 President of the United States and Senator and Mrs. John Tower. Will you please take your seats please? Will you please take your seats for more than 22 years? And our gathering here tonight is testimony to the respect and affection we feel for him for a job so well done. For whatever records are worth, we believe the support of some 3,500 people deep in the root of our national life in an everlasting righteousness. Make us equal to our high trusts, reverent in the use of freedom, just in the exercise of power, once known this night in this assembly, and may that which we do and say redown to your name's honor and glory. Amen. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, with liberty and justice for all. Let's red the guns bursting in the triangle. Would you please be seated? Best known for his artful application of political during our bicentennial celebration, his address, the National Journal, vital speeches of the day. Make the ceremonies for this occasion. The truth, a man who does not either know or if he does does not tell. Remember I was here that don't have full appreciation of agg- Honored guests, ladies and gentlemen, important that you write your own introduction. Ladies who needs all the introduction, serious and very important announcement. And it's for your own well-being. And that's probably the last serious thing that I'll say. And it's a high privilege for me to to emcee this extravaganza for Senator John Tower. Thank you my good friend for that very generous introduction. Mr. President, my distinguished, and that's why I'm proud to be a part of that Republican majority in the Senate. And I think that if we failed to do everything that we can to support the policies of the century, this country can continue to be the greatest power in the world. Now of course we have all the harbingers of recovery. Things are beginning to look good again. We're proceeding not rapidly up a sharp slope, but we've got an orderly progression in our economy that's going to be lasting. I do want to give you all my heartfelt thanks for this marvelous show of support for me and for what all of us believe in and what we all fight for and devote our energies and intellects to achieving. And that is a better world and a country that is fully as free and prosperous to pass on to our children as it was when we entered it. We do all have a solemn obligation to the generation to follow. And I'd like to think that those of us here are like-minded people. Perhaps aren't very good practical politicians sometimes because we think primarily in terms of the future and not just in terms of the next election. We want to make sure that the things we do today will ensure the blessings of liberty and prosperity for our children and their children's children. And that's why we're all here and that's why we're all so appreciative to have with us tonight this great president who has not faltered or failed in the face of some of the most virulent attack and criticism that a president could suffer. The amazing thing is that his esteem in the eyes of the people still holds firm. Indeed, it grows and I welcome him to Texas. I wish we could claim him as a native son because he epitomizes all that we Texans have come to admire in people. This man of great decency and humanity and compassion and yet with a fighting spirit that these perilous times call for. I am deeply honored to present to you, ladies and gentlemen, the president of the United States. Thank you very much. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you very much, ladies and gentlemen. Thank you. Mr. Chairman, Mr. Toastmaster, Reverend Clergy, Senator and Mrs. Tower, Governors Connolly and Clemence, Ambassador Armstrong, Ernie Angelo, the members of the Congress who are here, you ladies and gentlemen, I want to take this opportunity to thank some people who mean a lot to me and mean a lot to our Republican Party, Chet and Virginia Uppam. Thanks so much for all that you have done. Now, I know it's not easy to corral Texans into a political party. It's always an experience coming down here to be with you Texas Republicans. Everything's so big and I hesitate, but I'm going to dare the fates. I know that there aren't very many stories about the size of Texas that aren't known to all Texans, but maybe there are some outlanders here who might not have heard it. There's a Texan who was visiting in Maine and he was visiting a farmer up there and the Texan asked this old boy about his farm and what might be the extent of it and the old fellow said, well, it runs to that clump of trees and then over to that hill and then down to the creek and over to here. How big is your spread in Texas? And the Texan looked at him and said, sometimes I get in my car and I can drive for an hour and a half before I get to the boundary of my farm. And the old fellow from Maine looked at him for a minute and then says, I know exactly what you mean I had a car like that myself once. But seriously though, as much as people joke about big Texas, your lone start state plays an increasingly important role in directing the future of this country. And there's one great service that Texas can render to the United States next year. Return to the United States Senate the man who's proved himself second to none in his determination to improve America's economic well-being and to improve her national security, your Senator John Tower. I've known and admired John Tower for many years but it wasn't until I got into my current job that I fully appreciated his many talents. The 80 election we pledged to make America strong again, militarily and economically. Well I can tell you without any hesitation Senator John Tower has been indispensable in putting us on the road to our success in both those fields. Over the years John has stood firm sometimes like a voice in the wilderness against the tax-tax-spend-spend philosophy that pushed America to the brink of disaster. And since the 80 election when we finally managed to get some leverage he has provided the expertise of the leadership that was needed to deal with the economic crisis that we inherited. Every time I come to Texas I feel like a kid showing a report card