HR54JAN28

TheWeekInCongress.com

Week Ending January 28, 2005

HR 54 the Congressional Gold Medal Enhancement Act of 2005.

BRIEF

Currently Congress can award any number of gold medals. The bill would limit the number to two medals in any calendar year beginning when the bill becomes law.

Only an individual can be awarded the medal and no medal could be awarded posthumously twenty five years after the awardees’ death or within five years after death if the medal were authorized before the recipient died.

Opponents noted that the bill, if it had been in effect years back would have prohibited the award of medals to Reverend and Mrs. Martin Luther King Junior and others and would further limit honoring some in present days.

Bill supporter Rep. Michael G. Oxley (R-OH-4th) explained the bill's intent, "As the Members know, the gold medal is the highest civilian honor bestowed by Congress. It has been awarded to a long and distinguished line of individuals who have made significant contributions to this country, beginning with General George Washington even before the Declaration of Independence. Recipients have included civil rights leaders, cultural icons and leaders in science.

"But a disturbing trend has emerged since the gentleman from Delaware (Mr. Castle) sensibly reformed the commemorative coin program a decade ago. Until that point, Congress approved the awarding of only a few, usually one or two, gold medals each Congress, but approved as many as a dozen commemorative coin programs, often at great cost to taxpayers. Chairman Castle's reforms eliminated the cost to the taxpayers, restoring the dignity to the commemorative coin program. He also instituted a requirement that two-thirds of the House should sponsor legislation for either commemorative coins or gold medals before consideration could take place so that support would be broad and bipartisan.

"Those reforms have been successful, but denied the opportunity to enact numerous commemorative coin programs, Congress increasingly has turned to the gold medal program, and we now find ourselves in a situation of having fewer honorees for commemorative coins than we do from gold medals. During the last Congress, only three commemorative coins were struck, and we approved five medal programs honoring seven individuals. By comparison, in the first 123 years of the gold medal, only 45 people were so honored."

Sponsor: Representative Mike Castle (R-DE-at large)

Vote: The Oxley amendment to make the bill effective upon enactment passed by voice vote. Amendment 2 by Rep. Joe Crowley (D-NY-7th) to raise the number from two to six medals yearly failed 189 to 212 (RC 10). The Crowley amendment 3 to evenly divide the ability to award a medal between Republicans and Democrats failed 182 to 211 (RC 11). The Crowley motion to recommit the bill to committee failed 187 to 217 (RC 12). The bill passed 231 to 173 (RC 13).

Cost to the taxpayers: No discernible cost.