Community, ways and Means Committee. This hourlong program was hosted by the u. S. Capital Historical Society in the Committee Hearing room. We have a very many distinguished guests with us this evening. Im going to ask some of them to stand all of them to stand and please hold your applause until the keynotes be has been introduced. And that will be the end of the group. Congressman paul ryan, chairman of the ways and Means Committee. Congressman Sander Martin levin Ranking Member of the committee. We will hear from both of these gentlemen later in the program. Former distinguished chairman bill archer. Bill thomas. Charlie wrangle. Dave camp. Former Ranking Member jim mccrary. And all of the sitting members of the committee. Please rise. [applause] we have two former Committee Members, Robert Canales and Nancy Johnson , [applause] barbara and nancy were two of the first congresswomen to serve on the ways and Means Committee. Then we had that wonderful lady, Cokie Roberts. [applause]
Bill archer. Bill thomas. Charlie wrangle. Dave camp. Former Ranking Member jim mccrary. And all of the sitting members of the committee. Please rise. [applause] we have two former Committee Members, Robert Canales and Nancy Johnson , [applause] barbara and nancy were two of the first congresswomen to serve on the ways and Means Committee. Then we had that wonderful lady, cokie roberts. [applause] and we will hear from her a little bit later. And we are obviously pleased that all of you who are here could be with us this evening. Another distinguished member is not able to be her in person, but sends his best wishes. Let me read this letter from president george h. W. Bush. Greetings to all assembled for the u. S. Capital historical societys special tribute to the house ways and Means Committee. I sure wish i could be there with you. Being appointed to the ways and Means Committee as a freshman member of congress with a high honor and a very lucky break for me. To say the least, i was
[applause] and to now, the chairman of the u. S. Capital Historical Society and a former member of congress from missouri will offer a toast to the committee and then we will have dinner. Before i offer the toast this evening, i want to give a brief history, a very brief history, of the committee. But i want to step set the record straight first. Jim was not only the ranking member, but he was chairman of this committee. [applause] it was 226 years ago and 10 days from now that this committee was created in 1789. Its responsibility is for a clear, to raise money to pay for the government. The newly signed constitution, as we all have studied, declare that all laws to raise revenue must originate here in the house of representatives. For the first two months, that is exactly what happened. The committee drafted and considered bills to impose tariffs and taxes. But a turf battle arose. A magic, a turf battle in washington. That is unheard of. This one arose between the committee and the