to his family. I just want you to know that before I start in all the areas in which we've scored A's we couldn't have done it without John Tower. I know it's getting difficult to remember we're told that political memories are very short but it wasn't that long ago when inflation was public enemy number one. We were told that it would be more than a decade before we could ever hope to conquer inflation. Well it has come down from 12.4% to 3.6% last year and for the first six months or the last six months I should say it has been down to one half of 1% and it hasn't been there since for 22 years. I hear a lot about compassion in Washington from those who want us to return to the policies of the past but it's about time we take a close look at what would have happened had we permitted the inflation caused by their policies to remain double digit. If inflation had continued as it was not increased just stayed where it was before we all took office a family of four and a fixed income of $20,000 would be more than $1,500 poorer in purchasing power today but also they would have been further impoverished by much higher taxes. And what was inflation doing to our economy? Savings and investments sank as the people trying to protect what they could put their money into nonproductive inflation hedges and those who could afford it into tax shelters with inflation running double digits for two years back to back interest rates shot right through the roof knocking the wind out of construction automobile and other major industries a blow from which they're just now beginning to recover consumer spending hit the skids when again because inflation and over taxation the real income of our working people began to drop a total reversal of anything we'd ever experienced in the American history anybody who tries to tell you that we can return to tax tax and spend and spend and not reignite inflation better stay away from taxes and I get a little irritated with that constant refrain about compassion I got an unsigned Valentine in February and I'm sure it was from Fritz Mondale the heart on it was bleeding by getting control of inflation we've channeled savings back into stocks and other productive investments the stock market reflecting the new confidence is spreading throughout the country has shot up 400 points reaching an all-time high and it's still rising the interest rates are down from the 21.5% when we took off to 10.5% now and I think we're going to knock them down lower in the very near future but even now home building and auto sales are far above what they were only a year ago real wages are up as is productivity and consumer spending the leading economic indicators rose again in March for the seventh straight month and of course as John told you already I think the greatest and most positive indicator of all is they aren't calling it Reaganomics anymore they never should have called it that it was the result of that Republican majority that we finally have in the Senate after more than a quarter of a century of living in the wilderness and a combination of good sound and prominent Democratic congressmen and Republicans in the House that made that economic plan go into effect you remember when they were calling what was alien America as a malaise and now former vice president malaise is running for president promising he can do everything just like they did before well just as the A's on our report card reflect the degree of proficiency of our economic accomplishments they can be attributed to the skill and hard work as well as to right thinking luckily we had a professor from Wichita Falls teaching us how to do it the formula was no secret we reduced the rate of growth in federal spending the budget was growing at a rate of 17.5% in 1980 we've cut it by 40% taxes and regulations were strangling incentive and tying the hands of our most productive citizens as of July we will have cut personal tax rates 25% and I can assure you tonight we're not going to retreat one iota on the tax rate reduction or indexing the quickest way to short circuit this recovery would be to increase the taxes on our people we don't have a trillion dollar debt because you weren't taxed enough we have a debt of that size because government has been spending too much we can never underestimate the role of dedicated individuals like senator tower and the support of courageous band of conservative democrats and isn't it great to have congressman phil graham on our side and not theirs I think everyone here understands he didn't change philosophy he just changed labels but you the republican activists deserve the lion's share of the credit when we succeed keeping the pressures on capitol hill made all the difference before and it will again when you hold their feet to the fire you don't have to make them see the light just feel the heat I think we can be rightfully proud that we've set in place a program that should deliver in america a strong and sustained non-inflationary economic program and I realize that many problems remain areas long depended on the old smokestack industries are still suffering from dislocation that comes with technological transition we're trying to help with training programs for those without skills or whose skills are no longer in demand in south texas the people are also suffering in this time from something which no american can control the peso devaluation and the economic crisis in mexico senator tower has a program to help the people in south texas who are bearing the brunt of this problem and I can assure you we are now seriously examining his proposals at the white house at this time but getting our economy back on its feet is only half the job it won't matter how prosperous we become unless we're at peace and secure from foreign aggression and that's another reason I'm proud to be here tonight I can think of no other united states senator not one who has contributed more to the security needs of the united states than senator john tower I won't go into all the details I think you know though that during most of the 70s the security needs of america were neglected during that time the real national defense spending dropped 