[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 80 (Wednesday, June 9, 2004)]
[House]
[Pages H3826-H3829]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




AUTHORIZING USE OF ROTUNDA OF CAPITOL FOR LYING IN STATE OF THE REMAINS 
 OF THE LATE HONORABLE RONALD WILSON REAGAN, FORTIETH 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 fortieth 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.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Radanovich). Pursuant to the rule, the 
gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Ehlers) and the gentlewoman from 
California (Ms. Millender-McDonald) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Ehlers).
  Mr. EHLERS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  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 
backwards, 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.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I 
might consume.
  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.

                              {time}  1030

  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, 
benefiting 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

[[Page H3827]]

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 2 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 
won 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 1960s, 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 
anti-Communist. 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.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. EHLERS. Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to yield such time as he 
may consume to the gentleman from California (Mr. Cox), a 
representative of the home State of President Reagan to offer some 
comments on this resolution.
  Mr. COX. 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 Capitol.
  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.
  Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I 
may consume.
  As we heard of the death of our 40th President, Mr. Speaker, I could 
not help but think of the friendship that I had with his daughter who 
preceded him in death, Maureen Reagan. For 15

[[Page H3828]]

years, Maureen and I worked tirelessly for women's issues 
internationally. And for the respect that I had for her, and certainly 
did not know her father, I will say to all of my colleagues to please 
pass this resolution.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. EHLERS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
  Mr. Speaker, it is a pleasure to present this resolution. I have 
pointed out the historical significance of it, and I urge the entire 
Congress to cast a unanimous vote. It is the last time to win one for 
the Gipper, and it is appropriate for us to express our appreciation to 
a previous leader and President at the time of his death.
  Mr. 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, Illinois, 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 1950s by working in television, 
appearing on such early programs as ``Death Valley Days'' and the 
``General Electric Theater.''

  Reagan lived the rest of his life in California, where in the 1960s, 
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% 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 re-election with over 58% 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 a 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. In 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.
  Mr. NEY. 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 Fortieth 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, Illinois. 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

[[Page H3829]]

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 '50s and early '60s. 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 here 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 onto a better 
place. To borrow the words he used to comfort the nation following the 
Challenger disaster, Ronald Reagan has ``slipped the surly bonds to 
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.
  Therefore, I urge my colleagues to support this Resolution.
  Mr. EHLERS. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Radanovich). The question is on the 
motion offered by the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Ehlers) that the 
House suspend the rules and agree to the concurrent resolution, H. Con. 
Res. 444.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor 
thereof) the rules were suspended and the concurrent resolution was 
agreed to.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

                          ____________________