Authorizing the use of the rotunda of the Capitol for the lying in state of the remains of the late Honorable Ronald Wilson Reagan, the fortieth President of the United States.

Mr. Speaker, I join with the distinguished gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Ehlers) and the distinguished gentlewoman from California (Ms. Millender-McDonald) in support of this motion to suspend the rules and pass the resolution to authorize the use of the Capitol Rotunda to honor President Reagan and I would urge all Members to do likewise.

Mr. Speaker, this is a very sad occasion for our country. Last Saturday, June 5, 2004, Ronald Wilson Reagan, the 40th President of the United States, departed this life, and now belongs to the ages.

Since I was first elected to this House in 1998, I did not have the privilege of serving with President Reagan. But I certainly wish I had known him. President Reagan's engaging smile, his reassured demeanor, and his boundless optimism about America, her people and her future, were literally contagious.

And the contagion surely did spread, Mr. Speaker. The overwhelming grief since President Reagan's death reflects the American people's respect for the man, and their gratitude for what he accomplished for present and future generations. While he may now be gone, he will never be forgotten.

Mr. Speaker, as the Congress and the nation mourn our 40th President in the Capitol Rotunda, we might recall the many memorable moments that occurred under this great Dome during his 8 years in office. Indeed a harbinger of things to come, President Reagan asked that his inauguration take place for the first time on the West Front of the Capitol, so he could look out across the Mall toward the west. Not only did this vista accommodate more people attending the ceremony in person, it symbolically shifted the ceremony's focus toward the vast reaches of the country, where most Americans live.

Of course, President Reagan delivered all of his State of the Union messages, and addressed other joint sessions of Congress, from right here in the House Chamber. Once, after Congress had wrapped an entire year's worth of appropriations bills into one mammoth measure, he dramatically plopped a huge stack of paper--not even printed, but instead, Xeroxed copies--onto the desk with a ``thud.'' He implored lawmakers never to repeat the practice. Unfortunately, it has done so repeatedly in the years since that speech. It was a bad practice in President Reagan's time, and it is a bad practice today.

President Reagan's second inaugural took place in the Rotunda, driven inside by the cold winter of 1985. While some television viewers might have been disappointed at the cancellation of the outdoor inaugural and the accompanying parade, I am sure many parents of high-school students scheduled to march in the festivities were relieved. In another thoughtful gesture, the President paused during his inaugural address to note the passing of a Democratic Representative, Gillis Long of Louisiana, who had died hours before.

Throughout his life and career, President Reagan was always considerate of others. Perhaps this attribute reflected the Midwestern values of his native Illinois, and the fact that Ronald Reagan came from humble beginnings.

Born in 1911 in Tampico, Illinois, Reagan's family soon moved to the town of Dixon, where he was active in swimming and other sports, drama, and the student government at the local high school. In 1932, the future President graduated from Eureka College, with a degree in economics and sociology. Popular among his peers and clearly blessed with a radio announcer's voice, after graduation Reagan embarked on a radio career. A journey to Los Angeles to cover a sporting event led to a Hollywood screen test, which in turn led to a contract at Warner Brothers studios.

Reagan made more than 50 movies, including ``Knute Rockne: All- American,'' from which he earned his lifelong nickname for playing the famous Notre Dame athlete George Gipp. In the last reel of the film, legendary Notre Dame football coach Knute Rockne inspired his 1928 team, who was losing a game to Army, by telling them George Gipp's dying remarks, which were:

Some time, Rock, when the team is up against it, when

things are wrong and the breaks are beating the boys, tell

them to go in there with all they've got and win just one for

the Gipper. I don't know where I'll be then, Rock, but I'll

know about it, and I'll be happy.

Needless to say, the inspired Fighting Irish went on to win the game despite their numerous injuries and underdog status. Today, millions remember Reagan as ``the Gipper,'' and far fewer remember George Gipp. Reagan became even better known in the 1950s by working in television, appearing on such early programs as ``Death Valley Days'' and the ``General Electric Theater.''

