[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 53 (Tuesday, April 12, 2011)]
[House]
[Pages H2581-H2582]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             EXTENDING RONALD REAGAN CENTENNIAL COMMISSION

  Mr. KELLY. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill 
(H.R. 1308) to amend the Ronald Reagan Centennial Commission Act to 
extend the termination date for the Commission, and for other purposes.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 1308

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

     SECTION 1. RONALD REAGAN CENTENNIAL COMMISSION ACT 
                   AMENDMENTS.

       (a) Final Report Due Date.--Section 7(c) of the Ronald 
     Reagan Centennial Commission Act (Public Law 111-25; 36 
     U.S.C. 101 note prec.) is amended by striking ``April 30, 
     2011'' and inserting ``November 30, 2011''.
       (b) Termination.--Section 8 of the Ronald Reagan Centennial 
     Commission Act (Public Law 111-25; 36 U.S.C. 101 note prec.) 
     is amended by striking ``May 30, 2011'' and inserting 
     ``December 31, 2011''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Pennsylvania (Mr. Kelly) and the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Pennsylvania.


                             General Leave

  Mr. KELLY. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may 
have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks 
and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Pennsylvania?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. KELLY. I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, H.R. 1308 was introduced by the gentleman from 
California (Mr. Gallegly) and is a straightforward bill to amend the 
Ronald Reagan Centennial Commission Act by extending the Commission's 
termination date, as well as the Commission's final report deadline.
  In June 2009, President Obama signed Public Law 111-25 to establish 
the Ronald Reagan Centennial Commission. The purpose of the Commission 
was, and is, to plan, develop, and carry out activities that are both 
fitting and proper to honor the memory of our late great President.
  President Reagan was born on February 6, 1911, and 2011 marks the 
100th anniversary of his birth. Furthermore, the Commission was also 
tasked with being a crucial resource to Federal, State, and local 
government agencies as well as private groups as they go about planning 
and conducting events to honor President Reagan.
  Mr. Speaker, H.R. 1308 is a very simple bill that extends the life of 
the Reagan Commission, and, unlike many prior Presidential commissions, 
costs the American taxpayer absolutely nothing. Mr. Speaker, I want to 
be very clear. The Reagan Commission does not receive a single penny of 
taxpayer dollars. The original bill and subsequent law prohibited the 
use of taxpayer money from going to the Commission, and this bill does 
not alter that provision in any way, shape, or form.
  The Commission has and continues to operate solely on private 
donations--something I'm sure Mr. Reagan, as a careful steward of 
taxpayer money, would himself have been glad to hear.
  The purpose of H.R. 1308 is to allow the hardworking staff and 
members of the Commission the opportunity to continue to provide their 
expertise and assistance as entities and groups all over the world 
continue to honor President Reagan.
  The Commission has already played a major role in celebrations at the 
Reagan Library on the President's birthday and has worked to establish 
a yearlong exhibit at the National Archives. Even the floor statements 
given by Members in this Chamber back in February were organized by the 
Reagan Commission.
  While the Commission has contributed much to events and ceremonies 
over the past few months, many more celebrations and events are planned 
throughout the rest of the year. In fact, multiple events to honor 
President Reagan's role in the fall of the Soviet Union are scheduled 
this summer in Europe. Here in the United States, a Joint Meeting of 
Congress may take place this fall, and numerous other events will take 
place at the State and local levels all over our country.
  Mr. Speaker, the Commission is currently scheduled to terminate on 
May 30 of this year, and this bill simply moves that date to December 
31. In addition, H.R. 1308 moves the Commission's final report deadline 
from the 30th of this month to November 30. Changing these dates would 
ensure that the Commission can help entities and groups all over the 
world deliver high-quality and fitting events to celebrate the life of 
a truly great leader and man.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 1308, a bill to amend 
the Ronald Reagan Centennial Commission Act. The bill would extend the 
termination date of the Commission by 7 months.
  The Ronald Reagan Commission Act, which became law in the last 
Congress, created a Federal commission to honor and celebrate the 100th 
anniversary of the birth of Ronald Reagan. The Commission is composed 
of Senators, Members of Congress, and other government officials, 
including the Archivist of the United States.
  Importantly, in these challenging fiscal times, no Federal funds may 
be expended by the Commission to carry out its duties. Mr. Speaker, the 
Commission has been functioning for only 9 months, and there are 
important international and domestic events planned for this summer and 
fall commemorating President Reagan in which the Commission's 
participation would be beneficial.
  As such, I have no objection to the bill before us, which extends the 
termination date of the Commission from May 31, 2011, to the end of the 
year, and I would urge Members to vote for this measure.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. KELLY. I thank my colleague from Illinois. I appreciate that.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to my colleague from 
the great State of California, the sponsor of this bill and a member of 
this Reagan Commission, Mr. Gallegly.
  Mr. GALLEGLY. I thank the gentleman for yielding.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 1308, legislation to 
extend the termination date for the Ronald Reagan Centennial 
Commission.
  The work of the Ronald Reagan Centennial Commission is not quite 
finished. That's why this legislation is needed to extend the 
commission through December 30 of this year, allowing the Commission to 
deliver additional events for the public.

