[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.
____________________