshman Senator from Connecticut. It was January 14, 
1989, and the outgoing President was set to give his final weekly radio 
address Saturday morning.
  As always, he gave a masterful and moving performance, engaging the 
Nation with his wisdom and his wit. Senate Majority Leader George 
Mitchell, the new Senate majority leader, asked me to give the 
Democratic response to President Reagan that Saturday morning in 
January. It was a high honor, of course, for me as a freshman Senator to 
be asked to give the weekly radio address but it was, needless to say, a 
tough act to follow.
  I looked back to my remarks and in them I see I praised President 
Reagan for his love of country, his fervent devotion to freedom, and his 
commitment to the values of faith, flag, and family. I said I was 
``inspired and encouraged by his sense of patriotism,'' and I urged all 
Americans to work together on our unfinished business with ``the spirit 
of purpose and confidence that is the legacy of the Reagan years.''
  Today, 15 years later, I am very proud I was able to speak those 
words, and proud of their truthfulness. My admiration and respect for 
President Reagan has only grown with time. The optimism, the idealism, 
the patriotism, and confidence he radiated infected us all and are 
exactly what we need today.
  President Reagan won the trust of the American people and used that 
trust to lead. I believe he won the trust of the American people because 
he reflected their values and they knew he was the real thing, that he 
stuck to what he believed was right, whether it was popular or not. His 
leadership was classic democratic leadership, with a small ``d.'' His 
moral conviction, combined with his pragmatism, enabled him to do an 
awful lot for our country and the world. He understood what America was 
about, which was freedom and opportunity, and extended both in America 
and throughout the world.
  After all, he led our country and the free world to victory in the 
final battle of the cold war against communism.
  Ronald Reagan's message of optimism and purpose was carried by one of 
the most effective messengers ever to occupy the Oval Office. His 
rhetoric, after all, made us swell with pride, sometimes harden with 
indignation, often resonate with emotion. He also made us laugh.
  I loved President Reagan's jokes and borrowed them often, sometimes 
with attribution, sometimes not. One of my favorites was the one that 
said a lot about him and about what he believed, what he was for, and 
what he was against. It was about the commissar who visited the 
communist collective farm in Russia. He greeted the farmer, who was the 
head of the farm, on an inspection tour and asked the farmer how the 
potato crop had been that year.
  The farmer said: Oh, commissar, the potato crop has been excellent. As 
a matter of fact, if we took all the potatoes we grew on this farm this 
year and put them one on top of the other, they would reach all the way 
up to the feet of God.
  Troubled, the commissar from Moscow said: Comrade farmer, I am glad to 
hear you did so well raising potatoes, but what do you mean about 
reaching up to the feet of God? This is a Soviet communist collective 
farm. There is no God.
  The comrade said, that is OK, because there are no potatoes, either. 
So it was.
  I heard someone in the last few days since President Reagan's death 
repeat a one-liner of his where the press was getting on him because 
they said he was not working hard enough as President. At some public 
gathering, President Reagan said he was aware of these criticisms and he 
was also aware of the old line that hard work never killed anybody, but, 
President Reagan said, ``I figure why should I run the risk?'' And so it 
was.
  His sense of humor and exuberance served him and the country well. 
Yes, he was a cold warrior, our leader in the final battle of the cold 
war, but he was also a happy warrior. In this and in so many other ways, 
Ronald Reagan reflected the personality and values of the American 
people. You could disagree with his policies, but you could never find 
his personality or his sincerity disagreeable.
  He treated Democrats and Republicans alike, which is to say with 
respect. That attitude was contagious and even infected both Chambers of 
Congress. President Reagan once urged an audience of young people to 
live lives ``that were a statement, not an apology.''
  This week we remember a true American giant, whose life was a 
statement, not an apology--a statement of America's values and its 
transcendent spirit of our faith in God and our love of country, of our 
national purpose, which is to uphold and extend the reality of freedom 
and opportunity in the world.


                          Hon. William H. Frist


                              of tennessee

  It has been a different week, a very solemn week, and a week that has 
required all of us to work together from an organizational standpoint 
and to pull together what has been almost a celebration of this legacy 
of Ronald Reagan.
  This evening Members will gather in the Senate Chamber and right 
around that period of time a number of people will be proceeding to the 
arrival ceremony. It will indeed be a historic moment for the Senate, 
for this body, but indeed for the American people. Over 150,000 
wellwishers are expected to line the streets as President Reagan's flag-
draped caisson is drawn up to this building, the Capitol, by a single 
riderless horse.
  In the past 5 days, we have witnessed a remarkable unity in the 
country, a fraternity of spirit in many ways. Partisanship has fallen 
away, and old political foes have set aside disagreements. Americans 
have come together to celebrate the remarkable achievements of a truly 
remarkable man. Lifeguard--the pictures are imprinted in everybody's 
mind--radio announcer, actor, Governor, father, husband, and finally 
President of the United States. Ronald Wilson Reagan achieved 
extraordinary heights.
  But he would tell you, I suspect--and it was reflected in so many of 
the comments among his friends and colleagues over the last several 
days--that he was simply being an American, fulfilling the American 
dream. He described the American dream once as ``a song of hope that 
rings through night winter air; vivid, tender music that warms our heart 
when the least among us aspire to the greatest things.''
  Ronald Reagan brought that song back to our hearts. He believed we 
could achieve great things, that America could achieve great things, and 
because of his unshakable belief in freedom and liberty and democracy 
and his ironclad faith in progress, his love and respect for his fellow 
citizen, we did. We triumphed over the Soviet empire. We created one of 
the longest economic expansions in American history. We regained our 
strength and our optimism. We remembered the special privilege it is to 
be an American.
  But we also remembered that freedom is not for us alone. It is the 
right of every man and woman across the globe, in every age, in every 
civilization.
  In 1964, two decades before he would be reelected in a landslide 
victory carrying 49 of the 50 United States, Ronald Reagan told the 
Nation, ``You and I have the ability and the dignity and the right to 
make our own decisions and determine our own destiny.''
  As we would learn later, it was our destiny to choose Ronald Reagan to 
be our leader, our standard bearer, and our hero. The history books will 
record Ronald Reagan as one of our greatest Presidents. Of this I have 
no doubt. And the American people will remember him with love and with 
affection for generations to come. Page S6684] 09jn04-154

           ADJOURNMENT UNTIL MONDAY, JUNE 14, 2004, AT 1 P.M.

  Mr. FRIST. If there is no further business to come before the Senate, 
I ask unanimous consent the Senate stand in adjournment under the 
provisions of S. Res. 371 as a mark of further respect for President 
Ronald Wilson Reagan.
  There being no objection, the Senate, at 3:15 p.m., adjourned until 
Monday, June 14, 2004, at 1 p.m. Page S6685-S6687] 14jn04-163


                          Monday, June 14, 2004


                          Hon. William H. Frist


                              of tennessee

  Mr. President, today the Senate returns to regular business. Last week 
the Nation and the world bid a final farewell to President Ronald Wilson 
Reagan. The services and ceremony were fitting tributes to our 40th 
President. I remind my colleagues that we will be printing a memorial 
book that will include all of the floor tributes and services related to 
the passing of our former President. For those Members who were unable 
to speak on the floor, we will allow Senators to submit statements on 
Ronald Reagan until June 25 in order to have those tributes printed in 
the memorial book. Page S6690-S6691] 14jn04-169


                              Hon. Jon Kyl


                               of arizona

  Mr. President, I, too, would like to comment on one of the legacies of 
our late President Ronald Reagan, the legacy of ensuring that the free 
world would prevail over the Soviet Union in the cold war.
  I thought it was interesting that in one of the comments about Reagan 
very recently made on National Public Radio, June 8 of this year, Mr. 
Gennady Gerasimov, spokesman for Mikhail Gorbachev, said this:

  I see President Reagan as a gravedigger of the Soviet Union and the 
spade that he used to prepare this grave was SDI, the Strategic Defense 
Initiative, so-called ``star wars.'' The trick was that the Soviet 
leadership believed that this SDI defense is possible and then, because 
it's possible, then also we must catch up with the Americans. And this 
was an invitation to the arms race, and the Soviet economy could not 
really afford it. In this way Reagan really contributed to the demise of 
the Soviet Union.

  Who better to know that than the spokesmen for Mikhail Gorbachev who 
have said similar things? Twenty-one years ago, President Reagan posed a 
very important question to the American people. He asked us to consider 
whether the free people of the world should continue to have to rely 
upon the threat of a massive retaliation of nuclear weapons to prevent 
an attack by the opposition. He asked: What would it take to free the 
world from this threat? He answered as follows:

  I know this is a formidable, technical task, one that may not be 
accomplished before the end of this century. Yet, current technology has 
attained a level of sophistication where it's reasonable for us to begin 
this effort. It will take years, probably decades of effort on many 
fronts. There will be failures and setbacks, just as there will be 
successes and breakthroughs. . . . But isn't it worth every investment 
necessary to free the world from the threat of nuclear war? We know it 
is.

  We began making that investment. It was one of the reasons we had a 
deficit during the Reagan years. It was part of the so-called defense 
buildup, to invest billions of dollars in the research--yes, there were 
failures, but there were many successes--to develop a Strategic Defense 
Initiative, an ability to defend ourselves against a ballistic missile 
attack from an enemy. A lot of Americans probably think we developed 
that strategic defense, that we have that capability today. They might 
remember that during the first Persian Gulf war Patriot missiles shot 
down some of the Scuds that were fired by Saddam Hussein.
  But the grim reality is strategic defense is still not a reality. We 
still don't have the ability to defend against a missile attack. What 
happened during the Persian Gulf war? We used an air defense system to 
shoot down airplanes, and in the field, literally, as we shipped it from 
the United States to Israel and to Saudi Arabia and to Kuwait, made 
modifications in it so that we hoped it might work to shoot down some of 
the missiles that Saddam Hussein shot toward Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. In 
fact, some of those missiles--roughly a third of them--were intercepted 
by the Patriot. It was a crude weapon that was modified in the field. It 
had never been tested against other missiles. Yet we used what we had at 
the time because of the threat that existed.
  The point I want to make today is this: The Soviet Union was brought 
to its knees because it believed President Reagan when he said we are 
going to develop a means of countering your most effective weapon, so 
you might as well not even try to spend the money and the effort and the 
time to create this program because we will be able to defeat you; we 
are not kidding.
  It has been over 20 years since President Reagan made that 
announcement, and we still do not have the missiles in the ground. I am 
afraid some of our potential enemies are going to conclude that we were 
bluffing all along, that we do not have the will to spend the money and 
to put the program in place to provide this kind of defense.
  The point of this defense is not just to be able to operationally test 
it and have it in the ground to stop a missile should one be launched 
against us, but to deter nations that might believe we are bluffing, to 
deter nations from spending the money to build these offensive weapons 
in the first place, to deter these leaders, these people in places such 
as North Korea and Iran, from concluding that if they will simply spend 
the money it will take to build the nuclear weaponry and the missiles to 
fire them, that we will somehow forget about developing missile defenses 
or conclude that it is too expensive, and the richest Nation on Earth, 
the Nation that has the financial capability of providing this kind of 
defense, will decide not to do it.
  Now is the time for us to act. It is not the time for us to blink in 
the face of these dictatorial countries. Should we support the amendment 
that would cut the heart out of missile defense funding for this year, 
it would send a signal to these countries that the United States has 
been bluffing all along. We were not bluffing when Ronald Reagan made 
that important announcement. The Soviet Union understood that. Can we do 
any less today than to make it crystal clear to our would-be enemies 
that we are not bluffing, that we mean what we say, that we intend to 
protect America, that we intend to protect others who are our allies, 
and that we will not permit an offensive ballistic missile to strike our 
land and kill our people? To do anything else would be morally 
irresponsible.
  As President Reagan said, if we have the capability of defending 
ourselves and preventing this kind of conflagration, should we not take 
advantage of that wonderful capability? I am optimistic about our 
ability, and I am confident about the American people, and I am sure 
they want us to confirm to the world that we mean what we say, just as 
Ronald Reagan meant what he said. Page S6722-S6724] 14jn04-174


