Ed Royce: “first, both personally and on behalf of my constituents in Orange County, let me offer my condolences to Mrs. Reagan and…”

“first, both personally and on behalf of my constituents in Orange County, let me offer my condolences to Mrs. Reagan and the Reagan family. I, like so many of my colleagues, probably would not be standing here today if it were not for Ronald Reagan. He was an inspiration for a whole generation of young Americans, and his message of limited government and unlimited freedom, as well as his boundless optimism about America's future, motivated me and so many others to get involved in the affairs of our Nation. I first met Ronald Reagan as a student in California. That experience led me to become involved in the Youth For Reagan movement. Over the years, I was privileged to meet him many more times. It was one of the most memorable meetings in 1986. I was visiting the White House as a State senator on the day that President Reagan ordered the bombing of Libya because of their open support for international terrorism. The President told me what a difficult decision it was, but how the future of our Nation and the safety of our citizens depended on firm action. President Reagan was never afraid to take a stand, never afraid to do what was right, even if it was not popular at the moment. In 1964 Ronald Reagan spoke these words to a generation of Americans: ``You and I have a rendezvous with destiny.…”