WHEREAS, President Ronald Wilson Reagan, a man of humble background, worked throughout his life serving freedom and advancing the public good, having been employed as an entertainer, union leader, corporate spokesman, Governor of California, and President of the United States; and

WHEREAS, Ronald Reagan served with honor and distinction for two terms as the 40th President of the United States of America; the second of which he earned the confidence of three-fifths of the electorate and was victorious in 49 of the 50 states in the general election—a record unsurpassed in the history of American presidential elections; and

WHEREAS, In 1981, when Ronald Reagan was inaugurated President, he inherited a disillusioned nation shackled by rampant inflation and high unemployment; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Reagan’s commitment to the nation’s children helped lower crime and drug use in our neighborhoods; and

WHEREAS, President Reagan’s commitment to our Armed Forces contributed to the restoration of pride in America, her values, and those cherished by the free world, and prepared America’s Armed Forces to meet 21st century challenges; and

WHEREAS, President Reagan’s vision of “peace through strength” led to the end of the Cold War; and

WHEREAS, February 6, 2009, will be the 98th anniversary of Ronald Reagan’s birth, and the fifth since his passing; now, therefore, be it