11080 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS May 15, 1986 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS DON REGAN: AN ELOQUENT whose patriotism I esteem. I appreciate allies, and our former enemies, in rebuilding SPOKESMAN FOR THE REAGAN your efforts, Bill, and those of your vice their shattered lands. And I would submit REVOLUTION chairmen, in arranging this dinner. Eliza­ that this economic creativity was but one beth Dole-well, I don't suppose Liddy Dole aspect of a wider creativity that permeated needs any introduction in this town. Suffice the culture as the rest of the world turned HON. JACK F. KEMP it to say that she serves President Reagan to America as its leader. Although in the OF NEW YORK with savvy, with style, and with a quality sixties and seventies it became fashionable IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES that's often rare in government-a sense of to portray the decade of the fifties as dull humor. She also has a persistent quality or square-a period culturally inert-in fact Thursday, May 15, 1986 that won't take "no" for an answer-! it was anything but that. Mr. KEMP. Mr. Speaker, I recently had the know-! have to deal with her regularly and "Not since the 1920's," Professor Jeffrey privilege to be in the audience to hear White she's remaking me into a "yes" man. Hart of Dartmouth writes in his book on House Chief of Staff Donald Regan's remarks There are so many others, so many good the fifties, "had so much been happening, to the Center for the Study of the Presidency friends. I can't possibly summon up the both in popular and in high culture. For phrases to tell you how grateful I feel, so the first time in history, New York was the where he received the Distinguished Service permit me to use those two old, simple art capital of the world.... In philosophy Award. He spoke eloquently of the accom­ words-and let you know that they come and theology, important things were hap­ plishments of the Reagan administration, and from my heart: My friends, thank you. pening. And the Nation as a whole experi­ gave a more personal side of the President's But the assignment of making a speech enced an unprecedented burst of prosperity, leadership and strength of will-qualities that before this distinguished group is one that I of home buying, car owning, and, of course, have helped transform that national mood to approach with trepidation. Much of what I television." New inventions, some of them as one of pride and optimism about the future. have to tell you, you will already have a result of wartime innovation, came to We in Congress have had the opportunity to heard. Standing before so many presidential market, spawning new growth industries. work with President Reagan on various issues, scholars and others who have worked for, or More marriages and the baby boom pro­ with Presidents, indeed, I'm reminded of the duced a challenge to our economy to keep and we can see the evidence of the new be­ story about a man who drowned in the pace. ginning he has given our Nation and the free Johnstown flood. When the man got to There were indeed exceptions, some dras­ world. However, Donald Regan works with the heaven, St. Peter told him an audience had tic. Black Americans in particular still suf­ President on a day-to-day basis, and plays an gathered to hear the latest news from fered severe discrimination, but they were important role in shaping the policies that are Earth. "No problem," he told St. Peter, "I'll able to make some progress. All in all, at the core of the Reagan revolution. I com­ talk about the flood I was just in." St. Peter though, the country took a justifiable pride mend Don's provocative speech to my col­ answered, "Better make it good. The beard­ in itself. Hart writes, "Americans felt good leagues, and hope every Member will find it of ed fellow in the front row is Noah." about themselves and their country during But perhaps my perspective as Chief of the fifties." interest. Staff has permitted me certain insights that The sixties began with a sense of prom­ MR. REGAN'S REMARKS: THE CENTER FOR THE will prove of interest; and if I may, I'd like ise-then of promise betrayed. STUDY oF THE PREsiDENCY to spend a few moments considering the Here are the words of John Kennedy as Ladies and gentlemen, for two decades the place of the Reagan Presidency in the he campaigned for President at the outset Center for the Study of the Presidency has second half of the 20th century, the period of the decade. "Can the world exist half sought to shed light upon a peculiar institu­ since Franklin Roosevelt established the slave and half free • • •? The enemy is lean tion. Theodore Roosevelt called