[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 39 (Monday, April 3, 2000)]
[House]
[Pages H1651-H1655]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   AWARDING GOLD MEDAL TO FORMER PRESIDENT AND MRS. RONALD REAGAN IN 
                    RECOGNITION OF SERVICE TO NATION

  Mr. BACHUS. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 3591) to provide for the award of a gold medal on behalf of 
the Congress to former President Ronald Reagan and his wife Nancy 
Reagan in recognition of their service to the Nation.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                               H.R. 3591

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. FINDINGS.

       The Congress finds the following:
       (1) Both former President Ronald Reagan and his wife Nancy 
     Reagan have distinguished records of public service to the 
     United States, the American people, and the international 
     community.
       (2) As President, Ronald Reagan restored ``the great, 
     confident roar of American progress, growth, and optimism'', 
     a pledge which he made before elected to office.
       (3) President Ronald Reagan's leadership was instrumental 
     in uniting a divided world by bringing about an end to the 
     cold war.
       (4) The United States enjoyed sustained economic prosperity 
     and employment growth during Ronald Reagan's presidency.
       (5) President Ronald Reagan's wife Nancy not only served as 
     a gracious First Lady but also as a proponent for preventing 
     alcohol and drug use among the Nation's youth by championing 
     the ``Just Say No'' campaign.
       (6) Together, Ronald and Nancy Reagan dedicated their lives 
     to promoting national pride and to bettering the quality of 
     life in the United States and throughout the world.

     SEC. 2. CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL.

       (a) Presentation Authorized.--The Speaker of the House of 
     Representatives and the President Pro Tempore of the Senate 
     shall make appropriate arrangements for the presentation, on 
     behalf of the Congress, of a gold medal of appropriate design 
     to former President Ronald Reagan and his wife Nancy Reagan 
     in recognition of their service to the Nation.
       (b) Design and Striking.--For the purpose of the 
     presentation referred to in subsection (a), the Secretary of 
     the Treasury (hereafter in this Act referred to as the 
     ``Secretary'') shall strike a gold medal with suitable 
     emblems, devices, and inscriptions, to be determined by the 
     Secretary.

     SEC. 3. DUPLICATE MEDALS.

       Under such regulations as the Secretary may prescribe, the 
     Secretary may strike and sell duplicates in bronze of the 
     gold medal struck pursuant to section 2 at a price sufficient 
     to cover the costs of the medals (including labor, materials, 
     dies, use of machinery, and overhead expenses) and the cost 
     of the gold medal.

     SEC. 4. NATIONAL MEDALS.

       The medals struck under this Act are national medals for 
     purposes of chapter 51 of title 31, United States Code.

     SEC. 5. FUNDING AND PROCEEDS OF SALE.

       (a) Authorization.--There is hereby authorized to be 
     charged against the United States Mint Public Enterprise Fund 
     an amount not to exceed $30,000 to pay for the cost of the 
     medals authorized by this Act.
       (b) Proceeds of Sale.--Amounts received from the sale of 
     duplicate bronze medals under section 3 shall be deposited in 
     the United States Mint Public Enterprise Fund.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Alabama (Mr. Bachus) and the gentleman from New York (Mr. LaFalce) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Alabama (Mr. Bachus).
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Alabama (Mr. Bachus) and the gentleman from New York (Mr. LaFalce) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Alabama (Mr. Bachus).
  Mr. BACHUS. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the 
gentleman from Nevada (Mr. Gibbons) who is the principal sponsor of the 
gold medal bill to honor President Ronald Reagan and Nancy Reagan.
  (Mr. GIBBONS asked and was given permission to revise and extend his 
remarks.)
  Mr. GIBBONS. Mr. Speaker, first I would like to thank my colleague 
and friend, the chairman of the Subcommittee on Domestic and 
International Monetary Policy of the Committee on Banking and Financial 
Services for granting me this time to address this bill.
  Mr. Speaker, in recognition of their distinguished record of service 
to the United States, I introduced, along with the gentlewoman from 
Washington (Ms. Dunn), H.R. 3591 to award a Congressional Gold Medal to 
former President Ronald Reagan and former First Lady Nancy Reagan.
  The Congressional Gold Medal is considered the most distinguished 
form of recognition that Congress has bestowed. I wholeheartedly 
believe, as do

