[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 32 (Wednesday, March 16, 2005)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2852-S2853]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mrs. HUTCHISON (for herself, Mr. Frist, and Mr. Cornyn):
  S. 641. A bill to award a congressional gold medal to Michael Ellis 
DeBakey, M.D.; to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.
  Mrs. HUTCHISON. Mr. President, I rise today to acknowledge the 
lifetime achievements of Dr. Michael Ellis DeBakey, a public servant 
and world-renowned cardiologist, by offering legislation to award him 
the Congressional Gold Medal.
  Throughout his life Dr. DeBakey has made numerous advances in the 
field of medicine. When he was only 23 years of age and still attending 
medical school, Dr. DeBakey developed a roller pump for blood 
transfusions--the precursor and major component of the heart-lung 
machine used in the first open-heart operation. This device later led 
to national recognition for his expertise in vascular disease. His 
service to our country did not stop there.
  Dr. DeBakey put his practice on hold and volunteered for military 
service during World War II with the Surgeon General's staff. During 
this time, he received the rank of Colonel and Chief of Surgical 
Consultants Division.
  As a result of his military and medical experience, Dr. DeBakey made 
numerous recommendations to improve the military's medical procedures. 
His efforts led to the development of mobile army surgical hospitals, 
better known as MASH units, which earned him the Legion of Merit in 
1945.
  After WWII, Dr. DeBakey continued his hard work by proposing national 
and specialized medical centers for those soldiers who were wounded or 
needed follow-up treatment. This recommendation evolved into the 
Veterans Affairs Medical Center System and the establishment of the 
commission on Veterans Medical Problems of the National Research 
Council.
  In 1948, Dr. DeBakey joined the Baylor University College of 
Medicine, where he started its first surgical residency program and was 
later elected the first President of Baylor College of Medicine.
  Adding to his list of accomplishments Dr. DeBakey performed the first 
successful procedure to treat patients with anyeurysms. In 1964, Dr. 
DeBakey performed the first successful coronary bypass surgery, opening 
the doors for surgeons to perform preventative procedures to save the 
lives of many people with heart disease. He was also the first to 
successfully use a partial artificial heart. Later that same year, 
President Lyndon B. Johnson appointed Dr. DeBakey as Chairman of the 
President's Commission on Heart Disease, Cancer and Stroke, which led 
to the creation of Regional Medical Programs. These programs coordinate 
medical schools, research institutions and hospitals to enhance 
research and training.
  Dr. DeBakey continued to amaze the medical world when he pioneered 
the field of telemedicine by performing the first open-heart surgery 
transmitted over satellite and then supervised the first successful 
multi-organ transplant, where a heart, both kidneys and a lung were 
transplanted from a single donor into four separate recipients.

  These accomplishments have led to national recognition. Dr. DeBakey 
has received both the Presidential Medal of Freedom with Distinction 
from President Johnson and the National Medal of Science from President 
Ronald Reagan.
  Recently, Dr. DeBakey worked with NASA engineers to develop the 
DeBakey Ventricular Assist Device, which may eliminate the need for 
some patients to receive heart transplants.

[[Page S2853]]

  I stand here today to acknowledge Dr. DeBakey's invaluable work and 
significant contribution to medicine by offering a bill to award him 
the Congressional Gold Medal. His efforts and innovative surgical 
techniques have since saved the lives of thousands, if not millions, of 
people. I ask my Senate colleagues to join me in recognizing the 
profound impact this man has had on medical advances, the delivery of 
medicine and how we care for our Veterans. Although, Dr. DeBakey is not 
a native of Texas, he has made Texas proud. He has guided the Baylor 
College of Medicine and the city of Houston into becoming a world 
leader in medical advancement. On behalf of all Texans, I thank Dr. 
DeBakey for his lifetime of commitment and service not only to the 
medical community but to the world. 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. 641

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

     SECTION 1. FINDINGS.

