Nancy Pelosi: “Mr. Speaker, with the death of Ronald Reagan and the dignity with which he left us, there is truly mourning in America.…”

“Mr. Speaker, with the death of Ronald Reagan and the dignity with which he left us, there is truly mourning in America. If the meaning of a life can be measured by the hearts touched by one's death, the outpouring of grief at the death of our 40th President speaks to the distinctly American life that was Ronald Wilson Reagan. We Californians mourn Ronald Reagan as our Governor; all Americans mourn Ronald Reagan as our President; and people the world over mourn Ronald Reagan, the passionate voice for freedom. Today a grateful Nation remembers Ronald Reagan the man. We remember his indomitable optimism and abiding love of country. Ronald Reagan understood the greatness of America has always been the character of the American people. As Americans, we have always dared to dream. And so President Reagan appealed to the enduring belief that sustains us as a people: That America's best days are yet to come. We remember his leadership. Those of us on this side of the aisle may not have always stood with him on matters of policy, but we always knew where he stood, as he did us, when it came to matters of principle. And though firm in his convictions, President Reagan was not afraid of compromise. Indeed, the lifelong crusader against communism will be remembered for signing the first agreement with the Soviet Union to actually destroy nuclear weapons.”