[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 150 (2004), Part 9]
[House]
[Page 11750]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                        TRIBUTE TO RONALD REAGAN

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the order of the House of 
January 20, 2004, the gentleman from Kansas (Mr. Ryun) is recognized 
during morning hour debates for 5 minutes.
  Mr. RYUN of Kansas. Mr. Speaker, there are few leaders who we can 
look to who truly embody the characteristics of what a leader should 
be. Ronald Reagan embodied them all.
  He was a man of principle; he was a man of action. Unlike many who 
just talk about their convictions, he was a man who acted upon them. As 
a man of deep faith, he brought conviction to the presidency, knowing 
what he believed and why he believed it. Yes, he was ``Mr. President;'' 
and indeed a role model, a man of conviction and courage.
  He once said, ``A leader, once convinced a particular course of 
action is the right one, must have the determination to stick with it 
and be undaunted when the going gets rough.''
  It was this conviction and courage that enabled him to lead the world 
out of the Cold War into an age when communism no longer thrived. As he 
put it, ``We did not seek the role of leadership that has been thrust 
upon us. But whether we like it or not, the events of our time demand 
America's participation.''
  My wife Anne and I had the privilege of meeting President Reagan at 
the White House for a St. Patrick's Day event in 1982. As we chatted 
for a few minutes, I remember being in the presence of someone great. I 
told him that we were praying for him. He shook my hand, and in a 
genuine, soft-spoken voice, he thanked us.
  His convictions guided him on social issues as well. In 1983, on the 
tenth anniversary of Roe v. Wade, he wrote a 9 page article to the 
American people laying out his opposition to the abominable practice of 
abortion. In it he wrote:
  ``We cannot thrive as a free nation when some men decide that others 
are not fit to live and should be abandoned to abortion and 
infanticide. My administration is dedicated to the preservation of 
America as a free land, and there is no cause more important for 
preserving that freedom than affirming the transcendent right to life 
of all human beings, the right without which no other rights have any 
meaning.''
  Our founders believed in the idea of America. It was an idea of 
freedom and justice for all. Reagan believed in America, and, more 
significantly, he believed in the American people. Rather than simply 
imposing his principles upon others, he redefined the mainstream by 
giving them something to believe in. It was this quality of principled, 
caring leadership that inspired many, including me, to act upon our 
convictions, believing that the American way was just and right.
  As we mourn the passing of our 40th President, we must not allow his 
legacy to die with him. His legacy is a continued belief in the idea of 
America. To carry it on, we must not only look to what has been, but we 
must look forward to what will be. Because of the work of Ronald 
Reagan, the idea has prevailed. It is up to us to ensure that we 
continue his optimism for the future. President Reagan left us a legacy 
to uphold.

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