                          Hon. Richard G. Lugar


                               of indiana

  Mr. President, I pay special tribute to Nancy Reagan who has been 
indispensable throughout the public life of the Reagans, and 
particularly during this past decade. It was my privilege to sit beside 
Mrs. Reagan during several White House and Republican Party events and 
to understand her strength and shared dream for America.
  The service of President Reagan to our country can only be approached 
by understanding how wide he cast the net of potential achievement, and 
fulfillment of dreams, hopes and visions.
  President Reagan actually believed and articulated that our country 
had a special destiny, that no barriers were insurmountable because we 
are Americans. He actually believed and said that the Soviet Union was 
an evil empire, that its political and economic institutions were 
disintegrating, and that if its leadership and people knew the 
alternatives which our country presented, they would choose democracy 
and market economics.
  President Reagan was prepared to invest an increasing portion of our 
national treasure in military defense with the certainty that we would 
negotiate successfully with our adversaries from a position of strength. 
He shocked foreign policy and defense specialists by proposing that all 
intermediate nuclear missiles be destroyed, a negotiating position 
labeled universally as a bizarre arms-control nonstarter.
  He affirmed the staying power of NATO by deploying Pershing missiles 
to Germany and cruise missiles to Italy even after the Soviets declared 
that such deployment would end all arms control negotiations and 
stimulate Soviet nuclear buildup.
  Add to this, President Reagan's startling proposal that the United 
States should develop a Strategic Defense Initiative to protect our 
country against incoming missiles fired upon us. He contended that we 
should and could try to defend ourselves against the so-called balance 
of terror.
  He proposed to President Gorbachev that the United States and the 
Soviet Union ban all nuclear weapons. In fact, he was confident that if 
he could take Gorbachev on an extended tour of America that Gorbachev 
would want to shape the Soviet Union into many of our successful 
traditions.
  Meanwhile, President Reagan knew that substantial new growth must 
occur in our domestic economy to pay for the special leadership role he 
had envisioned in foreign policy. He was confident that substantial cuts 
in individual marginal tax rates and a host of investment incentives 
would establish and sustain the longest peacetime prosperity we had ever 
enjoyed. Our prosperity underwrote the magnificent gains in free and 
fair trade which he championed and worldwide wealth grew abundantly.
  When Ronald Reagan stood on a balcony of the Reichstag in Berlin and 
challenged Gorbachev to tear down the Berlin Wall, he could see white 
crosses just below where courageous persons seeking freedom had lost 
their lives in that pursuit. Everything still appeared to be so locked 
up and grim, and sophisticated observers were barely patronizing in 
comment on his Berlin Wall challenge.
  The evil empire crumbled, the Berlin Wall and other walls fell, all of 
the intermediate nuclear force weapons were destroyed in exactly 3 years 
as the INF Treaty provided, and the United States became the only 
superpower with the strongest economy and the ability, uniquely, to 
extend military authority around the world.
  All of this occurred because President Reagan persuaded the Congress 
and his countrymen to build our Armed Forces, to build our economy 
through the growth incentives termed ``Reaganomics,'' to maintain the 
successful strategies of our NATO alliance, to utilize military force to 
support foreign policy as required, and to commence Strategic Defense 
Initiative research.
  We now know that the Soviets were much weaker than experts estimated. 
We now know that they could not keep up the pace and that desperate 
attempts to do so led to the collapse of the Soviet empire and then to 
the collapse of the Soviet Union, itself.
  President Reagan advocated two more things which were inspiring and 
critically important in world history.
  First, he rejected the Brezhnev doctrine, the idea that territory 
which socialism had occupied could never be reclaimed. When he advocated 
this rollback of the Iron Curtain, he created deep anxiety and alarm 
among most international foreign policy advisers who loved liberty a 
lot, but loved stability even more.
  U.S. Stinger missiles shipped to the expert ministrations of the 
Mujahadin in Afghanistan were a major instrument of the Soviet rollback, 
and the world watched in awe as the Soviet troops withdrew to a smaller 
socialist world.
  Second, President Reagan enunciated a new policy in a statement sent 
to the Congress after the Philippine election and revolution. He stated 
that henceforth, we would oppose tyranny of the left and tyranny of the 
right, that we were for democracy developed by people who sought to know 
and enjoy democracy and human rights. This statement was severely 
criticized by experts who suggested that in the ``real world'' a good 
number of dictators were friendly to the United States and certainly 
useful in waging the cold war against communism.
  In articulating his vision on the rollback of the Iron Curtain; in 
identifying with nations all over the world who applauded our passion 
for building democratic institutions; in celebrating human rights and 
free market principles; in all of these areas, Ronald Reagan was far 
ahead of the prevailing wisdom. Yet he ultimately brought other leaders 
in America and around the world to his point of view in a relatively 
short interval.
  President Reagan was courageous and on the right side of history. He 
performed these deeds in a very public way which instructed and inspired 
others. Those of us in public service learned much from President Reagan 
as we watched him speak and act. He was charismatic, he was determined 
and consistent, and he enjoyed a remarkable batting average of being 
right.


                        Hon. Charles E. Grassley


                                 of iowa

  Mr. President, at sunset last Friday, the 40th President of the United 
States was laid to rest on a hill overlooking the Pacific Ocean. The 
consummate optimist, who etched the promise of a ``shining city upon a 
hill'' into the Nation's conscience, leaves behind a legacy that beckons 
us to stay true to the American spirit.
  Whether folks agree with his political philosophy or not, the actor-
turned-politician-turned-statesman from the Midwest helped usher in the 
dawn of a new day for millions of jobless Americans and to those living 
in oppression behind the Iron Curtain.
  Through bold, buoyant leadership, Ronald Wilson Reagan, 1911-2004, 
persuaded his fellow citizens that it was ``morning again in America'' 
by restoring the promise of peace and prosperity.
  The outpouring of support during last week's remembrance for the 
former President reflects Reagan's ability to bring out the best in 
people and unite America.
  The pageantry evoked patriotism. The solemnity of the events 
underscored the public's appreciation and respect for this leader who 
championed the cause of freedom all around the world. For 8 years, he 
served as a beacon of hope for those cast under the dark shadows of 
totalitarianism.
  The Great Communicator arrived in the Oval Office when America was 
licking wounds left by Watergate and Vietnam. Stifled by a sinking 
economy, joblessness and sky-high inflation, the national mood also 
wavered under the uncertainty of the cold war. Americans yearned for 
brighter days.
  Elected to his first term in November 1980, President Reagan exuded 
optimism, charm and kinship with ordinary Americans. His good-natured 
disposition, self-deprecating humor and can-do attitude launched a new 
era in American politics. Like Reagan, I won an upset victory over an 
incumbent in that election.
  He and I shared a conservative political philosophy rooted in core 
beliefs spelled out by the Nation's Founders and agreed much more often 
than not. Now 24 years after the Reagan revolution, I am privileged to 
continue advancing our shared principles: Big ideas instead of big 
government. Deregulation to foster free enterprise. Tax relief that 
encourages productivity, growth and individual ingenuity. Self-reliance 
rather than self-pity.
  Reagan's policies proved that economic and political freedom bring 
about peace and prosperity. As Reagan said in his 1989 farewell address 
to the Nation: ``Democracy, the profoundly good, is also the profoundly 
productive.''
  Many people grossly underestimated the strength of Reagan's 
convictions and the foot soldiers who helped sweep him into office. With 
a steely determination coupled with folksy charm, Reagan masterminded 
the efforts that liberated Eastern Europe in 1989.
  Eight years earlier, he had predicted the end of communism as the 
``sad, bizarre chapter in human history whose last pages are even now 
being written.'' Reagan's leadership helped change the course of history 
for the better.
  On June 5, 2004, Reagan lost his 10-year battle with Alzheimer's 
disease. A decade earlier, in a handwritten note to the American people, 
Reagan again looked on the bright side: ``When the Lord calls me home, 
whenever that may be, I will leave with the greatest love for this 
country of ours and eternal optimism for its future.''
  President Reagan valued the gift of life. He used his to expand human 
freedom. His legacy shapes America's character and lights our way as we 
continue the ``march to freedom'' against evil in the world.


                           Hon. Rick Santorum


                             of pennsylvania

  Mr. President, I rise today in great sadness, to speak on the passing 
of President Ronald Wilson Reagan. It is a sad time for our Nation; a 
monumental figure in the history of the United States has gone to his 
rest. The response to his passing in our Nation's Capital and across 
this country has been overwhelming and a fitting tribute to this giant 
of 20th century politics.
  First, I would like to offer my heartfelt condolences to Nancy and the 
Reagan family in this difficult time. Mrs. Reagan was not only an 
incredible role model for faithfulness to her spouse, but was always the 
rock that he leaned on when the entire world leaned on him.
  In speeches on this floor, we have heard much about President Reagan's 
vision and leadership on foreign and economic policy, which indeed 
continue to bear fruit. Yet, I come to the floor to speak about an 
aspect of the Reagan Presidency that is less commented upon: President 
Reagan's legacy on social policy, which stands still as a moral compass 
for our Nation's future.
  As has been remarked, President Reagan was a fabulous optimist. He 
worked to create a society where good and evil, life and death, are 
recognized for what they are, and are not obscured by the gray tones of 
moral relativism. After years of lingering malaise following Vietnam and 
Watergate, Ronald Reagan came forward and proclaimed that America was 
``in the midst of a spiritual awakening and a moral renewal.'' That was 
a message of hope that America sorely needed to hear.
  He believed that America's strength came not just from military might, 
but also from its moral superiority. As much of a priority as he made 
foreign and military policy, he strived just as hard to ensure that our 
Nation's roots as a people of faith, who value life and each other, was 
not diminished. It was that social foundation that made us different 
from the godless Soviet state that oppressed the Russian people.
  President Reagan spoke forcefully and brilliantly about the importance 
of family, the religious foundations of American democracy, and the 
tragedy of Roe v. Wade. He knew that strong families were a key to 
America's continued success as the land of opportunity. This conviction 
is clear in a proclamation he issued one Father's Day, where he 
asserted:

  There is no institution more vital to our Nation's survival than the 
American family. Here the seeds of personal character are planted, the 
roots of public virtue first nourished. Through love and instruction, 
discipline, guidance and example, we learn from our mothers and fathers 
the values that will shape our private lives and our public citizenship.

  His political beliefs were greatly shaped by the sensible religion he 
grew up with in small-town Illinois, which permeated all aspects of 
daily life. He found the attempts of some to excise religion from the 
public square wrongheaded. He knew that Founding Fathers barred not only 
the government establishment of religion, but also any law ``prohibiting 
the free exercise thereof.''
  As President Reagan told those gathered at the Ecumenical Prayer 
Breakfast during the Republican National Convention in Dallas, TX:

  Without God, there is no virtue, because there's no prompting of the 
conscience. Without God, we're mired in the material, that flat world 
that tells us only what the senses perceive. Without God, there is a 
coarsening of the society. And without God, democracy will not and 
cannot long endure. If we ever forget that we're one nation under God, 
then we will be a nation gone under.

  I began this speech by stating I would focus on President Reagan's 
moral and social legacy rather than on the tremendous impact he had in 
bringing down the Iron Curtain and freeing Eastern Europe. But in truth, 
these different areas of policy all flowed from the same wellspring of 
faith and conscience.
  In a particularly moving speech before the National Religious 
Broadcasters Convention in 1984, President Reagan tied together these 
seemingly separate strands. He told listeners:

  Our mission stretches far beyond our borders; God's family knows no 
borders. In your life you face daily trials, but millions of believers 
in other lands face far worse. They are mocked and persecuted for the 
crime of loving God. To every religious dissident trapped in that cold, 
cruel existence, we send our love and support. Our message? You are not 
alone; you are not forgotten; do not lose your faith and hope because 
someday you, too, will be free.

  Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that a larger excerpt of this 
speech be printed in the Record.

Remarks at the Annual Conference of the National Religious Broadcasters 
                      Convention, January, 30, 1984

          ``America is Hungry for a Spiritual Revival . . . ''


                           (By Ronald Reagan)


  I was pleased last year to proclaim 1983 the Year of the Bible. But, 
you know, a group called the ACLU severely criticized me for doing that. 
Well, I wear their indictment like a badge of honor. I believe I stand 
in pretty good company.

  Abraham Lincoln called the Bible ``the best gift God has given to man. 
But for it,'' he said, ``we could not know right from wrong.'' Like that 
image of George Washington kneeling in prayer in the snow at Valley 
Forge, Lincoln described a people who knew it was not enough to depend 
on their own courage and goodness; they must also look to God their 
Father and Preserver. And their faith to walk with Him and trust in His 
word brought them the blessings of comfort, power, and peace that they 
sought.

  The torch of their faith has been passed from generation to 
generation. ``The grass withereth, the flower fadeth, but the word of 
our God shall stand forever.''

  More and more Americans believe that loving God in their hearts is the 
ultimate value. . . .

  My experience in this office I hold has only deepened a belief I've 
held for many years: Within the covers of that single Book are all the 
answers to all the problems that face us today if we'd only read and 
believe.

  Let's begin at the beginning. God is the center of our lives: the 
human family stands at the center of society: and our greatest hope for 
the future is in the faces of our children. . . .

  God's most blessed gift to His family is the gift of life. He sent us 
the Prince of Peace as a babe in a manger. I've said that we must be 
cautious in claiming God is on our side. I think the real question we 
must answer is, are we on His side?

  Our mission stretches far beyond our borders; God's family knows no 
borders. In your life you face daily trials, but millions of believers 
in other lands face far worse. They are mocked and persecuted for the 
crime of loving God. To every religious dissident trapped in that cold, 
cruel existence, we send our love and support. Our message? You are not 
alone; you are not forgotten; do not lose your faith and hope because 
someday you, too, will be free.

  If the Lord is our light, our strength, and our salvation, whom shall 
we fear? Of whom shall we be afraid? No matter where we live, we have a 
promise . . . from Jesus [that can] soothe our sorrows, heal our hearts, 
and drive away our fears. He promised there will never be a dark night 
that does not end. Our weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in 
the morning. He promised if our hearts are true, His love will be as 
sure as sunlight. And, by dying for us, Jesus showed how far our love 
should be ready to go: all the way.

  ``For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that 
whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life'' 
. . . Helping each other, believing in Him, we need never be afraid. We 
will be part of something far more powerful, enduring, and good than all 
the forces here on Earth. We will be part of a paradise.

  May God keep you always, and may you always keep God.

  Ronald Reagan was a champion of the prolife movement and believed that 
abortion was a grave threat to the liberties we cherish as Americans. 
When President Reagan came to office, the shock of Roe v. Wade was still 
fresh. It was commonly believed that the Supreme Court had had the final 
say on abortion, and that there was no hope in turning back the tide of 
the abortion-on-demand culture. The conventional wisdom was that 
enacting legislation to regulate abortion was politically impossible. 
Page S6724
  But President Reagan chose to use the one tool that the Senate could 
not stall and the House could not block: his voice. His voice was strong 
and reassuring, and it reached the American people in their living 
rooms, bypassing those in Washington who thought they knew much better. 
Even his own advisors urged him not to speak out on abortion, yet he 
would not be silenced. He always spoke his conscience on the matters 
that weighed heavily on his heart, and no one could convince him to do 
otherwise.
  On the tenth anniversary of Roe v. Wade, President Reagan spoke from 
the heart against the abortion-on-demand culture, to poignant effect. 
That day, he said:

  I, too, have always believed that God's greatest gift is human life 
and that we have a duty to protect the life of an unborn child. Until 
someone can prove the unborn child is not a life, shouldn't we give it 
the benefit of the doubt and assume it is?

