[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 41 (Thursday, April 2, 1998)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E569]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   INTRODUCTION OF A BILL TO AMEND THE 50 STATES COMMEMORATIVE COIN 
                              PROGRAM ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. CARLOS ROMERO-BARCELO

                             of puerto rico

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, April 1, 1998

  Mr. ROMERO-BARCELO. Mr. Speaker, today we have introduced a bill to 
amend the 50 States Commemorative Coin Program Act that will extend the 
program by one additional year so as to include the District of 
Columbia, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam and the United States 
Virgin Islands within the scope of the program.
  The 50 States Commemorative Coin Program, to begin in 1999, allows 
each of the 50 States the privilege of selecting a design for the 
reverse side of the quarter coin that commemorates their history. Five 
States per year will have quarters minted, selected according to the 
order in which the States ratified the Constitution or were admitted 
into the Union.
  As enacted, the Territories and the District of Columbia were 
excluded from the original program. This amendment is necessary because 
as passed, the Act does not truly reflect the strengths of our Nation 
and the tremendous contributions to American society and American 
democratic values provided by the United States citizens who reside in 
the Territories and in the District of Columbia. It is important that 
the youth of the United States, a large number of whom are expected to 
collect complete sets of the quarter dollars issued during the program, 
learn about their national history, geography and heritage.
  We supported the program (H.R. 2414) on the House floor last 
September after it was agreed that we would be included in a subsequent 
bill. I wish to salute the chairman of the Domestic and International 
Monetary Policy Subcommittee, Michael Castle (R-DEL), for his support 
and commitment to ensure that we receive the same considerations as all 
50 states.
  In addition, I wish to thank delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton, of the 
District of Columbia and my colleagues representing each of the 
territories. I am glad that we could work together to achieve this 
important victory towards equality.

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