 All right, we're getting ready to bring the president in we want him to hear the Reagan chair the way we did it before are you ready a little louder Let's go Pull on that with an hour with an hour with an rea with a g with a g with a g a n R e a g a n Reagan Reagan yay everybody ready with an hour with an hour with an hour e a with a g with a g with a g a n R e a g a n Distinguished members of the Congress Students and faculty of Gordon last year while we were campaigning together throughout Illinois the president asked me Why so many young people were? Enthusiastically supporting him and I said mr. President because you're a leader and that's what they want and our president has given to America Her pride just as Gordon has given education pride in the city of Chicago We are both winners because he's as tough and as determined as a ram It's highly it's highly unlikely that president Reagan didn't hear the chair But just to be sure let's do it one more time ready. Thank you gentlemen Thank you gentlemen if you'll sit down I would like to Before the president makes his remarks a tight schedule to produce a tax reform bill one that will satisfy both The Hatfields and the McCoys. I wish you all very well. Thank you. We in Chicago are very proud That our congressman chairman Dan Rostam Kowski Is taking the lead in the Congress as the president's partner in fighting for tax reform For America ladies and gentlemen the only man in America. I don't mind introducing twice the president of the United States Thank you very much. Thank you. Thank you Reverend clergy Reverend clergy governor Thompson congressman representatives Porter and O'Brien and Martin and Hyde and I've got to stop on one of those names there congresswoman Martin is Congresswoman Martin represents the district in Illinois that contains a town called Tampico where I was born and A town called Dixon where I grew up So I didn't think the rest would mind if I gave a special mention here to I can still call her my congresswoman But you the faculty and the students I thank all of you very much Believe me. It's great to be in Chicago. It's my kind of town and it's It's wonderful to be at Gordon Tech in the home of the Rams You know it'd be awfully tempting to say Beat Loyola But then again in my present job. I'm not supposed to take sides within the country that way But let me tell you what I will say. I remember back playing football at Eureka College down here in the center of the state and I remember one night in a Chalk talk, I guess maybe today. They're called skull sessions But anyway in this Chalk talk the conversation got around. I don't know how Now I'd always known that I never started a football game without asking somebody's help and I wouldn't have said that out loud. I'd have been afraid to But I was amazed at one by one. We found there wasn't a man in the squad That didn't pray before a game we got comparing notes on what we prayed and what we asked and Somehow all of us on our own had figured out We couldn't ask God to help us win because he obviously He couldn't take sides either But we found that we'd finally worked it out for ourselves that each one of us was praying that No one would get hurt be no injuries that everyone would do their best That the best team would win and we'd have no reason for regret that how it turned out so I'll pass that prayer on to all of you for the game with Loyola But I've I've come here to not just to talk to you But to talk with you and to have a little give-and-take about some of your concerns and your hopes and dreams for the future But first let me just say a few words about the kind of future that I hope for you And it is a nation that is that prospers in a world that is free This is the America that we've been trying to Well, maybe I was going to say create but no I think it's the kind of America we have created I Look at some of your signs up here, and I know something about your student body Did you ever realize how unique you are and we are in all the world? All of us all of us either By ourselves on our own or by way of our ancestors our parents grandparents or great-grandparents All of us came here from someplace else in the world and it meant that somebody in our family had an inner spirit a desire and love for freedom and the courage to pick up and leave a homeland and Come here to a strange land and start all over again and become a whole new breed of people called Americans and We all retain as the signs indicate a feeling with regard to the land of our heritage You know a man doesn't have to give up his mother because he takes a wife So it's a little bit that way with us. Yes. We're Americans, but yes we have a feeling of kinship with those places from whence we came and And There isn't any other place on earth like it two years ago when we first started in Washington We found that we had a broken economy that needed a little fixing Government had grown so big Taxing and spending were out of control Families were struggling to get by a web of regulations were so thick that businesses were spending most of their time filling out forms instead attending to business and Rather than keeping America number one in the world. So we tried to use some common sense We put the people back in charge and cut the increase in government spending nearly in half We cut the growth of regulations by about a third and we're still whittling at those and We passed the first across the board tax cut for everyone since 1964 And then we