[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 93 (Tuesday, July 12, 2005)]
[House]
[Pages H5649-H5655]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
NASA AND JPL 50TH ANNIVERSARY COMMEMORATIVE COIN ACT
Mr. BAKER. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill
(H.R. 68) to require the Secretary of the Treasury to mint coins in
commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the
National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the Jet Propulsion
Laboratory, as amended.
The Clerk read as follows:
H.R. 68
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``NASA and JPL 50th
Anniversary Commemorative Coin Act''.
SEC. 2. COIN SPECIFICATIONS.
(a) Denominations.--In commemoration of the 50th
anniversary of the establishment of the National Aeronautics
and Space Administration and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory,
the Secretary of the Treasury (hereafter in this Act referred
to as the ``Secretary) shall mint and issue the following
coins:
(1) $50 gold coins.--Not more than 50,000 $50 gold coins
which shall--
(A) weigh 33.931 grams;
(B) have a diameter of 32.7 millimeters; and
(C) contain 1 troy ounce of fine gold.
(2) $1 silver coins.--Not more than 400,000 $1 coins of
each of the 9 designs specified in section 3(a)(3)(B), which
shall--
(A) weigh 26.73 grams;
(B) have a diameter of 1.500 inches; and
(C) contain 90 percent silver and 10 percent copper.
(b) Legal Tender.--The coins minted under this Act shall be
legal tender, as provided in section 5103 of title 31, United
States Code.
(c) Numismatic Items.--For purposes of section 5134 of
title 31, United States Code, all coins minted under this Act
shall be considered to be numismatic items.
SEC. 3. DESIGN OF COINS.
(a) Design Requirements.--
(1) In general.--The design of the coins minted under this
Act shall be emblematic of the 50 years of exemplary and
unparalleled achievements of the National Aeronautics and
Space Administration and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
(2) Designation and inscriptions.--On each coin minted
under this Act there shall be--
(A) a designation of the value of the coin;
(B) an inscription of the year ``2008''; and
(C) inscriptions of the words ``Liberty'', ``In God We
Trust'', ``United States of America'', and ``E Pluribus
Unum'', and such other inscriptions as the Secretary may
determine to be appropriate for the designs of the coins.
(3) Coin images.--
(A) $50 coins.--
(i) Obverse.--The obverse of the $50 coins issued under
this Act shall bear an image of the sun.
(ii) Reverse.--The reverse of the $50 coins issued under
this Act shall bear a design emblematic of the sacrifice of
the United States astronauts who lost their lives in the line
of duty over the course of the space program.
(iii) Edge.--The edge of the $50 coins issued under this
Act shall bear the names and dates of the spacecraft missions
on which United States astronauts lost their lives over the
course of the space program.
(iv) High relief.--The design and inscriptions on the
obverse and reverse of the $50 coins issued under this Act
shall be in high relief.
(B) $1 coins.--
(i) Obverse.--The obverse of the $1 coins issued under this
Act shall bear 9 different designs each of which shall
consist of an image of 1 of the 9 planets of the solar
system, including Earth.
(ii) Reverse.--The reverse of the $1 coins issued under
this Act shall bear different designs each of which shall be
emblematic of discoveries and missions of the Jet Propulsion
Laboratory to the planet depicted on the obverse of the coin,
subject to the following requirements:
(I) Earth coin.--The reverse of the $1 coins issued under
this Act which bear an image of the Earth on the obverse
shall bear images emblematic of, and honoring, the
discoveries and missions of the National Aeronautics and
Space Administration, the Mercury, Gemini and Space Shuttle
missions and other manned Earth-orbiting missions, and the
Apollo missions to the Moon.
(II) Jupiter coin.--The reverse of the $1 coins issued
under this Act which bear an image of the planet Jupiter on
the obverse shall include a scientifically accurate depiction
of the Galilean moon Europa and depict both a past and future
mission to Europa.
(III) Saturn coin.--The reverse of the $1 coins issued
under this Act which bear an image of the planet Saturn on
the obverse shall include a scientifically accurate depiction
of the moon Titan and depict both a past and a future mission
to Titan.