Reagan lived the rest of his life in California, where in the 1960s, he became active in politics. Though a Democrat, even becoming president of the Screen Actors' Guild, he supported Richard Nixon in 1960 and Barry Goldwater in 1964. In 1966, as a Republican, Reagan won the first of two terms as governor of California. In the tumultuous year of 1968, Governor Reagan briefly sought the Republican presidential nomination, but lost to his fellow Californian, Richard Nixon.

In 1976, the Governor challenged President Gerald Ford for the GOP presidential nomination, and nearly won it at the Kansas City convention. In 1980, he won the nomination and the election, where he received nearly 51% of the popular vote and carried 45 states. Of course, we were all stunned on March 30, 1981, when an assassin shot the President and several others outside the Washington Hilton. Little did we know at the time how close the President came to dying of his wounds. The President went on to survive not only his 1981 gunshot wound, but also, in 1985, a bout with colon cancer.

President Reagan was, and his memory is, beloved in this town. He readily agreed with House Speaker Tip O'Neill's admonition, at an early meeting, that ``after 6 o'clock, we're all friends.'' President Reagan worked to make friends not only with Speaker O'Neill, with whom he often disagreed on policy matters, but with countless others in Congress and around the country. The President's willingness to reach across the aisle and work in a constructive way, refusing to take politics personally, was a hallmark of his approach to governing. I wish others would follow his example in today's poisonous political environment in this city.

In 1984, President Reagan handily won re-election with over 58% of the popular vote carrying 49 states. By the day he left office in January 1989, he was, despite massive budget deficits and the Iran- Contra arms-for-hostages scandal, one of our most beloved presidents.

Mr. Speaker, the solemn state occasion authorized in this resolution will provide an official opportunity for the American people to mourn our former a head of state. This ceremony will be rich in history, and include the use of the Lincoln catafalque, originally built for the state funeral of our 16th President in 1865. This observance will enable Americans, through the Congress and others able to attend, to bid an official, fond farewell to President Reagan for his long career and many contributions to the rich fabric of our nation.

I am honored to play a role in these proceedings in my position as Ranking Minority Member of the Committee on House Administration and to represent the many residents of Connecticut who revere President Reagan and his memory. In their behalf, and mine, I offer Mrs. Reagan and the entire Reagan family the condolences and the thanks of a grateful nation for the President's service. I would like to close by joining our Committee on House Administration's Vice Chairman in urging our colleagues to pass this resolution and win one last victory for the Gipper.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I might consume.

Mr. Speaker, it is with great sorrow that I join the distinguished chairman, or the appropriate person in his place, in support of this legislation to authorize use of the Capitol rotunda for this very sad occasion.

There can be no more proper use of the rotunda, the center of the temple of our democracy, than to honor the late former President Ronald Reagan with a state funeral and lying in state.

With this observance, President Reagan will take his proper place in the pantheon of American heroes who have lain in state in this temple, benefiting their vast contributions to the fabric of our National political life.

Although I did not have the honor to serve in the Congress during President Reagan's term, I greatly admired him as a statesman, and his skills as the Great Communicator, and am grateful for everything he did for our country.

Mr. Speaker, it is especially fitting that Congress and the Nation pay their respects to our 40th President in this temple because several memorable events of his 8 years in office took place here. Of course, he delivered all of his State of the Union messages right here in this Chamber, including the one in which he dropped several pounds of paper onto the rostrum and urged Congress not to send him any more massive, catch-all spending bills.

In 1985, President Reagan returned from a Geneva summit meeting with Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, flew directly from Andrews Air Force Base to the Capitol by helicopter, and addressed a joint session, reporting hopeful progress on arms control and reassuring the Nation and the world.

Perhaps more relevant to the resolution before us, many Americans will recall that the bitter cold of January 21, 1985, forced President Reagan's second inaugural ceremony to come indoors and take place in the rotunda itself in

order to protect the multitudes attending and participating in the inauguration, who would otherwise have been at great risk from the elements and frostbite.

Throughout his life and career, President Reagan was always considerate of others. And like others who have preceded him in the Nation's highest office, Ronald Reagan hailed from a humble background. Born in 1911 in Illinois, Reagan grew up in the town of Dixon, was active in sports, drama, and student politics, all of which would serve him well later. In 1932, the future President graduated from Eureka College with a degree in economics and sociology. He embarked on a radio career that eventually led him to Hollywood, where he worked in the entertainment industry for 2 decades, principally in motion pictures.