indexed the tax rates to inflation and maybe some of you haven't thought about what that means The income tax is based on the number of dollars you earn not their purchasing power and so when we were going through these long Decades of inflation that continue to erode the value of the dollar and when people had to get cost of living pay raises to make them keep Even with inflation they didn't keep even because the number of dollars increased and Uncle Sam pushed you into different higher Tax brackets and you found out you were paying a higher tax year after year Just for trying to keep even with the depreciating value of your money Well, we've indexed that now so that can't happen again government can't get any tax increases for free By just simply moving you up into higher tax brackets the brackets now are indexed along with inflation But we also did something about inflation It was about 12 and a half of points or percent when we came here and or came to Washington For the last four months. It's been two and a half percent We've had 34 months of economic growth, and we've created about eight and a half million new jobs Our trading partners in Europe in the European Community 10 nations there have not increased Or had a new job created in any of the countries there in over the last ten years We've had a record number of new business incorporations But our job isn't finished the government is still spending too much If your families can live within a reasonable budget the federal government ought to be able to do the same thing now So I'm supporting a thing that the Senate was taking action on yesterday Maybe it's one of the reasons why our friend Congressman Rostankowski couldn't be here today because now it's over to the house and that is a plan called the Graham Rudman amendment that would force the government to control spending and Give the United States a balanced budget in other words to bring the deficits down over a period of five years and by 1990 We would balance the budget and then it is my dream that we adopt a Constitutional amendment that says henceforth the federal government cannot spend more than it takes in So with the help of your fine congressman Dan Rostankowski We're going to do that and we're going to overhaul what complicated tax system and make it shine with fairness for everyone and Make it simple The present tax system has 14 different brackets in which you earn a few more dollars and the government shoves you automatically up into another Bracket well our proposal will only have three brackets 15% 25% and 35% Well, there will be a fourth bracket that we haven't talked about That'll be zero because there will be a lot of people down at the lower end of the earning scale It won't have to pay any tax at all So taxable income all the way up to twenty nine thousand dollars a year You will you'll keep eighty science five cents out of every dollar you earn and from twenty nine up to seventy thousand dollars a year you will keep 75 cents in that bracket out of everything that you earn and Above seventy thousand dollars you will keep about sixty five cents out of every dollar that you earn When we began five years ago the top bracket was seventy percent not thirty five We've lowered it to fifty and it's been fifty now for these last few years But we want to come down some more that top bracket should be thirty five We think our plan is also very pro family Because one of the important reforms we'd make is in the personal exemption Now that you know each one of you you're in an exemption When your parents sit down to figure out the income tax every year they get to deduct Now a thousand and forty dollars From their taxable income for each one of you well We think that isn't enough anymore after the inflation we've had we're holding out now That it'd be two thousand dollars Now some of the people in the congress want to cut that down they don't want to make it two thousand I think we've got a pretty good argument Because back in 1948 when it was six hundred dollars And then to try and keep pace with inflation it went up to a thousand and forty as it is now Would it tell you the honest truth If we'd really kept up with inflation That exemption would be twenty seven hundred dollars Well we're only asking for two thousand but we're sure going to have an argument against anybody that wants to cut it back But there's more than just doing something about the economy It's also renewing america's mind and heart and spirit And uh some of that renewal has evidently been going on right here from what i've heard That's We're determined to stand up for the rights of the family to strengthen the community To acknowledge that we're a nation under god that gives all children the right to pray in their schools And that's why we're determined to renew excellence in education To help restore discipline to schools To reward teachers of merit to make sure all our students learn english and to put parents back in charge of their own families Now we've been making some gains in that educational field because those sat scores You know the scores that you take in the Examinations with regard to college entrance Well, they have been up now for three of the last four years after 20 years of straight decline And this year's jump was the biggest jump since 1963 And Now there's one other reform that we want we've tried and we haven't gotten it so far But we're going to keep trying because it's right and it's fair We believe for parents who