[[Page H1652]]

more than 290 of our colleagues, that the Congressional Gold Medal 
would be a fitting tribute to the dedicated service that Ronald and 
Nancy Reagan have given to our Nation.
  Former President Ronald Reagan began his public life as a successful 
Hollywood actor. However, he always had an interest in politics; and, 
in 1966, he was elected governor of the great State of California by 
nearly a million votes.
  As a popular two-term governor and, later, as President of the United 
States, Ronald Reagan was dedicated to encouraging economic growth, 
recognizing the value of hard work, and igniting the spirit, hope and 
pride among all Americans. He believed that everyone can rise as high 
and as far as their ability will take them. This principle became a 
guiding creed of Reagan's presidency as he successfully turned the tide 
of public cynicism and sparked a national renewal.
  President Reagan fulfilled his pledge to restore the great confident 
roar of American progress, growth, and optimism. Americans, for the 
first time in a long time, Mr. Speaker, once again believed in the 
American Dream.
  Standing by his side, President Reagan's wife Nancy served as a 
gracious First Lady and as a distinguished leader in her own right. 
While her husband served as governor of California, Mrs. Reagan made 
regular visits to hospitals and homes for the elderly, as well as to 
schools for physically and emotionally handicapped children.
  As First Lady of the United States, Mrs. Reagan had the unique 
opportunity to expand her public service nationally. Perhaps her most 
notable and longest lasting achievement was her ``Just Say No'' 
campaign aimed at preventing alcohol and drug abuse among our youth.
  Even today, Mr. Speaker, Mrs. Reagan continues to be an active public 
leader. As a champion for increasing funding for research on 
Alzheimer's disease, Mrs. Reagan has become a role model to all 
caregivers of Alzheimer's patients.
  Together, the Reagans have dedicated much of their lives to our 
Nation. Their leadership and service extended well beyond President 
Reagan's tenure in office. It has been an honor for me to lead this 
effort of awarding the Congressional Gold Medal to this deserving 
couple.
  I must admit that I have greatly enjoyed reading and hearing of the 
support and high praise that distinguished Americans and world leaders 
have expressed for Ronald and Nancy Reagan.
  For example, Mr. Speaker, recently Mikhail Gorbachev wrote that 
President Reagan will ``go down in history as a man profoundly 
dedicated to his people and committed to the values of democracy and 
freedom.''
  Former U.S. Senator Paul Laxalt recalled how President Reagan 
``always placed doing what was right ahead of doing what was 
politically expedient.''
  Finally, former Ambassador Jeane Kirkpatrick expressed how Nancy 
Reagan's dedication and grace in her role as First Lady were 
``outstanding and uncompensated.''
  H.R. 3591 provides the opportunity for this Congress to finally 
recognize the Reagans' extraordinary contributions to the United States 
and to say thank you.
  Finally, Mr. Speaker, I would like to commend and give great credit 
for this legislation to my colleague from the 8th Congressional 
District of the State of Washington (Ms. Dunn). Her long-standing 
friendship with the Reagans gives this bill the great recognition it 
deserves and it gives great credit not only to her constituents but to 
all Americans.
  It has been my pleasure to work with the gentlewoman from Washington 
and the chairman of the subcommittee on this piece of legislation. Mr. 
Speaker, I would urge passage of H.R. 3591, which will award the 
Congressional Gold Medal to former President and First Lady Ronald and 
Nancy Reagan.
  Mr. BACHUS. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. LaFALCE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, the bonds that unite us as a Nation go far beyond the 
partisanship that we sometimes inevitably encounter in this House; and 
so it is appropriate today that this House, Republicans and Democrats 
alike, join together to honor former President Ronald Reagan and former 
First Lady Nancy Reagan through the awarding of a gold medal. The medal 
recognizes the dedication to public service of both the Reagans.
  I personally remember President Reagan for many things, but primarily 
for being such a person of good will toward all. I really do not think 
he ever harbored any ill will toward any human being. And today we 
express our good will toward him and his wife. Most especially our 
prayers and good wishes for the good health and well-being go to them 
today.
  Our House would be remiss if we did not highlight and acknowledge the 
important role and contribution to the Nation of former presidents, 
regardless of their party affiliation. And I look forward to working 
with Members in this Congress in a bipartisan spirit to honor the work 
in particular of former President Carter and his wife Rosalyn.
  In this vein, I would like to acknowledge the efforts my colleague, 
the gentleman from California (Mr. Sherman), to honor President Carter 
with a gold medal through an impending introduction of a bill. It is my 
understanding that the chairman of the banking subcommittee of 
jurisdiction has expressed a willingness to cosponsor this bill when it 
is introduced, and I appreciate the bipartisan spirit in doing so.
  In the next Congress, I would also look forward to considering 
honoring the work of our present President and First Lady.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. BACHUS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  (Mr. BACHUS asked and was given permission to revise and extend his 
remarks.)
  Mr. BACHUS. Mr. Speaker, Ronald Wilson Reagan became the 40th 
President of the United States on January 20, 1981. It was a time when 
America seemed to have lost hope as a result of the Vietnam War, the 
Watergate scandal, the oil crisis, and a failing economy. We were 
divided, drifting, and seemingly void of purpose. Then someone emerged 
who never doubted us or our destiny. That man, Ronald Reagan, 
personally embarked on a mission to restore hope in the American Dream.
  He set forth two goals: First, revitalize the American economy and, 
second, rebuild our military capability and restore our position in 
world leadership.

