Ronald Reagan’s Enduring Legacy

Twenty years after Reagan’s death, some think his relevance has diminished. They are mistaken.

I remember it like it was yesterday: sitting in the National Cathedral, hearing “Mansions of the Lord” somberly echoing through the rafters. I remember watching the horse-drawn caisson carry the casket to the Capitol, my young children at my side. It is hard to believe it’s been 20 years since President Ronald Reagan “slipped the surly bonds of Earth.”

I began my political life in the Democrat Party. But when I heard the voice, the vision, and the optimism of Ronald Reagan, I knew the Republican Party was where I belonged.

I came to revere our 40th president. When I first ran for Congress in 1988, I was invited to Washington to meet with President Reagan. I thanked him for all he did to inspire my generation to believe in our country again.