He appeared in over 50 movies, including one of my favorites, the 1940 ``Knute Rockne: All American.'' In the film, Reagan portrayed the legendary Notre Dame athlete George Gipp, who set numerous football records during a 5-year career before succumbing in 1920 to an infection that struck 20 years before the discovery of antibiotics. In the movie's climax, Reagan earned his lifelong nickname when the dying Gipp asked Coach Rockne to urge his teammates to go out there and ``win won for the Gipper.'' For us football fans, especially one who has a son who played football, the scene is priceless. My son loved the movie, and he certainly loves football as well. And I have little doubt that today, for millions of Americans, the legends of George Gipp and the man who portrayed him on film have become inextricably linked.

In the 1960s, when the Gipper became active in politics, he generally supported Republican candidates, including Richard Nixon and Barry Goldwater. Like Nixon and Goldwater, Reagan became known as an ardent anti-Communist. In 1966, he became a Republican candidate himself, winning the first of two terms as Governor of California.

Two years after leaving office in Sacramento, Governor Reagan challenged President Gerald Ford for the GOP nomination for the Presidency, and nearly won it. In 1980, he won both the Republican Presidential nomination and the general election, where he received nearly 51 percent of the popular vote and carried 45 States and 489 electoral votes.

Of course, we all recall that in 1981 an assassin nearly ended our new President's life in a hail of gunshots here in Washington. Fortunately, the would-be assassin failed to achieve his demented purpose, and the President went on to survive not only gunshot wounds but also colon cancer.

The President also survived the bruising political battles so common in this capital city. He did so simply by refusing to take politics personally. President Reagan's ability to build and maintain a lasting friendship with House Speaker Tip O'Neill, with whom he disagreed on many political issues, exemplified an approach to politics and to governing which I greatly admire, and one that I wish others would emulate.

In 1984, President Reagan won reelection, with nearly 59 percent of the popular vote, the electoral votes of 49 States, and completed his two momentous terms. By the time he left office in 1989, he was, despite large budget deficits and the Iran-contra scandal, one of our most beloved Presidents.

The massive outpouring of grief seen across this country and the world since his death on Saturday is abundant proof of the esteem Americans hold for their 40th President throughout every city, suburb, and hamlet in this land.

Mr. Speaker, the state funeral and the lying in state authorized in the rotunda this week will be solemn state occasions whose purpose is to provide the public with an opportunity to view the body and mourn the passing of a head of state. Ceremony, history, and protocol will permeate these rites.

Among them, it is worth noting, that when President Reagan's body lies in state in the rotunda, his remains will rest upon the historic catafalque constructed for the funeral of our 16th President, Abraham Lincoln, another son of Illinois. All those who have lain in state in the Capitol rotunda have rested on the Lincoln catafalque, made of simple pine boards and draped in black velvet.

It is fitting that this relic, built for one who became, if not in life, one of the most cherished and beloved Presidents, will now be used to support the body of our 40th President, a cherished and beloved successor to Lincoln. As a people, we are truly grateful for President Reagan's long service to our country and for the opportunity to honor him and his memory in this way.

Mr. Speaker, I am honored to play a role in these proceedings by managing this resolution for the minority, in the absence of our ranking member. I hope that all my colleagues will join in paying tribute to our 40th President by supporting this very important resolution.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

As we heard of the death of our 40th President, Mr. Speaker, I could not help but think of the friendship that I had with his daughter who preceded him in death, Maureen Reagan. For 15

years, Maureen and I worked tirelessly for women's issues internationally. And for the respect that I had for her, and certainly did not know her father, I will say to all of my colleagues to please pass this resolution.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to introduce House Concurrent Resolution 444, to allow the use of the Rotunda of the Capitol for the late Honorable Ronald Wilson Reagan, the Fortieth President of the United States of America, to lie in state.