  Perhaps the only President to publish a book while in the Oval Office, 
President Reagan's 1984 volume, entitled ``Abortion and the Conscience 
of the Nation,'' stood as a thoughtful and moving essay that inspired 
the growing prolife movement. This message of this book was hopeful. 
``As a nation today, we have not rejected the sanctity of human life,'' 
he writes. ``I am convinced that Americans do not want to play God with 
the value of human life.''
  Given his remarkable legacy on foreign and economic policy, I am not 
surprised that his moral agenda is less commented upon. Yet in his March 
8, 1983, ``Evil Empire'' speech, President Reagan devoted as much time 
talking about the sanctity of all human life as he did addressing 
foreign policy. On abortion, he told the audience, ``Human life 
legislation ending this tragedy will some day pass the Congress, and you 
and I must never rest until it does.''
  Sadly, President Reagan has gone to his rest without being able to see 
that glorious day when we again recognize the full and equal value of 
all human lives. But those of us who proudly follow in his footsteps 
will tirelessly continue the struggle until we correct this grievous 
wrong.
  President Reagan, that day, I know you will be smiling down on us from 
above. Page S6724-S6725] 14jn04-175


                            Hon. John Ensign


                                of nevada

  Mr. President, I rise today to honor and remember the greatest 
President of the 20th century, Ronald Wilson Reagan.
  Ronald Reagan is widely known for taking some of the most courageous 
stands on behalf of our Nation and for truly changing the course of the 
world, but Ronald Reagan may have never known the impact that he had on 
so many individuals, including me.
  I was in college when Ronald Reagan swept through our country in 
1980--on a mission to empower Americans by reducing taxes, shrinking the 
Federal bureaucracy, and instilling a sense of hope for the future. 
Until that point, I had always considered myself a Democrat. Ronald 
Reagan's straight talk and emphasis on common sense and individual 
empowerment changed the way I looked at politics. As Ronald Reagan used 
to say--and he would know--I became ``a former Democrat who saw the 
light.'' He opened my eyes to a philosophy that I truly felt could 
change the direction of our country.
  I was not alone. President Reagan's popularity while in the Oval 
Office for two terms showed that Americans--Republicans, Democrats, and 
Independents--were inspired by him the way I was. More impressively, 
tens of thousands of Americans are mourning his death and reflecting on 
how he touched and changed their lives. The endless line of mourners, 
waiting for hours to walk past his coffin and pay final respects, is 
unparalleled. The most heartwarming for me is to see parents with their 
children, teaching them about the legacy of this great President and 
hopefully instilling a dose of Reagan optimism in the next generation.
  There are many lessons to teach our children about Ronald Reagan. I 
know I will teach them to my own children.
  Respect for others: Many of the stories that are being shared by those 
who knew Ronald Reagan revolve around his respect for all people. 
Whether it was someone who washed dishes in the White House or the 
leader of another Nation, Ronald Reagan treated each with the same 
amount of dignity and respect--and loving humor.
  Commitment to principles: Ronald Reagan never shied away from his 
principles. His steadfast commitment led to monumental changes in the 
world landscape--making it a better place for all of us. On Memorial Day 
1986, President Reagan said at Arlington National Cemetery:

  If we really care about peace, we must stay strong. If we really care 
about peace, we must, through our strength, demonstrate our 
unwillingness to accept an ending of the peace. We must be strong enough 
to create peace where it does not exist and strong enough to protect it 
where it does. That's the lesson of this century . . .

  And that is a lesson from our 40th President.
  Mutual love and admiration: I would be remiss if I did not note the 
relationship that Ronald and Nancy Reagan shared. Reading some of their 
old love letters, watching them together during his Presidency, and 
seeing her devotion over these most trying last 10 years, one cannot 
help but be touched by the feelings that emanated from their marriage. 
Nancy Reagan was every bit Ronald Reagan's partner in the White House, 
and his legacy is theirs. Today Nancy Reagan grieves--she has lost her 
soulmate. And we grieve for her loss.
  Optimism and hope for tomorrow: If nothing else, I hope that Americans 
today are inspired by Ronald Reagan's eternal optimism. He believed in 
this country and its people with every fiber of his being. He once told 
a gathering of youth in 1985 that:

  True wealth, and the real hope for the future comes from the heart--
from the treasure of ideas and spirit, from free people with a vision of 
the future, trust in their fellow men, and faith in God. The better 
future that we all yearn for will not be built by skeptics who spend 
their lives admiring the complexity of the problems. It'll be built by 
free men and women who believe in themselves.

  I know Ronald Reagan is in a better place today, and, from his view, 
he is rooting for us and believing in our future.
  Leaders like Ronald Reagan change the course of history with their 
vision and inspire a new generation. I serve Nevada in the U.S. Senate 
because I, too, was inspired by Ronald Reagan. Today, I thank him from 
the bottom of my heart for his service to this Nation, for his 
unwavering leadership, and for his spirit that will always represent our 
greatness and remind us that we can achieve anything.
  President Reagan, may God bless you and watch over you. And may God 
continue to bless America. Page S6732] 14jn04-197

                  MESSAGE FROM THE HOUSE--JUNE 9, 2004

  At 9:33 a.m., a message from the House of Representatives, delivered 
by Mr. Hays, one of its reading clerks, announced that the House has 
agreed to House Resolution 663, expressing the profound regret and 
sorrow of the House of Representatives on the death of Ronald Wilson 
Reagan, former President of the United States of America. Page S6732] 
14jn04-9

                MESSAGE FROM THE HOUSE DURING ADJOURNMENT

  At 3:26 p.m., a message from the House of Representatives, delivered 
by Ms. Niland, one of its reading clerks, announced that the House has 
agreed to the following concurrent resolution:

  S. Con. Res. 115. Concurrent resolution authorizing the use of the 
rotunda of the Capitol for the lying in state of the remains of the late 
Ronald Wilson Reagan, 40th President of the United States. Page S6737-
S6740] 14jn04-207

          STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS

  By Mr. CAMPBELL:
  S. 2517. A bill to require the Secretary of the Treasury to mint coins 
in commemoration of Ronald Wilson Reagan, the 40th President of the 
United States; to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.
  Mr. CAMPBELL. Mr. President, today I introduce the ``Ronald Wilson 
Reagan Commemorative Coin Act of 2004.''
  This bill is the same as one I introduced in the 107th Congress, and 
would accomplish two worthy goals. First, it would help honor Ronald 
Wilson Reagan, the 40th President of the United States, and the many 
worthy contributions he made to this Nation. Second, it would also help 
raise much needed resources to help families across the United States 
provide care for their loved ones who have been stricken by Alzheimer's 
disease.
  This legislation's timeliness is obviously without question, as we as 
a Nation honor Ronald Reagan this week and mourn his passing. The 
worthiness of the bill also goes without question. Most of us have seen 
Nancy Reagan discuss her husband's illness. Watching Mrs. Reagan as she 
has so openly and eloquently shared touching insights about their 
struggle with Alzheimer's disease has always been very moving. There is 
no doubt about the truly deep bonds that united Ronald and Nancy Reagan 
and that we need to continue to do what we can to fight the disease that 
slowly took its terrible toll on the Reagans and so many other American 
families.
  Ronald Reagan wore many hats in his life, including endeavors as a 
sports announcer, actor, Governor and President of the United States. He 
was first elected President in 1980 and served two terms, becoming the 
first President to serve two full terms since Dwight Eisenhower.
  His boundless optimism and deep-seated belief in the people of the 
United States and the American dream helped restore our Nation's pride 
in itself and brought about a new ``morning in America.'' His challenge 
to Gorbachev to ``tear down this wall!,'' his successful revival of our 
economic power, his determination to rebuild our Armed Forces in order 
to contain the spread of communism, and his international summitry 
skills as seen at Reykjavik, Iceland, combined to help bring an end to 
the cold war. Ronald Reagan left our Nation in much better shape than it 
was in when he took office.
  As Alzheimer's sets in, brain cells gradually deteriorate and die. 
People afflicted by the disease gradually lose their cognitive ability. 
Patients eventually become completely helpless and dependent on those 
around them for even the most basic daily needs. Each of the millions of 
Americans who is now affected will eventually, barring new discoveries 
in treatment, lose their ability to remember recent and past events, 
family and friends, even simple things like how to take a bath or turn 
on lights. Ronald Reagan, one of the most courageous and optimistic 
Presidents in American history, was no exception.
  Shortly after being shot in an assassination attempt, Ronald Reagan's 
courage and good humor in the face of a life-threatening situation were 
evident when he famously apologized to his wife Nancy saying, ``Sorry 
Honey, I forgot to duck.'' Unfortunately, once Alzheimer's disease takes 
hold, it delivers a slow mind destroying bullet that none of us can duck 
to avoid. As Ronald Reagan wrote shortly after learning of his diagnosis 
``I only wish there was some way I could spare Nancy from this painful 
experience.'' From the moment of diagnosis, it's ``a truly long, long, 
goodbye,'' Nancy Reagan said.
  Fortunately for all of us, when Ronald Reagan courageously announced 
in such an honest and public manner that he had Alzheimer's, rather than 
covering it up, he did a great deal to help alleviate the negative 
stigma that has long faced those suffering from this terrible disease. 
Much of the shame and pity traditionally associated with Alzheimer's was 
transformed almost overnight into sympathy and understanding as public 
awareness suddenly shot up and those suffering from Alzheimer's, and 
their families, knew that they were not alone.
  While Ronald Reagan's health didn't deteriorate right away, according 
to Mrs. Reagan, he had his good days and bad days, ``just like everybody 
else.'' In recent years, however, Reagan's condition completely 
deteriorated--and quickly. ``It's frightening and it's cruel,'' Nancy 
said, speaking of the disease and what it has done to her husband and 
family. ``It's sad to see somebody you love and have been married to for 
so long, with Alzheimer's, and you can't share memories,'' Mrs. Reagan 
said.
  In the introduction to a recently released book based on the touching 
love letters exchanged between herself and Reagan, Nancy elaborated on 
her sense of loss when she wrote, ``You know that it's a progressive 
disease and that there's no place to go but down, no light at the end of 
the tunnel. You get tired and frustrated, because you have no control 
and you feel helpless.'' She also said, ``There are so many memories 
that I can no longer share, which makes it very difficult.''
  Nancy Reagan has earned our Nation's admiration for her steadfast and 
loving dedication to her husband as she watched her beloved husband 
slowly fade away. Likewise, families all across our Nation, day in and 
day out, choose to personally provide care for their loved ones 
suffering from Alzheimer's, rather than putting them in institutions. 
They deserve our respect and support.
  Fortunately, Mrs. Reagan has had access to vital resources that helped 
her care for her husband. This is how it should be. Unfortunately, there 
are many American families out there who do not have access to these 
resources. This bill will help alleviate that by raising money to help 
American families who are struggling while providing care for their 
loved ones.
  Funding for Alzheimer's research has increased significantly over the 
past several years. Ronald Reagan's courage in coming forward and 
publicly announcing his condition played an important role in raising 
public awareness of Alzheimer's and paved the way for the recent 
increases in research funding. But much more needs to be done and this 
bill would complement these efforts.
  Once again, the legislation I am introducing today authorizes the U.S. 
Mint to produce commemorative coins honoring Ronald W. Reagan while 
raising funds to help families care for their family members suffering 
from Alzheimer's disease. I urge my colleagues to support passage of 
this legislation.
  Ronald Reagan's eternal optimism and deep seated belief in an even 
better future for our Nation was underscored when he said. ``I know that 
for America, there will always be a bright future ahead.'' In honoring 
him this week, and in honoring his struggle, this bill, in keeping with 
this quote's spirit, will help provide for a better future for many 
American families.
  I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the 
Record.
  There being no objection, the bill was ordered to be printed in the 
Record, as follows:

                                 S. 2517


  Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United 
States of America in Congress assembled,


SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.


  This Act may be cited as the ``Ronald Reagan Commemorative Coin Act of 
2004''.


SEC. 2. COIN SPECIFICATIONS.


  (a) Denominations.--The Secretary of the Treasury (hereafter in this 
Act referred to as the ``Secretary'') shall mint and issue the following 
coins:

  (1) $5 Gold coins.--Not more than 100,000 $5 coins, which shall--

  (A) weigh 8.359 grams;

  (B) have a diameter of 0.850 inches; and

  (C) contain 90 percent gold and 10 percent alloy.

  (2) $1 Silver coins.--Not more than 500,000 $1 coins, which shall--

  (A) weigh 26.73 grams;

  (B) have a diameter of 1.500 inches; and

  (C) contain 90 percent silver and 10 percent copper.

  (b) Bimetallic Coins.--The Secretary may mint and issue not more than 
200,000 $10 bimetallic coins of gold and platinum instead of the gold 
coins required under subsection (a)(1), in accordance with such 
specifications as the Secretary determines to be appropriate.

  (c) Legal Tender.--The coins minted under this Act shall be legal 
tender, as provided in section 5103 of title 31, United States Code.


SEC. 3. SOURCES OF BULLION.


  (a) Platinum and Gold.--The Secretary shall obtain platinum and gold 
for minting coins under this Act from available sources.

  (b) Silver.--The Secretary may obtain silver for minting coins under 
this Act from stockpiles established under the Strategic and Critical 
Materials Stock Piling Act and from other available sources.


SEC. 4. DESIGN OF COINS.


  (a) Design Requirements.--

  (1) In general.--The design of the coins minted under this Act shall--

  (A) be emblematic of the presidency and life of former President 
Ronald Wilson Reagan; Page S6740

  (B) bear the likeness of former President Ronald Reagan on the obverse 
side; and

  (C) bear a design on the reverse side that is similar to the depiction 
of an American eagle carrying an olive branch, flying above a nest 
containing another eagle and hatchlings, as depicted on the 2001 
American Eagle Gold Proof coins.

