[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 14 (Tuesday, February 15, 2000)]
[House]
[Pages H385-H388]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
PRESENTING CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL TO CHARLES M. SCHULZ
Mr. LUCAS of Oklahoma. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and
pass the bill (H.R. 3642) to authorize the President to award a gold
medal on behalf of the Congress to Charles M. Schulz in recognition of
his lasting artistic contributions to the Nation and the world.
The Clerk read as follows:
H.R. 3642
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 the following:
(1) Charles M. Schulz was born on November 26, 1922, in St.
Paul, Minnesota, the son of Carl and Dena Schulz.
(2) Charles M. Schulz served his country in World War II,
working his way up from infantryman to staff sergeant and
eventually leading a machine gun squad. He kept morale high
by decorating fellow soldiers' letters home with cartoons of
barracks life.
(3) After returning from the war, Charles M. Schulz
returned to his love for illustration and took a job with
``Timeless Topix''. He also took a second job as an art
instructor. Eventually his hard work paid off and when the
Saturday Evening Post began purchasing a number of his single
comic panels.
(4) It was in his first weekly comic strip, ``L'il Folks'',
that Charlie Brown was born. That comic strip, which was
eventually renamed ``Peanuts'', became the sole focus of
Charles M. Schulz's career.
(5) Charles M. Schulz has drawn every frame of his strip,
which runs seven days a week, since it was created in October
1950. This is rare dedication in the field of comic
illustration.
(6) The ``Peanuts'' comic strip appears in 2,600 newspapers
around the world and reaches approximately 335 million
readers every day in 20 different languages. Because of this,
Charles M. Schulz is the most successful comic illustrator in
the world.
(7) Charles M. Schulz's television special, ``A Charlie
Brown Christmas'', has run for 34 consecutive years. In all,
more than 60 animated specials have been created based on
``Peanuts'' characters. Four feature films, 1,400 books, and
a hit Broadway musical about the ``Peanuts'' characters have
also been produced.
(8) Charles M. Schulz is a leader in the field of comic
illustration and in his community. He has paved the way for
other artists in this field over the last 50 years and
continues to be praised for his outstanding achievements.
(9) Charles M. Schulz has given back to his community in
many ways, including owning and operating Redwood Empire Ice
Arena in Santa Rosa, California. The arena has become a
favorite gathering spot for people of all ages. Charles M.
Schulz finances a yearly ice show that draws crowds from all
over the San Francisco Bay Area.
(10) Charles M. Schulz has given the Nation a unique sense
of optimism, purpose, and pride. Whether through the Great
Pumpkin Patch, the Kite Eating Tree, Lucy's Psychiatric Help
Stand, or Snoopy's adventures with the Red Baron, ``Peanuts''
has embodied human vulnerabilities, emotions, and potential.
(11) Charles M. Schulz's lifetime of work has linked
generations of Americans and has become a part of the fabric
of our national culture.
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 Charles M. Schulz in recognition of his
lasting artistic contributions to the Nation and the world.
(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.
Under such regulations as the Secretary may prescribe, the
Secretary may strike and sell duplicates in bronze of the
gold medal struck under section 2 at a price sufficient to
cover the costs of the medals, including labor, materials,
dies, use of machinery, overhead expenses, and the cost of
the gold medal.
SEC. 4. NATIONAL MEDALS.
The medals struck under this Act are national medals for
purposes of chapter 51 of title 31, United States Code.
[[Page H386]]
SEC. 5. FUNDING AND PROCEEDS OF SALE.
(a) Authorization.--There is hereby authorized to be
charged against the United States Mint Public Enterprise Fund
an amount not to exceed $30,000 to pay for the cost of the
medals authorized by this Act.
(b) Proceeds of Sale.--Amounts received from the sale of
duplicate bronze medals under section 3 shall be deposited in
the United States Mint Public Enterprise Fund.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Oklahoma (Mr. Lucas) and the gentleman from New York (Mr. LaFalce) each
will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Oklahoma (Mr. Lucas).
