The reagan institute. The d. C. Office of the Ronald Reagan president ial foundation and the Ronald Reagan institute. In 1980, the 20something son of a former congressman and Prince Georges County executive was named the chair of the youth for reagan. He is looking quite youthful today, i might add. He supported then governor reagan during the 1976 president ial primary. And now, young larry hogan would serve as a delegate to the 1980 republican convention. And you know, we have a lot of reagan devotees join us at the institute. But i think Governor Hogan may rank above them all. You see, he didnt just support Ronald Reagan in 1976, in 1980, in 1984. He managed to support him in 2020 as well. [laughter] now, i know you consider president reagan your political hero, governor, but that, sir, thats real dedication. And by the way, you didnt have to do that just to be invited here today. [laughter] ladies and gentlemen, i want to thank you for joining us. Were honored to welcome you virtually to the reagan institute, through our center for civics, education, opportunity led by our own dr. Janet tran. We work at the nexus of these three pillars, answering president reagans call for an informed patriotism to ensure a prosperous future for america. And the 62nd governor of maryland knows this call. Were truly honored to have Governor Hogan with us, through pragmatic, principled leadership has carried the flame of our 40th president. Now, if you know about Governor Hogan you know he doesnt mince words. Hes been quick to criticize members of his own party. That kind of equal opportunity Straight Talk is very popular in maryland. Throughout his tenure, Governor Hogan has ranked one of the most popular governors in america. Usually in the top two. He reminded me beforehand number one. And one poll gave him a 75 approval rating. In a state that just voted for joe biden almost 21. These are numbers most politicians dream of. And its not like Governor Hogan hasnt had an easy go of it. He led through the death of freddie gray, to polarizing issues in the state legislature, to the covid19 pandemic. The people of maryland have come to rely on his steady stewardship. At the same time, hes faced extraordinary personal challenge. Fighting and defeating cancer during his first term. Today i believe is the anniversary five years since hes been given a clean bill of health. Yet, here today, hes Still Standing which, of course, is the very fitting title of his recent memoir. Now, there are a lot of Great Stories in this book. From political life to legislative fights. But personal antidotes can really be the best. Like the story of his first lunch with the future first lady where they shared a waterside meal of salad and crab cakes and the accomplished painter and choir singer suggested ordering tequila shots. By the way, that might give Still Standing new meaning. But you had to read the book to get the full context. When he won the maryland Gubernatorial Race the Baltimore Sun called it a, quote, stunning upset. But after four years of smart governance guided by reaganesque optimism with a focus on education, it wasnt stunning when he cruised to reelection in 2018. But now the governor is term lit limited and will be out of office after 2020. After 2022. So the question on many minds is this can he shock the political world again . Now, i dont know if well get an answer to this today but we might get a clue as to whats next. Ladies and gentlemen, please join me in welcoming governor larry hogan. [applause] Governor Hogan thank you very much, roger, for that much too kind introduction. Its really an honor to be back here at the Reagan Foundation and institute. The first time that i realized i was a reagan republican it got me into a little bit of trouble. I was a Young College kid. I had the honor of being selected as roger said, an alternate delegate to the Republican National convention in kansas city in 1976. My father had served in congress with gerald ford and actually played a pivotal role in ford becoming president and he was a Campaign Chairman of the ford campaign. I admired president ford. He was a good leader. And a decent and honorable man. But when it was governor reagans turn to address the convention, i was mesmerized. Reagan seemed to connect with everyday people, and he channelled that connection toward a bold and optimistic vision for america, an america everyone could be proud of. And america where everyone was part of. So there i was, enthusiastically marching on the floor with my reagan hat and carrying my reagan sign. When my dad spotted me, lets just say he wasnt completely thrilled. But it was at that moment that i proudly became a foot soldier in the reagan revelation. Of course, jimmy carter, who defeated president ford and won the white house, the aftermath of watergate had seriously tarnished the republican brand. And many wondered if the g. O. P. Could ever win National Elections ever again. The New York Times declared the Republican Party, quote, close to extinction. But then reagan built a Big Tent Coalition of republicans, independents, and reagan democrats who wanted america to be that shining city on a hill. He worked hard to heal our partys divisions rather than exacerbate them, and to move us past the scandals and division. He focused on the everyday concerns of working folks and struggling families, not the obsessions of the chattering class in washington. In 1980, just four years after the predicted demise of the g. O. P. , reagan led our party to one of the largest landslides in american