  (2) Designation and inscriptions.--On each coin minted under this Act, 
there shall be--

  (A) a designation of the value of the coin;

  (B) an inscription of the year ``2005''; and

  (C) inscriptions of the words ``Liberty'', ``In God We Trust'', 
``United States of America'', and ``E Pluribus Unum''.

  (b) Design Selection.--The design for the coins minted under this Act 
shall be--

  (1) selected by the Secretary, after consultation with the Commission 
of Fine Arts; and

  (2) reviewed by the Citizens Commemorative Coin Advisory Committee.


SEC. 5. ISSUANCE OF COINS.


  (a) Quality of Coins.--Coins minted under this Act shall be issued in 
uncirculated and proof qualities.

  (b) Mint Facility.--Only one facility of the United States Mint may be 
used to strike any particular combination of denomination and quality of 
the coins minted under this Act.

  (c) Period for Issuance.--The Secretary may issue coins minted under 
this Act only during the period beginning on January 1, 2005 and ending 
on December 31, 2005.


SEC. 6. SALE OF COINS.


  (a) Sale Price.--The coins issued under this Act shall be sold by the 
Secretary at a price equal to the sum of--

  (1) the face value of the coins;

  (2) the surcharge provided in subsection (d) with respect to such 
coins; and

  (3) the cost of designing and issuing the coins (including labor, 
materials, dies, use of machinery, overhead expenses, marketing, and 
shipping).

  (b) Bulk Sales.--The Secretary shall make bulk sales of the coins 
issued under this Act at a reasonable discount.

  (c) Prepaid Orders.--

  (1) In general.--The Secretary shall accept prepaid orders for the 
coins minted under this Act before the issuance of such coins.

  (2) Discount.--Sale prices with respect to prepaid orders under 
paragraph (1) shall be at a reasonable discount.

  (d) Surcharges.--All sales of coins issued under this Act shall 
include a surcharge established by the Secretary, in an amount equal to 
not more than--

  (1) $50 per coin for the $10 coin or $35 per coin for the $5 coin; and

  (2) $10 per coin for the $1 coin.


SEC. 7. DISTRIBUTION OF SURCHARGES.


  (a) In General.--Subject to section 5134(f) of title 31, United States 
Code, the proceeds from the surcharges received by the Secretary from 
the sale of coins issued under this Act shall be paid promptly by the 
Secretary to the Department of Health and Human Services to be used by 
the Secretary of Health and Human Services for the purposes of--

  (1) providing grants to charitable organizations that assist families 
in their efforts to provide care at home to a family member with 
Alzheimer's disease; and

  (2) increasing awareness and educational outreach regarding 
Alzheimer's disease.

  (b) Audits.--Any organization or entity that receives funds from the 
Secretary of Health and Human Services under subsection (a) shall be 
subject to the audit requirements of section 5134(f)(2) of title 31, 
United States Code, with regard to such funds.


SEC. 8. FINANCIAL ASSURANCES.


  (a) No Net Cost to the Government.--The Secretary shall take such 
actions as may be necessary to ensure that minting and issuing coins 
under this Act will not result in any net cost to the United States 
Government.

  (b) Payment for Coins.--A coin shall not be issued under this Act 
unless the Secretary has received--

  (1) full payment for the coin;

  (2) security satisfactory to the Secretary to indemnify the United 
States for full payment; or

  (3) a guarantee of full payment satisfactory to the Secretary from a 
depository institution, the deposits of which are insured by the Federal 
Deposit Insurance Corporation or the National Credit Union 
Administration Board. CR: June 15, 2004 (Senate)] [Page S6777-S6790] 
15jn04-159


                         Tuesday, June 15, 2004


                         Hon. Richard J. Durbin


                                 illinois

  As we mourn the passing of President Ronald Reagan, we should recall 
his vision of America as a ``shining city upon a hill''--a model of 
democracy, freedom and the rule of law that people around the world look 
to for inspiration. As President Reagan said in his farewell address to 
the Nation:

  After 200 years, two centuries, [America] still stands strong and true 
on the granite ridge, and her glow has held steady no matter what storm. 
And she's still a beacon, still a magnet for all who must have freedom.

  President Reagan was right. Our ``city upon a hill'' must hold steady 
in defense of our principles no matter what storm. Despite the threat of 
terrorism, we must stand by our opposition to torture and other cruel 
treatment.
  In fact, it was President Reagan who first transmitted the Convention 
against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or 
Punishment to the Senate with his recommendation that the Senate ratify 
the treaty.
  As President Reagan reminded us, our ``city upon a hill'' must stand 
firm. The eyes of the world are upon us. CR: June 15, 2004 (Senate)] 
Page S6795] jn04-166


                          Hon. Patrick J. Leahy


                               of vermont

  Mr. President, we have come to the close of several days of tribute to 
our late President, Ronald Reagan. So much has been said about President 
Reagan's buoyant spirit and about the contributions he made to our 
Nation, and these tributes have helped millions of Americans with the 
healing process that comes with the death of so popular and beloved a 
leader.
  Though much has already been said about President Reagan, I do want to 
pay special tribute today to our former First Lady, Nancy Reagan.
  For me--and, I suspect, for millions of other Americans--some of the 
most stirring images of this memorable week have been of Nancy Reagan 
and her family. We saw again, and so clearly, her strength, her 
compassion and her deep love for her husband.
  Ever since President Reagan's deeply moving announcement to his fellow 
citizens and to the world that he was suffering from Alzheimer's 
disease, I have watched Mrs. Reagan conduct herself with compassion, 
loyalty, competence and caring that have been an inspiration to the 
thousands of family members who every day struggle to cope with loved 
ones suffering from this disease or from any of the long variety of 
other disorders that can come upon us in our older ages--and sometimes 
far earlier than that.
  The Alzheimer's Association estimates that 4.5 million Americans today 
suffer from this debilitating disease. Often, family members and 
especially, spouses--end up as primary caregivers to their partners or 
other family members. Along with the emotional pain and heartbreak of 
watching the mind of a loved one slowly fade away, many caregivers are 
ill equipped to handle the many facets of the illness that present 
themselves over the duration of this mental and physical struggle. Their 
own physical health suffers. Managing a job or any other activity 
outside the home becomes almost impossible.
  I believe Nancy Reagan is an inspiration to so many Americans. The 
love that she and her husband so clearly showed to each other comforted 
and sustained their marriage in sickness, as it did in health.
  Marcelle and I extend our best wishes to Mrs. Reagan and to the entire 
Reagan family. 
  CR: June 15, 2004 (Senate)] Page S6797-S6798] 15jn04-169


                              Hon. Jon Kyl


                               of arizona

  Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the column ``Empty Words'' 
by Frank Gaffney, which appears in today's Washington Times, be printed 
in the Record. I believe that this piece appropriately emphasizes the 
crucial role continued research plays in maintaining the credible 
nuclear deterrent of the United States. As more information becomes 
available regarding covert nuclear programs in North Korea and Iran, the 
sustainability and credibility of America's nuclear arsenal is of 
paramount concern.
  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

               [From the Washington Times, June 15, 2004]

                               Empty Words


                       (By Frank J. Gaffney, Jr.)


  The U.S. Senate gets back to work today after a week of bipartisan 
mourning of Ronald Reagan and tributes to his security policy legacy. It 
is fitting that the first orders of business will be votes on amendments 
to repudiate two of the initiatives most central to the Gipper's foreign 
and defense policy success: the maintenance of a credible and safe 
nuclear deterrent, and protection of Americans against missile 
attack.Page S6798

  The first effort to reduce last week's Reagan endorsements to empty 
words will be led by some of the Senate's most liberal Democrats, 
notably Sens. Edward Kennedy of Massachusetts and Dianne Feinstein of 
California. They seek to preclude the United States from even 
researching new nuclear weapons, let alone testing or deploying them.

  Ronald Reagan hated nuclear weapons as much as anybody. What is more, 
he seriously worked to rid the world of them. Yet, unlike these 
legislators, President Reagan understood--until that day--this country 
must have effective nuclear forces. He was convinced there was no better 
way to discourage the hostile use of nuclear weapons against us than by 
ensuring a ready and credible deterrent.

  Toward that end, Mr. Reagan comprehensively modernized America's 
strategic forces, involving both new weapons and an array of delivery 
systems. He built two types of intermediate-range nuclear missiles and 
deployed them to five Western European countries. And, not least, he 
recognized our deterrent posture depended critically upon a human and 
physical infrastructure that could design, test, build and maintain the 
nation's nuclear arsenal. Without such support, America would inexorably 
be disarmed.

  In fact, it is no exaggeration to say that, but for Mr. Reagan's 
nuclear modernization efforts--most of them over the strenuous 
objections of senators like Mr. Kennedy and John Kerry--we may well not 
have a viable nuclear deterrent today. Even with his legacy, 15 years of 
policies more in keeping with the anti-nuclear ``freeze'' movement's 
nostrums than Mr. Reagan's philosophy of ``peace through strength'' have 
undermined the deterrent by creeping obsolescence, growing uncertainty 
about its reliability and safety and loss of infrastructure to ensure 
its future effectiveness.

  This is especially worrisome since some of the research in question 
would explore whether a Robust Nuclear Earth Penetrator (RNEP) could be 
developed to penetrate deep underground before detonating. Such a 
capability would allow us to hold at risk some of the 10,000 concealed 
and hardened command-and-control bunkers, weapons of mass destruction 
(WMD) production and storage facilities and other buried high-value 
targets built by potential adversaries.

  If anything, the absence of a credible American capability to attack 
such targets may have contributed to rogue states' massive investment in 
these facilities over the past 15 years. One thing is clear: Our 
restraint in taking even modest steps to modernize our nuclear 
deterrent--for example, by designing an RNEP or new, low-yield weapons--
has certainly not prevented others from trying to ``get the Bomb.''

  There is no more reason--Sens. Kennedy, Kerry and Feinstein's 
arguments to the contrary notwithstanding--to believe continuing our 
unilateral restraint will discourage our prospective enemies' 
proliferation in the future.

  Last September, the Senate recognized this reality, rejecting an 
earlier Feinstein-Kennedy amendment by a vote of 53-41. Five Democrats--
Sens. Evan Bayh of Indiana, Fritz Hollings of South Carolina, Zell 
Miller of Georgia, Ben Nelson of Nebraska and Bill Nelson of Florida--
joined virtually every Republican in permitting nuclear weapons 
research, with the proviso further congressional approval would be 
required prior to development and production. The prudence of this is 
even more evident today in light of revelations of covert Iranian and 
North Korean nuclear activity since last fall.

  The other assault on the Reagan legacy will be led by Democratic Sens. 
Carl Levin of Michigan and Jack Reed of Rhode Island. They hope to strip 
more than $500 million from defense authorization legislation that would 
buy anti-missile interceptors, the direct descendant of Ronald Reagan's 
Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI).

  Just last week, former Gorbachev spokesman Gennadi Gerasimov, reminded 
the world how mistaken those like Sen. Carl Levin, Michigan Democrat, 
were when they ridiculed and tried to undermine the Reagan missile 
defense program: ``I see President Reagan as a gravedigger of the Soviet 
Union and the spade that he used to prepare this grave was SDI.''

  Today, there are published reports the U.N. Security Council has been 
briefed by its inspectors that ballistic missiles and WMD components 
were slipped out of Iraq before Saddam Hussein was toppled. Such 
weapons, like some of the thousands of other short-range missiles in 
arsenals around the world, could find their way into terrorists hands 
and be launched at this country from ships off our shores.

  Can there be any doubt but that Ronald Reagan--faced with today's 
threat of missile attack and the proliferation of nuclear and other 
weapons of mass destruction--would have been any less resolute in 
building missile defenses and maintaining our nuclear deterrent than he 
was in the 1980s? If last week's praise for his visionary leadership two 
decades ago was not dishonest rhetoric, it should inspire, and guide us 
all now.