Mr. LUCAS of Oklahoma. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
(Mr. LUCAS of Oklahoma asked and was given permission to revise and
extend his remarks.)
Mr. LUCAS of Oklahoma. Mr. Speaker, I rise today with mixed emotions.
It is with great pride and honor that I support awarding Charles M.
Schulz the Congressional Gold Medal. However, as we all know, Mr.
Schulz, the creator of the beloved comic strip Peanuts, died last
Saturday, February 12, at his home in Santa Rosa, California, at the
age of 77. Therefore, I stand before my colleagues with great sadness.
I would like to thank the gentleman from California (Mr. Thompson)
for introducing this most appropriate piece of legislation. Congress
has commissioned gold medals as its highest expression of national
appreciation for distinguished achievements and contributions. Without
a doubt, Mr. Schulz has earned this great honor.
Mr. Schulz first introduced his legendary Peanuts cartoon to us in
October of 1950. It was then that the world became acquainted with such
characters as Snoopy, Charlie Brown, Lucy, Linus and others.
Like millions of other Americans, I often felt as though I knew the
man personally, having read and watched his cartoons for as long as I
can remember. I believe that I knew the man as only a life-long fan
could know him, through his work. I am extremely appreciative of Mr.
Schulz and his creation of the Peanut gang.
For almost 50 years, he provided us with endless hours of humor,
entertainment. His cartoons and characters will live with us forever.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. LaFALCE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 3642, introduced by the
gentleman from California (Mr. Thompson), a bill to award a gold medal
to a man who was a friend to the entire Nation, Charles M. Schulz.
Peanuts was both a national treasure and a national delight. Every
morning for almost half a century, America awoke to read the newspapers
and millions of eyes turned to the pages where Charlie Brown, Lucy,
Snoopy, and Linus lived.
Yet, it was not only Americans who took in the bounty of the strip's
tender humor and sage advice. Worldwide, the best estimate is a global
audience of 355 million fans. They were in 75 countries, read in 2,600
newspapers, and spoke 21 languages.
Then there were the spin-offs. Beginning in the 1960s, a Charlie
Brown Christmas; It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown, were among the
television specials. In an era where relentless violence is the main
fare of television programming, how welcome to find true amusement in
good taste, where the most dangerous party is either a girl who pulls
away the football just before the kick or a fantasy Red Baron.
There were songs and even a musical, You Are a Good Man, Charlie
Brown.
Peanuts was not easy, slapstick humor. Long-time readers know there
was real substance about the disappointments in life. However, it was
also about the great line, Happiness Is a Warm Puppy, which for
millions of children and their parents had that ring about what truly
makes life worthwhile.
Most in this chamber will be surprised that the spell of Peanuts so
bedeviled theologians, philosophers, and psychiatrists that weighty
books and articles were written probing the true meanings of the comic
strip. They all found something of great worth, sometimes a brooding
worth, all of which is fine. But for most of the adults we simply
reveled in how four or five small cartoon frames Schulz could pack so
much humor, joy, sadness and irony, all of the elements of great
expression.
However, the whole production of Peanuts cartoons, films, musicals,
books and even the dolls had special allure for children. Schulz had no
problem communicating across many generations from when the first
Peanut strip appeared half a century ago. I suspect one of his
attractions to the young was that he was so easy to read and so direct.
There was also Linus' security blanket. It gave the young the idea that
through it all there are things, lasting things, to hold on to.
The books were just great reading instructors for millions of
children that were nonviolent, but not just a bowl of cheer.
Mr. Speaker, for years now I have worn about three different Peanuts
ties. I wear one today. I do not think I have ever worn a Peanuts tie
when it has not been commented upon and it has not lit up someone's
day. It is almost impossible to see a Peanuts tie and not smile, not
feel some warmth, some empathy. That was the effect of Charlie Schulz.