(IV) Pluto coin.--The reverse of the $1 coins issued under
this Act which bear an image of the planet Pluto on the
obverse shall include a design that is emblematic of
telescopic exploration of deep space by the National
Aeronautics and Space Administration and the ongoing search
for Earth-like planets orbiting other stars.
(iii) Edge.--It is the sense of the Congress that, to the
extent practicable, the edge of each $1 coin should bear the
names and dates or range of dates of missions or mission
types to the planet depicted on the obverse.
(4) Realistic and scientifically accurate depictions.--The
images for the designs of coins issued under this Act shall
be selected on the basis of the realism and scientific
accuracy of the images and on the extent to which the images
are reminiscent of the dramatic and beautiful artwork on
coins of the so-called ``Golden Age of Coinage'' in the
United States, at the beginning of the Twentieth Century,
with the participation of such noted sculptors and medallic
artists as James Earle Fraser, Augustus Saint-Gaudens, Victor
David Brenner, Adolph A. Weinman, Charles E. Barber, and
George T. Morgan.
(b) Selection.--The design for the coins minted under this
Act shall be--
(1) selected by the Secretary after consultation with the
Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space
Administration, the Director of the Jet Propulsion
Laboratory, and the Commission of Fine Arts; and
(2) reviewed by the Citizens Coin Advisory Committee.
SEC. 4. SYMBOLIC INCLUSION OF METALS THAT HAVE FLOWN IN
SPACE.
(a) Collection.--Each Federal agency and instrumentality of
the United States, including the Department of Defense, the
Smithsonian Institution, the National Aeronautics and Space
Administration, and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, that has
in its possession any craft, or any part of a craft, that
flew in space shall--
(1) retrieve such gold, silver, copper, and other metals
that the Director of the United States Mint determines are
appropriate for use in the production of any coins under this
Act, from such craft or part, that can be retrieved without
harming any such craft or part that may be of continuing use
for its original purpose or for research, or whose
preservation is appropriate for historical purposes; and
(2) deposit such metals so retrieved with the Director of
the United States Mint.
(b) Use of Metals in Production of Coins.--Any metals
deposited with the Director of the United States Mint under
subsection (a) shall be used in the production of the coins
struck under this Act by blending such metals with other
metal necessary for the production of such coins so that all
of the coins produced under this Act will contain some
proportion of the bullion obtained from craft or parts of
crafts that flew in space in an amount appropriate for the
types and denominations of the coins and the amount of metals
so deposited.
(c) Recordkeeping.--It is the sense of the Congress that
each Federal agency and instrumentality of the United States
which retrieves any metals in accordance with subsection (a)
should maintain accurate and complete records of the
retrieval and deposit of any such metals sufficient to allow
the Director of the United States Mint--
(1) to provide certificates of authenticity with coins
issued under this Act that some proportion of the contents of
such coins were obtained from craft or parts of crafts that
flew in space; and
(2) to package with each issued coin a list of the missions
in which such craft flew in space.
(d) Private Spacecraft.--
(1) In general.--Each Federal agency and instrumentality of
the United States that has or continues to conduct space-
related missions shall, in addition to the efforts described
in subsection (a), make efforts to secure and retrieve from
privately-held craft that has flown in space such gold,
silver, copper and other metals that the Director of the
United States Mint determines are appropriate for use in the
production of any coins under this Act.
(2) Recordkeeping.--It is the sense of the Congress that
each Federal agency and instrumentality of the United States
which retrieves any metals pursuant to paragraph (1)
[[Page H5650]]
from privately-held craft that has flown in space should
comply with the recordkeeping procedures described in
subsection (c) with respect to such metal.
SEC. 5. ISSUANCE OF COINS.
(a) Quality of Coins.--Coins minted under this Act shall be
issued in proof quality only.
(b) Mint Facility.--Only 1 facility of the United States
Mint may be used to strike any particular combination of
denomination and quality of the coins minted under this Act.
(c) Commencement of Issuance.--The Secretary may issue
coins minted under this Act beginning January 1, 2008.