                        Wednesday, June 16, 2004


                        Hon. Barbara A. Mikulski


                               of maryland

  Mr. President, I rise today to announce the introduction of the Ronald 
Reagan Alzheimer's Breakthrough Act of 2004. I believe the greatest 
tribute to President Reagan and the Reagan family is a living memorial. 
That is why I am introducing this legislation with my colleague, Senator 
Kit Bond. Our legislation makes an all-out effort to spark and 
accelerate breakthroughs for Alzheimer's. The legislation supports 
research on how to prevent the disease, how to care for people who have 
it, and initiatives to support those who are caregivers. Let's celebrate 
President Reagan's life of vigor by attacking Alzheimer's with vigor.
  The time to act for real breakthroughs is now. Just last month, 
Senator Bond and I held a hearing on Alzheimer's research. Expert after 
expert told us: We are on the verge of amazing breakthroughs; we will 
lose opportunities if we don't move quickly; we are at a crucial point 
where NIH funding can make a real difference. Researchers, families, and 
advocates all said the same thing, we need to do more, and we need to do 
better. I believe that the answer to that call is passing the Ronald 
Reagan Alzheimer's Breakthrough Act of 2004.
  We are truly on the brink of something that can make a huge difference 
for American families. We know that families face great difficulties 
when a loved one has Alzheimer's. There is great emotional cost as well 
as financial cost. We know that for our public investment we could get 
new treatments that would prolong a patient's cognitive abilities. Each 
month we delay admission to a long-term care facility is important to 
the family and to the taxpayer. Everybody wants a cure; that is our 
ultimate goal. But even if we keep people at home for 1 or 2 more years, 
to help them with their memory, and their activities of daily living, it 
would be an incredible breakthrough.
  Our bill would do three things. First, it would strengthen our 
national commitment to Alzheimer's research. The legislation doubles the 
funding for Alzheimer's research at the National Institutes of Health 
from $700 million to $1.4 billion. We need to give researchers the 
resources they need to make breakthroughs that are on the horizon in 
diagnosis, prevention and intervention. Also, our bill calls for a 
national summit on Alzheimer's that would bring together the best minds 
to look at priorities for research moving forward.
  Second, our bill provides critical support for caregivers. The family 
is always the first caregiver. The Nation saw what a family of prestige 
and means went through; imagine what other American families are going 
through. The legislation creates a tax credit for families caring for a 
loved one with a chronic condition, like Alzheimer's, that would help 
them pay for prescription drugs, home health care and specialized day 
care. Also, it helps create one-stop shops across the country so 
families can find services like respite care, adult day care and 
training for caregivers.
  Third, our legislation promotes ``News You Can Use'' for families and 
physicians. Incredible advances are being made every day. We need to get 
the word out so families and doctors know the most current information. 
The Alzheimer's Association has been doing a great job with their 
``Maintain Your Brain'' campaign; however, philanthropic efforts of 
advocacy groups are not a substitute for public policy. Our bill builds 
on these efforts to create an effective public education strategy.
  It is amazing how far we have come. Back in the early eighties, 
Alzheimer's was a catchall term for any kind of memory loss. Today, 
doctors diagnose Alzheimer's with 90-percent accuracy. Every day NIH is 
making progress to identify risks, looking at new kinds of brain scans 
for appropriate detection, and understanding what this disease does to 
the brain.
  How did we get this far, this fast? With a bipartisan commitment of 
the authorizers and appropriators. Together, we have been working to 
increase the funding for the National Institute on Aging. In 1998 the 
National Institute on Aging was funded at approximately $500 million. 
Thanks to our bipartisan effort, it is at $1 billion. Now is the time to 
do more.
  My own dear father had Alzheimer's. I remember when I would go to 
visit him. It didn't matter that I was a U.S. Senator; it didn't matter 
that I could get Nobel Prize winners on the phone. The research and 
treatments didn't exist for my father, for President Reagan, or for more 
than 4 million families. Alzheimer's is an all-American disease that 
affected an all-American President. Now we need an all-American effort 
to speed up the breakthroughs so no family has to go through the long 
goodbye.
  I urge my colleagues to support this bill and move swiftly to enact it 
into law.


                        Hon. Christopher S. Bond


                               of missouri

  Mr. President, I rise today to speak of the life, leadership and the 
truly remarkable legacy of the 40th President of the United States, 
Ronald Reagan.
  President Reagan was a great communicator with a powerful message. He 
preached the gospel of hope, freedom and opportunity not just for 
America but for the world. Reagan was a genuinely optimistic person who 
brought that spirit of optimism and hope to the American people and to 
enslaved peoples around the world. He was a man who took disappointment 
and moved on. He was a man of unfailing good humor, care and 
thoughtfulness. Even people who disagreed with his policies across the 
board could not help but like him.
  In the United States, his policies encouraged the return of more tax 
dollars to average Americans and unfettered entrepreneurship to create 
jobs and build the economy. Reagan's strong military opposition to the 
Soviet Union helped bring down the walls that harbored communism and 
tyranny throughout Eastern Europe and much of the world.
  In a letter to the American people in 1994 Ronald Reagan announced he 
was one of the millions of Americans with Alzheimer's disease. One of 
the most courageous things Ronald and Nancy Reagan did was to announce 
publicly that he had Alzheimer's disease. Through their courage and 
commitment, the former President and his wife, Nancy, changed the face 
of Alzheimer's disease by increasing public awareness of the disease and 
of the need for research into its causes and prevention.
  In honor of Ronald Reagan, today my colleague Senator Mikulski and I 
are introducing the Ronald Reagan Alzheimer's Breakthrough Act of 2004. 
This bill will increase research for Alzheimer's and increase assistance 
to Alzheimer's patients and their families. This bill will serve as a 
living tribute to President Reagan and will: (1) double funding for 
Alzheimer's research at the National Institutes of Health; (2) increase 
funding for the National Family Caregiver Support Program from $153 
million to $250 million; (3) reauthorize the Alzheimer's Demonstration 
Grant Program that provides grants to States to fill in gaps in 
Alzheimer's services such as respite care, home health care, and day 
care; (4) authorize $1 million for the Safe Return Program to assist in 
the identification and safe, timely return of individuals with 
Alzheimer's disease and related dementias who wander off from their 
caregivers; (5) Establish a public education campaign to educate members 
of the public about prevention techniques that can maintain their brain 
as they age, based on the current research being undertaken by NIH; (6) 
establish a $3,000 tax credit for caregivers to help with the high 
health costs of caring for a loved one at home; and (7) encourage 
families to prepare for their long-term needs by providing an above-the-
line tax deduction for the purchase of long-term care insurance.
  Ironically it was President Reagan who drew national attention to 
Alzheimer's for the very first time when he launched a national campaign 
against Alzheimer's disease some 22 years ago.
  In 1983 President Reagan proclaimed November as National Alzheimer's 
Disease Month. In his proclamation President Reagan said:

  The emotional, financial and social consequences of Alzheimer's 
disease are so devastating that it deserves special attention. Science 
and clinical medicine are striving to improve our understanding of what 
causes Alzheimer's disease and how to treat it successfully. Right now, 
research is the only hope for victims and families.

  Today, approximately 4.5 million Americans have Alzheimer's, with 
annual costs for this disease estimated to exceed $100 billion. Today 
there are more than 4.5 million people in the United States with 
Alzheimer's, and that number is expected to grow by 70 percent by 2030 
as baby boomers age.
  In my home State of Missouri alone, there are over 110,000 people with 
Alzheimer's disease. Based on population growth, unless science finds a 
way to prevent or delay the onset of this disease, that number will 
increase to over 130,000 by 2025--that is an 18-percent increase.
  In large part due to President Reagan, there has been enormous 
progress in Alzheimer's research--95 percent of what we know we 
discovered during the past 15 years. There is real potential for major 
breakthroughs in the next 10 years. Baby boomers could be the first 
generation to face a future without Alzheimer's disease if we act now to 
achieve breakthroughs in science.
  President and Mrs. Reagan have been leading advocates in the fight 
against Alzheimer's for more than 20 years, and millions of Americans 
have been helped by their dedication, compassion and effort to support 
caregivers, raise public awareness about Alzheimer's disease and 
increase the Nation's commitment to Alzheimer's research.
  This bill will serve as a living tribute to President Reagan and will 
offer hope to all those suffering from the disease today. As we 
celebrate the life and legacy of Ronald Reagan, we are inspired by his 
legendary optimism and hope, and today we move forward to confront this 
expanding public health crisis with renewed vigor, passion, and 
compassion.


                         Thursday, June 17, 2004


                           Hon. Jeff Sessions


                               of alabama

  Mr. President, I thank Chairman Allard for his leadership and his 
expertise. He is becoming perhaps the most authoritative Member of the 
Senate on this issue. He has worked on national missile defense since he 
has been in the Senate. It is great to work with him.
  We do need to do the right thing. We have committed as a country to 
deploy a national missile defense system. We voted to deploy that system 
as soon as technologically feasible. That was back in the nineties, and 
President Clinton signed the statute we passed. I believe it got 90-plus 
votes in the Senate. Although there were a lot of people who were 
opposed to it until the very end, in the end everybody realized that we 
needed to defend America, and we had the capability of doing so.
  There has been a cottage industry of skeptics out there that has made 
fun of President Reagan. They called his vision for national missile 
defense star wars. Then when President Reagan said no to Gorbachev's 
proposal in Reykjavik, which accepted so many of the things President 
Reagan wanted so badly but told President Reagan he would have to stop 
national missile defense, he thought about that very hard on the eve of 
the reelection campaign. He knew he would be criticized, but he said, 
No; national missile defense is important to America. It was important 
to peace in the world because, instead of worrying about how many of the 
enemy we could kill, we could begin focusing on how to protect our 
people from being killed by missile attacks. It was a defining moment in 
the cold war. One expert recently said that was the moment that signaled 
the end of the Soviet Union. Page S6985 17jn04pt2-25


                          Hon. William H. Frist


                              of tennessee

  Mr. President, I would like to take a moment to thank all of the 
dedicated members of the Senate family who poured their hearts into 
making President Reagan's final journey to the Nation's Capitol a 
dignified and fitting tribute.
  Lawmakers and dignitaries from all corners of the globe, Supreme Court 
justices, Federal officials and hundreds of thousands of citizens made 
their way to the rotunda last week to pay their final respects to our 
40th President.
  It was a solemn and stately event. Each moment radiated a sense of 
history. I would like to thank some of the Senate individuals whose hard 
work made last week possible: (1) Sergeant at Arms Bill Pickle; his 
deputy, Keith Kennedy; protocol officer, Becky Daugherty; Capitol 
information officer, Laura Parker; and the Sergeant at Arms staff; (2) 
Alan Hantman, the Architect of the Capitol, and the Capitol 
Superintendent, Carlos Elias; (3) Terry Gainer and the Capitol Police 
who, under extraordinary pressure, maintained security with discretion 
and consideration; (4) Emily Reynolds, the Secretary of the Senate; her 
deputy, Mary Suit Jones; and their hard-working staff; (5) The Senate 
Chaplain, Pastor Barry C. Black whose sonorous and reflective tributes 
captured the public's love for President Reagan; (6) All of the 
volunteers who handed out bereavement cards to the public, manned the 
condolence booths, and handed out water to the thousands of visitors 
waiting patiently to see the President; and (7) The Capitol Guide 
service which worked round the clock.
  My sincere thanks also go to Chairman Lott and Senator Dodd. Their 
steady leadership over the proceedings was crucial.
  Likewise, the President of the Senate and the President pro tempore 
presided over the Senate on this momentous occasion with dignity and 
distinction.
  I also wish to extend my thanks to my colleagues in the House of 
Representatives. Throughout, both Chambers worked closely and patiently 
to carry out a tribute that I think all would agree properly reflected 
and celebrated President Reagan's extraordinary legacy.
  I specifically thank: (1) The Speaker and his dedicated staff; (2) The 
House Sergeant at Arms and Doorkeeper, Bill Livingood; (3) The House 
chief administrative officer, Jay Eagen; (4) The Clerk of the House, 
Jeff Trandahl; and (5) The House Chaplain, Reverend Daniel P. Coughlin. 
His stirring remarks are now a part of America's history.
  Finally, to the Reagan family: Through a bleak and solemn weeklong 
procession, their love and respect for Ronald Reagan was a beacon to us 
all. The Reagan family showed an uncommon dignity and grace that raised 
us up and touched our hearts.
  We will never forget their love. And we will never forget how Ronnie 
loved his Nancy, and how hard it was for her, even at the very last, to 
let him go.
  Thank you to the Reagan family. And thank you to the man who led us so 
well and loved his country so deeply--Ronald Wilson Reagan, 40th 
President of the United States.


                          Monday, June 21, 2004


                              Hon. Jon Kyl


                               of arizona

  Let me read what very recently, just before the Reagan funeral, 
Gennady Gerasimov, spokesman for the former Soviet leader Mikhail 
Gorbachev, had to say:

  I see President Reagan as a gravedigger of the Soviet Union and the 
spade that he used to prepare this grave was SDI, the Strategic Defense 
Initiative, so-called ``star wars.'' The trick was that the Soviet 
leadership believed that this SDI defense is possible and then, because 
it's possible, then also we must catch up with the Americans. And this 
was an invitation to the arms race and the Soviet economy could not 
really afford it. In this way Reagan really contributed to the demise of 
the Soviet Union.

  It worked. President Reagan was not bluffing. He meant to deploy this 
system. At Reykjavik, when Gorbachev said, ``We can make this arms deal 
we have been talking about, if you will do one more thing. If you will 
stop development of your SDI Program, we have a deal.''
  President Reagan thought about it overnight, came back the next 
morning and said, ``I am sorry. The United States is going to proceed 
with missile defense.''
  Gorbachev knew at that moment it was over. They could not compete with 
us, and it wasn't obviously worth the effort to try to do so because 
they knew the technology of the United States could produce a defense 
against the only real weapon that the Soviet Union had that could defeat 
us, and that was the ballistic missile.