We are all familiar with his fame, but I would like also to remind
all that Schulz had served his country on the battlefields of World War
II. He never forgot he was a veteran, and served as head of the fund-
raising campaign for the National D-Day Memorial. He had the grit to be
a good hockey player; the mathematical skill to be a fine bridge
enthusiast; and the devotion it takes to teach Sunday school and
deliver sermons.
Rarely can a man be called a global social institution; but in
Charles M. Schulz' case, that is surely just what he was when he died
after 77 years of phenomenal productivity and contribution. How it all
came about will remain a mystery. A personality that large is never a
simple book, but this much we know: in his life he did get to kick that
football over the goal post. His work, with all its substance and wit,
has become part of the national and global fabric and will be with us
for a long time.
At last, one can say, ``Thank goodness, Charlie Brown.''
Mr. LaFALCE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from
California (Mr. Thompson), the author of the resolution.
Mr. THOMPSON of California. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the
gentleman from Iowa (Mr. Leach), the gentleman from Alabama (Mr.
Bachus), and the gentleman from New York (Mr. LaFalce), along with the
308 cosponsors who supported this legislation, and for their assistance
in bringing this bill to the floor today. It means a great deal to Mr.
Schulz's family. It means a great deal to me, and it means a great deal
to the community that I have the honor to represent that has had the
honor to share that community with Sparky Schulz.
{time} 1200
I would also like to thank my California colleague, Senator Dianne
Feinstein, who has introduced the identical bill in the Senate to make
sure that this gold medal does come to fruition.
Mr. Speaker, this bill before us today is not about honoring a
cartoonist who made us laugh and think but, rather, about honoring a
lifetime of work that has transcended generations of Americans and has
become the fabric of our national culture. We have adopted his
characters as our own, and sometimes even as ourselves. Through them he
provided us a uniquely American sense of optimism, purpose, and pride.
While many other pop figures reflect our fantasies, Sparky Schulz's
characters, like Charlie Brown, reflected who we really are. Charles
Schulz created the Peanuts comic strip in October of 1950, and he
personally drew every single daily and Sunday strip. Peanuts appeared
in 2,600 newspapers around the world and reached approximately 355
million readers every day, and they came in some 20 different
languages.
Sparky Schulz gave us more than just Peanuts. Most notable was his
work with the Regional Organization Canine Companion. This wonderful
organization breeds, raises, trains, and places dogs with individuals
who are limited by disabilities. Along with his wife Jeanne, Sparky led
and, in large part, personally financed the construction and the
operation of the Canine Companion's facility in Sonoma County,
California. Here dogs are introduced
[[Page H387]]
to individuals with disabilities and together they are trained to work
with each other, forming a lifetime partnership and friendship.
He also built a great ice rink in Santa Rosa, California, an ice rink
that loses almost $1 million a year. But he did it to give something to
the community. And just a side note. In that ice rink he stored many
hundreds of folding beds. Just in case there was ever a disaster in his
community, people would have a place to come, a place to stay, and a
place to receive shelter.
Sparky Schulz' public service and service to our Nation did not begin
with Peanuts or with the Canine Companion. It started when he served as
a staff sergeant in the United States Army during World War II fighting
on the front lines in France immediately after the D-Day invasion. To
help keep morale high, Sparky Schulz would often decorate the letters
of fellow soldiers, letters that they were sending back home to their
families, with cartoon characters depicting barracks life or
battlefield life.
Scott Adams, the creator of the Dilbert cartoon, remarked yesterday
about our great loss, the loss of Sparky Schulz. He said, ``It's the
end of an era, and it is hard to imagine that cartooning will ever be
the same. In basketball, you can say that Michael Jordan was the
greatest ever. In cartooning, Charles Schulz was the greatest ever, and
probably the greatest there will ever be.''
We will never forget Snoopy's imagination, Lucy's cynicism, Linus'
gentle innocence, Woodstock's loyalty, or Charlie Brown's
vulnerabilities, hopes, and dreams. Sparky's gift to our Nation were
characters who spoke with clarity about those simple fleeting moments
that bind us together, bind together our adulthood and our childhood,
those simple and honest sparks about what it means to be a human being.
