[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 129 (Monday, October 1, 2001)]
[Senate]
[Pages S9973-S9974]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
By Mr. CLELAND (for himself and Mr. Miller):
S. 1476. A bill to authorize the President to award a gold medal on
behalf of the Congress to Reverend Doctor Martin Luther King, Jr.
(posthumously) and his widow Coretta Scott King in recognition of their
contributions to the Nation on behalf of the civil rights movement; to
the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.
Mr. CLELAND. Madam President, I rise today to introduce legislation
that will award a gold medal on behalf of the Congress to Reverend
Doctor Martin Luther King, Jr., posthumously, and his widow Coretta
Scott King in recognition of their contributions to the Nation on
behalf of the civil rights movement. It is time to honor Dr. Martin
Luther King, Jr. and his widow Coretta Scott King, the first family of
the civil rights movement, for their distinguished records of public
service to the American people and the international community.
As one of the premier champions of basic human rights, Dr. King
worked unselfishly to combat segregation, discrimination, and racial
injustice. In 1963, Dr. King led the March on Washington, D.C., that
was followed by his famous address, the ``I Have a Dream'' speech.
Through his work and reliance on nonviolent protest, Dr. King was
instrumental in the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the
Voting Rights Act of 1965. Despite efforts to derail his mission, Dr.
King acted on his dream of America and succeeded in making the United
States a better place.
Mrs. Coretta Scott King, working alongside her husband, played an
important role as a leading participant in the American civil rights
movement. Dr. and Mrs. King worked together to achieve nonviolent
social change and full civil rights for African Americans. After the
assassination of her husband, Mrs. King devoted her time and energy to
developing and building the Atlanta-based Martin Luther King, Jr.
Center for Nonviolent Social Change as an enduring memorial to her
husband's life and his dream of full civil rights for all Americans.
Mrs. King also led the massive campaign to establish Dr. King's
birthday as a national holiday which is now celebrated in more than 100
countries around the world.
In recognition of the contributions made by Dr. and Mrs. King to the
civil rights movement and this Nation, Congress should honor these two
outstanding individuals by enacting legislation that would authorize
the President to award a gold medal on their behalf. Now is the time to
honor two of this Nation's greatest public figures, the late Reverend
Doctor Martin Luther King, Jr. and his widow, Coretta Scott King.
I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the
Record.
There being no objection the bill was ordered to be printed in the
Record, as follows:
S. 1476
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. FINDINGS.
Congress finds that--
(1) Reverend Doctor Martin Luther King, Jr. and his widow
Coretta Scott King, as the first family of the civil rights
movement, have distinguished records of public service to the
American people and the international community;
(2) Dr. King preached a doctrine of nonviolent civil
disobedience to combat segregation, discrimination, and
racial injustice;
(3) Dr. King led the Montgomery bus boycott for 381 days to
protest the arrest of Mrs. Rosa Parks and the segregation of
the bus system of Montgomery, Alabama;
(4) in 1963, Dr. King led the march on Washington, D.C.,
that was followed by his famous address, the ``I Have a
Dream'' speech;
(5) through his work and reliance on nonviolent protest,
Dr. King was instrumental in the passage of the Civil Rights
Act of 1964, and the Voting Rights Act of 1965;
(6) despite efforts to derail his mission, Dr. King acted
on his dream of America and succeeded in making the United
States a better place;
(7) Dr. King was assassinated for his beliefs on April 4,
1968, in Memphis, Tennessee;
(8) Mrs. King stepped into the civil rights movement in
1955 during the Montgomery bus boycott, and played an
important role as a leading participant in the American civil
rights movement;
(9) while raising 4 children, Mrs. King devoted herself to
working alongside her husband for nonviolent social change
and full civil rights for African Americans;
[[Page S9974]]
(10) with a strong educational background in music, Mrs.
King established and performed several Freedom Concerts,
which were well received, and which combined prose and poetry
narration with musical selections to increase awareness and
understanding of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference
(of which Dr. King served as the first president);
(11) Mrs. King demonstrated composure in deep sorrow, as
she led the Nation in mourning her husband after his brutal
assassination;
(12) after the assassination, Mrs. King devoted all of her
time and energy to developing and building the Atlanta-based
Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change
(hereafter referred to as the ``Center'') as an enduring
memorial to her husband's life and his dream of nonviolent
social change and full civil rights for all Americans;
(13) under Mrs. King's guidance and direction, the Center
has flourished;
(14) the Center was the first institution built in honor of
an African American leader;
(15) the Center provides local, national, and international
programs that have trained tens of thousands of people in Dr.
King's philosophy and methods, and boasts the largest archive
of the civil rights movement; and
(16) Mrs. King led the massive campaign to establish Dr.
King's birthday as a national holiday, and the holiday is now
celebrated in more than 100 countries.
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 Reverend Doctor Martin Luther King, Jr.
(posthumously) and his widow Coretta Scott King, in
recognition of their service to the Nation.
(b) Design and Striking.--For the purpose of the
presentations referred to in subsection (a), the Secretary of
the Treasury shall strike a gold medal with suitable emblems,
devices, and inscriptions, to be determined by the Secretary.
SEC. 3. DUPLICATE MEDALS.
The Secretary of the Treasury shall strike and sell
duplicates in bronze of the gold medal struck pursuant to
section 2, under such regulations as the Secretary may
prescribe, at a price sufficient to cover the costs of the
duplicate medals and the gold medal (including labor,
materials, dies, use of machinery, and overhead expenses).
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.
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