are sending young people to schools like yours They are entitled to a tuition tax credit Well, these are some of the things that we're trying to do Including the fact yes That we feel there is a right for every unborn child to be born And we're going to strive for that We also want to leave you a world that is at peace And some people seem to misunderstand the Job that we have been doing in these last few years of refurbishing our armed forces To the point that we can Stand in the world with a deterrent to war As a matter of fact one of our large military bases in this country has a sign over their entrance gate that says Our business is peace now You tempted me beyond eyes my strength and I talked longer than I was supposed to But uh, we're going to have a dialogue now instead of a continued monologue And I know that you have chosen some for questions And uh, I'll start with the right microphone and then switch back and forth Take your questions My name is Ricardo Sanchez and I'm a freshman I have a question I'd like to ask you why did you choose to come to the school? Why did I choose to come to this school? Well I'd have to ask them No, I'd have to ask some people that were doing some of the scheduling But all I can tell you is that I keep needling those people that Put a schedule on my desk and tell me what I'm going to do I keep needling them to let me come to more schools because I like what I've seen of young america but you You also were picked on the basis of some of the things that you have accomplished and what we Know you're here and we tied that into our trip here to chicago to come and see you My name is tony hawkins and i'm a junior here at gordon tech. What is your comment on the hostage crisis this past week? For the comet this last week on the hostage question First a general comment this terrorism and this thing that is going on in the world is the most frustrating thing to deal with to You know, you want to say retaliate when this is done Get even but then what do you say when you find out that you're not quite sure that a retaliation Would hit the people who were responsible for the terror and the crime and you might be killing innocent people and so you Swallow your gorge and And don't do it. But in this last situation We had moved We were ready and prepared and then this Or Thing that happened with the egyptian government Offering to Release the hostages. They did not know at the time that a murder had been committed I can only say about this one That we are making every effort to see if those hostages cannot be or not the hostages those terrorists The four of them cannot be located and turned over To one of the governments our own or Italy or Egypt The governments that would have a legitimate right to prosecute them and bring them to the court of justice for the murder Thank you very much. Mr. President. Thank you Mr. President, my name is callous. I'm a freshman. My question is What are your feelings now that you have seen gordon tak? You you turned down a little away from the microphone there say that again. I I lost you What What are your feelings now that you have seen gordon tak? What are my feelings now that i've seen gordon tak? You saw me have to tilt the mic up. I grew three inches since I came in the room here I must say I was somewhat prepared You have friends who told me that I would find a great spirit here told me some other things about your school your accomplishments but uh believe me I heartily approve and I think looking at all of you the 21st century is in good hands My name is david haze. I'm a junior at gordon tak. Mr. President. My question is what about more financial aid to college students What about more financial aid to college students? All right Well, as one who worked his way through college, uh, believe me. I have a sympathy for those who Could not go without having some kind of help as a matter of fact one of the better jobs I've ever had was working my way through college. I washed dishes in the girl's dormitory But There there seems to have been some misunderstanding I know why you asked about us and our approach to that very subject First of all, we found when we arrived in washington that there were people Who were getting grants and loans whose family income was such that they weren't justified We thought that the help should be aimed more directly to those who would actually have to have Help if they were to go to school So we did make some changes and there were some people then that On the basis of income were ruled out as to getting this help And we have directed more to those with the incomes that made it necessary But also the idea that in these changes that somehow we have cut back We have reduced requests for More spending but we right now are spending more on that program of college aids to students College aid to students then has ever been spent in the country's history And right this year we're spending around nine billion dollars on college age and age and more than 40 percent of the college students in this country are getting some kind of federal help So I think we're doing in the situation we're in what with deficits and all as much as could be expected of the federal government Mr president, my name is david thenowitz and i'm a freshman from home room 114 and how my question is What is it like to be the president? What is it like What is it like to be the president? well I have to say first of all, I view the presidency as You know some people become