Wednesday, June 30, 2004
WRTV Channel 6 reports on forged Congressional letter concerning ex-Russian Prime Minister
Click here to read the full story.
Tuesday, June 29, 2004
Indianapolis press conference tomorrow
I will be holding a press conference in Indianapolis tomorrow to discuss the transfer of power in Iraq. Details follow:
WHO: Congressman Mike Pence
WHAT: Press conference on transition of power in Iraq
WHEN: Wednesday, June 30, 10:30 a.m.
WHERE: Holiday Inn Airport, Room Logan B, 2501 South High School Rd., Indianapolis, IN
Monday, June 28, 2004
Fort Wayne press conference tomorrow
I will be holding a press conference in Fort Wayne tomorrow at 9 a.m. Indiana time to discuss the early transfer of power in Iraq.
As a member of the House International Relations Committee, I have traveled to the Middle East three times. Each of these trips has served to increase my commitment to seeing a free and democratic Iraq emerge from that region of the world. These are truly historic days for the cause of freedom around the globe.
The following are the details for tomorrow's press conference:
WHO: Congressman Mike Pence
WHAT: Press conference on transition of power in Iraq
WHEN: Tomorrow, Tuesday, June 29, 9 a.m. Indiana Time
WHERE: Holiday Inn Downtown, 300 E. Washington Blvd., Fort Wayne, IN
Saturday, June 26, 2004
Pence calls bill a "successful failure"
Congressman Pence is quoted in today's Washington Times, calling the failure of the U.S. House to pass a bill designed to control federal spending a "successful failure." Read about it here.
Friday, June 25, 2004
Pence calls Fahrenheit 9/11 'incoherent' on CNN's Paula Zahn Now
Congressman Pence appeared on CNN's Paula Zahn Now last night to discuss Michael Moore and his controversial new film, Fahrenheit 9/11.
Read the transcript from the show by clicking here.
Thursday, June 24, 2004
Pence to discuss Michael Moore on CNN
Tune into CNN's Paula Zahn Now at 8 p.m. EDT, 7 p.m. Indiana Time tonight to hear Congressman Pence's comments on the highly controversial filmmaker Michael Moore.
House passes pro-Israel resolution
Read about it in The Hill.
Wednesday, June 23, 2004
Pence calls embryonic stem-cell research 'wrong'
On Monday, the Indianapolis Star endorsed federal funding for embryonic stem-cell research. You can read that editorial by clicking here.
Today, Congressman Pence sent the following letter to the Star in response to their editorial:
Dear Editor,
I read with great interest your June 21 editorial, “Stem Cells Offer Glimmer of Hope” and fear your readers may glean from it the idea that President Bush and many Republicans in Congress oppose federal funding of all stem-cell research.
To the contrary, I, along with many of my pro-life Republican colleagues, support NIH funding for stem-cell research. We do so each year through legislation that funds the Labor, Health and Human Services and Education departments. Our objection is with the use of embryonic stem cells.
Creating and destroying human life in the laboratory for medical research is morally wrong. While the goal is noble, we must never allow ourselves to fall into the trap of believing that the hope of disease relieved justifies research that causes death. Sacrificing the lives of our young, at whatever stage of development, is reminiscent of barbaric civilizations we dare not follow.
Stem-cell research is promising and holds the potential for great medical breakthroughs. However, to focus on the human embryo as the source, requires that we kill in order to heal. Although embryonic stem-cell research is legal, it is simply a bridge too far to expect millions of Americans to pay for it.
The most important difference to be drawn in this debate is that adult stem cells do not simply offer the promise of curing patients, but they have actually cured thousands of Americans. Conversely, embryonic stem cells have never been used to treat any human being for any disease.
Adult stem cells are used to treat Parkinson’s disease and leukemia, restore vision to the legally blind, and relieve arthritis. Additionally, the Food and Drug Administration approved in April the first clinical trial of treating heart failure with adult stem cells.
Embryonic stem cells, on the other hand, have never successfully treated any human condition. The idea that they could potentially treat Alzheimer’s Disease is highly unlikely. Many experts point to early detection and medication to prevent the progression of Alzheimer’s, not stem-cell therapy.
