Tribute to Former President Ronald Reagan
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD
SENATE
TRIBUTE TO FORMER PRESIDENT RONALD REAGAN
Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, at sunset last Friday, the 40th President of the United States was laid to rest on a hill overlooking the Pacific Ocean. The consummate optimist, who etched the promise of a "shining city upon a hill" into the Nation's conscience, leaves behind a legacy that beckons us to stay true to the American spirit.
Whether folks agree with his political philosophy or not, the actor-turned-politician-turned-states man from the Midwest helped usher in the dawn of a new day for millions of jobless Americans and to those living in oppression behind the Iron Curtain.
Through bold, buoyant leadership, Ronald Wilson Reagan, 1911-2004, persuaded his fellow citizens that it was "morning again in America" by restoring the promise of peace and prosperity.
The outpouring of support during last week's remembrance for the former President reflects Reagan's ability to bring out the best in people and unite America.
The pageantry evoked patriotism. The solemnity of the events underscored the public's appreciation and respect for this leader who championed the cause of freedom all around the world. For 8 years, he served as a beacon of hope for those cast under the dark shadows of totalitarianism.
The "Great Communicator" arrived in the Oval Office when America was licking wounds left by Watergate and Vietnam. Stifled by a sinking economy, joblessness and sky-high inflation, the national mood also wavered under the uncertainty of the Cold War. Americans yearned for brighter days.
Elected to his first term in November 1980, President Reagan exuded optimism, charm and kinship with ordinary Americans. His good-natured disposition, self-deprecating humor and can-do attitude launched a new era in American politics. Like Reagan, I won an upset victory over an incumbent in that election.
He and I shared a conservative political philosophy rooted in core beliefs spelled out by the Nation's Founders and agreed much more often than not. Now 24 years after the "Reagan Revolution," I am privileged to continue advancing our shared principles: Big ideas instead of big government. Deregulation to foster free enterprise. Tax relief that encourages productivity, growth and individual ingenuity. Self-reliance rather than self-pity.
Reagan's policies proved that economic and political freedom bring about peace and prosperity. As Reagan said in his 1989 farewell address to the Nation: "Democracy, the profoundly good, is also the profoundly productive."
Many people grossly underestimated the strength of Reagan's convictions and the foot soldiers who helped sweep him into office. With a steely determination coupled with folksy charm, Reagan masterminded the efforts that liberated Eastern Europe in 1989.
Eight years earlier, he had predicted the end of Communism as the "sad, bizarre chapter in human history whose last pages are even now being written." Reagan's leadership helped change the course of history for the better.
On June 5, 2004, Reagan lost his 10-year battle with the Alzheimer's disease. A decade earlier, in a hand-written note to the American people, Reagan again looked on the bright side: "When the Lord calls me home, whenever that day may be, I will leave with the greatest love for this country of ours and eternal optimism for its future."
President Reagan valued the gift of life. He used his to expand human freedom. His legacy shapes America's character and lights our way as we continue the "march to freedom" against evil in the world.