Sam Gibbons: “I rise today to express my most sincere and heartfelt condolences to the family of Ronald Wilson Reagan and to the…”

“I rise today to express my most sincere and heartfelt condolences to the family of Ronald Wilson Reagan and to the millions of Americans, Mr. Speaker, who join me and all of us in mourning the passing of this great leader this week. I also rise to voice a great sense of loss and bereavement felt by a multitude of my fellow Nevadans who are now reflecting upon and celebrating the tremendous impact that our Nation's 40th and arguably most influential President has had on all of our lives. Reagan's political accomplishments alone could fill volumes; yet his political goals would have been far more difficult to come by if not for his eternally honorable character and personality. This week, as Americans mourn this great loss together, we will reflect not only on his political legacy, but also upon Reagan's personal contributions to America and to our culture. Ronald Reagan was more than a President or a Commander-in-Chief. President Reagan was a small-town boy who mastered his own destiny to become an inspiration and great motivating force for the principles and policies that many of us continue to fight for every day in the House of Representatives.”