Mourning the Passing of President Ronald Reagan

MOURNING THE PASSING OF PRESIDENT RONALD REAGAN -- (House of Representatives - June 09, 2004)

Mr. COX. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to the previous order of the House, I call up the resolution (H. Res. 664) mourning the passing of President Ronald Reagan and celebrating his service to the people of the United States and his leadership in promoting the cause of freedom for all the people of the world, and ask for its immediate further consideration.

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Mr. CANTOR. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman from California for the time.

I rise today to proudly stand with my friends and colleagues to pay tribute to President Ronald Reagan. President Reagan had the courage to lead America to greatness again after so many others had written us off as a country whose best days had passed. He was a lone voice who dared to believe that the Cold War could be won and communism could be conquered peacefully through strength.

He led United States from double-digit inflation, skyrocketing interest rates and recession to unprecedented economic growth and prosperity. His commonsense ideas of lower taxes and limited government brought us out of those troubling times. His ability to inspire and effect change was truly unique.

I remember fondly my parents' pride in being delegates to the 1980 Republican convention and casting votes to nominate Ronald Reagan to be President. While in high school and college during his Presidential term, I was dramatically impacted by his moral clarity and courage.

President Ronald Reagan had the positive spirit and courage of his convictions that inspired our generation and future generations to enter public service and make a difference in our country.

My family and I send our condolences to Mrs. Reagan and the Reagan family. Nancy Reagan deserves our steadfast support at this time and has earned our respect alongside her husband for her faithful service to our country.

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Religion played a crucial role in his life. Ronald Reagan knew he could set out and accomplish his goals because of his strong faith in God. His mother Nelle taught her son to believe in a loving and merciful God. Her teaching helped guide her son throughout his life as actor, Governor, and President.

Having spent several decades battling the evils of Communism as president of the Screen Actors Guild and as Governor of California for two terms, Reagan held strong convictions that were based on his faith in God and led him to run for President in 1980. He would win in a landslide and become our nation's 40th President.

Reagan's religious convictions would immediately be put to the test. After surviving an assassin's bullet in the third month of his Presidency, Reagan believed God saved his life. He wrote, "I've always believed that we were, each of us, put here for a reason, that there is a divine plan for all of us. I know now that whatever days are left me belong to Him
[God]."

He believed God saved his life for a reason, and he set out to ensure that he fulfilled God's plan for him in the White House. In an era when people tried to diminish the role that faith and religion play in the political life of the United States, Reagan knew that the United States was "richly blessed with His [God's] love and generosity." Reagan also knew that if we failed to remember that the United States is a Nation under God, then the United States would be a "Nation gone under."

During the 1980s, Reagan's religious convictions allowed him to set an agenda that was new and optimistic. His strong faith enabled him to preserve and never waiver when opponents called his economic and foreign policy plans "radical" and "dangerous." As a result, Reagan played an integral role in winning the Cold War, in restoring economic prosperity to the United States, and in helping liberate millions of people from the evils of Communism. He entered the White House with a goal to change the country-he ended up changing the world. He led his life with a mission to fulfill God's plan and, in turn, accomplished so much for all of us.

My family and I send our condolences to Nancy Reagan and her family. Nancy Reagan deserves our steadfast support at this time and has earned our respect alongside her husband for her faithful service to our country.

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