[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 93 (Thursday, June 8, 1995)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1192]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


  URGING SUPPORT FOR THE UNITED STATES COMMEMORATIVE COIN ACT OF 1995

                                 ______


                         HON. NORMAN Y. MINETA

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, June 7, 1995
  Mr. MINETA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to introduce bipartisan 
legislation to celebrate key moments and presidents in American 
history, and by doing so help provide for the continued education of 
Americans about these subjects in the years ahead.
  Commemorative coins have played a unique role in celebrating American 
history, as well as in providing a source of income for those non-
profit organizations which care for the legacies represented by these 
coins. This is part of the inspiration for the United States 
Commemorative Coin Act of 1995, which I am introducing today along with 
my colleagues Reps. Livingston of Louisiana, Johnson of Texas, Skelton 
of Missouri, Yates of Illinois, Hoyer of Maryland, Stupak of Michigan, 
Lightfoot of Iowa, and Cubin of Wyoming.
  Organizations supporting this effort include the Smithsonian 
Institution, the U.S. Mint, the U.S. Department of the Treasury, and 
the Citizens Commemorative Coin Advisory Committee. Our purpose is 
clear. In the effort to streamline important U.S. commemorative coin 
legislation, this bill includes a program of six commemorative coins to 
be minted during the next 2 years. To explain why this is in the 
national interest, some background history is in order.
  In November of 1994, the Citizens Commemorative Coin Advisory 
Committee published its first annual report to Congress. The Committee, 
which is congressionally authorized, concluded that given the recent 
decline in commemorative coin sales there must be greater thought and 
limits to future coins. Offering numerous coin programs during the same 
period threatens the success of each individual program, does a 
disservice to those honored with commemorative coins, and increases the 
risk that the programs will operate at a loss to the Mint.
  In its report to Congress, the Committee stated its full support of 
the 1993 Sense of the Congress Resolution, enacted as part of Public 
Law 103-186, which seeks to limit the number of commemorative coin 
programs in any 1 year. The legislation introduced today provides for 
the following coins to be minted: Bicentennial of U.S. Gold Coins (1995 
minting), Harry S Truman and the United Nations (1996 issue), 150th 
Anniversary of the Smithsonian Institution (1996 issue), Franklin 
Delano Roosevelt Memorial (1997 issue), 125th Anniversary of 
Yellowstone National Park (1997 issue), and National Law Enforcement 
Officers Memorial (1997 issue).
  Mr. Speaker, this is a well-balanced program with original sponsors 
to represent the subjects to be honored. In my added capacity as a 
Regent of the Smithsonian Institution, I had previously introduced H.R. 
1079 with fellow House regents Livingston and Johnson to authorize the 
Smithsonian coin. But this omnibus bill offers several advantages to 
our Nation, including a faster legislative process and the certainty of 
what our commemorative program will be in its entirety over a 2-year 
period.
  I urge our colleagues to join in this effort and move this 
legislation quickly.


                          ____________________