Finally, it is also important to note that the hype surrounding embryonic stem cells can be largely traced to an age-old source - money. Adult stem-cell treatments are largely unpatentable, particularly when it relates to actual patient therapies, thus there is a limited incentive for investment in this research.
On the other hand, anyone who can develop an embryonic stem-cell line that can be used in laboratories for conducting basic research experiments will have a biological product that will be patentable. The holder of a patent stands to realize a sizable fortune. Conversely, while adult stem cells may prove to cure some of these same illnesses, there is not a profit motive for these cures since they are largely unpatentable.
As your editorial correctly stated, President Ronald Reagan’s death re-ignited the national discussion about the ethics of stem-cell research. In his essay, Abortion and the Conscience of a Nation, Reagan wrote, “We cannot diminish the value of one category of human life - the unborn - without diminishing the value of all human life.”
Congress would be wise to heed Reagan’s advice by adhering to the Bush policy - support adult stem-cell research, but never encourage or fund the unethical destruction of human embryos.
Congressman Mike Pence
Pence will discuss terrorism on FOX News
Congressman Pence will appear on FOX News' Studio B with Shepard Smith today at 3:00 p.m. EDT to discuss Saudi Arabia's just-issued ultimatum to terrorists.
Read more about Saudi Arabia's statement on FOX's website.
WISH TV examines airline security
Click here to read the full story.
Tuesday, June 22, 2004
Pence to discuss airline security on WISH TV
Make sure to tune into WISH TV Channel 8 in Indianapolis tonight at 6 p.m. to listen to Congressman Pence's comments regarding airline security.
As part of WISH's series on the safety implications of passenger jets carrying air cargo, Congressman Pence will discuss what is being done in Congress to fund research for cargo screening technology.
Sunday, June 20, 2004
Muncie Star Press on Pence's Vote for Jobs Tax Cut
Today the Muncie Star Press covered the debate over the new American Jobs Creation Act, a tax cut for American business.
You can read the entire story by clicking here.
Friday, June 18, 2004
Pence End the Week on CNN and Fox News Channel
This week ended with a flourish of cable television opportunities. On Thursday, The Congressman appeared on "The Big Story" on Fox News Channel with former White House Chief of Staff John Podesta to debate "faith and politics", defending the tradition of American Presidents from Bush to Carter to Washington who were open about their faith.
On Friday, the Congressman returned to Fox with an appearance on Cavuto to discuss the horrific beheading of Paul Johnson, Jr. and the response the United States expected of Saudi Arabia.
Also on Friday, the Congressman appeared on CNN International for a debate with former Assistant Secretary Oakley to discuss the recent attack on the President's foreign policy by "Diplomats for Change". The show airs around the world throughout the weekend.
Wednesday, June 16, 2004
Wall Street Journal columnist discusses "under God" in the Pledge
Click here to read the full column.
Monday, June 14, 2004
Indy Star's Russ Pulliam remembers Reagan's support for the unborn
Read Pulliam's column by clicking here.
Indiana GOP Convention remembers Orr and Reagan
Friday, June 11, 2004
Notes from the National Cathedral
The service is ended. It is 1:05 p.m. in Washington.
My wife and I stand amidst the most powerful people in the world. We have stood beside presidents and princes, prime ministers and leaders of every stripe but that is not what moved us these past two hours. There was the undeniable presence of the Spirit of the Lord in this place and it was a sweet presence.
Karen and I were moved to tears again and again but never so much as when was sung that hymn "The Mansions of the Lord." As the music of that hymn echoed in the exalted ceiling of this place, the casket swept by to our right and tears filled my eyes.
God smiled on this nation when he gave us Ronald Reagan and truly it can be said that the Lord was in this place today. So help me God. -Mike Pence at the National Cathedral
When the Pence family welcomed the people to the People's House
On Thursday, Mrs. Pence brought our three small children to Capitol Hill to help me hand out bottled water and greet hundreds of citizens in the enormous public line of mourners paying their respects to the remains of President Reagan in the Rotunda.
We stood near the point where folks went into the Capitol building after hours in the balmy summer air of over 90 degrees and simply greeted people by saying who we were and how grateful we were that they had come to the Capitol for President Reagan.
I don't know what I expected exactly. I have worked many lines in my political career. Some people shake your hand and some just walk on by but not this line. Everyone took a second to shake our hands and accept our gratitude with very few exceptions. Many stopped for a moment to share their reasons for driving for hours and standing in the heat with genuine emotion in their eyes.