                              {time}  1530

  President Reagan stood as an example of a selfless, optimistic, 
humorous, and visionary leader in the crucible of Washington politics. 
He gave generously of himself and encouraged all of us not to give up 
on the American dream and to dare to believe in it again.
  I, for one, have missed his leadership, his confidence not only in 
his own abilities but in the American people, and his genuine what-you-
see-is-what-you-get style, no airs, no pretensions. I suspect that a 
great many of the American people miss these values as well.
  This is most notably demonstrated in this year's presidential 
campaign, where we see almost every candidate attempting to take up 
President Reagan's mantle of conservative leadership in order to gain 
the support of those who find themselves so drawn to Ronald Reagan and 
his wish that every dawn be a great new beginning for America and every 
evening bring us closer to that shining city upon a hill.
  Many will remember President Reagan for turning around the American 
economic machine and leading us like Moses out of the barren desert 
sands of inflation, gas shortages, and unemployment. Others will 
remember him for restoring America to the leadership of the free world 
and challenging former Soviet President Gorbachev to ``tear down this 
wall.'' But, in the end, President Reagan will be remembered and 
honored most for his moral courage and his never yielding dedication to 
the ideals that have made this country great.
  If today's historians looking back at the end of the 20th century get 
it right, they will surely say that Ronald Reagan, more than any other 
person, helped to restore the American dream.
  What was the American dream for Ronald Reagan? In 1992, he expressed 
this is his wish, that all Americans never forget their heroic origins, 
never fail to seek divine guidance, and never lose their natural God-
given optimism.

[[Page H1653]]

