Tribute to Former President Ronald Reagan

CONGRESSIONAL RECORD
SENATE
TRIBUTE TO FORMER PRESIDENT RONALD REAGAN

Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I join my colleague from Illinois in paying tribute to the late President Ronald Reagan.

Today the Senate passed by an overwhelming vote a resolution commemorating Ronald Reagan for his service to America and recalling his legacy.

There has been a lot said on the floor about President Reagan. I come to this task with a little different perspective than some. Were it not for Ronald Reagan, I wouldn't be in the Senate today. I say that because I made three vain and futile attempts to be elected to public office. In 1982, I ran for the House of Representatives against an incumbent Republican Congressman. Were it not for the sorry state of the economy in Illinois after the first 2 years of President Reagan's Presidency, I would have lost. But because of the economy and the troubles faced at that moment in time, I was successful in my campaign against a long-time Republican incumbent Congressman.

I will not mislead anyone before making these remarks. I will tell you that while a Member of the House of Representatives during the 6 remaining years of President Reagan's Presidency, there were very few things I agreed with in reference to him. In fact, over 90 percent of the time we didn't see eye to eye. I had some very strong philosophical differences with President Reagan on economic policy, foreign policy, and many other things. But I will tell you this: He was an extraordinary person, and I think even those of us who disagreed with him politically respected him very much.

I recall when I was elected in one of the largest new classes of Congressmen since Watergate, in 1982, that President Reagan and Mrs. Reagan invited all of the new Members of the House of Representatives and their spouses to come for a dinner at the White House. It was an amazingly heady experience to walk in as Congressmen-elect with our wives and shake hands with the President and Mrs. Reagan, realizing full well that most of the people in the room were new Democratic Congressmen who had been running against President Reagan and his policies. But he was gracious to a fault and could not have been more cordial to all of us who gathered that evening. One of my great memories of that period of time between the election and being sworn in was sitting there in the White House at this dinner hosted by President Reagan and Mrs. Reagan. At the same table was my Senate colleague, then-Congressman Mike DeWine, and his wife Fran, who had made the trip from Ohio for that special dinner with the Reagans and new Members of Congress days after she had given birth to a little baby girl, whom she brought to the same dinner in a basket which she had right next to the table. We have laughed about it all the time, because obviously after 23 years that little girl has grown up to be a remarkable young woman.

But those are some of the memories I have of President Reagan opening the door and welcoming in some new Congressmen who had spent months running against him and his policies.

The same thing held true when it came to his State of the Union Addresses. I can remember so many different times when I marched to the House of Representatives' Chamber for the State of the Union Address by President Reagan. After a while I came to understand what the rules were. The rules were these: You didn't have a chance as a Democrat to say anything critical and be successful the night of President Reagan's speech. He had such a magical style and was so affable and friendly and approachable that after he concluded his State of the Union Address, the best for the loyal opposition was to wave and leave the stage because he was so good. He was one of the best. We did learn that after 24 or 48 hours had passed, perhaps a closer look at what he said could lead to some constructive criticism. But we knew right off the bat when President Reagan took to the floor of the House of Representatives for the State of the Union Address and walked up those stairs, the best thing the loyal opposition could do was to be quiet.

There was another aspect of Ronald Reagan which I miss so much. It is part of the political life which unfortunately we don't have enough of. He was President in an era of some great people-Tip O'Neill, Speaker of the House of Representatives, and Bob Michel, Republican minority leader from Illinois. They brought to this business of politics a certain humanity and civility which we have lost almost completely.

I can recall the bitter battles we had on the floor of the House of Representatives with President Reagan over very contentious issues and the debates going on for days. Ultimately, someone would prevail, and many times it would be President Reagan and his position. Without fail, when it came to those critical votes, Tip O'Neill, then Speaker of the House, the leading Democrat, would pick up the phone, call the President and congratulate him. It was a gesture, but it was an important gesture to say that, frankly, we have both given it a good fight; the decision has been made; now let us move on to the people's business.

President Ronald Reagan understood that, Tip O'Neill understood that, and Bob Michel understood that. I wish our generation of leaders could understand that more, that even though we disagree, and disagree with a great deal of conviction, we should try to look for that human side we can all share. I think time and again President Reagan did that. I commend him for it.

Even though you have disagreed with him during the course of the debate, when it was all over, you knew you would be treated with respect.

Time and again, my wife Loretta and I would go down to the White House for the Christmas party, the barbeques and picnics. It was always a warm welcome and greeting, even though the President was of a different party where there were very serious differences.

I would like to reflect, too, for a moment on the former First Lady, Nancy Reagan. She has been a pillar of strength since it was announced that the late President was suffering from Alzheimer's; 10 years watching the man she loved the most of any in the world slip into darkness. She said in a few interviews since President Reagan passed away, the worst part was the advancing years and not being able to share memories anymore because President Reagan was inflicted with Alzheimer's disease. That takes a toll.

We have had friends who have gone through it. It takes a special commitment and sacrifice to make it through that terrible illness. My heart goes out to Nancy Reagan and her family, all of them, for what they have endured for 10 years, standing by the former President while he was afflicted with this disease.

My colleague Senator Carper mentioned earlier that many people are now talking about tributes to President Reagan, and he is deserving. Despite my differences with him politically, I voted for the renaming of the Washington National Airport in his memory. I thought that was appropriate for someone who had served our Nation as President of the United States. Now people are trying to think of other things they can do. They are kind of upping the ante: Well, you know, not the 50-cent piece, maybe the $10 bill; no, maybe Mount Rushmore. I would like to suggest to them the most enduring legacy for this President would be to help others in his name. I can't think of anything more important to ask for when the time comes for those to consider what to do in his memory than the contribution suggested by our colleagues Senators Mikulski and Bond, one which I think is worthy of our immediate consideration. They called for the establishment of the Ronald Reagan Alzheimer's Breakthrough Act of 2004. They believe we are near a breakthrough in treating Alzheimer's and they want us to put special attention and special resources and special efforts in that regard. That not only will serve the memory of President Reagan and his courageous family who stood by him, but it will also serve to help 4 1/5 million Americans inflicted with Alzheimer's disease today, and their husbands, wives, children, and their loved ones who stand by helplessly at their side as they drift into the darkness of this dreaded disease. That would be such a great tribute to President Reagan. I hope we can do it on a bipartisan basis with the civility and humanity which President Reagan demonstrated during the course of his life.

I might also add that the First Lady's commitment to stem cell research is an exceptional statement on her part. She has broken with some members of the Republican Party on this issue. I know her position is controversial, even within this administration, but she understands, as many do, that unless we are committed to medical research, including stem cell research, the chances that we can successfully deal with Alzheimer's, diabetes, spinal cord injuries, and other terrible afflictions will be diminished. I salute the First Lady and I hope we will, in recognition of her commitment and in memory of President Reagan, also decide we will step forward in this critical area of medical research involving stem cells.

I am honored that President Reagan was a friend, at least in passing, on a political basis. I am happy he came from Illinois and happened to believe that perhaps his Midwestern roots might have helped him in his various careers. It certainly helped him serving this country as President.

He had an amazing record of victories. I know because I was on the losing end of a lot of those campaigns. I campaigned for his opponents with little or no success. He carried 44 States in the first election and 49 States in the second. Probably few Presidents in history have had a mandate that substantial when they were reelected. It is a tribute to the fact that America loved that President, America wanted Ronald Reagan to serve, and he served our Nation so well.

I yield the floor and suggest the absence of a quorum.