[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 147 (2001), Part 1]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 1559-1560]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



               RECOGNIZING 90TH BIRTHDAY OF RONALD REAGAN

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                               speech of

                          HON. JOHN B. SHADEGG

                               of arizona

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, February 6, 2001

  Mr. SHADEGG. Mr. Speaker, today we celebrate President Reagan's 
birthday. Although he left office more than 12 years ago, after eight 
years of distinguished service as our Commander in Chief, Americans 
today continue to benefit from the fruits of his hard work. It is for 
that reason I rise to honor Ronald Reagan on his 90th birthday.
  During the 20th Century America witnessed the rise of a handful of 
great leaders. From Theodore Roosevelt to Franklin Roosevelt to John 
Kennedy, America rose to prominence--she expanded internationally, 
built the Panama Canal, overcame a Great Depression and fought two 
world wars. However, it was under Ronald Reagan that America achieved 
her true greatness.
  President Reagan was a common man who, unlike many who came before 
him, entered politics at a later stage in life. He did so because of a 
belief that the country was headed in the wrong direction. A common man 
who touched every American, Ronald Reagan used his charm and steadfast 
beliefs to right the direction and shape the United States into the 
great country she is today.
  President Reagan turned around the public perception of government, 
sparked economic growth, restored the military, won the Cold War and 
restored our faith in America.
  My first memory of Ronald Reagan dates back to 1964 when Ronald 
Reagan spoke to the country on behalf of the Republican candidate for 
President that year--Senator Barry Goldwater of Arizona. On a personal 
note, my father, Stephen Shadegg, worked for Senator Goldwater during 
the 1964 presidential campaign. This afforded me the opportunity to 
experience, first-hand, what a true visionary and leader Mr. Reagan 
was. Ronald Reagan gave a speech on behalf of Senator Goldwater that 
year. It later became known as ``A Time for Choosing.'' Many of the 
points he raised in

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that speech I hold dear and use to guide my judgment while serving the 
citizens of my District and the state of Arizona.
  In that speech President Reagan spoke of several principles 
Republicans, indeed all Americans, continue to hold dear. The first 
principle is personal freedom. Ronald Reagan quoted James Madison when 
he stated that the Framers of the Constitution, ``base[d] all our 
experiments on the capacity of mankind for self-government.'' He was 
correct: Each person should be able to live with the freedom that the 
Constitution guarantees. Ronald Reagan spent every day in office seeing 
to it that this principle was advanced and defended.
  The second principle that President Reagan advocated was that the 
government is beholden to the people. Not the reverse. He stated: 
``This idea that the government was beholden to the people, that it had 
no other source of power is still the newest, most unique idea in all 
the long history of man's relation to man.
  ``This is the issue of this nation: whether we believe in our 
capacity for self-government or whether we abandon the American 
Revolution and confess that a little intellectual elite in a far-
distant capital can plan our lives better than we can plan them 
ourselves.'' Therein lies the essence of President Reagan. Personal 
choice should not be a right or a gift. Rather, left to their devices, 
the American people would grow the economy, improve our schools, save 
for the future and have personal flexibility to achieve those goals. 
Ronald Reagan showed us the way. We, the American people, proved him 
right.
  During the speech, he also asked: ``Are you willing to spend time 
studying the issues, making yourself aware, and then conveying that 
information to family and friends?'' He continued: ``Will you resist 
the temptation to get a government handout for your community? Realize 
that the doctor's fight against socialized medicine is your fight. We 
can't socialize the doctors without socializing the patients. Recognize 
that government invasion of public power is essentially an assault upon 
your business. If some of you fear taking a stand because you are 
afraid of reprisals from customers, clients or even government, 
recognize that you are just feeding the crocodile hoping he'll eat you 
last.'' Truer words have never been spoken, Mr. Speaker. In fact, these 
words ring true today.
  Mr. Reagan extended his vision to a third principle--the economy and 
the tax code. His belief in lower taxes and private enterprise was 
based upon the idea that each individual best knows how to spend their 
money and manage their store. Like the Founding Fathers, President 
Reagan believed that government control of any enterprise leads to 
control of the people who run them. How correct he was when he stated:
  ``The Founding Fathers knew a government can't control the economy 
without controlling the people. And they knew when a government sets 
out to do that, it must use force and coercion to achieve that purpose. 
So we have come to a time for choosing. Public servants say, always 
with the best of intentions, ``What greater service we could render if 
only we had a little more money and a little more power.'' But the 
truth is that outside of its legitimate function, government does 
nothing as well or as economically as the private sector.''
  President Reagan led by those principles. His faith in the 
individual, belief in free enterprise, and unending conviction in 
providing freedom of choice in everyday decisions helped to restore the 
``great, confident roar of American progress, growth and optimism.'' 
The ``choice'' was right then. It is right today. Yet, we must continue 
to fight for these principles today.
  In his farewell address in January of 1989, President Reagan modestly 
summed up his eight years in office, ``All in all, not bad, not bad at 
all.'' Well, Mr. Speaker, I believe this is more fitting of his overall 
contribution to the American public: ``All in all, not bad, not bad at 
all.'' Happy Birthday Mr. President. We salute you.

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