president But I've always thought of it that temporarily you are given custody Of an institution called the presidency And you must then return the custody of that or hand it on to someone else when your turn is over uh I Obviously there is a great pride and there's a great thrill to Serving the people of this great country and I feel it very deeply I I have to say also there are There are moments of great stress when decisions have to be made I don't think know of a I don't know of a Strain on a president or a problem that could be greater and more anguishing Then to someday have to put the young men and women in uniform in our country out Where they face the risk of wounds or death? And I made such a decision with regard to the invasion of granada I have made Decisions of that kind with regard to terrorism and then found that Uh The exercises didn't need to be carried out but You have moments Things that you will never forget such as the death of our marines the hands of a fanatic terrorist in Lebanon those things You have to learn to to live with but Well, all I can tell you is that Every morning when I wake up I thank god. Thank you, mother My name is mike brazini and i'm a sophomore mr. President My question is will you continue to stand by your strategy of peace through strength? Yes Yes, we had allowed we're a peace loving people and we haven't Out of the wars we've been in we haven't taken additional territory or conquered other lands We've had peace for 40 years And I believe that peace is based on two things a deterrent capacity And the other is that after wars and there have been four in my lifetime After previous wars Peace would come and yet in the terms of the peace we would lay the foundation for the next war The hatreds the rivalries would still pertain and 40 years ago Our country When we came to the end of the great world war two Our country set out to help all the war ravage nations including our enemies And today those enemies japan west germany Italy they are our staunchest and strongest allies And we believe that part of the 40 years of peace has been due to the fact that we for once Helped in bringing about a peace that erased the hatreds and rivalries Rather than just smoothing them over until there would be a another chance to express them And the When we came into office we found that our military had been allowed to decline We had as you know the draft And we have now a volunteer army Do you know that we meet our quotas every year on enlistment? We do better on reenlistment than has ever been done But do you also know that we have the highest percentage Of high school graduates in uniform in this country than we have ever had in the history of the united states? And I can sum up why it must be peace through strength We tried over the years in unilateral disarmament. I saw some signs of some demonstrators outside that we're asking for that very thing We tried detente and letting our military decline And not building weapons cancelling the b1 bomber and so forth Instead the enemy kept on or the adversaries I'm not going to call them an enemy anymore an adversary who is contesting with us continued to build up To where there was a dangerous imbalance that was growing And I think the greatest proof came in a cartoon I saw of two russian generals When we started to rearm and one of them was saying to the other I liked the arms race better when we were the only ones in it Well, they're not going to be the only ones in it. We're going to do everything we This will be one. This will be one of our goals in geneva next month to reveal to them That we both can bring down those mountains of armaments If we are willing to agree that neither one of us should be responsible for starting a war But that if they're going to insist on building up these tremendous arsenals of Offensive weapons, which they are Then they might as well face it. We are not going to let them get that enough advantage that they can ever make war All right Mr. President, my name is John O'Flaherty I'm a junior and I would like to know what do you plan to do after you finish your final term of presence What do I intend to do after I finish my final term as president? Well, this is the final term Well for one thing I'll go back to the ranch and uh catch up on a little ranch work that I haven't been able to do much of But um Oh people keep telling me I'll write a book They say it's the proper thing to do But no, I think then As you know, I've been 39 years old 33 times now I think that I will try to do just whatever I can as a citizen To help whoever is in government Keep on with the things that need to be done to keep our nation great I wish I'd have forgotten the opening remark so we could have taken more questions here I love to do this and uh, I just want to tell you I also have received from your student council of A document a letter Containing a lot of things and subjects that you are interested in Many of them did not come up in the limited questioning so far today But I'm going to take that back with me. I just received it today and saw it for the first time I'm going to take it back and I'm going to write an answer to that letter to your student council Thank you very much Bill Jepsen from the gordon tech community and we'd like to show you our sincere appreciation For your coming and spending some time with us By giving you a gt jacket inscribed with mr. President's Number one gt painter's cap Mr. President put me in coax the gipper is ready