  I must also mention the great strength provided by former First Lady 
Nancy Reagan with her constant presence in helping, advising, and 
protecting the President. It was fitting that the gentleman from Nevada 
(Mr. Gibbons), in introducing this bill, sought to honor both President 
Reagan and First Lady Nancy Reagan.
  Mrs. Reagan became a leader in the antidrug movement and worked 
tirelessly to educate the Nation's youth about the drug use. She coined 
the phrase ``just say no,'' which became the guiding phrase of our 
Nation's drug preventive efforts. Mrs. Reagan understood that the bully 
pulpit was a powerful tool in the war on drugs, and our Nation 
experienced a steady decline in teen drug use throughout the 1980s and 
early 1990s.
  Today, as she consoles and strengthens President Reagan in his 
struggle with Alzheimer's, she has become a symbol of hope for all 
those who care for a loved one battling disease and illness.
  Mrs. Reagan is certainly a model of courage for my mother, who must 
deal daily in caring for my father during his own battle with 
Alzheimer's.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. LAFALCE. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I 
yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. BACHUS. Mr. Speaker, how much time is there remaining?
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Pease). The gentleman from Alabama (Mr. 
Bachus) has 9\1/2\ minutes remaining.
  Mr. BACHUS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from 
California (Mr. Rohrabacher).
  Mr. ROHRABACHER. Mr. Speaker, it is my honor to join my colleagues 
today in support of this resolution that calls for honoring President 
and Mrs. Reagan with a Gold Medal.
  I first met Ronald Reagan in 1966. That is when I was working as a 
young person, I was in school at the time, in his first gubernatorial 
campaign. I then worked in both of his presidential campaigns as an 
assistant press secretary, traveling with then candidate Reagan 
throughout the United States both in 1976 and in 1980.
  After Reagan won the 1980 presidential campaign, I went with him to 
the White House, where I served as a special assistant and speech 
writer to the President for 7 years.
  Let me note, as someone who was this close to Ronald Reagan for many, 
many, many years, I will just have to testify today that Ronald Reagan 
never let me down.
  Far too often, people who get to know their heroes are dismayed when 
they get to know their heroes. They get to know them as people. And all 
of us, of course, are only human; and we have our personal defects, our 
strong points, and our weak points. Ronald Reagan was a human being, 
but he was a wonderful human being; and he never, ever disappointed me 
with a lack of conviction or a mean spirit.
  Throughout the time I knew him all of those years, I knew him as a 
man of strong conviction and principle and a man of benevolence, a 
loving person, and a man with a very positive character, always on the 
upbeat, always looking for the positive way to approach problems rather 
than just lamenting the problems that existed. And that was driven home 
to me, his character, the first time I met him.
  In fact, I had worked on his first gubernatorial campaign in the 
primary. They were going to eliminate Youth for Reagan. I had a hundred 
young people in my area, walking precincts, in 1966, in Reagan's first 
campaign primary campaign for governor. But there had been turmoil in 
Youth for Reagan, and they were going to eliminate it. So I decided I 
would talk to Ronald Reagan myself in order to save Youth for Reagan.
  At 2:30 in the morning, I walked up to his house in Pacific 
Palisades. There were no guards there, unlike today, we can imagine 
candidates today; and I camped out on his back lawn.
  At about 7 o'clock in the morning, Nancy's head came out of the back 
door and said, Who are you? I had a little sign that said, ``Mr. 
Reagan, please speak to me.'' She said, Who are you? I said, well, I 
work in his youth campaign and they are going to eliminate Youth for 
Reagan, and I need to talk to him for 2 minutes.
  She said, If my husband comes out here, he is going to be late for 
the rest of the day because I know he will spend more than 2 minutes 
with you. I have got to think about him as a man. He is going to skip 
his breakfast. I just cannot have it. If you go down to the campaign 
office, I will arrange that you meet the campaign manager.
  So how can I argue with a wife when she is protecting her husband? I 
started walking down that long driveway. And a few minutes later 
running after me, I hear these footsteps and there is Ronald Reagan 
with shaving cream on his face and his shirt is half off and he is 
waving to me and saying, Wait a minute, wait a minute. If you can camp 
out on my back lawn all night just to speak to me, I can spend a few 
minutes with you. Now, what is the problem, young man?
  Well, that was Ronald Reagan. That was the Ronald Reagan I met then. 
That was the Ronald Reagan I knew for 30 years after that, the very 
same Ronald Reagan. And it was the very same Ronald Reagan that was 
very often castigated as just an actor, well, he is up there just 
giving speeches.
  Having worked with Ronald Reagan, I can tell my colleagues he is a 
great writer. He is such a talented writer we always used to say that 
if he was not the President, he could be the President's speech writer.
  In fact, he was a man that was not just reading his speech. He was a 
man that was setting direction for his administration, setting the 
goals for the free world. And nowhere was that greater brought home to 
me than during the conflict over Ronald Reagan's visit to Berlin and 
whether or not he should say, Tear down this wall, Mr. Gorbachev.
  I worked with several speech writers with the President preparing for 
that trip to Europe. During that time, I will report to my colleagues 
today that Ronald Reagan was advised by all of his senior staff, all of 
his foreign policy advisors, including and especially Secretary of 
State Shultz, but all of his top senior foreign policy advisors begging 
him not to say, Mr. Gorbachev, if you really believe in democracy, tear 
down this wall.
  The night before that speech, Ronald Reagan was approached by his 
national security advisors, saying they wanted him to give this speech, 
all of his senior advisors wanted him to give this speech, not the one 
he had. And all it was was the same speech minus, Mr. Gorbachev, tear 
down this wall. Ronald Reagan looked at it and said, well, no. I think 
I will use the one I have. Thank you.
  Ronald Reagan made up his mind. He was courageous. He made the 
decision, not his advisors. That courage, that strength of conviction 
is what ended the Cold War, brought the Soviet Government down to its 
knees and said, no, we cannot withstand principled democracy, 
principled capitalism as Ronald Reagan is presenting to the world, and 
ended the Cold War without the nuclear holocaust we feared.
  Ronald Reagan was a hero of America and mankind, all of humankind.
  Mr. BACHUS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, 20 years ago, the United States was mired in an economic 
malaise. As a Nation, we were experiencing the worst economic chaos 
since the Great Depression. Interest rates were as high as 21 percent, 
making owning a home an impossible dream for most Americans. Inflation 
rates were 12\1/2\ percent. They ate into savings. We had an 
unemployment rate of 7\1/2\ percent. Eight million Americans were out 
of work.
  We had oil shortages, a stagnant economy. And we even had something 
that economists said could never happen, high inflation at the same 
time as low economic growth. A new term had to be coined by economists. 
That term ``stagflation.''
  To restore the economic vitality, President Reagan championed a four-
point solution: reduce tax rates across the board, regulatory reform, 
slow the growth of Federal spending, and focus monetary policy on price 
stability.
  As a result of his economic program, we had 92 straight months of 
economic expansion, the second longest period of peacetime economic 
growth in the history of the country; and, indeed, this was the start 
of a period of economic growth which, with the exception of a 9-month 
recession during the early 1990s, has continued to this day.

