[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.
                                 ______