                         Thursday, June 24, 2004


                          Hon. William H. Frist


                              of tennessee

  Mr. President, the hour is late, and I know we will be wrapping up in 
about 30 minutes or so. There is a lot of business with the recess 
tomorrow--and we will be in tomorrow--and we will be wrapping up 
tonight. It will take a while to wrap up.
  Thus, I would like to take a few minutes to come to the floor and take 
advantage of the time to talk about the fascinating trip I had the 
opportunity and the privilege to take about 3 weeks ago. I had the 
privilege of traveling to Normandy, France, to celebrate the 60th 
anniversary of the D-day landings.
  That same week, as my colleagues know, we suspended business on the 
floor of the Senate to pay tribute to President Ronald Reagan--again, a 
wonderful week in that the messages were delivered and the tributes were 
shared.
  In the midst of that, however, I did not have the opportunity to share 
with my colleagues some of my experiences from the D-day celebration in 
Normandy, France, and thus I would like to take this opportunity to do 
that.
  I took this particular journey with two of our colleagues, Senator Bob 
Bennett and Senator John Ensign. The three of us had a truly 
extraordinary experience. We spent the previous 2 days in Baghdad, Iraq, 
and in Kuwait, and then flew from Baghdad to the United States-French 
binational ceremony at Omaha Beach.
  Back in 1944, in the thick of war, Fortress Europe was the strongest 
at this point, reinforced with layers of obstacles, mines, and gun 
positions with hardened bunkers. Some of those structures are still 
there today. You can see the remnants of others. These remnants stand 
today almost as ghostly reminders of those battles that I had the 
opportunity to hear described first-hand by the veterans who had come 
back for the celebration.
  At Normandy, Nazi forces were commanded, as we all know, by none other 
than Field Marshal Erwin Rommel, the ``Desert Fox'' of North Africa fame 
who was regarded as the finest, the very best field commander in the 
German Army. He won practically every battle he enjoined. His defenses 
were considered impenetrable.
  In the early morning of June 6, 1944--of course, that was the day so 
many years later that we were there--American soldiers, mainly from the 
1st Infantry Division and 29th Infantry Division, landed at that beach 
we visited now several weeks ago. They were supported by the Army Air 
Force flying over and naval gunfire. They struggled forward inch by 
inch, out of boats up the beach, as fellow soldiers were literally cut 
down one by one, wounded, and killed in this hail of enemy gunfire.
  We have all read about what went on at that beach, but to have that 
opportunity to hear first-hand, as we walked along the ridge above that 
beach, from people who were there. Many of them had not talked a lot--at 
least they said they had not talked a lot about their experience. They 
seemed to open up as we were there. Many of them were there at the age 
of 16, 17, 18, or 19 years of age. And they all described the battle 
raging. Body counts swelled, and many expressed doubt that they would 
succeed--they described it as such--that every second seemed like an 
eternity.
  It was clear that in spite of all this, soldiers, through boldness and 
through courage, persevered.
  Further down the beach, the U.S. Army Rangers had scaled the cliffs at 
Pointe du Hoc and knocked out the German artillery positions that were 
there to disrupt any invasion force.
  By the end of that blood-soaked day, our American boys had pierced 
that Atlantic wall. They seized their objectives. And, as history would 
prove, because we had the opportunity to celebrate, they launched the 
liberation of Europe.
  Thousands of American soldiers perished in those few hours. Their 
heroism today is marked by the familiar pictures today with television 
and C-SPAN and video--the familiar pictures of all of those white 
crosses against that green grass and the stars of David, all in very 
neat rows. Wherever you stand, you see them lined up parallel, 
horizontally and vertically, or diagonally. Wherever you stand, the 
symmetry jumps out at you. It goes on for acres and acres. I have no 
idea how big it is. But these crosses go on for acres.
  There is a little path where the beach is right below. You can walk 
along these winding paths of the cemetery. As you do so--especially, I 
think on this day, when the sky was bright blue, the white crosses, the 
green grass--there were veterans by the hundreds and, indeed, by the 
thousands with their family members, with, obviously, their daughters, 
sons, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren huddling around them as 
they walked along those paths. One could not help but admire their 
bravery, their boldness at a time in their life when they were very 
young, at a time they had to be uncertain; they were far away from home, 
fighting a ruthless enemy. Each cross and each star, obviously, 
represents a young man, a young person who died on June 6, 1944, 
defending his country.
  The crowds would gather as we were there. A lot of people had come in. 
There was a lot of security at the gathering to hear President Bush and 
President Chirac. As the crowd gathered, we were seated amidst the sea 
of veterans. Usually they put the officials in one or two rows, 
separated, but, no, you would sit in the audience surrounded by scores 
and scores of veterans.
  A few minutes ago I called Congressman Charlie Rangel to talk about 
another bill we will be talking about later tonight. In that 
conversation I was reminded of the fact that 2 weeks ago he was there. 
He called me over to meet several veterans from New York. There was 
another woman, Grace Bender, a neighbor of mine in Washington, DC. I had 
no idea I would see her there. She was there a few rows away with her 
father, of whom she was clearly so proud.
  The veterans were gathering with their buddies and with their family 
members, with their shipmates, with their fellow crewmen. Even after 60 
years, they clearly regarded these colleagues, these comrades in arms, 
as brothers, bonds forged over that period of a day, weeks, and those 
months in the midst of this war.
  I vividly remember standing for the national anthem. As we all stood 
up, the first people on their feet were those veterans, the ``greatest 
generation.'' They were the first to stand. I also noted, they were the 
ones who would be singing the loudest. They seemed to stand the tallest. 
Their love of country clearly had even grown over time.
  President Bush spoke and delivered captivating remarks. President 
Chirac also delivered stirring remarks. They both recounted specific 
moments and acts of heroism on D-day. We honored those who gathered and 
we paid tribute to those who were no longer with us, the soldiers and 
the sailors and the airmen who had made that ultimate sacrifice for the 
cause of freedom.
  The ceremony ended with a ceremony of honor guards. Again, my heart 
filled with awe and admiration to be able to walk with those veterans on 
that D-day celebration. They were then, and they clearly remain today, 
true heroes.
  After the ceremony, my colleagues and I boarded a bus to the town of 
Bayeaux, a small French village that was spared the heavy fighting and 
bombing on D-day and of the weeks that followed. As we rode the bus 
through the countryside, we passed through beautiful green fields, 
hedgerows, and small towns of the French countryside that were showered 
in 1944 by the American paratroopers of the 101st and the 82d Airborne 
Divisions, the night before those Normandy landings.
  I specifically mention the 101st because this past weekend I had the 
opportunity to be in Clarksville, TN, and Fort Campbell, KY, and had the 
opportunity to witness an air show in which the 101st Airborne 
participated. You can see dramatically their training exercises.
  While I was in Kentucky last week, again, I was thinking back to what 
happened in 1944 when these paratroopers of the 101st and 82d Airborne 
Divisions paratrooped in the night before. Thousands of those 
paratroopers, as we all know, were killed. Many of them drowned. Many 
were wounded that night. Many were wounded on the jump itself. The 
mission was specifically to jump behind enemy lines to distract the 
Nazis and seize important strategic or key terrain and to disrupt the 
Nazi reinforcements. Their heroism and success were ultimately crucial 
to the allied victories at Omaha Beach, at Juno, at Sword, and at Gold.
  When we arrived in Bayeaux, we were greeted by the president of the 
French senate. We had the opportunity to have lunch there with 33 
members of their senate. We also met with the town mayor, and many of 
the town citizens came out to speak of this. I don't speak French, but 
as I went over to the side and shook hands and introduced myself to an 
interpreter, immediately a smile came on their faces with an expression 
of appreciation and thanks.
  Among the people we had the opportunity to meet were many survivors of 
war who had been small children at the time of the occupation. They did 
recall D-day and the American GIs who liberated their villages.
  They treated us to a wonderful luncheon that day and, once again, 
representing America as officials, U.S. Senators from America, we were 
showered with praise and thanks, as well as a promise of continued 
friendship and alliance. This was a group of French senators, so I did 
not expect that at the time, but that is what we received.
  Our final event for the day was also very special. It was the 
multinational ceremony at Arromanches. We were joined by gatherings of 
heads of state from around the world, senior officials from countries 
around the world, and a number of our allied nations. We watched a whole 
range of demonstrations by various multinational military marching 
units. We had flyovers occur where a number of these nations 
demonstrated the very best of their aircraft in precision flights 
overhead. They had a wonderful multimedia presentation that combined the 
best of dance and video and audio to recount that history of World War 
II with a very special focus on Normandy.
  During the final ceremony of the day, in which President Chirac 
delivered remarks, we did have the opportunity to reflect on those 
larger contours of the war and how America and her allies united to 
defeat tyranny and oppression.
  As we sat among the survivors of D-day and as we listened to America's 
veterans recount their fears and exploits, I could not help but draw 
comparisons between the veterans of World War II and our proud troops 
serving abroad today, the very same troops which 2 days prior my 
colleagues and I had the opportunity to visit in Baghdad and Kuwait. The 
parallel is there, not just because of the temporal relationship, but 
because of both groups' commitment to freedom and democracy and to a 
better life for others.
  America was blessed in World War II on that June 6, so long ago, yet 
so close, as it is now, to have the very same soldiers who have that 
strong character, who have that courage, that boldness, and that 
determination. Young patriots, then, as now, answered the call of duty, 
and through their bravery and through their selfless determination, they 
fought and they won the battle for freedom and security.
  It was these traits that inspired a whole succession of American 
Presidents, including the late President Reagan to whom we paid tribute 
2 weeks ago. He believed in a Europe and a world whole and free of the 
shadow of communism. The ``greatest generation'' threat involved nazism 
and fascism. For nearly 50 years, America confronted another hegemonic 
ideology, that being communism. Under the leadership and vision of 
President Reagan, we emerged from the cold war victorious and, as 
Margaret Thatcher rightly reminds us, without firing a single shot.
  Today, we do fight a different enemy, but one that is no less 
ruthless, no less determined, no less uncompromising than our enemies of 
those wars past.
  Once again, we must stay the course. Once again, we must have faith in 
our Armed Forces. Once again, we must hold tightly to the belief that 
freedom will prevail. That is our challenge. That is our calling. And I 
truly believe, like generations before us, we will look evil squarely in 
the eye, and we will not flinch, we will not run. We will gather up our 
courage to press forward and defeat the forces of terror and secure the 
blessings of democracy.


          Friday, June 25, 2004Page S7510-S7513 25jn04-260


                          Hon. William H. Frist


                              of tennessee

  Madam President, the Senate has been busy over the past 4 weeks. I 
thought I would take a few moments to look back and then look ahead a 
bit.
  The 1 week I left out of the last 4 weeks is the week we spent in 
tribute to Ronald Reagan, where we recognized the life and legacy of one 
of America's greatest Presidents. A little over 2 weeks ago, we paid our 
final respects to President Ronald Wilson Reagan. Over the course of the 
week, we had the opportunity to mourn the passing of this great American 
leader but also to celebrate the values for which he stood. There were 
countless tributes paid to President Reagan, his beloved wife Nancy, and 
to the entire Reagan family. All of those tributes helped us celebrate 
the memory of this optimistic, bold, and compassionate President. World 
and national leaders filed through this building, the Nation's Capitol, 
down the hallway behind me, to pay respects as the President lay in 
state. We had the opportunity to welcome many of those world and 
national leaders, but what was truly remarkable to me was to be able to 
be in my office or in the hallway and see the hundreds and then the 
thousands and then the tens of thousands of ordinary, regular, hard-
working Americans who came to the Nation's Capital from all around the 
country, people who would drive hundreds, indeed thousands, of miles. 
People would get on an airplane and arrive at 10 at night to stand in 
line for 4 or 5 hours to pay their respects.
  Throughout the week, our shining Capital City united peoples 
throughout the world, both those who could be here, those who watched on 
television, those who read the newspapers, and those who heard it on the 
radio. It united the American people and the world peoples in a way that 
is very rare. Indeed, it is the sense of national and global community 
that embodied the legacy of the 40th President, and though we said 
goodbye to the man, we carry forward his relentless faith in those 
values of freedom and democracy. Page S8433-S8434 20jy04-170


                        Wednesday, July 20, 2004


                            Hon. Tom Daschle


                             of south dakota

   Mr. President, 60 years ago Franklin Roosevelt gave one of the most 
memorable State of the Union speeches in our history.
  As he spoke, Germany occupied all of Europe. Americans were dying in 
battle abroad and sacrificing for the war effort at home.
  Total victory was uncertain. But that did not diminish President 
Roosevelt's optimism and vision.
  In his address, he said the Nation had accepted a Second Bill of 
Rights that, he said, would create ``a new basis of security'' for all.
  In this Second Bill of Rights, President Roosevelt cited the right to 
a decent home, a good education, and dependable health care; the right 
to fair prices for farmers and free competition for business; and the 
right to be free of the fears of hardship caused by old age. But first, 
and most fundamental, he called for the right to work for a fair wage.
  Our country should be proud of the extraordinary progress we have made 
in many of these areas. Together we have made our country better, 
stronger, and more secure. There is, though, more work to be done, and 
today I want to focus on President Roosevelt's call for a fair wage.
  No value is more fundamental to the American character than the value 
of work. No ideal is shared so widely or cherished so deeply.
  No principle binds us more closely to the generations of Americans who 
built up our country, and the millions of new Americans who came to our 
shores to join in the effort. And no conviction so unites the 
conservative and liberal traditions of our Nation.
  Ronald Reagan once said that:

  People in America value family, work, and neighborhood. These are the 
things we have in common socially and politically. When it comes to the 
bottom line, all of us are striving for the same thing--a strong and 
healthy America and a fair shake for working people.

  There is a fundamental American truth in those words--working people 
deserve a fair shake. It has always been the promise of our country, and 
as we debate legislation here in the Senate, we should do all we can to 
give life to that promise.
  We should make certain that no American who works full time lives in 
poverty. Unfortunately, the gap between promise and reality is widening. 
Among full-time, year-round workers, poverty has doubled since the late 
seventies to 2.6 million workers. All told, the working poor are raising 
9 million American children.
  Moreover, as recent work by the Family Economic Self-Sufficiency 
Project shows, the level of income it now takes just to pay the basic 
bills is far above what we consider to be the poverty line. No working 
American wants a handout. These families are playing by the rules. But 
as hard as they work, they cannot escape the grip of poverty.
  A few weeks ago a Sioux Falls family sent me a letter. The father 
works 56 hours a week as a skilled welder. His wife is a substitute 
teacher who only works part time so she can care for her son, who 
suffers from autism and diabetes. They live in a 20-year-old mobile home 
that has sinking floors and a leaking ceiling. They wrote:

  We are facing possible foreclosure. Lights, heat, phone, etc. are all 
60-plus days past due and on the verge of disconnection. . . . Medical 
bills have been turned over to a collection agency.

