[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 72 (Tuesday, May 12, 2009)]
[House]
[Pages H5439-H5440]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   RECOGNIZING 30TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE ELECTION OF MARGARET THATCHER

  Mr. BERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the 
resolution (H. Res. 378) recognizing the 30th anniversary of the 
election of Margaret Thatcher as the first female Prime Minister of 
Great Britain, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
  The text of the resolution is as follows:

                              H. Res. 378

       Whereas May 4, 2009, marks the 30th anniversary of the 
     first woman sworn in as the Prime Minister of the United 
     Kingdom, Margaret Hilda Thatcher;
       Whereas Margaret Thatcher was Prime Minister of the United 
     Kingdom from 1979 to 1990 and at the time of her resignation, 
     was the longest continuously serving Prime Minster since 
     1827;
       Whereas Prime Minister Thatcher was Leader of the 
     Conservative Party from 1975 to 1990 and the only woman to 
     ever hold that post;
       Whereas Margaret Thatcher is the only woman to have ever 
     held the post of Prime Minister of the United Kingdom;
       Whereas Margaret Thatcher is the only Prime Minister of the 
     United Kingdom in the 20th century to win three consecutive 
     terms;
       Whereas Margaret Thatcher gave birth to a new distinctive 
     ideology known as ``Thatcherism'' which emphasized individual 
     responsibility in the United Kingdom's monetary and social 
     policies;
       Whereas Time Magazine named Margaret Thatcher one of the 20 
     most influential leaders of the 20th century;
       Whereas the strong, cooperative stances held by Prime 
     Minister Thatcher, President Ronald Reagan, and Pope John 
     Paul II are widely acknowledged to have been key forces in 
     the collapse of communism in the former Soviet Union;
       Whereas the special relationship between the United States 
     and the United Kingdom was greatly strengthened under the 
     tenure of Prime Minister Thatcher;
       Whereas, on January 19, 1976, Prime Minister Thatcher 
     delivered a bold speech against the communist regime of the 
     Soviet Union, which prompted the Soviet Union Army's 
     newspaper, the Red Star, to coin her the ``Iron Lady'';
       Whereas in 1990, Margaret Thatcher was honored by Queen 
     Elizabeth II with the Order of Merit, one of the United 
     Kingdom's highest distinctions; and
       Whereas in 1992, Queen Elizabeth II bestowed a life peerage 
     upon Margaret Thatcher, conferring upon her the title of 
     Baroness and providing a lifetime seat in the House of Lords: 
     Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
       (1) acknowledges the 30th anniversary of the election of 
     Margaret Thatcher as the first female Prime Minister of the 
     United Kingdom;
       (2) pays tribute to the remarkable professional 
     achievements of Margaret Thatcher;
       (3) recognizes Prime Minister Thatcher's dedicated work in 
     promoting individual rights and free markets around the 
     world; and
       (4) appreciates the strong diplomatic relationship between 
     the United States and the United Kingdom fostered by Prime 
     Minister Thatcher.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
California (Mr. Berman) and the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Poe) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from California.


                             General Leave

  Mr. BERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may 
have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and 
insert extraneous material on the resolution under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from California?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. BERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H. Res. 378, which pays 
tribute to the distinguished political career of former British Prime 
Minister Margaret Thatcher, and I yield myself such time as I may 
consume. I thank the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Poe) for introducing 
this measure that enables the House to acknowledge the 30th anniversary 
of her election as the first female Prime Minister of the United 
Kingdom.
  On May 4, 1979, Margaret Thatcher was sworn in as Prime Minister. 
Holding this position until 1990, she became the U.K.'s longest 
continuously serving Prime Minister since 1827, and the only Prime 
Minister in the 20th century to win three consecutive elections.
  The special relationship between the United Kingdom and the United 
States was strengthened during her tenure, particularly through her 
cooperative working relationship with President Ronald Reagan in 
addressing the threat of the Soviet Union.
  Prime Minister Thatcher spoke in this House to a joint session of 
Congress on February 20, 1985. In her remarks, she cited the three 
occasions on which Prime Minister Winston Churchill addressed Congress. 
Those were worth remembering, she said, ``because they serve as lamps 
along a dark road which our people trod together, and they remind us 
what an extraordinary period of history the world has passed through 
between that time and ours; and they tell us what later generations in 
both our countries sometimes find hard to grasp: why past associations 
bind us so closely.''
  Her words are as true today as they were during the height of the 
Cold War and World War II. We again find ourselves living in 
extraordinary times. And, thankfully, the United States and the United 
Kingdom stand shoulder to shoulder as we confront today's challenges 
together, just as we did throughout the last century.
  I ask my colleagues to join me in acknowledging the 30th anniversary 
of Margaret Thatcher's historic election and paying tribute to her 
professional achievements. We should also use this occasion to reaffirm 
the enduring friendship and partnership between our two nations.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I appreciate Chairman Berman bringing this before the 
House for consideration today. Time Magazine named Margaret Thatcher 
one of the 20 most influential leaders of the 20th century, and for 
good reason. She is the only woman to have ever held