(d) Termination of Minting Authority.--No coins may be
minted under this Act after December 31, 2008.
SEC. 6. SALE OF COINS.
(a) Sale Price.--The coins issued under this Act shall be
sold by the Secretary at a price equal to the sum of--
(1) the face value of the coins;
(2) the surcharge provided in section 7(a) with respect to
such coins; and
(3) the cost of designing and issuing the coins (including
labor, materials, dies, use of machinery, overhead expenses,
marketing, and shipping).
(b) Prepaid Orders.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary shall accept prepaid orders
for the coins minted under this Act before the issuance of
such coins.
(2) Discount.--Sale prices with respect to prepaid orders
under paragraph (1) shall be at a reasonable discount.
(c) Presentation.--In addition to the issuance of coins
under this Act in such other methods of presentation as the
Secretary of the Treasury determines to be appropriate, the
Secretary shall provide, as a sale option, a presentation
case which displays the $50 gold coin in the center
surrounded by the $1 silver coins in an elliptical orbit.
SEC. 7. SURCHARGES.
(a) In General.--All sales of coins minted under this Act
shall include a surcharge as follows:
(1) A surcharge of $50 per coin for the $50 coin.
(2) A surcharge of $10 per coin for the $1 coin.
(b) Distribution.--Subject to section 5134(f) of title 31,
United States Code, all surcharges received by the Secretary
from the sale of coins issued under this Act shall be
promptly distributed as follows:
(1) The first $1,000,000 available for distribution under
this section, to the NASA Family Assistance Fund for the
purposes of providing need-based financial assistance to the
families of NASA personnel who die as a result of injuries
suffered in the performance of their official duties.
(2) Of amounts available for distribution after the payment
under paragraph (1), \1/2\ to the Secretary of the
Smithsonian Institution for the preservation, maintenance,
and display of space artifacts at the National Air and Space
Museum (including the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center).
(3) Of amounts available for distribution after the payment
under paragraph (1), \1/2\ to the Secretary of the
Smithsonian Institution for the express purpose of providing
funding for the establishment of a new stand-alone National
Museum of Money.
(c) Audits.--The NASA Family Assistance Fund and the
Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution shall be subject to
the audit requirements of section 5134(f)(2) of title 31,
United States Code, with regard to the amounts received under
subsection (b).
(d) Limitation.--Notwithstanding subsection (a), no
surcharge may be included with respect to the issuance under
this Act of any coin during a calendar year if, as of the
time of such issuance, the issuance of such coin would result
in the number of commemorative coin programs issued during
such year to exceed the annual 2 commemorative coin program
issuance limitation under section 5112(m)(1) of title 31,
United States Code (as in effect on the date of the enactment
of this Act). The Secretary of the Treasury may issue
guidance to carry out this subsection.
SEC. 8. BRONZE DUPLICATES.
The Secretary may strike and sell bronze duplicates of the
$50 gold coins authorized under this Act, at a price the
Secretary determines to be appropriate.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Louisiana (Mr. Baker) and the gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. Maloney)
each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Baker).
General Leave
Mr. BAKER. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may
have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks
on H.R. 68 and to insert extraneous material thereon.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Louisiana?
There was no objection.
Mr. BAKER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I wish to commend the gentleman from Texas (Mr.
Culberson) and the Members of the Texas delegation for their efforts in
recognizing the achievements of NASA with the introduction of H.R. 68.
It is highly appropriate at the time we are soon to expect the space
shuttle program to reenter demand exploration effort this week that we
observe and appreciate the heroism, genius and sacrifices that the
program has given us to this point in time.
I think it is also appropriate that with NASA's Deep Impact Project
of just a few days ago, impacting the surface of Comet Temple, as well
as the very slow rolling wheels of Spirit and Opportunity cross and
traverse the face of Mars, it seems stunningly impossible that these
programs began only 50 years ago. That is why, Mr. Speaker, I think
this legislation is important for the House to favorably consider as it
seeks to commemorate the anniversary by issuing in 2008 into silver
dollar coins and a single $50 coin representing the nine planets and
the gold coin representing the sun.
