On the recordFebruary 9, 2011
Mr. Speaker, that was one of the many quips we remember from the Great Communicator, Ronald Reagan. As we mark the 100th anniversary of his birth this week on Capitol Hill, we reflect on President Reagan's many accomplishments, his leadership in tough economic times, and his ability to bring us together, which was good humor. During his presidency, Ronald Reagan worked across the aisle to grow our economy by cutting tax rates and getting Washington off the backs of our job creators. He believed, as he said, 'entrepreneurs and their small enterprises are responsible for almost all the economic growth in the United States.' He said, 'concentrated power has always been the enemy of liberty.' Those two statements of President Reagan's were never more true than today, as we have a much greater and bigger Washington bureaucracy than we could have ever imagined or could ever afford. President Reagan believed that we grow our economy by getting Washington out of the way, not by spending more tax dollars borrowed from our children and grandchildren. President Reagan knew that fiscal responsibility was key to our freedom, and he said, 'if we lose freedom here, there is no place to escape to.' The American economy is at a crossroads, and the good news is we have been here before, and we know the way to a stronger future, thanks to Ronald Reagan.