I was overwhelmed by the complexity and diversity in the line. There was West Coast, Midwest, East Coast and Alaska! There were young and old, military and civilian, black and white, rich and poor....this line was America.
And the line my family most often heard, "it's a privilege to be here." And so it was.
As we left after hours of greeting ordinary Americans so deeply touched by this extraordinary leader, I couldn't help but think of what my 12-year-old son Michael said, "Dad, until this week, I never knew how much the American people loved President Reagan."
No truer words. -Mike Pence
Must Read: Hoosier Reagan aide says it all in Indy Star today
Yesterday, I had the privilege of escorting Peter Rusthoven of Indianapolis to the Rotunda to pay his respects to President Ronald Reagan. Peter served President Reagan as a legal counsel and speechwriter from the 1980 campaign through the President's 1992 speech to the Republican National Convention and he is a native Hoosier. Over the last 16 years, I have had no better friend and, more than anyone else, Peter Rusthoven has helped me understand the life and work of Ronald Reagan. You can read his poignant essay in the Indianapolis Star today by clicking here.
Wednesday, June 09, 2004
How the People's House became a house of prayer
We gathered in the chamber of the House of Representatives around 6 p.m. Members were in the usual mood: informal, joking and talking politics. When the doors of the House opened and our group spilled into the hallway headed to the Rotunda, a hush fell over the otherwise chatty crowd. The Rotunda looked the same but there was a different spirit about the place. Tonight, as it had been on many occasions in the history of our nation, the People's House became a house of prayer.
As I made my way toward the chamber, I had little hope of even much of a view of the proceedings, but I was honored beyond words to be there. As I entered the chamber, I followed my friend the Majority Leader and I found myself at the front of the crowd, two yards from where the body of President Reagan would be laid. Throughout the service I thought again and again of Ronald Reagan the Midwestern boy instead of the western President.
The emotion broke through with the singing of America the Beautiful and, of course, when Mrs. Reagan gently touched the casket and whispered reflexive words of comfort and love to her dear Ronnie...
I always thought this job was a privilege, but being able to represent the good people of eastern Indiana at the funeral of my hero was a debt I can never repay. Thank you Indiana. -Mike Pence
My Inside look at a Capitol building awaiting Reagan
After speaking for a few minutes on the floor of the Congress about the life and work of Ronald Reagan, I walked to the Speaker's office to sign the bereavement book for the Reagan family.
As I was about to turn into the Speaker's office, I peered into the Capitol Rotunda and there it was...the small, black-draped catafalque on which the remains of the 40th President of the United States would rest in just a few hours. This same platform was hurriedly constructed following the assasination of President Abraham Lincoln. It bore his casket and has been the foundation for every State Funeral since 1864.
I slowed my gait and strode slowly into the familiar domed room and a profound sadness settled on my heart. As Capitol employees scurried about amidst the crash and bang of platform construction...there it was, a silent sentry awaiting it's charge. I felt certain that someday I would see that same funeral catafalque on display in a museum but today, here it sits, waiting for the role it will play in bearing, for a short while, those precious remains of the mortal elements of a great man. This is going to be a long day. -Mike Pence
Andrea Neal offers a 'Hoosier alternative' to drug entitlement
Click here to read her column in today's Indianapolis Star.
Morning Read: Louisville Courier-Journal covers Indiana GOP Convention
Go here to read the full story.
Morning Read: Pittsburgh Post Gazette examines Reagan's influence on today's politicians
Go here to read the full story.
Tuesday, June 08, 2004
Reagan coverage: Columbus Republic
Click here to read the full story.
Monday, June 07, 2004
Pence speech to Heritage Foundation Resource Bank
In April, Congressman Pence delivered the Krieble Lecture to the Heritage Foundation's Resource Bank meeting in Chicago. Click here to read the full text of his speech.
Heritage Foundation remembers Reagan
Though America has had 43 presidents so far, only a handful can rightfully claim to have an “age” or “era” named after them: Jefferson. Jackson. Franklin D. Roosevelt. And now, Ronald Reagan.