[[Page H1654]]

  Foreign policy. Most of us remember President Reagan and his 
successes there. He had an aggressive foreign policy record that was 
distinguished by the fight against international terrorism and 
communism in Africa, Asia, and Central America.
  Ronald Reagan squarely faced Soviet Union, called it the Evil Empire, 
and faced it down. He even dared to call upon Mikhail Gorbachev to tear 
down the Berlin Wall, something that no one felt possible. And it fell, 
along with Soviet Communism. He ended the Cold War and made history.
  Mr. Speaker, I include for the Record a letter that I have received 
from Mikhail Gorbachev saying ``The award of the Gold Medal of the 
United States Congress to Ronald Reagan is a fitting tribute to the 
40th President of the United States, who will go down in history as a 
man profoundly dedicated to his people and committed to the values of 
democracy and freedom.''
         The International Foundation for Socio-Economic and 
           Political Studies (The Gorbachev Foundation),
                                           Moscow, March 15, 2000.
     The following is the text of Mikhail Gorbachev's tribute to 
         Ronald Reagan on the occasion of the award of the 
         Congressional Gold Medal:
       The award of the Gold Medal of U.S. Congress to Ronald 
     Reagan is a fitting tribute to the fortieth president of the 
     United States, who will go down in history as a man 
     profoundly dedicated to his people and committed to the 
     values of democracy and freedom.
       Together with Ronald Reagan, we took the first, the most 
     important steps to end the cold war and start real nuclear 
     disarmament. It was not easy to break the ice of mistrust 
     that had been building up for decades. But at our very first 
     meeting in Geneva I felt the president's readiness for 
     dialogue. This honest and respectful dialogue eventually bore 
     fruit. The human rapport between us and our families 
     continued after we completed our duties in government.
       On this important occasion I salute Ronald Reagan. My 
     warmest greetings to Nancy Reagan and members of the Reagan 
     family, whose care and support have been so important to 
     Ronald during the past few years. I am confident that 
     succeeding generations will duly appreciate the 
     accomplishments of President Reagan.
                                                Mikhail Gorbachev.