More than any leader in my lifetime, Ronald Reagan embodied the noble ideals and irrepressible optimism of the American spirit. As President, he led our country into an era of renewed faith in the American Dream. Ronald Reagan guided the United States to victory over Communism in the Cold War, and his domestic policies ushered in an age of unprecedented prosperity. As we stand in the wake of Ronald Reagan's recent passing, we mourn his loss, but we celebrate the remarkable legacy he leaves to the country he loved and served so faithfully.

Ronald Reagan was born into humble circumstances in the small town of Dixon, Illinois. It was in this quintessential Midwestern setting that Ronald Reagan recognized the near-limitless opportunities that flow from liberty, and consequently developed his deep and abiding appreciation for the founding ideals of our great country.

Rising from these modest origins, Ronald Reagan set off on a life journey that was both rich and diverse in experiences. As a young man, he spent seven summers as a lifeguard

on a hazardous section of river near his hometown where he saved the lives of 77 swimmers. He went on to become a college athlete and then traveled to Hollywood, where he became one of the most popular actors of the '50s and early '60s. But, it was in the realm of politics where Ronald Reagan would make his most meaningful and lasting impact, first as a two-term governor of the State of California and then, most significantly, as the President of the United States from 1981 through 1989. Quite, simply, Ronald Reagan changed the world, and we are all the better for it.

Ronald Reagan, more than any other individual, was responsible for winning the Cold War, the epic struggle that pitted the United States and its allies against a Communist force armed with enough nuclear weapons to threaten the existence of humanity. Relying on his deeply held beliefs of the supremacy of liberty and democracy, Reagan assumed the office of President and sought not to accommodate or merely contain Communist expansionism, but to defeat it. He had the courage to speak the truth about the former Soviet Union, to accurately label it as an ``evil empire'' that would ultimately be consigned to the ``ash heap of history.'' He realized that for democracy to prevail in this twilight struggle of differing ideologies with monumental consequences, he had to become a relentless warrior on behalf of the American ideals of liberty, free enterprise, and the primacy of the individual in society. His fortitude provided the American people with purpose and victory over Communism.

Ronald Reagan buoyed up our nation not only with his ever-present smile, his genial nature, and his self-deprecating humor but also with the substance of his ideas: his enduring faith in the innate goodness and creativity of the American people; his steadfast belief in the exceptionalism of our constitutional democracy and economic order; and his unyielding conviction that freedom and democracy will triumph over oppression and tyranny. Ronald Reagan was, and will always remain, a giant on the stage of history, a commanding presence and respected leader whose commitment to freedom and democracy will inspire generations to come. Truly it can be said that Ronald Reagan lifted the spirits of the American people by appealing to our best hopes, not our worst fears, and because of that, he will remain forever in the hearts of the American people.

Walking side-by-side with Ronald Reagan through his life's journey was his wonderful wife and best friend, Nancy. Her dignity and grace as First Lady were exemplary, but even more inspiring has been the strength and resiliency she has demonstrated since her husband was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease 10 years ago. Nancy's devotion to the former President has been nothing less than heroic, and our prayers and the prayers of a nation are with here during this time.

Though our hearts are heavy as we mourn the loss of a beloved leader, we are comforted knowing that Ronald Reagan has gone onto a better place. To borrow the words he used to comfort the nation following the Challenger disaster, Ronald Reagan has ``slipped the surly bonds to earth'' to ``touch the face of God.''

Passage of this resolution will allow us to pay tribute to this great man and his legacy. It will allow all those who loved and admired Ronald Reagan a final opportunity to say a final goodbye. As he lies in state, the American people will have the opportunity to pay their respects by coming to the Capitol Rotunda. I expect that many thousands will do so.

Therefore, I urge my colleagues to support this Resolution.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 444) authorizing the use of the rotunda of the Capitol for the lying in state of the remains of the late Honorable Ronald Wilson Reagan, the fortieth President of the United States.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, this may seem like a routine resolution because we must pass these resolutions to allow the use of the rotunda of the Capitol for certain events, but frankly, this is a very auspicious moment.

By statute, we have defined how state funerals are to proceed in this Nation's Capital. We have very few of them. I believe the last one was at the time of the death of President Lyndon Johnson of Texas. It is a great honor to host an event such as this in the rotunda, and today I rise to present a resolution which will grant permission to have the body of President Ronald Reagan rest in state in the rotunda of the Capitol so that the Members of Congress and members of the public may join in honoring him by viewing the casket.

