To the Congress of the United States:
By this Message, I officially inform you of the death of Ronald Reagan, the fortieth President of the United States.
Ronald Reagan was a great leader and a good man. He had the confidence that comes with conviction, the strength that comes with character, the grace that comes with humility, and the humor that comes with wisdom.
Through his leadership, spirit, and abiding faith in the American people, President Reagan gave our Nation a renewed optimism. With his courage and moral clarity, he enhanced America's security and advanced the spread of peace, liberty, and democracy to millions of people who had lived in darkness and oppression. As America's President, he helped change the world.
The sun has now set on Ronald Reagan's extraordinary American life. Just as he told us that our Nation's best days are yet to come, we know that the same is true for him.
GEORGE W. BUSH
The White House, June 8, 2004.
NOTE: The related proclamation and Executive order of June 6 are listed in Appendix D at the end of this volume. The related proclamation of July 2 is printed in the Federal Register at 69 FR 41179.
George W. Bush, Message to the Congress on the Death of President Ronald Reagan Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/215005