The death of the 40th president Saturday means a world leader, president, governor and great American is gone. But his words and ideas live on at www.reagansheritage.org, a Web site run by his “favorite think tank,” The Heritage Foundation.
Reagansheritage.org contains a wealth of useful information for journalists, scholars and others interested in the former president and how he shaped our world. It offers:
· Reagan Speeches-transcripts of every major speech Reagan gave, from 1964’s classic “A Time for Choosing,” to 1982’s “Evil Empire” speech to his “tear down this wall” speech in 1987 Berlin. The Web site also offers Reagan’s 1981 and 1985 inaugural addresses, and all his State of the Union speeches.
· Recollections of Reagan-in which friends, historians and political aides remember what the man meant to them. More than a dozen contributors to the “Remembering Reagan” section include his vice president, George H.W. Bush, his Secretary of State George P. Schultz and biographer Lou Cannon. The site also contains video reminiscences from Heritage Foundation experts such as former U.S. Attorney General Edwin Meese III, one of Reagan’s closest advisors, and Reagan biographer Lee Edwards, a historian of the conservative movement.
· Historical Context-a “Briefing Room” details Reagan’s Washington (major players and developments in all branches of the federal government during the Reagan era), electoral data covering his entire political career, his economic record, and more.
The site also features collections of Reagan quotations and photographs, as well as a list of 24 books examining his life and policies
It seems fitting that The Heritage Foundation runs www.reagansheritage.org. The Heritage-Reagan connection goes back to 1980, when the think tank provided the president-elect’s transition team with detailed policy prescriptions on everything from taxes and regulation to trade and national defense.
United Press International described the 1,100-page “Mandate for Leadership,” the published version of these recommendations, as “a blueprint for grabbing the government by its frayed New Deal lapels and shaking out 48 years of liberal policy.” The new president used “Mandate” to help realize his vision of a world free of communism, an economy that didn’t crush people’s dreams with high taxes and regulations and an America the world could admire once again. He gave copies to every member of his Cabinet. The result: Nearly two-thirds of “Mandate’s” 2,000 recommendations were adopted or attempted by his administration.
In his second term, Reagan turned again to Heritage for ideas. Twenty-two specific proposals from “Mandate for Leadership II” found their way into his second inaugural address, prompting The New York Times to observe, “While the wording of the president’s speech and the foundation’s document were different, many of the proposals were strikingly similar.”
Ronald Reagan wasn’t shy about letting people know what he thought of Heritage. At a dinner in December 1989, almost a year after he left office, Reagan said Heritage was a “vital force” in Washington during his administration and that “Mandate for Leadership” was a “warning shot telling the liberal establishment that ... they could not expect to carry on business as usual.”
Heritage wasn’t shy about letting people know what it thought of Reagan, either. In 1990, it created the Ronald Reagan Fellow in Public Policy, and named Meese as its first fellow. In 1998, Heritage awarded the former president the Clare Boothe Luce Award, its highest honor, for his achievements in advancing conservatism.
Sunday, June 06, 2004
Reagan coverage: Anderson Herald Bulletin story
Go here to read the full story.
Muncie Star Press remembers Reagan
Read the full story here.
Fort Wayne Journal Gazette takes a look back at Reagan
Go here to read the story.
Saturday, June 05, 2004
REMEMBERING REAGAN
“Ronald Reagan will be remembered as a great man and a great American leader who personified and advanced the highest ideals of the American people at home and abroad.
“After eight years of his presidency, the communism of Soviet Russia was collapsing, the American military was rebuilt, the nation's economy restored and it's moral fabric renewed. As he said himself, President Reagan left America ‘more prosperous, more secure, and happier than it was eight years earlier.’
“Many will remember him as the ‘Great Communicator.’
“But as the President said many times, he wasn't a great communicator, he communicated great things. Those were the traditional American values of this Midwesterner turned national leader. They came from the profound Christian faith inculcated into a young Dutch Reagan by his beloved mother Nelle and from his heart. And, as the President said, ‘they came from the heart of a great nation.’
“Those ideas were simple, straightforward and distinctly American. President Reagan believed that freedom depended on limited government. He fiercely advanced the principles of less government, less taxes, a strong military and a commitment to traditional moral values.
“And President Reagan changed the course of my life. While youthful ambition led me to politics, it was the voice and values of Ronald Reagan that made me a Republican. The Bible says, ‘If the trumpet does not sound a clear call, who will get ready for battle?’