history. And then went on to truly make America Great again. After this divisive election, we find ourselves, again, at a crossroads for our party and at a critical time for our nation. As we search for a way forward, we should look back at how Ronald Reagan transformed our party and restored the greatness of america. I believe that what most americans truly want, regardless of their party affiliation, is honest, effective leadership and results. They want Commonsense Solutions to the Serious Problems that face us. President reagan certainly understood this. But it seems that many in washington have lost sight of that basic truth. Reagan was known as the great communicator because he understood the limits of rhetoric. He wasnt focused on scoring partisan points. He was focused on solving real problems affecting the lives of all americans. And he knew that to be successful it would take reaching across the aisle to find Common Ground. President reagan didnt believe that compromise was a dirty word. He knew all or nothing was a false choice. For his entire presidency, democrats controlled at least one chamber of congress. You have president reagan, one of most conservative president s, was also one of our most successful. He worked across party lines to pass the most conservative agenda in decades. Two rounds of tax cuts for the american people, shrinking the bloated federal bureaucracy, and historic buildup of the Nations Defense to defeat the soviet union. Reagan said, there is no limit to what you can accomplish if you dont care who gets the credit. The results spoke for themselves. Decades of unparalleled economic growth. The soviet union confined to the ash bin of history. And a renewed pride in our nation and our shared values. Today, america faces a new set of 21st century challenges. Sadly, washington insiders seem more concerned with winning arguments than actually advancing Bipartisan Solutions. Neither side seems to want to make progress. They just want to make demands and win arguments. Thats not leadership. Thats just political theater. And most of us are sick and tired of all the drama. The covid19 pandemic and the economic collapse that it has caused have shown this problem in stark relief. For months, struggling families and Small Businesses have been desperately in need of immediate relief. But instead of working until they reached a compromise, Congress Played politics and went on vacation. Contrast that with americas governors. When covid19 struck our shores, i was proud to be chairman of the National Governors association. We pulled together governors from all across the nation and a truly historic bipartisan way. Governors on both sides of the aisle stepped up on the front lines together. We understood that in times of crisis, partisan politics must be put aside. The failure of washington to effectively combat covid and the failure to pass the stimulus package are just the latest examples of the dysfunction in washington. Our nations infrastructure has been crumbling for decades. The failure of washington has made manifest in falling bridges, failing Public Health and failing schools, and an entire generation of americans who are falling behind. But in washington, people on both sides refuse to give up even a little to get a lot. Roads and bridges crumble while democrats and republicans insult each other on social media. The cost of education and Quality Health care are out of control and out of reach for everyday americans. One party wants to impose radical solutions that would create more problems than they would solve and the other party, all too often, offers no solutions at all. The result is a crumbling vision of the american dream. The average citizen is completely fed up with politics as usual. They think washington has been fiddling while america burns. On the world stage, China Threatens not just our economy, our farmers, and our standing in the world, but even the values we stand for. Prosperity, liberty, and freedom. Meanwhile, one party in washington refuses to acknowledge the threat, while the other abandons the very allies we need to confront it. And we never seem to be able to find any Common Ground on these urgent issues. The solution, according to the professional politicians in washington, is to give them more power. More pow for the washington wont fix the divisiveness and dysfunction. Itll only impose more dysfunction on our lives. Faith, civic, and Business Leaders who are serving their community, state and local governments who are working every day to solve real problems, we dont need washington to dictate. We need washington to get its act together. We need washington to make it easier, not harder, to solve problems. We need washington to be a partner, not an impediment. A large majority of americans are thoroughly convinced that our political system is fundamentally broken. That we as a people are tragically divided. And that washington is completely dysfunctional. Most of us are sick and tired of the angry, divisive politics. Americans believe in civility and pragmatism. They think Straight Talk is more valuable than empty rhetoric. These are the things that my party is going to have to focus on if we want to win National Elections again. Americans are not as divided as our politics and social media would suggest. The problem is not the american people. The problem is that politicians think the only way to get elected is to feed the extremes, to fire up the base, and that the only way to govern is through winner take all combat. The extreme voices that dominate social