Fittingly, the first million dollars of surcharges resulting from
this effort will go to a needs-based fund benefiting the next of kin of
those heroes who died in the exploration of space. Further, the
remainder of funds will go to the Smithsonian for help in preservation
of important spacecraft and half of the fund to create a stand-alone
Smithsonian museum here in the District dedicated specifically to
coins, currency and other monetary forms of transaction.
Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr.
Culberson) who has led the charge to see this goal through to its final
conclusion.
Mr. CULBERSON. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me
time and for bringing this bill to the floor in an expeditious fashion.
I want to thank the committee members. I want to thank my 291 co-
sponsors. I especially want to thank an extraordinarily able member of
the gentleman's staff, Joe Pinder, who has done a superb job in helping
prepare this bill for this floor.
It is indeed appropriate that the Congress recognize the 50th
anniversary of the creation of the National Aeronautics and Space
Administration and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory with this
commemorative coin set for the year 2008 here about 24 hours away from
America's return to space with our launch tomorrow afternoon of the
Space Shuttle Discovery, which will go from zero to Mach 25 in 8
minutes and 30 seconds into Earth's orbit tomorrow and just a short
week after the Jet Propulsion Laboratory again showed the world the
technological prowess of America's space program by hitting a comet for
the very first time and exposing its inner workings to the eyes of
scientists.
It was, in fact, on January 31 of 1958 that the American space
program began with the launch of the first U.S. satellite, Explorer 1,
which was built and controlled by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, under
the guidance of the United States Army in response to the Soviet
Union's launching of Sputnik. The United States responded very quickly,
and before the year was out, the Congress had created the National
Aeronautics and Space Administration on December 3, 1958. JPL was then
transferred over to the control of NASA. And since that time, JPL and
NASA and the United States have gone on to explore our entire solar
system with the help of the Hubble Space Telescope, the Spitzer Space
Telescope.
We now have telescopes in orbit around the Earth that have identified
up to 160 planets around other solar systems. NASA has discovered, as
the chairman just mentioned, with the Mars Rovers that liquid water not
only once existed on the surface of Mars, it appears that there are
large frozen lakes on Mars. We have landed on the surface of the moon
Titan. We not only landed men on the moon with the very successful
Apollo program, but we are, under President Bush's vision for space
exploration and the leadership of our new NASA administrator, Mike
Griffin, rapidly moving towards the day very soon when men and women
will return to the surface of the moon.
The accomplishments of NASA and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory are
absolutely extraordinary, but this exploration has not come without
risk or loss. As with all exploration that is new in pressing the
frontiers, it is dangerous. Tragically, on January 27, 1967,
[[Page H5651]]
the three Apollo astronauts were killed in a fire on the launch pad of
Apollo I. On January 28, 1996 the Space Shuttle Challenger was lost
with its entire crew. And on February 1, 2003, the Space Shuttle
Columbia and its seven-member crew were lost during reentry.
Therefore, in designing this set of coins, I have proposed in this
bill that the centerpiece will be a $50 gold piece in high relief and
proof honoring the lives of astronauts who have lost their lives in
their exploration of space. On that $50 gold piece will be an image of
the sun. Then arranged around it will be nine silver proof dollars,
each one representing a different planet in the solar system and each
one commemorating missions to that planet. And of course the silver
dollar for the planet Earth on the reverse side will have a design
emblematic to the Apollo missions as well as Earth orbital missions.
This commemorative coin set is just one small piece of ongoing work
that Congress is doing in support of NASA. It is difficult to even
measure the value of the work that NASA does in exploring outer space.
Measuring the value of NASA's work today is a lot like the question
facing Americans 200 years ago when the Lewis and Clark expedition was
launched to explore the west. How could Americans then measure the
value of all the minerals and animal species that the Lewis and Clark
expedition would find? How can we today measure the value of the
exploration and discoveries that will be made by NASA in the Jet
Propulsion Laboratory?
