Diary Entry - 08/09/1988
Key Facts
President Reagan meets with Republican Congressional Leaders to discuss the drought bill, the U.S.-Canada Free Trade bill, and A Fair Housing bill.
President and Mrs. Reagan attend and speak at a luncheon and awards ceremony for the National Medal of Arts.
President Reagan nominates Lauro Cavazos to be Secretary of Education; he is the first Hispanic to serve in the Cabinet.
A sum up of bills still to be brought up & which ones we might expect before Cong. takes off in a week or so. A little talk about my proposal to do an explanation of the Iran Contra affair in my speech (Convention) Mon. Some are against it.
I’m told I can expect the Drought bill Thurs. They are also pushing hard to get the U.S.-Canada Free Trade bill. A Fair Housing bill is looking pretty good.
N.S.C.—The Contra Aid bill looks like we’ll have to compromise with Byrd to get anything. I favor doing that rather than having the Contras face a complete rejection.
Our Cong. leadership joined us & again it was a summing up & hashing over the pending bills.
At noon Nancy & I went into the East Room for the Medal of Arts lunch. We handed out 12 medals—1 to Helen Hayes I’m happy to say.
Back in the office a departure photo or 2, then Will Ball—Sec. of Navy just back from Persian Gulf brought me 25 letters from sailors on 2 of our ships. They were upbeat & made me very proud.
Then Dr. Lauro F. Cavazos & his wife Peggy came in. He will be our new Dir. of Ed. He & I & Bill Bennett went into the press room & made the announcement. I think he’ll be great. Then Photos in Roosevelt Rm. with about 50 of our Presidential Exchange Execs. & our staff. Then a haircut—exercises & dinner.