“Ronald Reagan's gift was to sound a clear call to return our nation to the ideals of its founders. It was said that when the average American heard Reagan speak of those values, they didn't just agree. From coffee shops to tractor seats to carpeted offices, when most Americans heard Reagan speak, they said, ‘darn right!’
“I met President Reagan in the summer of 1988.
“I was a 29 year-old candidate for Congress and he was winding down a presidency that changed the world.
“It was a Candidate photo op in the Blue Room of the White House. I was determined to say something of meaning to the great man.
“So I looked him square in the eye, and I told him I just wanted to ‘thank him for everything he had done for the country and everything he had done to inspire my generation to believe in America again.’
“He seemed surprised, his cheeks appeared to redden with embarrassment and he said, ‘Well, Mike, that's a very nice thing of you to say.’
“Moments later in the Ballroom he took a minute to respond to my and others’ accolades with characteristic humility and optimism saying, ‘Many of you have thanked me for what I did for America, but I want you to know I don't think I did anything for this country - the American people decided it was time to right the ship, and I was just the captain they put on the bridge when they did it.’
“In the midst of his extraordinary gifts, Ronald Reagan was a deeply humble man who believed in God and the American people with an unshakable faith.
“In his Farewell Address to the nation, President Reagan spoke poignantly of the distance that high office can place between the servant and the served.
“He said, ‘One of the things about the presidency is that you're always somewhat apart. You spend a lot of time going by too fast in a car someone else is driving, and seeing the people through tinted glass - the parents holding up a child, and the wave you saw too late and couldn't return. And so many times I wanted to stop and reach out from behind the glass, and connect.’
“Well, permit me to say with affection – you did, Mr. President. And the free world, America and my small life are better for it.
“And so, good-bye Mr. President. God bless you, as, through you, God blessed the United States of America."
- Rep. Mike Pence
Thursday, June 03, 2004
Pence on Dave "The King" Wilson Show this afternoon
Congressman Pence will be on WIBC's Dave "The King" Wilson Show this afternoon at 4:15 Indiana Time.
Tune in to 1070 AM WIBC in Indianapolis to listen, or listen live via the Internet by clicking here.
Morning Read: The politics of Medicare
If you're interested in politics, you will love this column by David Baumann on National Journal's website today.
Wednesday, June 02, 2004
Notes from the congressman: The importance of informing seniors about the Medicare prescription drug benefit
Today I was asked to address the entire Republican caucus at the U. S. Capitol on the subject of my recent Medicare Drug Discount Fairs.
Given my very public opposition to the Medicare Prescription Drug Bill, many of my colleagues were quite struck with my willingness to host these forums. I explained my reasons for doing so to the more than 200 House Republicans gathered as follows:
"As many of you know, for deep philosophical reasons, I opposed and continue to oppose the creation of a Prescription Drug Entitlement in Medicare. But I never opposed helping low-income seniors or using the private sector to give seniors access to lower-cost medicines through a discount card.
“With that in mind, I hosted five Medicare Drug Discount Card Fairs across eastern Indiana last week that drew more than 1,000 of my constituents anxious to learn more about the low-income assistance and drug discount card benefits available. And I know we helped relieve the anxieties of many of our seniors who left our sessions much better equipped to consider what benefits might be appropriate for them.
“Even though I opposed the bill, I felt a moral obligation to help seniors unpack the assistance and savings available in the interim program. As our colleagues in the loyal opposition are hosting Medicare town halls designed to create anxiety for seniors, all our members, even those of us who oppose the Medicare entitlement, would do well to go home and talk about the good things available to seniors in this legislation." mrp
Heritage Foundation calls Medicare Prescription Drug Card program 'historic'
Go here to read Heritage's analysis of the program
Congress to vote on balanced budget amendment this year
Read about it in The Hill.
Tuesday, June 01, 2004
Pence tells crowd of 100: "Their duty was to serve, our duty is to remember"
Read about Congressman Pence's Memorial Day activities by clicking on this article in today's Columbus Republic.
Now enrolling: Drug discount cards now available for seniors...some use to play politics, however
Check out a commentary from the Washington Times today on the drug discount card for seniors and how some politicians are using it to play political games.
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