Sherwood Boehlert: “earlier today I joined my colleagues in voting for a resolution expressing the profound regret and sorrow of the House…”

“earlier today I joined my colleagues in voting for a resolution expressing the profound regret and sorrow of the House of Representatives on the death of Ronald W. Reagan, former President of the United States of America. I did not cast that vote as one Member of this, the people's House, nor as a Congressperson for 654,000 New Yorkers who it is my privilege to represent here in our Nation's capital. Rather, that vote reflected the profound regret and sorrow felt far beyond the borders of one district, one State, one Nation. It is illustrative of the sincere sentiment of a world community in collective mourning. President Reagan was so much more than a head of state. He was an inspiration to all whose lives he touched, not just by his words, which reached across the great divides that separate people, but by his deeds which always sought to bring people together in common cause. The President's noble achievements, and there were so many, have been and will continue to be chronicled by historians for time immemorial. So many of my colleagues who preceded and those who will follow have been and will be eloquent in their tributes to the lasting legacy of this great man, and deservedly so. For my part, I simply want to add a listing of the words which come immediately to mind when recalling President Reagan: words like integrity, conviction, honor, faith, grace, dignity, friendship, humor, values, honest, humble.…”