21.6% our navy went from nearly a thousand ships to under 500 research and development was cut back weapon systems were canceled and by the end of the decade our military personnel depended on weapons and equipment that had been designed by the previous generation by 1980 morale in the armed forces was at a low ebb it reflecting a serious erosion of military pay and just as important a seeming lack of appreciation for the job our soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines were doing and at the same time when we voluntarily reduced our military commitment the soviets went into high gear increasing their military capability conventionally and strategically beyond any legitimate defensive requirements this administration has received a good deal of criticism for our defense proposals just like the domestic program we're simply trying to make up for the irresponsibility of the past let me make let me make one thing plain we will not tolerate waste in the defense budget but neither will we permit the communist dictatorship to militarily dominate this planet we can't ask the brave young men and women in our armed forces to protect America with second rate equipment and barged basement weapons if they can put their lives on the line to protect our way of life we can afford to give them the weapons and equipment they need to do the job right and now to those who always are so in haste to say that's war like and that we want a war you can't look as I do so often at the faces of those young men and women in our uniform and ever think for one minute that you would want to send them into combat they are there as peacemakers to deter any possible attack to preserve the peace simply because of their ability and their dedication to this country there come many thrilling moments in a job like mine but none has exceeded the thrill that I feel at the dedication to the spree decor the morale of our people in uniform today in contrast to what it was no more than two and a half years ago I I tell every opportunity I can get one little story and I'm going to tell it again and that is an ambassador our ambassador from Luxembourg wrote me a letter one day he'd been up on the East German frontier he'd been visiting the second armored cavalry regiment and he said that when he finished the helicopter a young 19 year old trooper followed him over there and asked him if he thought he could get a message to the president well being an ambassador he allowed us how he could and the kid stood up there at the tension then and said well would you tell the president that we're proud to be here and we ain't scared of nothing but more recently more recently I received something else with all of our talk about the budget and the sacrifice that we're asking people in government to make no pay increases and so forth and no cost of living increases for a period while we attempt to get this budget under control and that included the military and I opened a letter one day and it was signed by over a hundred Marines stationed in Italy and they told me very briefly over their signatures if this is what it takes to help the country count them in they will be happy to do without a pay raise our national security will power as fire power this generation of America's faces tremendous responsibilities there's nothing I want more than verifiable agreement with the Soviet Union to reduce the levels of strategic weapons in the long run that's the best way to lower the growth in defense spending but the Soviets will only bargain in good faith if they understand we're determined to defend freedom and I'm determined they will understand that and if I ever for one second thought I would weaken in that determination I will just turn to John Tower and I know that he'll take care of that in case you hadn't heard I addressed the Congress a few nights ago on the subject of Central America and the challenge we face there is not some threat and some distant land it's a brush fire that's burning and you here tonight know the truth of something I told the Congress Texas is closer to El Salvador than it is to Massachusetts and like it or not future freedom and peace of mankind rests on our shoulders if we try to take the easy way out our children will suffer in Central America which is so close to home we must be willing to counter aggression at the very least with financial and military aid or no one anywhere in the world will believe the word of the United States now there are those who suggest that because our friends in Central America are not perfect we must back away and permit those armed to the teeth by the Soviets shoot themselves their way into power the only alternative the American people has been presented is a prescription for disaster today we have the opportunity to avert crisis by giving our friends support they need to defend themselves and to develop their economies and their democratic institutions but we can't succeed if we're paralyzed by indecision an old preacher once said to a young man asking advice in life you must believe your beliefs and have your doubts but not the other way around today while we recognize that honest people do have doubts we as a nation firmly grounded in individual freedom and representative government must have the courage to believe our beliefs and act upon them the United States remains the US remains the last best hope for mankind plagued with tyranny and deprivation America is no stronger than its people and that means you and me all of us over the first two and a half years it's never been clearer to me that the future of a free people depends so much on those who hold elected office it depends on those outside the government on you with the grassroots and while the history books may record events as they happened during those this or that administration the direction of a country is determined not so much as by the character of its people by being here tonight you're demonstrating there's still reason to be optimistic about our future you're doing your part so we can pass on to our children and America as free as the one that was given to us and I thank you for doing your part God bless you and thank you very much