[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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