[[Page H2582]]

  Extending the Commission through the end of 2011 will allow it to 
accomplish several key goals--some including the support of official 
international events occurring the week of June 27 in Poland, Hungary, 
the Czech Republic, and the United Kingdom, possibly convening a joint 
session of Congress this fall, coordinating a potential White House 
event, organizing a Capitol Visitor Center exhibit, serving as a 
resource for Federal Government centennial activities, and supporting 
State Reagan centennial commissions.
  Extending this Commission will require, as my colleagues have said, 
no Federal funding. All funds needed are privately raised.

                              {time}  1710

  In conclusion, many other centennial commissions have operated for 
longer periods with significant Federal funding. Extending the Ronald 
Reagan Centennial Commission will provide more opportunities to 
commemorate recognition of President Reagan. I want to thank Chairman 
Issa and Ranking Member Cummings, along with their staffs, for their 
assistance in helping bring this bill to the floor today.
  I also want to express my appreciation to Speaker Boehner, Majority 
Leader Cantor, and Minority Leader Pelosi for all their help in 
bringing the bill forward today. I urge my colleagues to support this 
legislation.
  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I have no additional requests for 
time, I reiterate my support for this measure, and I yield back the 
balance of my time.
  Mr. KELLY. I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, in closing, I want to leave this body with a simple, 
eloquent quote from President Reagan. He once said: ``The problem is 
not that people are taxed too little. The problem is that government 
spends too much.'' This week, as we consider the 2011 spending bill and 
move towards funding the government for 2012, I want to urge all 
Members to keep that in mind on both sides of the aisle, because it is 
entirely fitting and proper that we honor his memory and his wishes as 
we go forward, and truly take this on, and do it in a bipartisan 
manner, and do it in a way that reflects the American people.
  This is not about Republicans or Democrats. This is about America and 
America's financial health as we go forward. I am urging all Members to 
please back this and support this bill.
  Mr. REYES. Mr. Speaker, I rise to express my support for H.R. 1308 
which extends the due date of the final report of the Ronald Reagan 
Centennial Commission from April 30, 2011, to November 30, 2011; and 
the final termination date of the Commission from May 30, 2011, to 
December 31, 2011.
  The Ronald Reagan Centennial Commission was formed to commemorate the 
100th anniversary of President Ronald Reagan's birth and to celebrate 
the life of our Nation's 40th President. Earlier this year, I was 
appointed one of the new members of the 2011 Ronald Reagan Centennial 
Commission by Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi. In that capacity, I am 
aware of the great events scheduled to commemorate the life of 
President Reagan past the original dates Congress set forth in the 
Ronald Reagan Centennial Commission Act. Passing H.R. 1308 today will 
extend the timeline and allow for the appropriate completion of these 
events.
  I worked with President Reagan prior to serving in Congress when I 
worked in the United States Border Patrol. During his administration, I 
served as Sector Chief for the McAllen Sector in south Texas, where I 
worked under one of the great leaders of the former Immigration and 
Naturalization Service, Alan Nelson, who was appointed by President 
Reagan.
  While most Americans remember Ronald Reagan for his unwavering 
optimism, his sense of humor, and his unique ability to connect to a 
broad spectrum of Americans, what I appreciated most about President 
Reagan was his pragmatic approach to immigration and border security.
  President Reagan was at his best when he shared his idealism of an 
America that stood as a shining city on a hill, a beacon of hope, and a 
place where people of all backgrounds are welcomed. He reminded us of 
all that was great about America--a place where people have for 
generations come here in search of a better life, often fleeing from 
oppression, persecution, and deprivation.
  When America was faced with a growing wave of undocumented immigrants 
25 years ago, he proposed common sense solutions to fixing the problem. 
He never demonized illegal immigrants; he never belittled them, never 
used them as a scapegoat, and never blamed them for the Nation's 
troubles. He never inflamed public opinion, and saw the good in people. 
His former speechwriter, Peter Robinson, once said:
  ``He could picture--in his own mind's eye, he could picture those 
little ships that the pilgrims sailed in. He could picture the 
difficult, oppressive conditions under which the Chinese were brought 
to California. He admired people for what they had gone through to 
achieve better lives for themselves and their families in this 
country.''
  He even felt compassion and empathy for those who had come here 
illegally. At the signing ceremony for the Immigration Reform and 
Control Act of 1986, President Reagan said:
  ``The legalization provisions in this act will go far to improve the 
lives of a class of individuals who now must hide in the shadows, 
without access to many of the benefits of a free and open society. Very 
soon many of these men and women will be able to step into the sunlight 
and, ultimately, if they choose, they may become Americans.''
  While I did not agree with all of the President's policies, I admired 
and respected the character of his discourse on immigration, and I 
believe we should all learn from his example.
  As we mark this historic occasion and celebrate the life of President 
Ronald Reagan, I hope all of us are inspired by President Reagan's 
ideals and the vision he had of an America that embraced immigrants and 
the compassion he showed even to those who came here illegally.
  In his farewell address to the American people, President Reagan 
closed his speech by making reference to the 'shining city on the hill' 
as he so often did during his political career. He said:
  ``I've spoken of the shining city all my political life, bat I don't 
know if I ever quite communicated what I saw when I said it. But in my 
mind it was a tall, proud city built on rocks stronger than oceans, 
windswept, God-blessed, and teeming with people of all kinds living in 
harmony and peace; a city with free ports that hummed with commerce and 
creativity. And if there had to be city walls, the walls had doors and 
the doors were open to anyone with the will and the heart to get here. 
That's how I saw it, and see it still.''
  Mr. KELLY. I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Kelly) that the House suspend the 
rules and pass the bill, H.R. 1308.
  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. KELLY. 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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