the office a modem presidency itself. Permit me first to and hungry, and the United States is the "bully pulpit." Roosevelt may have been too present in broad outline a number of devel­ only sentinel at the gate.... Extraordinary bully to his successor, William Howard Taft; opments that took place during these dec­ efforts are called for by every American Taft, it's said, referred to the office as "the ades-and to begin with a word about my who knows the value of freedom." Yet by loneliest place on Earth." And shortly after own vantage point when this period began, the time of John Kennedy's death, the his inauguration, Harry Truman said to the more than 40 years ago. Soviet Union had established itself and com­ press corps, "When they told me yesterday During the final years of the Roosevelt munism in Cuba, and the United States had what had happened, I felt like the moon, Presidency, I found myself serving as a sent soldiers to Vietnam. the stars, and all the planets had fallen on major in the Marine Corps in the Pacific. There followed two decades of national me." As Chief of Staff, I understand the The battle conditions we encountered were, agony. The bitter fiascos of Vietnam and part about getting hit by falling objects. to paraphrase Churchill, not uneventful­ Watergate preoccupied our leaders and But in the midst of shifting and often con­ planes roaring overhead, ships pounding brought low the presidency itself. tradictory viewpoints on the Presidency, the their guns, the islands themselves seeming Throughout the world, the Soviets ad­ Center has provided high standards of to shudder; landing on beaches under heavy vanced. Between 1960 and 1980, the list of scholarship and genuine understanding. fire, pursuing a dogged enemy through countries under Soviet domination grew to This award from the Center represents a jungle or over rock. All this has of course include Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, South high honor indeed. I must add that I feel been described in detail by historians and Yemen, Ethiopia, Mozambique, Angola, Af­ likewise honored by the presence here to­ journalists, and I mention it only because I ghanistan, and Nicaragua. The United night of so many I deeply respect-scholars believe it throws light on the sense of unity States, meanwhile, suffered a profound eco­ whose work I admire, friends from the busi­ and mission that our Nation then evinced. nomic disturbance. By 1980, inflation had ness world, colleagues in the Administra­ Freedom, democracy, opportunity for the risen to 12 percent and the prime rate of in­ tion. Dr. Hoxie, the Center's president, is an common man-all these we considered terest had reached more than 20 percent, old friend. He is also a man who served with worth fighting for, and yes, if need be, the highest level since the Civil War; our distinction in World War II, who rose in the worth dying for. Gross National Product had virtually Air Force to become a brigadier general, and When the war ended, as we were leaving stopped growing. who has had a long and distinguished career the service, the country was alive with a The mood of the country during this in education. Thank you, Dr. Hoxie, for sense of expectation, an eagerness to go on period went sour. It was as if the youthful­ those king words. Dr. Farkas, the Center's from the destruction of combat to the chal­ ness and exuberance of the fifties had been chairman, is another friend. Our Ambassa­ lenges of peacetime. Economists and many replaced by old age-anxious, bitter, self­ dor to Luxembourg under Presidents Nixon politicians of course made dire predictions. deprecating. Americans of my generation and Ford, Dr. Farkas has served the Center When war production ended, they claimed, could hardly believe what they had wit­ selflessly for the past 6 years. Thank you, recession would follow. Massive Govern­ nessed-from victory in world war to vascil­ Dr. Farkas, for this fine plaque. ment intervention would be needed. Noth­ lation and self-doubt in less than two dec­ Bill Marriott, our master of ceremonies, is ing of the kind happened. The economy ades. Younger Americans-Americans who a man whose business acumen I admire and began to grow. We were able to assist our had known nothing else-accepted it as a re- e This "bullet" symbol identifies statements or insertions which are not spoken by a Member of the Senate on the floor. Matter set in this typeface indicates words inserted or appended, rather than spoken, by a Member of the House on the floor. May 15, 1986 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS 11081 ceived fact that they lived in a Nation in de­ sumptions that have dominated strategic provided some advice.