[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 36 (Monday, March 8, 1999)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E361]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




REINTRODUCTION OF THE FIFTY STATE COMMEMORATIVE COIN PROGRAM AMENDMENTS 
                                  ACT

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                       HON. ELEANOR HOLMES NORTON

                      of the district of columbia

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, March 8, 1999

  Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, today, I reintroduce a bill to give the 
District of Columbia and the four insular areas a privilege the 50 
states achieved last year: to choose a design for the reverse side of 
the quarter coin in order to commemorate our history as part of the 
United States. This program was authorized in the 50 States 
Commemorative Coin Program Act, which passed overwhelmingly in the 
105th Congress. However, the bill unintentionally excluded the District 
of Columbia and the four territories. My bill would correct that 
oversight by extending the 10-year commemorative coin program for an 
additional year to include the District of Columbia and the four 
insular areas--American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin 
Islands.
  I objected to the exclusion of D.C. and the four territories when the 
original bill came to the House floor. In order not to impede passage 
of an otherwise worthy bill, however, I deferred my protest. In turn, 
Congressman Mike Castle, the former Chair of the Subcommittee on 
Domestic and International Monetary Policy, agreed to cosponsor my bill 
to allow the District and the four insular areas to participate. 
Although Mr. Castle no longer chairs the subcommittee, I want to thank 
him for his continued support. The new Chair, Spencer Bachus,  has 
promised his full support and cooperation in helping with this effort, 
and he is an original cosponsor of the bill I reintroduce today. I also 
want to thank the Delegates from the four insular areas who have worked 
on this bill from the beginning.
  Although the residents of the District and the insular areas are 
American citizens, there are some differences between us and the 
states. However, qualification to be part of a program to redesign 
quarters to commemorate Members' home districts is surely not one of 
them. There is no legal or constitutional reason to exclude D.C. and 
the terrorities from this bill. Congress should be at great pains to 
avoid any appearance of treating the District and the insular areas as 
colonies. The Commemorative Coin Program may seem like a minor 
activity, but the ability to participate in this program is an 
important recognition to my constituents.

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