  Mr. Speaker, Ronald Reagan's presidential legacy as the great 
communicator has continued even in his twilight years. As a victim to 
Alzheimer's disease, he comforted a Nation by saying, I now begin the 
journey that will lead me into the sunset of my life. I know that, for 
America, there will always be a bright dawn ahead.
  He brought to the presidency a sense of confidence in the American 
way, restored U.S. pride, and reenergized America's leadership on the 
international front. Under his leadership, an entire Nation reawakened 
confident, optimistic, bold, and proud.
  As one historian wrote, ``Reagan does not argue for American ideals, 
for American values. He embodies them.''
  Ms. DUNN. Mr. Speaker, it is a great pleasure and an honor for me to 
be involved in this worthwhile effort to award the Congressional Gold 
Medal to Ronald and Nancy Reagan. I want to thank my colleague, Jim 
Gibbons, for his effort on this important legislation.
  Together, the President and First Lady selflessly dedicated years of 
their lives to lifting the American spirit and bettering the quality of 
life for every single American. I continue to be inspired by President 
Reagan's ideals of lower taxes, stronger families, limited government, 
and peace through strength.
  In 1989, I had the opportunity to personally thank President Reagan 
for his contributions to America. That was shortly after the Berlin 
Wall fell and the land he once declared an evil empire began to finally 
dissolve.
  The fall of the Soviet Union would not have been achieved had it not 
been for Ronald Reagan's insistence on a strong military. During his 
tenure in office, he boosted the morale of our military personnel by 
providing them with the equipment, training, and support they needed to 
be successful. By restoring our national defense, he protected 
democracy and rebuilt national pride.
  President Reagan's policies helped lift us out of the malaise of the 
late 70s, when interest rates were in the 20 percent range, 
unemployment was at record highs, and inflation reached the double 
digits. The economy recovered, and more Americans were working than 
ever before.
  President Reagan believed that cutting tax rates would increase, not 
shrink, Federal tax revenues, and he was right. in 1981, he worked with 
Congress in a bipartisan manner to turn his belief into law.
  The unprecedented economic prosperity America is now experiencing is 
due in no small part to the idealistic spirit and the anchored beliefs 
that Ronald Reagan brought to his agenda as our President. Today, that 
historic bipartisan effort continues to be recognized as a defining 
achievement that fostered economic growth and human ingenuity to raise 
the quality of life in America.
  Though he has withdrawn from public life, we will never forget his 
great achievements. They are evident all around us, and now is the 
right time for America to say thank you.
  Some people have thanked him by naming airports, schools, and 
buildings after him. I have a son who is proud to carry his name. And 
here in Congress, we can begin by awarding the Congressional Gold Medal 
to our former President and his loyal First Lady who shared his burdens 
and his joys, Ronald and Nancy Reagan.
  Mr. SHAYS. Mr. Speaker, today we celebrate the extraordinary career 
and inspirational life of President Ronald Wilson Reagan of California.
  When Reagan stood on the steps of this Capitol on January 20, 1981 
and took his oath of office, he assumed leadership of a nation that was 
suffering the worst recession in a half-century. He recognized his 
greatest challenge, and he stood before America that day and 
articulated his redemptive mission--to return the reins of government 
to the people.
  He knew that the best way to revive the American economy would be to 
get government out of the way of American creativity. ``It is time to 
reawaken this industrial giant, to get government back within its 
means, and to lighten our punitive tax burden,'' he said on that 
January morning at the Capitol. ``And these will be our first 
priorities, and on these principles, there will be no compromise.''
  President Reagan was able to lead America through the murky waters of 
recession. He was a forceful champion for breaking down barriers to 
trade, because he knew that once we removed the shackles from American 
business, it could compete successfully anywhere in the world.
  And when he was done, the American economy had embarked upon the 
largest peacetime expansion in history.
  He pushed America to compete on the international stage as well. 
Ronald Reagan took the Presidency of a nation that was uncertain in 
foreign policy because it was unmoored in principle. The Soviet Army, 
then a greater power than our own, was occupying Afghanistan and 
training in Cuba. We were unwilling to provide the leadership necessary 
to galvanize our Western allies in response to the menace.
  President Reagan identified the imminent threat communism posed to 
our democracy and those across the world, and used his leadership to 
initiate the policies that led to its demise. He understood that the 
United States should deal with the Soviet Union from a position of 
strength. He had the extraordinary vision to conceive of a national 
missile defense. He provided the leadership to know that we needed to 
risk war in order to achieve a more lasting peace. And within a few 
short years of his last year in office, the Berlin Wall crumbled and 
communism had begun its inevitable march into the dustbin of history.
  Though it will be hard to bestow upon our former President any honor 
greater than the honor he restored to our nation, we today honor 
President Reagan, and his wife Nancy, for the enduring inspiration 
provided by their shining example.
  Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I am honored to join in supporting this 
legislation which will grant well-deserved recognition and appreciation 
to former President Ronald Reagan and former First Lady Nancy Reagan. 
Both are outstanding American citizens who have contributed so 
honorably and selflessly to our country.
  This legislation authorizes the President to present to both Ronald 
and Nancy Reagan the Congressional gold medal in recognition of their 
outstanding accomplishments as President and First Lady.
  For most of our colleagues in this chamber, Ronald Reagan is a hero 
and a living legend. He was a dedicated leader who came to office in 
1980 seeking to restore growth, optimism, and confidence to our nation. 
He survived an assassination attack and remained undaunted in his quest 
to lead this great nation into prosperity. Ronald Reagan is a man of 
unparalleled integrity and is truly one of our greatest presidents. Our 
nation is forever grateful. We are indebted to them.
  President Reagan's efforts to strengthen national defense restored a 
sense of national security and directly contributed to the end of the 
Cold War. He effectively fostered relations with the Soviet Union 
during a very turbulent and volatile time in international history. 
Through his active communication and frequent talks with Soviet leader 
Mikhail Gorbachev, President Reagan was able to successfully negotiate 
the INF treaty in 1987 which reduced the threat of nuclear war. It was 
that treaty coupled with an extraordinary defense buildup that ended 
the Cold War and made the world once again safe for democracy.

