[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 79 (Monday, June 7, 1999)]
[Senate]
[Page S6466]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. DORGAN:
  S. 1187. A bill to require the Secretary of the Treasury to mint 
coins in commemoration of the bicentennial of the Lewis and Clark 
Expedition, and for other purposes, to the committee on Banking, 
Housing, and Urban Affairs.


   the lewis and clark expedition bicentennial commemorative coin act

  Mr. DORGAN. Mr. President, today I am introducing the ``Lewis and 
Clark Expedition Bicentennial Commemorative Coin Act.'' This act 
authorizes the U.S. Mint to produce a commemorative coin honoring the 
Lewis and Clark Expedition. This is a bill I introduced in the last 
Congress and which had the support of 43 other Senators. The bill is a 
companion to one that has been introduced in the House of 
Representatives by Congressman Bereuter.
  I am introducing this legislation to ensure that one of America's 
finest moments will be forever memorialized. The Lewis and Clark 
Expedition, called the Corps of Discovery, represents the finest in 
American history. The Expedition began in 1803 when President Thomas 
Jefferson commissioned the exploration of the newly purchased Louisiana 
Territory and ended in 1806 with the Expedition's triumphant return.
  When considering why we should commemorate the Expedition, it's 
important to recall Thomas Jefferson's vision for America's future and 
his dedication to expanding not only our geographic frontiers, but the 
frontiers of knowledge as well. Jefferson's vision is epitomized by his 
commissioning of the Expedition. Further, the Expedition represents a 
hallmark for peaceful diplomacy, as demonstrated by the friendly 
relations the Expedition established with the Native Americans it 
encountered on its journey. These are a few of the many valuable 
lessons from the Expedition that we should carry forward into the 
future.
  The minting of the Lewis and Clark Commemorative Coin was endorsed in 
the 1998 recommendations of the Citizens Commemorative Coin Advisory 
Committee (CCCAC), which was established by the 102nd Congress. If, as 
expected, the coin sells out, approximately $5 million would be 
available to help fund bicentennial celebrations. After the Treasury 
Department has recovered all costs of minting this coin, two-thirds of 
the surcharge received would be available for the National Lewis and 
Clark Bicentennial Council's commemorative activities.
  The Council is an outgrowth of the Lewis and Clark Trail Heritage 
Foundation, Inc., which was created in 1969 to continue the work of the 
Lewis and Clark Trail Commission, established by Congress in 1964. The 
remaining one-third of the surcharge will be donated to the National 
Park Service to help offset costs associated with their planned 
activities to commemorate the bicentennial.
  I feel confident that, with the support of my Senate colleagues and 
the passage of this bill, we can appropriately celebrate a vibrant and 
historically significant event.
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