[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1 Introduced in Senate (IS)]








109th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                  S. 1

     To award a congressional gold medal to Margaret Thatcher, in 
 recognition of her dedication to the values of free markets and free 
                                 minds.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            December 8, 2006

Mr. Martinez (for himself, Mr. Kyl, Mrs. Dole, Mr. Hagel, Mr. Enzi, Mr. 
 Allard, and Mr. Allen) introduced the following bill; which was read 
  twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban 
                                Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
     To award a congressional gold medal to Margaret Thatcher, in 
 recognition of her dedication to the values of free markets and free 
                                 minds.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Margaret Thatcher Congressional Gold 
Medal Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    The Congress finds as follows:
            (1) Margaret Thatcher was born in Grantham in Lincolnshire 
        in eastern England on October 13, 1925.
            (2) Margaret Thatcher graduated from the University of 
        Oxford with degrees in both chemistry and law.
            (3) At age 34, Margaret Thatcher's interest in politics 
        drove her to enter into Parliament.
            (4) In 1975, after serving several years as Education 
        Minister, Margaret Thatcher was elected to lead the 
        Conservative Party.
            (5) Margaret Thatcher became Prime Minister in 1979, a 
        position she held until 1990, becoming the longest serving 
        British Prime Minister in the 20th century.
            (6) As Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher led a revolution 
        in the privatization of nationalized industries, which led to 
        increased profits and the effects of which spilled over into 
        more than 50 countries on almost every continent and became one 
        of the United Kingdom's biggest contributions to practical 
        economics of the world.
            (7) In 1982, Margaret Thatcher led the United Kingdom to 
        victory over Argentina in the battle for the Falkland Islands.
            (8) Admired by Ronald Reagan, Margaret Thatcher's close 
        friendship with the United States led to a potent foreign 
        policy partnership that contributed to the end of Soviet 
        communism.
            (9) Margaret Thatcher has received the Presidential Medal 
        of Freedom and the Republican Senatorial Medal of Freedom.
            (10) The Congress wishes to express its gratitude and 
        admiration to Margaret Thatcher.

SEC. 3. CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL.

    (a) Presentation Authorized.--The Speaker of the House of 
Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate shall make 
appropriate arrangements for the presentation, on behalf of the 
Congress, of a gold medal of appropriate design to Margaret Thatcher, 
in recognition of her dedication to the values of free markets and free 
minds.
    (b) Design and Striking.--For purposes of the presentation referred 
to in subsection (a), the Secretary of the Treasury (hereafter in this 
Act referred to as the ``Secretary'') shall strike a gold medal with 
suitable emblems, devices, and inscriptions, to be determined by the 
Secretary.

SEC. 4. DUPLICATE MEDALS.

    The Secretary may strike and sell duplicates in bronze of the gold 
medal struck pursuant to section 3 under such regulations as the 
Secretary may prescribe, at a price sufficient to cover the cost 
thereof, including labor, materials, dies, use of machinery, and 
overhead expenses, and the cost of the gold medal.

SEC. 5. STATUS OF MEDALS.

    (a) National Medals.--The medals struck pursuant to this Act are 
national medals for purposes of chapter 51 of title 31, United States 
Code.
    (b) Numismatic Items.--For purposes of section 5134 of title 31, 
United States Code, all medals struck under this Act shall be 
considered to be numismatic items.

SEC. 6. AUTHORITY TO USE FUND AMOUNTS; PROCEEDS OF SALE.

    (a) Authority to Use Fund Amounts.--There is authorized to be 
charged against the United States Mint Public Enterprise Fund, such 
amounts as may be necessary to pay for the costs of the medals struck 
pursuant to this Act.
    (b) Proceeds of Sale.--Amounts received from the sale of duplicate 
bronze medals authorized under section 4 shall be deposited into the 
United States Mint Public Enterprise Fund.
                                 <all>