[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2607 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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117th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 2607

To award a Congressional Gold Medal to the former hostages of the Iran 
 Hostage Crisis of 1979-1981, highlighting their resilience throughout 
the unprecedented ordeal that they lived through and the national unity 
 it produced, marking 4 decades since their 444 days in captivity, and 
           recognizing their sacrifice to the United States.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             August 4, 2021

   Mr. Padilla (for himself, Mr. Rubio, Mr. Cornyn, Mrs. Murray, Mr. 
 Lujan, and Ms. Warren) 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 the former hostages of the Iran 
 Hostage Crisis of 1979-1981, highlighting their resilience throughout 
the unprecedented ordeal that they lived through and the national unity 
 it produced, marking 4 decades since their 444 days in captivity, and 
           recognizing their sacrifice to the United States.

    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 ``Iran Hostages Congressional Gold 
Medal Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) On January 20, 1981, United States diplomats, military 
        personnel, and civilians were released after being held hostage 
        for 444 days by militant student supporters of Iran's Ayatollah 
        Ruhollah Khomeini in a violation of international law. The 
        individuals were taken from the United States Embassy in 
        Tehran, Iran, and the ordeal came to be known as the Iran 
        Hostage Crisis.
            (2) The hostages were subjected to intense physical and 
        psychological torture throughout their captivity, such as mock 
        executions, beatings, solitary confinement, and inhospitable 
        living conditions.
            (3) Throughout their time held, the hostages were routinely 
        told to denounce the United States and, when they refused, they 
        were tortured, but remained strong in their spirit.
            (4) One hostage wrote ``Viva la roja, blanco, y azul'', 
        which translates to ``Long live the red, white, and blue'', on 
        the wall of his cell as a reminder of the values he swore to 
        protect.
            (5) The hostages showed extraordinary courage by 
        continually engaging in acts of resistance against their 
        captors, such as by refusing to sign condemnations of the 
        United States, in the face of gross violations of their human 
        rights.
            (6) Many of the hostages still experience trauma as a 
        result of the events of the crisis and deserve to have their 
        suffering recognized.
            (7) While, as of the date of enactment of this Act, 35 of 
        the hostages are living, it is important that the people of the 
        United States reflect on the resilience and strength of the 
        hostages, which serve as an example to current generations.
            (8) The people of the United States should--
                    (A) acknowledge the hostages as heroes who--
                            (i) experienced great tribulation; and
                            (ii) endured, so that the people of the 
                        United States may know the blessing of living 
                        in the United States; and
                    (B) strive to demonstrate the values shown by the 
                hostages.
            (9) On January 22, 1981, President Jimmy Carter met with 
        the hostages in West Germany and stated the following: ``One of 
        the acts in my life which has been the most moving and 
        gratifying in meeting with and discussing the future and the 
        past with the now liberated Americans who were held hostage in 
        Iran for so long. I pointed out to them that, since their 
        capture by the Iranian terrorists and their being held in this 
        despicable act of savagery, that the American people's hearts 
        have gone out to them and the Nation has been united as perhaps 
        never before in history and that the prayers that have gone up 
        from the people throughout the world to God for their safety 
        have finally been answered.''.
            (10) On January 28, 1981, when welcoming the hostages home, 
        President Ronald Reagan stated the following: ``You've come 
        home to a people who for 444 days suffered the pain of your 
        imprisonment, prayed for your safety, and most importantly, 
        shared your determination that the spirit of free men and women 
        is not a fit subject for barter. You've represented under great 
        stress the highest traditions of public service. Your conduct 
        is symbolic of the millions of professional diplomats, military 
        personnel, and others who have rendered service to their 
        country.''.
            (11) During the 444 days the brave hostages were held, the 
        rest of the United States held its breath, waiting for news of 
        the hostages. The United States hoped and prayed together, as 
        one, for the hostages' safe return.
            (12) Bruce Laingen, who served as United States Ambassador 
        to Iran from 1979 to 1980 and was the highest ranking diplomat 
        held hostage, summed up the experience by saying the following: 
        ``Fifty-three Americans who will always have a love affair with 
        this country and who join with you in a prayer of thanksgiving 
        for the way in which this crisis has strengthened the spirit 
        and resilience and strength that is the mark of a truly free 
        society.''. It is now the responsibility of the people of the 
        United States to honor the spirit, resilience, and strength 
        that the hostages displayed during their 444 days of 
        imprisonment.
            (13) Now, more than 4 decades later, the United States 
        continues to honor the hostages. The recipients of the award 
        bestowed by this Act are heroes in every sense of the word. 
        They are role models who wore their pride in the United States 
        with esteem and have allowed for subsequent generations to 
        appreciate the blessing of living in the United States. Today, 
        as we mark 40 years since their release, the people of the 
        United States acknowledge their endurance, strength, and 
        contributions to seeing a more peaceful world. The hostages 
        suffered for the United States and now it is the duty of the 
        United States to recognize them for it.

SEC. 3. DEFINITION.

    In this Act, the term ``hostage'' means a person of the United 
States who was taken captive on November 4, 1979, in Tehran, Iran, at 
the United States embassy and released on--
            (1) July 11, 1980; or
            (2) January 20, 1981.

SEC. 4. CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL.

    (a) Award Authorized.--The Speaker of the House of Representatives 
and the President pro tempore of the Senate shall make appropriate 
arrangements for the award, on behalf of Congress, of a single gold 
medal of appropriate design to the 53 hostages of the Iran Hostage 
Crisis, in recognition of their bravery and endurance throughout their 
captivity, which started on November 4, 1979, and lasted until January 
21, 1981.
    (b) Design and Striking.--For the purposes of the award referred to 
in subsection (a), the Secretary of the Treasury (referred to in this 
Act as the ``Secretary'') shall strike a gold medal with suitable 
emblems, devices, and inscriptions, to be determined by the Secretary, 
in consultation with the Secretary of State.
    (c) Smithsonian Institution.--
            (1) In general.--Following the award of the gold medal 
        under subsection (a), the gold medal shall be given to the 
        National Museum of American History of the Smithsonian 
        Institution, where it shall be available for display as 
        appropriate and made available for research.
            (2) Sense of congress.--It is the sense of Congress that 
        the Smithsonian Institution should make the gold medal received 
        under paragraph (1) available for loan, as appropriate, so that 
        the medal may be displayed elsewhere.

SEC. 5. BRONZE DUPLICATE MEDALS.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary may strike and sell duplicates in 
bronze of the gold medal struck pursuant to section 4, at a price 
sufficient to cover the cost thereof, including labor, materials, dies, 
use of machinery, and overhead expenses.
    (b) Proceeds of Sales.--The amounts received from the sale of 
duplicate medals under subsection (a) shall be deposited in the United 
States Mint Public Enterprise Fund.

SEC. 6. 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 under this Act.

SEC. 7. 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. 8. DETERMINATION OF BUDGETARY EFFECTS.

    The budgetary effects of this Act, for the purpose of complying 
with the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010, shall be determined by 
reference to the latest statement titled ``Budgetary Effects of PAYGO 
Legislation'' for this Act, submitted for printing in the Congressional 
Record by the Chairman of the House Budget Committee, provided that 
such statement has been submitted prior to the vote on passage.
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