[[Page H5440]]

the post of Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. She is a fearless 
leader, an advocate for democracy around the world, and a steadfast 
friend of the United States.
  This resolution recognizes the 30th anniversary of her election as 
the first female Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. Margaret 
Thatcher served as Prime Minister of Great Britain for 11 years, from 
1979 to 1990. At the time of her resignation, she was the longest 
continuously serving Prime Minister of the United Kingdom since 1827.
  This resolution pays tribute to her remarkable professional 
achievements. In addition to being the only woman to have ever held the 
post of Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, she was also leader of 
the Conservative Party for 15 years, from 1975 to 1990, and was the 
only woman to ever hold that post.
  In the 20th century, she was the only Prime Minister to win three 
consecutive terms, a testament to her bold and tenacious leadership. 
This resolution also recognizes Prime Minister Thatcher's dedicated 
work in promoting individual rights and free markets throughout the 
world.

                              {time}  1645

  During her time in office, Prime Minister Thatcher fostered the 
dawning of a new distinctive type of politics called ``Thatcherism,'' 
which emphasized individual responsibility and fiscal and social 
policies.
  When she came into office, the state of the United Kingdom's economy 
was in deep despair. There were pickets; there were strikes; there were 
food shortages; pregnant women were denied medical services and the 
country had double-digit inflation. Margaret Thatcher represented a 
literal end to socialized government and the reinstitution of the free 
market philosophy.
  Through plain speaking and sheer determination, she persuaded city 
after city to contract out public services to private companies, saving 
taxpayers $30 billion every year. Company by company, she 
denationalized the entire economy. Family by family, she taught the 
nation the importance of living within their means. What a novel 
concept.
  During her tenure, 3 million families moved from public housing and 
became homeowners under her Right-to-Buy program. Homeownership under 
her administration jumped from 53 percent to 71 percent.
  This resolution also recognizes Margaret Thatcher's robust and 
principled approach to foreign policy during the long Cold War. Prime 
Minister Thatcher and President Ronald Reagan were key forces in the 
collapse of communism under the former Soviet Union. As a matter of 
fact, in 1976, Prime Minister Thatcher delivered such a bold speech 
against communism in the Soviet Union that the Soviet Union Army's 
newspaper started calling her the ``Iron Lady,'' and it stuck. The Iron 
Lady helped bring down the Iron Curtain, Mr. Speaker.
  Finally, this resolution acknowledges the special relationship 
between the United States and the United Kingdom fostered by Prime 
Minister Thatcher. Under her direction, the United States and the 
United Kingdom worked to overcome communism, encourage free markets 
around the world, curb terrorism, and promote democratic and 
individualistic values.
  My grandmother used to tell me that ``there was nothing more powerful 
than a woman who had made up her mind,'' and my grandmother was right. 
Margaret Thatcher is one of those remarkable women who has led a 
remarkable life, characterized by courage, determination, intellectual 
integrity, and she had made up her mind.
  She has not only inspired women all over the world to aspire towards 
positions of leadership, she has inspired an entire generation to 
promote policies that value economic freedom and individual 
responsibility.
  I am proud to be the sponsor of this resolution today.
  And that's just the way it is.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Lynch). The question is on the motion 
offered by the gentleman from California (Mr. Berman) that the House 
suspend the rules and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 378, as amended.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds 
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
  Mr. POE of Texas. 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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