       The Congress makes the following findings:
       (1) Michael Ellis DeBakey, M.D., was born on September 7, 
     1908 in Lake Charles, Louisiana, to Shaker and Raheeja 
     DeBakey.
       (2) Dr. DeBakey, at the age of 23 and still a medical 
     student, reported a major invention, a roller pump for blood 
     transfusions, which later became a major component of the 
     heart-lung machine used in the first successful open-heart 
     operation.
       (3) Even though Dr. DeBakey had already achieved a national 
     reputation as an authority on vascular disease and had a 
     promising career as a surgeon and teacher, he volunteered for 
     military service during World War II, joining the Surgeon 
     General's staff and rising to the rank of Colonel and Chief 
     of the Surgical Consultants Division.
       (4) As a result of this first-hand knowledge of military 
     service, Dr. DeBakey made numerous recommendations for the 
     proper staged management of war wounds, which led to the 
     development of mobile army surgical hospitals or MASH units, 
     and earned Dr. DeBakey the Legion of Merit in 1945.
       (5) After the war, Dr. DeBakey proposed the systematic 
     medical follow-up of veterans and recommended the creation of 
     specialized medical centers in different areas of the United 
     States to treat wounded military personnel returning from 
     war, and from this recommendation evolved the Veterans 
     Affairs Medical Center System and the establishment of the 
     Commission on Veterans Medical Problems of the National 
     Research Council.
       (6) In 1948, Dr. DeBakey joined the Baylor University 
     College of Medicine, where he developed the first surgical 
     residency program in the City of Houston, and today, guided 
     by Dr. DeBakey's vision, the College is one of the most 
     respected health science centers in the Nation.
       (7) In 1953, Dr. DeBakey performed the first successful 
     procedures to treat patients who suffered aneurysms leading 
     to severe strokes, and he later developed a series of 
     innovative surgical techniques for the treatment of aneurysms 
     enabling thousands of lives to be saved in the years ahead.
       (8) In 1964, Dr. DeBakey triggered the most explosive era 
     in modern cardiac surgery, when he performed the first 
     successful coronary bypass, once again paving the way for 
     surgeons world-wide to offer hope to thousands of patients 
     who might otherwise succumb to heart disease.
       (9) Two years later, Dr. DeBakey made medical history 
     again, when he was the first to successfully use a partial 
     artificial heart to solve the problems of a patient who could 
     not be weaned from a heart-lung machine following open-heart 
     surgery.
       (10) In 1968, Dr. DeBakey supervised the first successful 
     multi-organ transplant, in which a heart, both kidneys, and 
     lung were transplanted from a single donor into 4 separate 
     recipients.
       (11) In 1964, President Lyndon B. Johnson appointed Dr. 
     DeBakey to the position of Chairman of the President's 
     Commission on Heart Disease, Cancer and Stroke, leading to 
     the creation of Regional Medical Programs established ``to 
     encourage and assist in the establishment of regional 
     cooperative arrangements among medical schools, research 
     institutions, and hospitals, for research and training''.
       (12) In the mid-1960's, Dr. DeBakey pioneered the field of 
     telemedicine with the first demonstration of open-heart 
     surgery to be transmitted overseas by satellite.
       (13) In 1969, Dr. DeBakey was elected the first President 
     of Baylor College of Medicine.
       (14) In 1969, President Lyndon B. Johnson bestowed on Dr. 
     DeBakey the Presidential Medal of Freedom with Distinction, 
     and in 1985, President Ronald Reagan conferred on him the 
     National Medal of Science.
       (15) Working with NASA engineers, he refined existing 
     technology to create the DeBakey Ventricular Assist Device, 
     one-tenth the size of current versions, which may eliminate 
     the need for heart transplantation in some patients.

     SEC. 2. CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL.

       (a) Presentation Authorized.--The Speaker of the House of 
     Representatives and the President Pro Tempore of the Senate 
     shall make appropriate arrangements for the presentation, on 
     behalf of the Congress, of a gold medal of appropriate 
     design, to Michael Ellis DeBakey, M.D., in recognition of his 
     many outstanding contributions to the Nation.
       (b) Design and Striking.--For purposes of the presentation 
     referred to in subsection (a), the Secretary of the Treasury 
     (referred to in this Act as the ``Secretary'') shall strike a 
     gold medal with suitable emblems, devices, and inscriptions 
     to be determined by the Secretary.

     SEC. 3. DUPLICATE MEDALS.

       The Secretary may 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 cost thereof, including labor, 
     materials, dies, use of machinery, and overhead expenses, and 
     the cost of the gold medal.

     SEC. 4. STATUS OF MEDALS.

       (a) National Medals.--The medals struck pursuant to this 
     Act are national medals for purposes of chapter 51 of title 
     31, United States Code.
       (b) Numismatic Items.--For purposes of sections 5134 and 
     5136 of title 31, United States Code, all medals struck under 
     this Act shall be considered to be numismatic items.

     SEC. 5. AUTHORITY TO USE FUND AMOUNTS; PROCEEDS OF SALE.

       (a) Authority To Use Fund Amounts.--There is authorized to 
     be charged against the United States Mint Public Enterprise 
     Fund such amounts as may be necessary to pay for the costs of 
     the medals struck pursuant to this Act.
       (b) Proceeds of Sale.--Amounts received from the sale of 
     duplicate bronze medals authorized under section 3 shall be 
     deposited into the United States Mint Public Enterprise Fund.
                                 ______