This is, as I said, a very auspicious event, and fortunately, we do not have to do this often. But it inspires in us, again, respect for the ideals of our Nation and for the things that we do and that we believe in.

When President Reagan's body will arrive, the casket will be placed on a caisson, according to tradition and law, and that horse-drawn procession will proceed from near the White House to the Capitol. It will be followed by a black, riderless horse, indicating a fallen leader. The boots on that horse will be placed in the stirrups backwards, indicating the fallen leader reviewing the troops behind him. When that arrives at the Capitol, with great pomp and circumstance, an honor guard will present the casket and the body and carry them inside the Capitol, displaying the casket in the rotunda.

This evening we will have a memorial ceremony, restricted to the Members of Congress, in the Rotunda. Following that, the people of this Nation, anyone who wishes, may stand in line and view the casket and give their respects to our fallen President.

It is my pleasure to be able to present this resolution honoring President Ronald Reagan and providing the opportunity for the Members of Congress and for the public to view the casket and to pay their respects to this great man. It is the least we can do, and I wish we could do more because he did a marvelous job of leading this Nation in a very troubled time. When we had a broken economy and a dispirited people, he restored their spirits with grace, charm and a twinkle in his eye and eventually helped us prevail over the Soviet Union, which had threatened us for decades with nuclear weapons.

The world is a far better place because of Ronald Reagan, what he did, and the leadership he provided, and it is my pleasure to present this resolution and honor him in this way.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from California (Mr. Cox), a representative of the home State of President Reagan to offer some comments on this resolution.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, it is a pleasure to present this resolution. I have pointed out the historical significance of it, and I urge the entire Congress to cast a unanimous vote. It is the last time to win one for the Gipper, and it is appropriate for us to express our appreciation to a previous leader and President at the time of his death.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time, and it is entirely fitting that we pass this resolution authorizing the remains of President Reagan to lie in state in the Nation's Capitol.

It was in this building that President Reagan took the oath of office in January 1981. Eight years later, he yielded his authority as President and Commander in Chief in this building, in that quiet peaceful transfer of power that is the hallmark of our democracy.

Many of the shining moments of his two Presidential terms took place right here in this Chamber. None are more thrilling than that 1982 State of the Union that marked his triumphant return shortly after he was shot by a would-be Presidential assassin.

And some of his greatest challenges have close associations with this Chamber as well. In his second term, after President Reagan had won Senate passage of his request for aid to the freedom fighters in Nicaragua, the challenge he faced was in this House. The President asked permission to address the House, but Speaker O'Neill said no. I served then as legal counsel in the White House, and I was asked whether the Speaker of the House could deny the President the opportunity to come and address the Congress in the people's House. And my answer, swiftly delivered, was ``absolutely.''

President Reagan did not mind the legal advice. He asked, ``They all have televisions, don't they?'' And he addressed the Nation from the Oval Office. As a result of that magnificent address, intended for all of us here but absorbed equally by the American people, this Congress did the right thing and democracy did move forward in Nicaragua. The Soviet Union was not able to establish a beachhead in our own hemisphere. And whereas upon President Reagan's assumption of office there were only 56 electoral democracies in the world, today there are 117, and over 1 billion people now live in democracies that otherwise would not.

When President Reagan took the oath of office here in this building, he was facing west. The west front of the Capitol was the staging area for that inauguration. He was the first President to do so. He thought it was important to face west, because not only was he a Westerner, not only was he a Californian, but the history of our country moving westward signified the spirit of frontier, the pioneer spirit, and entrepreneurship that President Reagan thought was the genius of America.

When his body is placed in the rotunda later today, it will come to the Capitol up those same steps on the west front and all of us will be looking west to his beloved State of California thinking about what President Reagan meant by that symbolism.

So it is entirely appropriate that we pass this resolution we address now. I know that each of us will take personal pride in recalling his contributions to our country, to our sense of patriotism as we observe the ceremonies in the rotunda later today and as we have our own personal moment to walk by that casket.