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Week Ending September 15, 2006

S.2784 A bill to award a congressional gold medal to Tenzin Gyatso, the Fourteenth Dalai Lama, in recognition of his many enduring and outstanding contributions to peace, non-violence, human rights, and religious understanding.

Tenzin Gyatso is the 14^th Dalai Lama, a spiritual leader of the Buddhist nature from Tibet, who has worked and struggled to assure his country’s cultural heritage. He received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989 for promoting world peace and non-violence and steps towards democracy in Tibet.

Funds for these medals come from the US Mint Enterprise Fund. Duplicate bronze medals will be sold to the public to offset costs.

Sponsor: Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA)

Vote: Passed Senate by Unanimous Consent May 25, 2006. Passed House by voice vote September 23, 2006.

Cost to the taxpayers: “…the gold medal would cost about $35,000 to produce over

the next year, including about $10,000 for the cost of the gold and around $25,000 for the

costs to design, engrave, and manufacture the medal. CBO expects that the Mint would

recoup some of its costs by selling bronze duplicates to the public.” The CBO said.

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Congress finds that Tenzin Gyatso, the Fourteenth Dalai Lama--

(1) is recognized in the United States and throughout the world as a leading figure of moral and religious authority;

(2) is the unrivaled spiritual and cultural leader of the Tibetan people, and has used his leadership to promote democracy, freedom, and peace for the Tibetan people through a negotiated settlement of the Tibet issue, based on autonomy within the People's Republic of China;

(3) has led the effort to preserve the rich cultural, religious, and linguistic heritage of the Tibetan people and to promote the safeguarding of other endangered cultures throughout the world;

(4) was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989 for his efforts to promote peace and non-violence throughout the globe, and to find democratic reconciliation for the Tibetan people through his `Middle Way' approach;

(5) has significantly advanced the goal of greater understanding, tolerance, harmony, and respect among the different religious faiths of the world through interfaith dialogue and outreach to other religious leaders; and

(6) has used his moral authority to promote the concept of universal responsibility as a guiding tenet for how human beings should treat one another and the planet we share.

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