media, cable news and talk radio represent a teeny sliver of americans on the far left or far right. Over 70 of the rest us of belong to the majority. People who are fed up with with politics. Who feel forgotten by both Political Parties and ignored by washington. Most americans want the same thing. They want humble, tolerant, respectful, and effective leaders. Who will Work Together to find bipartisan, Commonsense Solutions. They want us to appreciate that no one of us has all the answers or all the power. They want a discourse that tolerates contrary views among a diverse citizenry without turning political adversary into enemies or doubting their patriotism. They want a government that protects the vulnerable without dictating their lives. They want a Strong America that stands with its allies and for freedom in the world, without taking for granted the sacrifices required for it. They want to stand together with their neighbors and feel proud of their country once again. These are the same americans who Ronald Reagan spoke to. His vision of america isnt just a relic of some bygone era. But an ideal that we can and we should once again aspire to. Six years ago, i won the Biggest Surprise upset in america. By committing to usher in a new era of bipartisan cooperation and prosperity. One filled with hope and optimism. When i took office, marylands Economic Performance was 49th out of 50 states. 70 of both houses of my legislature are pr agressive democrats. But we cut taxes and regulations and created the biggest economic turn around in america. Just imagine what we could have done with a republican legislature. While both parties washington argue about obamacare, we worked across the aisle to pass Innovative Health care reform. Reducing insurance rates for everyone by more than 30 while also covering hundreds of thousands more marylanders. While our nations infrastructure crumble we move forward on all the top priority transportation project our state including the largest p3 transit project in north america and moving forward on the largest p3 traffic project in the world. While weve seen nothing from grid nothing but gridlock from inside the beltway i was working with the democratic governor of virginia on an accord to fix the gridlock on the capital beltway. As it turns out, commonsense, Bipartisan Solutions are exactly what nearly everyone seems to want. More than 70 of every single Demographic Group in my blue state approve of the job that we have been doing. I dont say this to brag. I say it to dismiss the misguided notion that to get ahead you have to tear down the opposition. I have spent six years repudiating the debilitating politics practiced here in washington where insults substitute for debate, recrimination for negotiation, and gridlock for compromise. Where the heat, finger pointing and rancor suffocates the light and the only result is divisiveness and dysfunction. What voters really want is for their leaders to actually focus on solving the problems we were elected to solve. And if we were able to do that and accomplish that just down the road in deep blue maryland, then theres no place in america where these very same principles cannot succeed. Just as they did under the leadership of president reagan. Ronald reagan won two landslide elections and created a movement that endured for a generation because he understood the simple truth that successful politics is about addition and multiplication, not subtraction and division. Its one thing to win a president ial election. Quite another to build a broad and durable governing coalition. To accomplish that, reagan knew that he needed to speak to all americans. Reagan stood for bold principles that were universal. For him, a Big Ten Party a Big Tent Party was not just an electoral imperative, it was also a moral one. He knew if our party wanted to truly represent america, we could not ignore any part of it. My state hasnt voted far republican president ial nomination since george h. W. Bush over 30 years ago. In 2014 when i was elected governor, we had the highest democratic registration in america. And in 2018, in a blue year, with a large blue wave we lost the house, we lost governor we lost seats in legislative bodies all across the country but i became the second republican governor to be reelected in the entire 242year history of our state. I did it by reaching out to everyone, including those who had never even considered voting for a republican before. In some places they had never even seen a republican before. Too many in both parties have bought into the false narrative that the way you vote is predetermined by where you were born, where you live, the color of your skin, who you love, or where you worship. In this past election, the electorate was historically divided. Republicans did make some modest gains with black and hispanic voters who were turned off by far left elitism and Political Correctness run amok. But in maryland we proved that a republican can win support from blacks from black, hispanic and asian americans, suburban women and Younger Voters, not just to gain a few point bus to win overwhelming majorities. Look, the truth isnt always easy to hear. But as roger said, im a guy who tells it like it is. So heres the truth that our party needs to hear. Divisive rhetoric and toxic politics is alienating large parts of the country and no one will listen tour message if they dont believe were listening to them. We cannot continue failing to expand our tent, the way reagan did. Addressing the real concerns of everyday peo