  Their final question was: ``Now what?''
  They feel trapped. Since they can't afford insurance, their son's 
medical bills have erased their savings and destroyed their credit. 
Without good credit, interest payments eat up much of their income. And 
without affordable child care, the family's mom can't shift to full-time 
work, which could help lift them out of poverty.
  They are working as hard as they can and want to work even harder. But 
that doesn't seem to be enough. They are farther away from President 
Roosevelt's vision today than when they first wrote to me. It's in our 
national interest not to look away from this difficult problem, but to 
face it squarely and honestly.
  If the people who work hard don't get a fair shake, then our Nation 
risks losing an essential value that has contributed to America's 
excellence and ongoing success. We cannot let that happen. We should not 
kid ourselves and pretend this is an easy problem. It is not. It is 
enormously complicated. But there are things we can and must do.
  First, it is important that American business leaders live up to their 
responsibility as good corporate citizens and share the benefits of 
increased productivity with their workers, not just their shareholders. 
The chief economist at Merrill Lynch recently noted that there's been a 
notable ``redistribution of income to the corporate sector.'' While 
salaries have remained flat over the past 4 years, corporate profits now 
occupy a greater share of our GDP than at any point since tracking began 
nearly 60 years ago. We are moving in the wrong direction, and leaders 
in the private sector have a responsibility to help us move back in the 
right direction.
  Here in Congress, we also have a responsibility to address the 
problems confronting the working poor, and we should start by requiring 
a long overdue increase in the minimum wage. Today, the minimum wage of 
$5.15 per hour is worth $3 less than it was in 1968. Americans who work 
at the minimum wage for 40 hours a week, 52 weeks a year, still fall 
$5,000 short of the poverty line. That means, as the Sioux Falls family 
knows, that adequate housing, enough food to eat, health insurance, and 
college funds are the stuff of fantasy, not reality. In the time we have 
left this year, we should increase the minimum wage to $7. That won't 
solve all our problems, but it is a beginning.
  We should also revisit the earned income tax credit. It was created 20 
years ago as an incentive to help working families lift themselves out 
of poverty through hard work. President Reagan called it the ``best 
anti-poverty, the best pro-family, the best job creation measure to come 
out of Congress.'' I agree. Now we need to expand it, so that every 
American child grows up seeing that work is rewarded and respected.
  We should also make sure all families receive their fair share of the 
child tax credit. Extending the credit to all working families would 
restore a basic level of fairness and offer millions of working families 
the same child tax credit given to those higher up the income ladder.
  We must also acknowledge that despite the many benefits of 
globalization, it has placed downward pressure on low-income wages. We 
won't make progress if our wages fall faster than the prices for the 
products we need.
  ``What do the American people want more than anything else?'' 
President Roosevelt asked in 1944.
  This was his answer:

  To my mind, they want two things: work, with all the moral and 
spiritual values that go with it; and with work, a reasonable measure of 
security. . . . Work and security. These are more than words. They are 
more than facts. They are the spiritual values, the true goal toward 
which our efforts should lead.

  That was the challenge 60 years ago, and it remains a central 
challenge today. It is, as President Roosevelt said, ``our duty.''
  I hope we can all join together to make that vision a reality for 
millions of hard-working and honest Americans. Page S8438-S8459 
20jy04-175


                           Hon. Orrin G. Hatch


                                 of utah

  In a July 1, 2004 article entitled ``Ronald Reagan, Sagebrush Rebel, 
Rest in Peace,'' William Pendley of the Mountain States Legal Foundation 
wrote: ``I am, former Governor Ronald Reagan proclaimed in 1980, `a 
Sagebrush Rebel.' ''
  Now, at his hearing [to be nominated to be a U.S. circuit court judge 
for the Ninth Circuit], Bill Myers was attacked merely for having used 
this same term, in an advocacy piece he wrote for his farming and 
ranching clients. In fact, he was mocked at this hearing, and after it, 
for merely channeling the concerns of his clients, who, like Ronald 
Reagan, considered themselves ``Sagebrush Rebels.''
  Mr. Pendley's article goes on:

  When Ronald Reagan was sworn in, he became the first president since 
the birth of the modern environmental movement a decade before to have 
seen, first hand, the impact of excessive federal environmental 
regulation on the ability of state governments to perform their 
constitutional functions; of local governments to sustain healthy 
economies; and of private citizens to use their own property. . . . 
Reagan thought federal agencies in the West should be ``good 
neighbors.'' Therefore, Reagan returned control of western water rights 
to the states, where they had been from the time gold was panned in 
California until Jimmy Carter took office. Reagan sought to ensure that 
Western states received the lands that they had been guaranteed when 
they entered the Union. Reagan responded to the desire of western 
governors that the people of their states be made a part of the 
environmental equation by being included in federal land use planning.

  I would also like to note that Reagan criticized ``excessive'' 
regulation, not any regulation at all--neither Bill Myers nor anyone 
else thinks there is no role for the Federal Government in environmental 
regulation. And Bill Myers emphasized this at his hearing, in response 
to very hostile questioning by Democratic Senators:
  A centralized government--i.e. Congress--has an important role to play 
in environmental protection. And the Clean Water Act, the Clean Air 
Act--there are probably 70 environmental statutes that give evidence to 
that truth.
  But the Reagan approach, which is also the Bush Interior Department's 
approach, which Bill Myers did his best to defend, is inimical to the 
environmental activist groups that oppose Mr. Myers' nomination. Any 
attempt to give the people who actually make their living on and around 
Western lands a stake in how those lands are regulated is violently 
opposed by these groups. And then these groups label their enemies 
``enemies of the environment,'' or ``friends of polluters.'' It is 
unfortunate that such labels are uncritically accepted by some Senators, 
and because these liberal groups have similarly labeled Bill Myers, he 
won't get the up or down vote he deserves.


       Thursday, July 22, 2004 Page S8670-S8671 22jy04pt2-277


                         Hon. Richard J. Durbin


                               of illinois

  As we mourn the passing of President Ronald Reagan, all Americans 
should recall his vision of our Nation as a ``shining city upon a 
hill.'' Here is what President Reagan said about the shining city and 
immigration:

  If there have to be city walls, the walls have doors and the doors are 
open to anyone with the will and the heart to get here. . . . The city 
is a beacon a magnet for all who must have freedom, for all pilgrims 
from all the lost places who are hurtling through the darkness, toward 
home.

  Like me, President Reagan was the son of an immigrant. We had very 
different political philosophies, but President Reagan understood the 
importance of immigrants to our great country. Page S8802 22jy04pt2-
344

            AUTHORIZING PRINTING OF A COMMEMORATIVE DOCUMENT

  Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate 
proceed to the immediate consideration of S. Con. Res. 135, which is at 
the desk.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the concurrent resolution 
by title.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

  A concurrent resolution (S. Con. Res. 135) authorizing the printing of 
a commemorative document in memory of the late President of the United 
States, Ronald Wilson Reagan.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the 
concurrent resolution.
  Hon. FRIST. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the concurrent 
resolution be agreed to, the motion to reconsider be laid upon the 
table, and that any statements relating to the concurrent resolution be 
printed in the Record.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The concurrent resolution (S. Con. Res. 135) was agreed to, as 
follows:

                            S. Con. Res. 135


  Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives concurring),


SECTION 1. COMMEMORATIVE DOCUMENT AUTHORIZED.


  A commemorative document in memory of the late President of the United 
States, Ronald Wilson Reagan, consisting of the eulogies and encomiums 
for Ronald Wilson Reagan, as expressed in the Senate and the House of 
Representatives, together with the texts of the state funeral ceremony 
at the United States Capitol Rotunda, the national funeral service held 
at the Washington National Cathedral, Washington, District of Columbia, 
and the interment ceremony at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, 
Simi Valley, California, shall be printed as a Senate document, with 
illustrations and suitable binding.


SEC. 2. PRINTING OF DOCUMENT.


  In addition to the usual number of copies printed, there shall be 
printed the lesser of--

  (1) 32,500 copies of the commemorative document, of which 22,150 
copies shall be for the use of the House of Representatives and 10,350 
copies shall be for the use of the Senate; or

  (2) such number of copies of the commemorative document that does not 
exceed a production and printing cost of $1,000,000, with distribution 
of the copies to be allocated in the same proportion as described in 
paragraph (1).


      Wednesday, September 29, 2004 Page S9932-S9934 29se04-188

                         MESSAGES FROM THE HOUSE

  At 3:56 p.m., a message from the House of Representatives, delivered 
by Ms. Niland, one of its reading clerks, announced that the House has 
passed the following bill, in which it requests the concurrence of the 
Senate:
  S. Con. Res. 135. Concurrent resolution authorizing the printing of a 
commemorative document in memory of the late President of the United 
States, Ronald Wilson Reagan.


           Sunday, October 10, 2004 Page S11019 10oc04-78

    AUTHORIZING PRINTING OF COMMEMORATIVE DOCUMENT IN MEMORY OF LATE 
                     PRESIDENT RONALD WILSON REAGAN

  Mr. FRIST. I ask that the Chair now lay before the Senate the House 
message to accompany S. Con. Res. 135, providing for the printing of a 
commemorative document honoring former President Reagan.
  The President pro tempore laid before the Senate a message from the 
House, as follows:

  Resolved, That the resolution from the Senate (S. Con. Res. 135) 
entitled ``Concurrent resolution authorizing the printing of a 
commemorative document in memory of the late President of the United 
States, Ronald Wilson Reagan'', do pass with the following amendment:

  Page 1, beginning on line 13, strike [Senate document, with 
illustrations and suitable binding] and insert ``House document, with 
illustrations and suitable binding, under the direction of the Joint 
Committee on Printing''.

  Mr. FRIST. I ask unanimous consent that the Senate concur in the House 
amendment and the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table, and any 
statements relating to the concurrent resolution be printed in the 
Record.
  The PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, it is so ordered.
?


                                     

                                I N D E X
 Memorial Tributes in the House of Representatives of the United States


                    Aderholt, Robert B., of Alabama:


                                 Address, 112

                                    Remarks


            Ronald Reagan at an Ecumenical Prayer Breakfast in Dallas, 
                                TX, August 23, 1984, 112


                Akin, W. Todd, of Missouri, address, 117

              Alexander, Rodney, of Louisiana, address, 19

            Appointment of Members To Attend the Funeral, 159

                  Baca, Joe, of California, address, 50

           Barrett, J. Gresham, of South Carolina, address, 94

                   Barton, Joe, of Texas, address, 32

              Becerra, Xavier, of California, address, 149

                Berkley, Shelley, of Nevada, address, 65

                 Biggert, Judy, of Illinois, address, 42

              Bilirakis, Michael, of Florida, address, 134

              Blackburn, Marsha, of Tennessee, address, 46

                Blumenauer, Earl, of Oregon, address, 33

                  Blunt, Roy, of Missouri, address, 13

              Boehlert, Sherwood, of New York, address, 31

             Boehner, John A., of Ohio, addresses, 109, 175

                        Bonilla, Henry, of Texas:


                              Addresses, 155, 160

                 Letter from Robert L. DuPont, MD, et al., 160


                  Bonner, Jo, of Alabama, address, 156

                 Bono, Mary, of California, address, 127

              Bordallo, Madeleine Z., of Guam, address, 48

              Bradley, Jeb, of New Hampshire, address, 139

                  Brady, Kevin, of Texas, address, 125

          Brown, Henry E., Jr., of South Carolina, address, 97

           Brown-Waite, Ginny, of Florida, addresses, 52, 121

          Burgess, Michael C., of Texas, addresses, 66, 88, 149

                  Burns, Max, of Georgia, address, 120

             Burr, Richard, of North Carolina, address, 115

                  Burton, Dan, of Indiana, address, 101

                 Buyer, Steve, of Indiana, address, 103

                Calvert, Ken, of California, address, 37

                  Cannon, Chris, of Utah, address, 145

                 Cantor, Eric, of Virginia, address, 117

          Capito, Shelley Moore, of West Virginia, address, 110

                Capps, Lois, of California, address, 154

              Cardin, Benjamin L., of Maryland, address, 87

                Carter, John R., of Texas, addresses, 93

              Castle, Michael N., of Delaware, address, 157

                 Chocola, Chris, of Indiana, address, 38

                   Cole, Tom, of Oklahoma, address, 98

                 Collins, Mac, of Georgia, address, 135

              Communication from the Clerk of the House, 6

              Costello, Jerry F., of Illinois, address, 146

         Cox, Christopher, of California, addresses, 71, 95, 123

               Crane, Philip M., of Illinois, address, 111

                Crenshaw, Ander, of Florida, address, 129

                 Cubin, Barbara, of Wyoming, address, 81

    Cunningham, Randy ``Duke,'' of California, addresses, 19, 57, 171

                 Davis, Artur, of Alabama, address, 105

                Davis, Danny K., of Illinois, address, 13

                Davis, Lincoln, of Tennessee, address, 81

                  Davis, Tom, of Virginia, address, 62

                    DeLay, Tom, of Texas, address, 7

           Diaz-Balart, Lincoln, of Florida, addresses, 50, 94

               Diaz-Balart, Mario, of Florida, address, 68

                      Dreier, David, of California:


                               Addresses, 3, 24

                        Tribute by George P. Shultz, 3


             Duncan, John J., Jr., of Tennessee, address, 67

            Ehlers, Vernon J., of Michigan, addresses, 67, 68

                Emanuel, Rahm, of Illinois, address, 102

                Emerson, Jo Ann, of Missouri, address, 84

                Engel, Eliot L., of New York, address, 61

             Etheridge, Bob, of North Carolina, address, 104

                 Everett, Terry, of Alabama, address, 90

         Faleomavaega, Eni F.H., of American Samoa, address, 57

                   Feeney, Tom, of Florida, address, 88

               Ferguson, Mike, of New Jersey, address, 105

                  Flake, Jeff, of Arizona, address, 109

                  Foley, Mark, of Florida, address, 64

               Forbes, J. Randy, of Virginia, address, 93

            Ford, Harold E., Jr., of Tennessee, address, 150

              Franks, Trent, of Arizona, addresses, 46, 175

          Frelinghuysen, Rodney P., of New Jersey, address, 150

                  Frost, Martin, of Texas, address, 81

               Gallegly, Elton, of California, address, 14

               Garrett, Scott, of New Jersey, address, 89

                  Gibbons, Jim, of Nevada, address, 92

              Gilchrest, Wayne T., of Maryland, address, 87

                 Gingrey, Phil, of Georgia, address, 34

             Goode, Virgil H., Jr., of Virginia, address, 44

                Goodlatte, Bob, of Virginia, address, 30

                   Granger, Kay, of Texas, address, 45

                 Graves, Sam, of Missouri, address, 120

                   Green, Gene, of Texas, address, 49

                 Green, Mark, of Wisconsin, address, 88

                Gutknecht, Gil, of Minnesota, address, 77

                  Hall, Ralph M., of Texas, address, 29

                Harman, Jane, of California, address, 61

               Harris, Katherine, of Florida, address, 91

             Hart, Melissa A., of Pennsylvania, address, 28

              Hastert, J. Dennis, of Illinois, address, 10

                Hastings, Doc, of Washington, address, 91

           Hayes, Robin, of North Carolina, addresses, 38, 164

                       Hayworth, J.D., of Arizona:


                              Addresses, 77, 164

                      Article from Free Press, 1997, 164


                 Hefley, Joel, of Colorado, address, 66

                 Hensarling, Jeb, of Texas, address, 41

                Herger, Wally, of California, address, 23

                Herseth, Stephanie, of South Dakota, 103

                 Hill, Baron P., of Indiana, address, 76

                 Hobson, David L., of Ohio, address, 138

                Hoekstra, Peter, of Michigan, address, 59

                Holden, Tim, of Pennsylvania, address, 50

               Holt, Rush D., of New Jersey, address, 122

                 Hooley, Darlene, of Oregon, address, 82

              Hostettler, John N., of Indiana, address, 120

                   House Concurrent Resolution 444, 68

                         House Resolution 663, 7

                        House Resolution 664, 11

                Hoyer, Steny H., of Maryland, address, 16

         Hunter, Duncan, of California, addresses, 39, 162, 164

                Hyde, Henry J., of Illinois, address, 75

                Isakson, Johnny, of Georgia, address, 92

                 Israel, Steve, of New York, address, 24

         Issa, Darrell E., of California, addresses, 27, 51, 172

            Istook, Ernest J., Jr., of Oklahoma, address, 129

               Jackson-Lee, Sheila, of Texas, address, 20

             Jenkins, William L., of Tennessee, address, 140

             Johnson, Timothy V., of Illinois, address, 142

              Kennedy, Mark R., of Minnesota, address, 104

               Kildee, Dale E., of Michigan, address, 137

                  Kind, Ron, of Wisconsin, address, 111

                    King, Steve, of Iowa, address, 52

                Kingston, Jack, of Georgia, address, 122

                 Kline, John, of Minnesota, address, 90

                   Kolbe, Jim, of Arizona, address, 58

              Larson, John B., of Connecticut, address, 71

                   Latham, Tom, of Iowa, address, 132

                 Leach, James A., of Iowa, address, 147

 Lewis, Jerry, of California, addresses, 11, 13, 23, 29, 31, 37, 41, 47

                  Lewis, Ron, of Kentucky, address, 119

                  Linder, John, of Georgia, address, 35

             Lipinski, William O., of Illinois, address, 147

                   Matheson, Jim, of Utah, address, 75

               McCarthy, Karen, of Missouri, address, 137

               McCollum, Betty, of Minnesota, address, 153

            McCotter, Thaddeus G., of Michigan, address, 114

               McDermott, Jim, of Washington, address, 169

           McGovern, James P., of Massachusetts, address, 119

             McNulty, Michael R., of New York, address, 107

            Meehan, Martin T., of Massachusetts, address, 145

               Meek, Kendrick B., of Florida, address, 130

              Menendez, Robert, of New Jersey, address, 159

           Message from the President of the United States, 7

               Michaud, Michael H., of Maine, address, 154

         Millender-McDonald, Juanita, of California, address, 69

              Miller, Candice S., of Michigan, address, 110

              Miller, Gary G., of California, address, 152

                  Miller, Jeff, of Florida, address, 82

            Moore, Dennis, of Kansas, addresses, 84, 121, 124

                  Moran, Jerry, of Kansas, address, 141

               Murphy, Tim, of Pennsylvania, address, 114

         Nethercutt, George R., Jr., of Washington, address, 116

                  Ney, Robert W., of Ohio, address, 73

               Northup, Anne M., of Kentucky, address, 61

                Norwood, Charlie, of Georgia, address, 80

                Nunes, Devin, of California, address, 142

                   Nussle, Jim, of Iowa, address, 138

                Ortiz, Solomon P., of Texas, address, 136

                 Osborne, Tom, of Nebraska, address, 34

                Oxley, Michael G., of Ohio, address, 143

                Paul, Ron, of Texas, addresses, 148, 174

               Pearce, Stevan, of New Mexico, address, 122

                Pelosi, Nancy, of California, address, 9

                  Pence, Mike, of Indiana, address, 80

           Pitts, Joseph R., of Pennsylvania, addresses, 5, 65

           Platts, Todd Russell, of Pennsylvania, address, 83

              Pomeroy, Earl, of North Dakota, address, 158

                 Porter, Jon C., of Nevada, address, 133

                   Portman, Rob, of Ohio, address, 116

                      Prayer by Rev. John Boyles, 4

                  Pryce, Deborah, of Ohio, address, 115

                Putnam, Adam H., of Florida, address, 108

             Radanovich, George, of California, address, 79

           Rahall, Nick J., II, of West Virginia, address, 146

                Ramstad, Jim, of Minnesota, address, 108

                  Regula, Ralph, of Ohio, address, 156

              Rehberg, Dennis R., of Montana, address, 131

                Reyes, Silvestre, of Texas, address, 132

             Rohrabacher, Dana, of California, addresses, 18

                  Ross, Mike, of Arkansas, address, 98

              Royce, Edward R., of California, address, 78

                 Ryan, Paul, of Wisconsin, address, 144

                     Ryan, Tim, of Ohio, address, 97

                    Ryun, Jim, of Kansas, address, 4

                   Sandlin, Max, of Texas, address, 78

                 Saxton, Jim, of New Jersey, address, 47

              Schrock, Edward L., of Virginia, address, 135

                  Scott, David, of Georgia, address, 15

                  Senate Concurrent Resolution 115, 74

                  Senate Concurrent Resolution 135, 173

         Sensenbrenner, F. James, Jr., of Wisconsin, address, 76

                 Sessions, Pete, of Texas, address, 153

               Shadegg, John B., of Arizona, address, 126

                   Shays, Christopher, of Connecticut:


                              Addresses, 123, 170

                 Tribute by Ambassador Joseph Verner Reed, 170


               Shuster, Bill, of Pennsylvania, address, 67

                Simmons, Rob, of Connecticut, address, 62

               Simpson, Michael K., of Idaho, address, 161

           Smith, Christopher H., of New Jersey, address, 139

                 Smith, Lamar S., of Texas, address, 130

                        Smith, Nick, of Michigan:


                             Addresses, 6, 53, 168

                       Poem by Albert Carey Caswell, 53


                Souder, Mark E., of Indiana, address, 125

                 Stearns, Cliff, of Florida, address, 66

               Stenholm, Charles W., of Texas, address, 26

                 Stupak, Bart, of Michigan, address, 151

                Sullivan, John, of Oklahoma, address, 131

            Tauzin, W.J. (Billy), of Louisiana, address, 147

           Taylor, Charles H., of North Carolina, address, 128

             Thomas, William M., of California, address, 15

                 Thornberry, Mac, of Texas, address, 86

                  Tiahrt, Todd, of Kansas, address, 133

                Tiberi, Patrick J., of Ohio, address, 59

                Turner, Michael R., of Ohio, address, 60

                 Udall, Tom, of New Mexico, address, 151

                  Upton, Fred, of Michigan, address, 94

                  Wamp, Zach, of Tennessee, address, 44

              Waxman, Henry A., of California, address, 12

               Weldon, Curt, of Pennsylvania, address, 106

                  Weldon, Dave, of Florida, address, 31

                Weller, Jerry, of Illinois, address, 118

              Wicker, Roger F., of Mississippi, address, 43

         Wilson, Joe, of South Carolina, addresses, 36, 65, 163

                      Wolf, Frank R., of Virginia:


                               Addresses, 5, 54

                 Article from Jerusalem Post, June 6, 2004, 56


                   Wu, David, of Oregon, address, 101

               Young, C.W. Bill, of Florida, address, 152


          Memorial Tributes in the Senate of the United States


              Alexander, Lamar, of Tennessee, address, 181

                Allard, Wayne, of Colorado, address, 215

                Allen, George, of Virginia, address, 205

                Bennett, Robert F., of Utah, address, 244

         Bond, Christopher S., of Missouri, addresses, 222, 312

               Boxer, Barbara, of California, address, 193

                 Brownback, Sam, of Kansas, address, 211

                 Bunning, Jim, of Kentucky, address, 243

                 Burns, Conrad, of Montana, address, 186

                   Byrd, Robert C., of West Virginia:


                                 Address, 294

                        Poem by an unknown author, 295


              Carper, Thomas R., of Delaware, address, 276

            Chafee, Lincoln D., of Rhode Island, address, 288

               Cochran, Thad, of Mississippi, address, 184

                Coleman, Norm, of Minnesota, address, 233

                Collins, Susan M., of Maine, address, 284

                  Communication from the President, 240

               Conrad, Kent, of North Dakota, address, 291

                  Cornyn, John, of Texas, address, 184

              Corzine, Jon S., of New Jersey, address, 292

                 Craig, Larry E., of Idaho, address, 284

           Daschle, Tom, of South Dakota, addresses, 202, 319

           Dodd, Christopher J., of Connecticut, address, 288

            Dole, Elizabeth, of North Carolina, address, 180

             Domenici, Pete V., of New Mexico, address, 198

             Dorgan, Byron L., of North Dakota, address, 213

        Durbin, Richard J., of Illinois, addresses, 281, 309, 321

             Edwards, John, of North Carolina, address, 293

                  Ensign, John, of Nevada, address, 305

                  Enzi, Mike, of Wyoming, address, 227

            Feingold, Russell D., of Wisconsin, address, 238

             Feinstein, Dianne, of California, address, 236

             Fitzgerald, Peter G., of Illinois, address, 278

                    Frist, William H., of Tennessee:


               Addresses, 179, 241, 263, 298, 299, 313, 315, 318

           Authorizing Printing of Commemorative Document, 321, 322


                  Graham, Bob, of Florida, address, 254

               Grassley, Charles E., of Iowa, address, 302

               Gregg, Judd, of New Hampshire, address, 189

                 Hagel, Chuck, of Nebraska, address, 216

                   Harkin, Tom, of Iowa, address, 268

              Hatch, Orrin G., of Utah, addresses, 255, 320

         Hollings, Ernest F., of South Carolina, addresses, 235

              Hutchison, Kay Bailey, of Texas, address, 269

               Inhofe, James M., of Oklahoma, address, 230

              Jeffords, James M., of Vermont, address, 289

           Kennedy, Edward M., of Massachusetts, address, 242

                          Kyl, Jon, of Arizona:


                      Addresses, 209, 292, 299, 309, 314

               Article from Arizona Republic, June 9, 2004, 293

               Article from Washington Times, June 15, 2004, 310


             Lautenberg, Frank, of New Jersey, address, 287

               Leahy, Patrick J., of Vermont, address, 309

           Lieberman, Joseph I., of Connecticut, address, 296

             Lincoln, Blanche L., of Arkansas, address, 290

                      Lott, Trent, of Mississippi:


                                 Address, 263

                      Tribute by Senator Connie Mack, 263


               Lugar, Richard G., of Indiana, address, 300

                 McCain, John, of Arizona, address, 235

               McConnell, Mitch, of Kentucky, address, 265

        Messages from the House of Representatives, 295, 306, 322

         Mikulski, Barbara A., of Maryland, addresses, 220, 311

                Murkowski, Lisa, of Alaska, address, 249


                          Poem by Robert Service, 250


                 Nelson, Bill, of Florida, address, 229

                 Nickles, Don, of Oklahoma, address, 217

                                Prayers:


                           Dr. Prentice Meador, 188

             Dr. Barry C. Black, Chaplain of the Senate, 179, 240


                 Pryor, Mark, of Arkansas, address, 239

                  Reid, Harry, of Nevada, address, 195

                    Santorum, Rick, of Pennsylvania:


                                 Address, 302

                                    Remarks


              Ronald Reagan at the Annual Conference of the National 
                Religious Broadcasters Convention, January 30, 1984, 303


                            Senate 2517, 307

                  Senate Concurrent Resolution 115, 188

                  Senate Concurrent Resolution 118, 296

                  Senate Concurrent Resolution 135, 321

                       Senate Resolution 371, 188

                       Senate Resolution 373, 295

                       Senate Resolution 374, 295

             Sessions, Jeff, of Alabama, addresses, 246, 313

              Shelby, Richard C., of Alabama, address, 204

                        Smith, Gordon, of Oregon:


                                 Address, 224

                                    Remarks


                       Ronald Reagan's Farewell Address, 224


                Snowe, Olympia J., of Maine, address, 191

              Specter, Arlen, of Pennsylvania, address, 200

               Stabenow, Debbie, of Michigan, address, 290

                  Stevens, Ted, of Alaska, address, 207

             Sununu, John E., of New Hampshire, address, 271

               Talent, James M., of Missouri, address, 252

                 Thomas, Craig, of Wyoming, address, 249

                      Warner, John W., of Virginia:


                                 Address, 272

                                    Remarks


           Ronald Reagan's Speech at the U.S. Ranger Monument, Pointe du 
               Hoc, Normandy, France, on the 40th Anniversary of D-Day, 
                                   June 6, 1984, 274

                                    