Americans today are enjoying the value of the miniaturization of
computers, medical technology, heart pumps, valves, power generators,
image processing, cell phone technology, CAT scanners, MRI machines,
pacemakers. All of these extraordinary technological innovations are
the result of work on our space program.
Mr. Speaker, I am very proud to be the author of this legislation.
Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 68, the NASA and JPL
50th Anniversary Commemorative Coin Act. Since it was first introduced
by the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Culberson) at the beginning of this
Congress, it has gathered almost 300 bipartisan co-sponsors, and I am
very proud to have worked with him in this effort.
It is not surprising that it has such strong support. NASA is a
national institution that has always had strong support in this body.
Its quest for scientific knowledge and new frontiers of exploration has
often pulled this Nation together.
In the half century since its founding, NASA has so often given us
something to be proud of and patriotic about. When President Kennedy
first told the world that the United States would be the first to put a
man on the moon; when Neil Armstrong fulfilled that promise with one
small step seen around the world, and I do not think any of us who had
the honor of seeing that will ever forget it; when the Hubble telescope
sent back those first amazing photos of far away galaxies 15 years ago;
when the Mars Rovers, Spirit and Opportunity found evidence of a former
sea deep beneath the surface of the red planet, these are just a few of
the very proud moments that this coin remembers.
This coin also honors those brave men and women who have given their
lives in their pursuit of knowledge. The crew of the Challenger, the
crew of the Columbia, the Apollo I crew. These are true heroes, and it
is imminently fitting that the proceeds of this coin will go to the
families of NASA personnel who have died in the line of duty.
It is particularly appropriate that we consider this bill today just
hours before the important launch of the Space Shuttle Discovery
tomorrow. That launch begins the mission stage of the Return to Flight
program NASA undertook after the Columbia tragedy. That review included
new safety procedures, new analysis and reporting procedures, and new
cost efficiencies. Let us hope that it is the successful beginning of a
new and exciting era of this agency.
Commander Eileen Collins, the first woman to command a space shuttle
mission, and her crew of 7 will once again take the shuttle to the
International Space Station testing new safety procedures and
delivering supplies. Although there have been several well-known women
astronauts before, Commander Collins is still a new first, and I for
one am particularly excited about this mission. We, the world, will be
watching as Discovery lifts off tomorrow.
{time} 1100
I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 68, which commemorates the proud
history of our National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and I
would like to join my colleagues in thanking Joe Pinder, a member of
the committee, for his very, very hard work in bringing the bill before
us today.
Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Al
Green) a member of the committee whose district is very close to where
the shuttle will take off tomorrow and who is also a member of the
Committee on Financial Services.
(Mr. AL GREEN of Texas asked and was given permission to revise and
extend his remarks.)
Mr. AL GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for
yielding me this time, and I rise to support this bipartisan effort to
honor NASA with a 50th anniversary commemorative coin. Mr. Speaker,
this is a great occasion, and I wish to thank those who have made this
great occasion possible.
I thank the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Baker), chairman of the
Committee on Financial Services; the gentleman from Texas (Mr.
Culberson); the majority leader, the gentleman from Texas (Mr. DeLay);
the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Gene Green); the gentlewoman from New
York (Mrs. Maloney); and the gentleman from California (Mr. Schiff) for
their singular effort to bring this bipartisan bill to the floor.
I also wish to thank the many who work at NASA, Mr. Speaker, from the
top administrator to the janitors who sweep the floor. They all play a
role in making space flight possible. And of course, Mr. Speaker, I
thank God for those brave astronauts who leave loved ones behind to
traverse the heavens.
Mr. Speaker, while we commemorate NASA's 50 years of existence, we
must acknowledge that it could not have been done without the hand of
God. And if it is God's will, Mr. Speaker, it is safe to say that we
have only just begun.
Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. BAKER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. CULBERSON. Mr. Speaker, will the gentleman from Louisiana yield
for the purpose of entering into a colloquy?
Mr. BAKER. I yield to the gentleman from Texas for the purpose of a
colloquy.
