Mr. President, I have had numerous opportunities to comment on the amazing life and Presidency of Ronald Reagan. He had bold ideas and the courage to see them through. He was the true embodiment of the American success story. I have often referred to the fact that he was charismatic, determined and consistent, and he enjoyed a remarkable batting average of being right. It has always been a point of great pride to me that my voting record was supportive of President Reagan's positions more than any other Member of the Senate. As the Senate commemorates the 100th anniversary of President Reagan's birth, I want to share with my colleagues and the public a speech I wrote when President Reagan was given the Hudson Institute James Doolittle Award. It was November 22, 1991, and it was a tumultuous time for Washington and the world. Yet you could still see the sparkle in the President's eyes and his warmth and good humor. What we did not know was that President Reagan's effort to end the Cold War was quickly coming to fruition. Within days, on December 1, Ukraine would vote to break away from the Soviet Union, and on Christmas Day, Mikhail Gorbachev announced the end of the USSR. During his Presidency, when President Reagan decided to renew arms control negotiations with the Soviets, he had the wisdom and political strength to ask the Senate to form an official observer group so that there would be understanding and support for any treaty coming out of the negotiations.…
Share & report
More from Dick Lugar
Mr. President, I rise in support of an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act, which would repeal the Cold War-era Jackson-Vanik trade restrictions on Moldovan products and thereby provide impetus for closer U.S. strategic…
Mr. President, I commend Chairman Levin and Ranking Member McCain, our distinguished Armed Services Committee leaders, for their amendment regarding the problem of counterfeit parts, Senate amendment 1092, which was agreed to, as modified…
If the Senator will yield, let me respond. The President sent a copy of the letter to Senator McConnell, our leader. Both leaders got the letter. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under the previous order, all postcloture time has expired and the…
Mr. President, as we remember the life of our friend, Ted Stevens, and celebrate his remarkable service to our country, each of us must surely remember a number of personal experiences which have helped us appreciate how much his…





