[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 124 (Wednesday, September 17, 1997)]
[House]
[Pages H7453-H7454]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 AUTHORIZING CONGRESS TO AWARD CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL TO ECUMENICAL 
                         PATRIARCH BARTHOLOMEW

  Mr. LEACH. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on 
Banking and Financial Services be discharged from further consideration 
of the bill, H.R. 2248, to authorize the President to award a gold 
medal on behalf of the Congress to Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew in 
recognition of his outstanding and enduring contributions toward 
religious understanding and peace, and for other purposes, and ask for 
its immediate consideration in the House.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Iowa?
  Mr. LaFALCE. Mr. Speaker, reserving the right to object, I do so for 
the purposes of an explanation.
  Mr. LEACH. Mr. Speaker, will the gentleman yield?
  Mr. LaFALCE. I yield to the gentleman from Iowa.
  Mr. LEACH. Under the gentleman's reservation, Mr. Speaker, in 
response, let me state that H.R. 2248 was introduced by myself, the 
gentleman from Texas [Mr. Gonzalez], the gentleman from New York [Mr. 
LaFalce], the gentleman from Florida [Mr. Bilirakis], and the gentleman 
from Illinois [Mr. Rush], and is cosponsored by 327 Members. It 
authorizes President Clinton to present Ecumenical Patriarch 
Bartholomew a gold medal on behalf of Congress in recognition of his 
enduring contributions towards religious understanding and peace.
  Yesterday the House passed House Concurrent Resolution 134, 
introduced by the distinguished gentleman from Florida [Mr. Bilirakis], 
to authorize the use of the Capitol Rotunda for a congressional 
ceremony honoring the Patriarch Bartholomew later this month.
  Patriarch Bartholomew is the spiritual leader of nearly 300 million 
Orthodox Christians around the world. Through his ministry he has 
devoted his life to world peace, religious understanding, and 
protecting the global environment. Patriarch Bartholomew's first visit 
to our country as Patriarch will provide an opportunity for him to meet 
with many Americans who comprise the more than 5 million Orthodox 
Christians in the United States, and to convey his message of 
reconciliation to citizens of all faiths. Patriarch Bartholomew has 
been formally recognized for his outstanding achievements by numerous 
governments and academic institutions around the world.
  At this time I ask for the support of this House in awarding the 
Patriarch a gold medal on behalf of the U.S. Congress and the citizens 
of the United States. This will be a fitting symbol of our appreciation 
for his admirable work towards world peace, and I urge my colleagues on 
a bipartisan basis to support this legislation.
  Mr. LaFALCE. Mr. Speaker, further reserving the right to object, I 
want to point out that I am very, very proud to be a cosponsor of this 
bill, H.R. 2248, as I was of House Concurrent Resolution 134 yesterday, 
sponsored by the gentleman from Florida [Mr. Bilirakis.]
  The gentleman from Florida, myself, and a number of others, the 
gentleman from New Jersey, [Mr. Michael Pappas], the gentleman from 
Pennsylvania, [Mr. Ron Klink], the gentleman from Colorado, [Mr. Dan 
Schaefer], and the gentleman from California, [Mr. Duke Cunningham] 
recently went to Greece in the last week in August. We know how proud 
the people of Greece are of their Patriarch Bartholomew, but not just 
the people of Greece, the 300 million Orthodox Christians across the 
entire globe.
  The people of Greece are also proud of so many other things going on 
in their country presently, and in the years to come. They rejoiced and 
sang and danced in the streets of Athens, Salonika when the decision 
was made to award Athens as the site for the Olympics in the year 2004.