I thank everyone who is going to take part in making this gold medal
a reality, and I urge all my colleagues to vote in favor of this gold
medal resolution; and I say, ``Farewell and thank you,'' to Charles
Schulz.
Mr. LaFALCE. Mr. Speaker, how much time do we have remaining?
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Hansen). The gentleman from New York
(Mr. LaFalce) has 10 minutes remaining, and the gentleman from Oklahoma
(Mr. Lucas) has 18\1/2\ minutes remaining.
Mr. LaFALCE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from
Minnesota (Mr. Sabo).
Mr. SABO. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me this
time, and it is with great sadness that I learned of the recent death
of Charles Schulz. During his lifetime this native Minnesotan touched
countless lives through his wonderful creation, the Peanuts comic
strip.
Since 1950, when Peanuts was first published, until this past Sunday,
when the last Peanuts comic strip appeared, Americans young and old
have been entertained by the aventures and foibles of Charlie Brown,
Linus, Lucy, and Snoopy. Through each of these lovable human characters
Charles Schulz reached out to all of us, teaching us important life
lessons.
Through Charlie Brown's failed efforts to lead his team to victory in
the neighborhood baseball game, we learned that winning is not
everything. At the same time, his repeated attempts to kick the
football out of Lucy's hands, while never succeeding, helped teach us
the importance of never giving up hope.
Mr. Speaker, I support the efforts of my colleague, the gentleman
from California (Mr. Thompson), to recognize Charles Schulz with a
Congressional Gold Medal. I am so proud that this gifted artist hails
from the Twin Cities. For the many values Charles Schulz taught us, for
the enjoyment he brought to our homes, and for the way he touches so
many of our hearts, it is only fitting that we offer our thanks.
Mr. LaFALCE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentlewoman from
Sonoma County, California (Ms. Woolsey).
Ms. WOOLSEY. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me this
time. On Saturday night, millions of Americans lost their security
blanket. Life will not be the same without Charles Schulz. The touching
human stories he told every day through the Peanuts characters in his
cartoons gave us such warmth that old and young understood how Linus
felt holding his trusty blanket.
Now our friend is gone, and we will have to rely on memoirs.
Fortunately, Charles Schulz left us plenty of these. I knew Sparky as a
silver-haired man who spent time every week at Redwood Empire Ice Arena
in Santa Rosa, California, located in my district. I also knew him as a
hard-working artist who traveled from his home in the district of my
colleague, the gentleman from California (Mr. Thompson), to his studio
in Santa Rosa.
But my colleague from California and I are not the only people who
shared Charles Schulz; neither is our colleague, the gentleman from
Minnesota (Mr. Sabo), who represents the district that Charles Schulz
was born and raised in. Charles Schulz left a piece of himself with
every single person whose day was brightened by one of his cartoons. We
let Peanuts into our lives on a daily basis, and the cartoon characters
came to feel like a part of our families.
Like so many Americans and people around the world, I delighted in
following the ups and downs of Snoopy, Charlie Brown, Lucy, and the
rest of the gang. My kids grew up on Peanuts. In fact, my daughter's
first Christmas, her very favorite, favorite gift that she has probably
ever had, was ``Noopy.'' She carried ``Noopy'' around on her shoulder
for about a week, and ``Noopy'' is still in a trunk, cherished, in our
garage.
In a way, we all grew up with Peanuts; learning a little something
about ourselves and about life from those lovingly drawn cartoons:
Learning humility, learning to win, learning to lose, learning to care,
learning to express ourselves through the eyes of these children in his
cartoons. It was through Charles Schulz's characters that we felt his
spirit, and it is through those characters that his spirit will live
on.
