[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 52 (Tuesday, May 2, 2000)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3268-S3269]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               AWARDING A GOLD MEDAL TO CHARLES M. SCHULZ

  Mr. GORTON. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Banking 
Committee be discharged from further consideration of H.R. 3642, and 
that the Senate then proceed to its immediate consideration.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The clerk will report the bill by title.
  The assistant legislative clerk read as follows:

       A 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.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the bill.


                           Amendment No. 3109

  Mr. GORTON. Mr. President, Senator Feinstein has a substitute 
amendment at the desk, and I ask for its consideration.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report.
  The assistant legislative clerk read as follows:

       The Senator from Washington [Mr. Gorton], for Mrs. 
     Feinstein, proposes an amendment numbered 3109.

  The amendment is as follows:

       Strike all after the enacting clause and insert the 
     following:

     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 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 drew every frame of the ``Peanuts'' 
     strip, which ran 7 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 appeared in 2,600 
     newspapers around the world daily until January 3, 2000, and 
     on Sundays until February 13, 2000, and reached approximately 
     335,000,000 readers every day in 20 different languages, 
     making Charles M. Schulz 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 was a leader in the field of comic 
     illustration and in his community. He 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 gave 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 also 
     financed a yearly ice show that drew crowds from all over the 
     San Francisco Bay Area.
       (10) Charles M. Schulz gave the Nation a unique sense of 
     optimism, purpose, and

[[Page S3269]]

     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'' embodied human 
     vulnerabilities, emotions, and potential.
       (11) Charles M. Schulz's lifetime of work linked 
     generations of Americans and became a part of the fabric of 
     our national culture.

     SEC. 2. CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL.

       (a) Award Authorized.--The President is authorized to award 
     posthumously, 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 award 
     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.

     SEC. 5. FUNDING AND PROCEEDS OF SALE.

       (a) Authorization.--There is 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.

  Mr. GORTON. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the amendment 
be agreed to, the bill be read a third time and passed, the amendment 
to the title be agreed to, the motion to reconsider be laid upon the 
table, and that any statements relating to the bill be printed in the 
Record.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The amendment (No. 3109) was agreed to.
  The bill (H.R. 3642), as amended, was read the third time and passed.
  The title was amended so as to read: ``To authorize the President to 
award posthumously 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, and for other purposes.''

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