                              {time}  1415

  It is most fitting, most appropriate, that the Congress award a gold 
medal to Patriarch Bartholomew and President Clinton present that medal 
to him.
  Mr. RUSH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 2248, 
to authorize President Clinton to present his all Holiness Ecumenical 
Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople with a congressional gold medal 
to honor his leadership in promoting world peace and interfaith 
understanding.
  Patriarch Bartholomew has promoted peace in the war torn countries of 
the Balkans, helping to advance reconciliation among the Catholic, 
Muslim, and Orthodox communities. He has been a leader in defense of 
human rights worldwide, in promoting global environmental protection 
and in strengthening interfaith relations.
  Patriarch Bartholomew has been a champion of religious unity and 
cooperation, encouraging interfaith dialogue between the Orthodox 
Church, the Roman Catholic Church, leading Protestant denominations and 
Muslim leaders. He has also sought to strengthen bonds between Judaism 
and Orthodox Christianity. In 1994 he worked with Rabbi David Schneier 
and the Appeal of Conscience Foundation to cosponsor the Peace and 
Tolerance Conference.
  He has been a dynamic leader in efforts to ease Greek-Turkish 
tensions and to promote international cooperation and adherence to 
international law. He also cares deeply about

[[Page H7454]]

the environmental legacy we will leave our children, cosponsoring an 
annual conference devoted to the protection of the environment.
  I am honored to be a co-sponsor of this bill. Patriarch Bartholomew 
is truly an outstanding world leader whose dedication to promoting 
religious tolerance and unity is an inspiration to all of us.
  Mr. LaFALCE. Mr. Speaker, with those remarks, I join with the 
distinguished chairman of the Committee on Banking and Financial 
Services, the gentleman from Iowa [Mr. Leach] and I withdraw my 
reservation of objection.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore [Mr. LaHood]. Is there objection to the 
request of the gentleman from Iowa?
  There was no objection.
  The Clerk read the bill, as follows:

                               H.R. 2248

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

     SECTION 1. FINDINGS.

       The Congress finds that--
       (1) Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew--
       (A) is the spiritual leader of nearly 300 million Orthodox 
     Christians around the world and millions of Orthodox 
     Christians in America; and
       (B) is recognized in the United States and abroad as a 
     leader in the quest for world peace, respect for the earth's 
     environment, and greater religious understanding;
       (2) the extraordinary efforts of Ecumenical Patriarch 
     Bartholomew continue to bring people of all faiths closer 
     together in America and around the world;
       (3) the courageous leadership of Ecumenical Patriarch 
     Bartholomew for peace in the Balkans, Eastern Europe, the 
     Middle East, the Eastern Mediterranean, and elsewhere 
     inspires and encourages people of all faiths toward his dream 
     of world peace in the new millennium; and
       (4) the outstanding accomplishments of Ecumenical Patriarch 
     Bartholomew have been formally recognized and honored by 
     numerous governmental, academic, and other institutions 
     around the world.

     SEC. 2. CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL.

       (a) Presentation Authorized.--The President is authorized 
     to present, on behalf of the Congress, a gold medal of 
     appropriate design to Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew in 
     recognition of his outstanding and enduring contributions to 
     religious understanding and peace.
       (b) Design and Striking.--For the purpose 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. 3. DUPLICATE MEDALS.

       The Secretary may strike and sell duplicates in bronze of 
     the gold medal struck pursuant to section 2 under such 
     regulations as the Secretary may prescribe, and at a price 
     sufficient to cover the costs thereof, including labor, 
     materials, dies, use of machinery, overhead expenses, and the 
     cost of the gold medal.

     SEC. 4. NATIONAL MEDALS.

       The medals struck pursuant to this Act are national medals 
     for purposes of chapter 51 of title 31, United States Code.

     SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS; PROCEEDS OF SALE.

       (a) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is hereby 
     authorized to be charged against the Numismatic Public 
     Enterprise Fund an amount not to exceed $30,000 to pay for 
     the cost of the medal authorized by this Act.
       (b) Proceeds of Sale.--Amounts received from the sales of 
     duplicate bronze medals under section 3 shall be deposited in 
     the Numismatic Public Enterprise Fund.

  The bill was ordered to be engrossed and read a third time, was read 
the third time, and passed, and a motion to reconsider was laid on the 
table.

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