[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 150 (2004), Part 9]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 12391-12392]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




            MOURNING THE PASSING OF PRESIDENT RONALD REAGAN

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                         HON. MICHAEL N. CASTLE

                              of delaware

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, June 19, 2004

  Mr. CASTLE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to President 
Ronald Reagan. We all join together this week to mourn his passage, but 
more importantly to celebrate his life. President Reagan meant many 
things to many people in the United States and throughout the world. 
Put simply, the world is a better place because Ronald Reagan lived. 
From his days as an actor and motivational speaker to his time as 
Governor and President to his final days on his California ranch, 
Ronald Reagan was a true gentleman who impacted the lives of those 
around him.

[[Page 12392]]

  Ronald Reagan was sworn in as the 40th President of the United States 
the day American hostages were released from Iran--a poignant beginning 
to the challenges, which would lie ahead. As President, he survived an 
attack on his life and a battle with colon cancer; he fought communism; 
he guided the American people through rough economic times and 
uncertain international struggles; he made history in nominating the 
first woman to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court; and lead Americans 
through the tragedy of the Space Shuttle Challenger.
  But to limit our descriptions of President Reagan to the milestones 
in his Presidency would be incomplete. His most impressive qualities 
are the intangibles that are felt but hard to describe.
  So many Americans connected with President Reagan on a personal 
level. His ability to communicate with was unparalleled. ``Larger than 
life'' was never a phrase used to describe Ronald Reagan--not because 
he couldn't have been, but because he didn't want to be. He truly 
operated as a man of the people.
  My first term as Governor of Delaware overlapped with his second term 
as President of the United States. I had the honor and privilege of 
working with President Reagan on what I see as one of his greatest 
landmark accomplishments--welfare reform. The empathy he felt for the 
American people and the challenges they faced in trying to make ends 
meet were represented in this landmark legislation. He epitomized a 
leader who didn't give hand-outs--but a hand up.
  The optimism he felt for every American, our nation and the world was 
evident to all. His ``glass half full'' mentality guided us through 
times of peace and times of uncertainty; through the end of the Cold 
War and rough economic times. No matter what our nation faced, 
President Reagan's sense of patriotism, togetherness and hope for the 
future--was infectious.
  His love of country made us believe that America was blessed to do 
great things for so many people. Sadly, this was probably best 
communicated in what has come to be known as his Letter to the American 
people when he told the world he was diagnosed with Alzheimer's 
Disease, when he wrote:
  ``I now begin the journey that will lead me into the sunset of my 
life. I will know that for America there will always be a bright dawn 
ahead.''
  Everything he did, he did with grace. He will be remembered--even by 
those who may have disagreed with him--with respect for his willingness 
to work together and negotiate, with humor. He and Democratic Speaker 
Tip O'Neill used to joke that we are ``all friends after 6:00 p.m.'' 
meaning that at the end of the day, politics was put aside and 
friendships could grow.
  I like to think of President Reagan as a flexible conservative, one 
who was willing to listen to all sides of an argument, even if he 
didn't agree, for the chance that he might learn something new or 
understand a different angle. He didn't pretend to be an expert on all 
issues, and that is why so many politicians and the American people 
respected him. He wanted to turn the issue on all sides to see if there 
were any new approaches that could be taken. Yet at the same time, he 
was deeply rooted in his beliefs of smaller government, lower taxes and 
personal responsibility--which continue to guide the Republican Party 
today.
  President Reagan is considered the modern day father of the 
Republican Party and his long legacy and sunny optimistic spirit will 
live on in all Americans. And as we all gather today to celebrate the 
man who meant so much to our country, I would like to invoke the words 
he used in bidding good-bye to the passengers on the Space Shuttle 
Challenger--``We will never forget them, not the last time we saw 
them--this morning, as they prepared for their journey, and waved 
goodbye, and `slipped the surly bonds of earth' to `touch the face of 
God'.''
  The Gipper, the Great Communicator, the Flexible Conservative and the 
Great Conciliator has gone home. But his legacy will never be 
forgotten.

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