Beyond the pages of America's newspapers, Charles Schulz also touched
the lives of his friends and neighbors in Santa Rosa. Our children are
better off for the smiles they shared at his ice rink. Our community is
stronger for the friendliness he added to it. It is only fitting that a
man who has touched so many lives be awarded the Congressional Gold
Medal.
It is with great pride that I have worked with the gentleman from
California (Mr. Thompson) to secure the high honor for Charles Schulz.
I only wish that he had lived long enough to receive this award
himself. But I know that wherever he is today, Sparky is smiling just
to know that his dream of drawing cartoons has given so many people the
pleasure of laughter. I look forward to a unanimous vote for this
Congressional Gold Medal for Charles Schulz today.
Mr. LaFALCE. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I
yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. LUCAS of Oklahoma. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, the Peanuts gang, created by Mr. Schulz, has and will
continue to honor and entertain millions of children and adults
throughout the world. The Peanuts gang was a fabulous bunch to observe.
We all hoped that one day Snoopy would finally catch the dreaded Red
Baron. Millions of Americans would turn to the comics every morning to
see if it was the day that Pig Pen would finally find the washroom. We
all wished we could receive the advice that Lucy often provided for
only a nickel. And, of course, everyone knew that someday, someday,
Charlie Brown would kick the football straight through the uprights.
However, these things never did, and now will never, happen. That was
the beauty of Charles Schulz and the cartoon he created. This group of
children captivated our imagination for 50 years. They provided heart
warming tales of everyday life along with humorous adventures. Mr.
Schulz was the genius behind this American icon that allowed us to take
a step back and enjoy the world around us.
Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman
from Iowa (Mr. Leach), the chairman of the full committee.
[[Page H388]]
Mr. LEACH. Mr. Speaker, I rise simply to thank my distinguished
colleague from Oklahoma and my distinguished friend from New York for
this very thoughtful presentation.
Charles Schulz had a greater impact on the life of America than
perhaps all but a very few in literature and the arts. He brought to
America something that is unique. He conveyed to the average American
real human life and theology of a very deep human nature.
We at one time almost had the ``Gospel According to Peanuts.'' But
the one aspect of the ``Gospel According to Peanuts'' that always
struck me was that life was happy; that the traumas that we all face
were traumas that could be resolved in an uplifting way in which the
American circumstance was reflected to ourselves and to the world.
Charles Schulz, in many ways, when it comes to the creative arts, was
the quintessential American artist, operating in a fashion of bringing
art to the public and literature and theology and philosophy to
America. And for this he is a treasure of this last century, and we all
are deeply saddened at his passing.
Mr. SABO. Mr. Speaker, it was with great sadness that I learned of
the recent death of Charles Schulz.
During his lifetime, this native Minnesotan touched countless lives
through his wonderful creation, the ``Peanuts'' comic strip.
Since 1950--when ``Peanuts'' was first published--until this past
Sunday--when the last ``Peanuts'' comic strip appeared--Americans young
and old have been entertained by the adventures and foibles of Charlie
Brown, Linus, Lucy, and Snoopy.
Through each of these lovably human characters, Charles Schulz
reached out to all of us, teaching us important life lessons.
Through Charlie Brown's failed efforts to lead his team to victory in
the neighborhood baseball game, we learn that winning isn't everything.
At the same time, his repeated attempts to kick the football out of
Lucy's hands--while never succeeding--help teach us the importance of
never giving up hope.
Mr. Speaker, I support my colleague Mike Thompson's efforts to
recognize Charles Schulz with the Congressional Gold Medal.
I am so proud that this gifted artist hails from the Twin Cities. For
the many values Charles Schulz taught us, for the enjoyment he brought
to our homes, and for the way he touched so many of our hearts, it is
only fitting that we offer our thanks.
Mr. LUCAS of Oklahoma. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for
time, and I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Hansen). The question is on the motion
offered by the gentleman from Oklahoma (Mr. Lucas) that the House
suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 3642.
The question was taken.
Mr. LUCAS of Oklahoma. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and
nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be
postponed.
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