 Ladies and gentlemen, the Vice President of the United States, the Secretary of the Treasury, James A. Baker III, and the Chief of Staff to the President, Donald T. Regan, the President of the United States. It's hard to see this day come, my thanks, and the thanks of the nation go out to you. The journey's been long and many said we'd never make it to the end, but as usual the pessimists left one thing out, out of their calculations, the American people. They haven't made this the freest country and the mightiest economic force on this planet. Marginal tax rates and the most modern tax code among major industrialized nations, one that encourages risk tentatives that help create record new businesses and nearly 11.7 millions. This is a tax code designed to take us into a future of technological invention and economic achievement, one that will keep America competitive and growing into the 20th. Faith in the individual, not groups or classes, but faith in the resources and bounty of each and every separate human soul. Our founding fathers designed a democratic form of government and in so doing they tapped a wellspring of hope and creativity that was to completely transform history. The history of these United States of America is indeed their genius that continually pushed us beyond the boundaries of existing knowledge, reshaping our world with the steam engine, polio vaccine and the silicon chip. Now that's the equivalent of multi-millionaires today, but in our lifetime we've seen marginal tax rates skyrocket as high as 90% and not even the poor have been spared. Since tax rates escalated, the telephoto and extra hard work that has always been the driving force of our economy. As governments hunger for ever more revenues expanded, families saw tax cuts, or taxes I should say cut, deeper and deeper, in order throughout history, the oppressive hand of government has fallen most heavily on the economic life of the individuals and more often than not, it is inflation and taxes that have undermined livelihoods and constrained their freedoms. Good, but what are the freedom of expression of the entrepreneur whose pen and paper are capital and profits whose book may be a new end on the American dream? That dream is the heart and soul of America. It's the promise that keeps our nation forever good and generous, a model and hope to the world. For all these reasons, this tax bill is less of freedom, millions of working poor will be dropped from the tax rolls altogether, and families will get a long overdue break with lower rates and an almost doubled personal exemption. We're going to make it economical to raise children again. Flatter rates will mean more on signing days, not only an historic overhaul of our victory for fairness, it's also the best anti-poverty bill, the best pro-family measure, and the best job creation program ever to come out of the Congress of the United States. Now that we've come this far, we will not allow tax reform, we must restore certainty to our tax code and our economy, and I'll oppose, I think all of us here today know what a Herculean effort it took to get this landmark bill to my desk. That ever didn't start here in Washington, but began with the individual men and women, each striving to provide for his family and better his or her lot in life. But we must also salute those courageous leaders in the Congress who've made this day possible. To Bob Packwood, Dan Rostinkowski, Russell Long, John Duncan, and McCormick, I salute all of you and all the other members of the Senate and House whose efforts paid off and whose votes finally won the day. And last but not least, the many members of the tax reform and the American people won.