Friday, February 04, 2011

Hartzler issues statement on Reagan's 100th birthday

Fourth District Congresswoman Vicky Hartzler released the following statement on the observation of President Ronald Reagan's 100th birthday:

"Ronald Reagan gave us hope at a time when this nation was in need of a boost," said Hartzler. "At the time he was elected Americans were being held hostage in Iran and it appeared as though there was no end in sight to what would eventually be a 444 day siege of the U.S. embassy in Tehran. The day Ronald Reagan took the oath of office our hostages were freed, setting the stage for the Reagan can-do presidency."


“His commitment to keeping America strong was unwavering,” continued Hartzler. “His belief that peace and freedom are achieved through strength was made clear in his 1980 election campaign when he said: ‘We know only too well that war comes not when the forces of freedom are strong, but when they are weak. It is then that tyrants are tempted.’ He proved to be strong as he stood up to the Soviet Union, rejecting its call for the U.S. to weaken its national defense. That steadfast determination to achieve peace through strength paid huge dividends, climaxed by the fall of the Berlin Wall and the eventual demise of the Soviet Union.”

"Ronald Reagan laid the groundwork for so much of what my conservative colleagues and I embraced as we were inspired to make a difference for others through public service," stated Hartzler. "He made clear his views on limited government, rejecting government’s interference in the lives of the American people: 'We the people tell the government what to do, it doesn't tell us. We the people are the driver, the government is the car. And we decide where it should go, and by what route, and how fast.'"

"Ronald Reagan was an inspirational visionary who reminded us of American exceptionalism that is rejected by today's liberal elites," concluded Hartzler. "It is my great privilege to honor him on this day."

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