[[Page H1655]]

  Through cooperation with Congress, President Reagan was able to cut 
taxes, curb inflation, and increase employment. His policies stimulated 
our economy and initiated the largest peace-time economic expansion in 
history. He revolutionized the role in which government plays in the 
lives of individual citizens. The American people showed their support 
and appreciation for President Reagan by reelecting him in the largest 
electoral landslide in history.
  Mr. Speaker, Nancy Reagan's role as First Lady was gracious and 
elegant. She fought to restore values and decency to our nation. She 
effectively and tirelessly promoted the ``Just Say No'' Anti-Drug 
campaign and brought that issue to the national forefront. In 1985 she 
held a conference at the White House for the first ladies of 17 
different countries to focus international attention on the Drug 
problem. She continues to work on her campaign to teach children to 
``say no to drugs.'' Through these and other worthy efforts, Nancy 
Reagan has established herself as a national icon and an outstanding 
American.
  Mr. Speaker, I am honored to support this legislation in recognition 
of their service to our nation, and to congratulate both President and 
Nancy Reagan as we wish them good health and happiness in the days 
ahead.
  Mr. PAUL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in opposition to H.R. 3591. At 
the same time, I am very supportive of President Reagan's publicly 
stated view of limiting the federal government to it's proper and 
constitutional role. In fact, I was one of only four sitting members of 
the United States House of Representatives who endorsed Ronald Reagan's 
candidacy for President in 1976. The United States enjoyed sustained 
economic prosperity and employment growth during Ronald Reagan's 
presidency.
  I must, however, oppose the Gold Medal for Ronald and Nancy Reagan 
because appropriating $30,000 of taxpayer money is neither 
constitutional nor, in the spirit of Ronald Reagan's notion of the 
proper, limited role for the federal government.
  Because of my continuing and uncompromising opposition to 
appropriations not authorized within the enumerated powers of the 
Constitution, I would maintain my resolve and commitment to the 
Constitution--a Constitution, which only last year, each Member of 
Congress, swore to uphold. In each of these instances, I offered to do 
a little more than uphold my constitutional oath.
  In fact, as a means of demonstrating my personal regard and 
enthusiasm for Ronald Reagan's advocacy for limited government, I 
invited each of these colleagues to match my private, personal 
contribution of $100 which, if accepted by the 435 Members of the House 
of Representatives, would more than satisfy the $30,000 cost necessary 
to mint and award a gold medal to Ronald and Nancy Reagan. To me, it 
seemed a particularly good opportunity to demonstrate one's genuine 
convictions by spending one's own money rather that of the taxpayers 
who remain free to contribute, at their own discretion, to commemorate 
the work of the Reagans. For the record, not a single Representative 
who solicited my support for spending taxpayer's money, was willing to 
contribute their own money to demonstrate their generosity and 
allegiance to the Reagan's stated convictions.
  It is, of course, very easy to be generous with the people's money.
  Mr. BACHUS. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I 
yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Alabama (Mr. Bachus) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, H.R. 3591.
  The question was taken.
  Mr. BACHUS. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the 
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be 
postponed.

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