Pete Stark: “I gladly recognize and congratulate President Ronald Reagan on his 92nd birthday. However, I voted present because I…”

“I gladly recognize and congratulate President Ronald Reagan on his 92nd birthday. However, I voted present because I could not in good conscience support a resolution that goes beyond simply offering personal well wishes and endorses President Reagan's economic policies. I do not believe President Reagan's legacy of monumental budget deficits and excessive tax cuts for the rich was good economic policy. I don't believe his policies renewed America's economic prosperity. Instead they left too many Americans behind and left a giant bill we are still paying today. I am sorry that the authors of this resolution felt it necessary to insert such partisan language. It would have otherwise been a completely non-controversial resolution that I would gladly support it.”