[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 146 (Friday, October 17, 2003)]
[Senate]
[Pages S12853-S12855]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL TO JACKIE ROBINSON

  Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate 
proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 311, S. 300.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the title of the bill.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

       A bill (S. 300) to award a congressional gold medal to 
     Jackie Robinson (posthumously), in recognition of his many 
     contributions to the Nation, and to express the sense of the 
     Congress that there should be a national day in recognition 
     of Jackie Robinson.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the bill.
  Mr. KERRY. Mr. President, I come to the floor today to pay tribute to 
Jackie Robinson--a great ballplayer, great leader and a great American.
  Most Americans know of Jackie Robinson's baseball greatness. He was 
the 1947 Rookie of the Year; the National League Most Valuable Player 
in 1949; he lead the Dodgers to six pennants and one World Series; he 
batted over 300 for his career; and he was elected to the Hall of Fame 
in 1962.
  But there is, of course, far more to the story of Jackie Robinson 
than talent and success on the baseball diamond.

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  Jackie Robinson was born in 1919 in Cairo, GA. He was the grandson of 
a slave and son of a sharecropper. As a boy, he moved with his family 
to Pasadena, CA. Jackie was born a competitor and excelled at sports 
from a young age. His talents earned him a scholarship to UCLA, where 
he lettered in football, basketball, baseball, and track--and he was 
heralded as one of the best-all-around athletes in the country.
  After college, Robinson was drafted into the Army. He rose to the 
rank of second lieutenant, and along the way he fought for equality and 
against injustice. Robinson and his good friend, the boxer Joe Louis, 
opened an Officer Candidate School to black soldiers. When Robinson was 
ordered to sit in the back of a bus at Fort Hood, TX, he refused and 
was court-martialed. Robinson stood his ground at the court martial, 
and for his bravery he was exonerated when the order was ruled a 
violation of Army regulations.
  After the Army, Robinson signed to play for 2 years in the Negro 
Baseball League for the Kansas City Monarchs. Then in 1947, Robinson 
signed with the Brooklyn Dodgers to become the first African-American 
to play in the major leagues. It's hard to imagine the personal courage 
this demanded of Robinson. Branch Rickey, the president of the Dodgers, 
said that, ``Robinson was the target of racial epithets and flying 
cleats, of hate letters and death threats, of pitchers throwing at his 
head and legs, and catchers spitting on his shoes.''
  But for all the hatred and ignorance Robinson faced, he responded 
with strength. Roger Kahn captured that strength in Boys of Summer when 
he wrote that Robinson ``bore the burden of a pioneer and the weight 
made him stronger. If one can be certain of anything in baseball, it is 
that we shall not look upon his like again.''
  Today, it is hard to understand the significance of Robinson signing 
in the majors. It happened before our military was desegregated, before 
the civil rights marches in the South, and before the historic ruling 
in Brown v. the Board of Education. Robinson engaged America in a 
constructive conversation about race even before other great leaders 
like Martin Luther King. Indeed, King once said that his great crusade 
for racial justice would not have been possible if not for Jackie 
Robinson.
  Robinson's skill, demeanor and fortitude made him one of the most 
popular people in America, and he used his fame to encourage the fair 
treatment of all people. His ideas and principles influenced John F. 
Kennedy and Dwight Eisenhower. After retiring from professional 
baseball in 1957, he dedicated himself to fighting for equality and 
justice. He was a leader with the NAACP, chairing its Freedom Fund 
Drive in 1957, and was awarded its highest achievement award. Jackie 
and his wife, Rachel, began annual concerts to benefit civil rights and 
voter registration drives in the South. In 1964, Jackie helped create a 
minority-owned commercial bank based in Harlem, New York, called the 
Freedom National Bank. He also started the Jackie Robinson Construction 
Company to build low-income housing.
  On October 15, 1972, Jackie Robinson attended a World Series Game 
that commemorated the 25th anniversary of the breaking of the color 
line in baseball. At the game, as he had done in the past, Jackie 
called for more opportunities for black Americans. Unfortunately, 
Jackie passed away only 9 days--later and today--56 years after Jackie 
signed with the Brooklyn Dodgers--we have yet to achieve the 
opportunity for all he so desired.
  Jackie Robinson once said that, ``a life is not important, except in 
the impact it has on other lives.'' Jackie Robinson not only impacted 
lives, he impacted the very spirit of our country. He was more than a 
sports hero--he was an American hero.
  And it is time for Congress to recognize his heroic contributions to 
the Nation by awarding him the Congressional Gold Medal. The 
Congressional Gold Medal is the highest expression of congressional 
appreciation and has been bestowed on great leaders like George 
Washington, Winston Churchill and Rosa Parks. I cannot think of a more 
deserving person to join this distinguished group than Jackie Robinson.
  As I close my remarks, I thank the Boston Red Sox and Larry Luchino 
and George Mitrovich for helping with this legislation. I also thank 
Senator McCain for joining as our lead cosponsor and Representative 
Richard Neal for passing this legislation through the House of 
Representatives.
  Mr. FRIST. I ask unanimous consent that the bill be read a third time 
and passed, 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 bill (S. 300) was read the third time and passed, as follows:

                                 S. 300

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. FINDINGS.

       Congress makes the following findings:
       (1) Jackie Roosevelt Robinson was born on January 31, 1919, 
     in Cairo, Georgia, and was the youngest of 5 children.
       (2) Jackie Robinson attended the University of California 
     Los Angeles where he starred in football, basketball, 
     baseball, and track. His remarkable skills earned him a 
     reputation as the best athlete in America.
       (3) In 1947, Jackie Robinson was signed by the Brooklyn 
     Dodgers and became the first black player to play in Major 
     League Baseball. His signing is considered one of the most 
     significant moments in the history of professional sports in 
     America. For his remarkable performance on the field in his 
     first season, he won the National League's Rookie of the Year 
     Award.
       (4) In 1949, Jackie Robinson was voted the National 
     League's Most Valuable Player by the Baseball Writers 
     Association of America.
       (5) In 1962, Jackie Robinson was elected to the Baseball 
     Hall of Fame.
       (6) Although the achievements of Jackie Robinson began with 
     athletics, they widened to have a profound influence on civil 
     and human rights in America.
       (7) The signing of Jackie Robinson as the first black 
     player in Major League Baseball occurred before the United 
     States military was desegregated by President Harry Truman, 
     before the civil rights marches took place in the South, and 
     before the Supreme Court issued its historic ruling in Brown 
     v. Board of Education, 347 U.S. 483 (1954).
       (8) The American public came to regard Jackie Robinson as a 
     person of exceptional fortitude, integrity, and athletic 
     ability so rapidly that, by the end of 1947, he finished 
     ahead of President Harry Truman, General Dwight Eisenhower, 
     General Douglas MacArthur, and Bob Hope in a national poll 
     for the most popular person in America, finishing only behind 
     Bing Crosby.
       (9) Jackie Robinson was named vice president of Chock Full 
     O' Nuts in 1957 and later co-founded the Freedom National 
     Bank of Harlem.
       (10) Leading by example, Jackie Robinson influenced many of 
     the greatest political leaders in America.
       (11) Jackie Robinson worked tirelessly with a number of 
     religious and civic organizations to better the lives of all 
     Americans.
       (12) The life and principles of Jackie Robinson are the 
     basis of the Jackie Robinson Foundation, which keeps his 
     memory alive by providing children of low-income families 
     with leadership and educational opportunities.
       (13) The legacy and personal achievements of Jackie 
     Robinson, as an athlete, a business leader, and a citizen, 
     have had a lasting and positive influence on the advancement 
     of civil rights in the United States.

     SEC. 2. CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL.

       (a) Presentation Authorized.--The President is authorized 
     to present, on behalf of Congress, to the family of Jackie 
     Robinson, a gold medal of appropriate design in recognition 
     of the many contributions of Jackie Robinson to the Nation.
       (b) Design and Striking.--For purposes of the presentation 
     referred to in subsection (a), the Secretary of the Treasury 
     (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, and overhead expenses.

     SEC. 4. STATUS AS NATIONAL MEDALS.

       The medals struck under this Act are national medals for 
     purposes of chapter 51 of title 31, United States Code.

     SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

       (a) Authorization of Appropriations.--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 medal authorized under section 2.
       (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.

     SEC. 6. SENSE OF CONGRESS.

       It is the sense of Congress that--

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       (1) there should be designated a national day for the 
     purpose of recognizing the accomplishments of Jackie 
     Robinson; and
       (2) the President should issue a proclamation calling on 
     the people of the United States to observe the day with 
     appropriate ceremonies and activities.

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