Mr. CULBERSON. Mr. Speaker, I would ask the chairman of the
subcommittee, is it his understanding that a major purpose of
commemorative coin legislation is to produce coins that commemorate
particular institutions, individuals, or places, allowing both
collectors and other citizens who are fans of the person or thing being
commemorated to buy coins at a reasonable cost?
Mr. BAKER. That is my understanding.
Mr. CULBERSON. Is it further the gentleman's understanding that the
Congress has received complaints from citizens who want to buy such
commemorative coins claiming that, particularly for the more sought-
after coins, that professional coin dealers buy up large numbers of
those coins and sets, and then turn around and resell them to the
public at a marked-up price?
Mr. BAKER. That is unfortunately the case.
Mr. CULBERSON. Would the gentleman also agree that it is the intent
of Congress, through this legislation, that as many people as possible
have an equal opportunity to buy these commemorative coin sets or
individual coins once the Mint initially issues them?
Mr. BAKER. That is correct.
Mr. CULBERSON. Then I am sure the gentleman would also agree with me
that the Mint should be very careful, take as much care as possible
with all high-demand commemorative coin issues, but particularly with
coin sets produced under this act, to sell no more than 10 complete
sets of any issue to any individual, whether the purchase is made by
that individual or through straw buyers.
[[Page H5652]]
Mr. BAKER. The gentleman agrees and stipulates the Mint should make
every effort not to sell more than 10 sets of coins produced under the
act to any buyer, be they bought by that individual or through buyers
acting on behalf of that individual.
Mr. CULBERSON. I thank the gentleman, and would the gentleman yield
further?
Mr. BAKER. The gentleman continues to yield.
Mr. CULBERSON. As the gentleman knows, the legislation under
consideration by the House today would devote a portion of the
surcharge income produced by the sale of these coins to provide not
only funds for the NASA Family Assistance Fund, but also the initial
funding for a stand-alone museum of money in Washington, DC, as a part
of the Smithsonian Institution.
And as the gentleman also knows, the National Numismatic Collection
of the Smithsonian is not currently on display, except for a few coins
or currency in various exhibits related to the coins or currency or to
the images displayed on them. Would the gentleman agree with me that
the numismatic collection, one of the largest and best of its sort in
the world, should be displayed in its own building here in Washington,
in such a way that helps people understand not only the history of
commerce and coins and currency in the United States but also the
history of this country's development?
Mr. BAKER. I do agree.
Mr. CULBERSON. Would the gentleman further agree that the numismatic
collection would best be displayed in a separate museum here in
Washington, not as a subset or subsidiary of any existing Smithsonian
museum, but that such a museum could also display examples of other
forms of exchange of value, from barter and wampum to coins and
currency of other countries, to electronic transfers of value, along
with demonstrations of how coins and currencies are produced in its own
stand-alone museum here in Washington, D.C.?
Mr. BAKER. I do agree.
Mr. CULBERSON. Does the gentleman agree that such a museum's exhibits
could be kept vital by constant development of traveling exhibits to
museums around the country, including those of the American Numismatic
Association, the American Numismatic Society, and perhaps, if it is
constructed, a museum in the old Mint in San Francisco?
Mr. BAKER. The gentleman agrees and believes that such a plan would
be an excellent way to keep a new national museum of money exciting so
that visitors would be interested in returning many times.
Mr. CULBERSON. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for this colloquy.
Mr. BAKER. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4\1/2\ minutes to the gentlewoman
from Texas (Ms. Jackson-Lee).
(Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas asked and was given permission to revise
and extend her remarks.)
Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, as a member of the House
Committee on Science, this is an important day and an important week. I
am delighted we have an opportunity to debate the assets of NASA today
in the commemoration of their beginning their human space flight again.
This legislation, the NASA and JPL 50th Anniversary Commemorative Coin
Act, is one that I think speaks loudly to the celebration that we hold
tomorrow.
Mr. Speaker, I congratulate my colleague, the gentleman from Texas
(Mr. Culberson), and I was a proud original cosponsor in his effort to
promote and celebrate the excitement of the work of NASA and the Jet
Propulsion Lab. I also thank the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Baker)
and the gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. Maloney) as well for their
efforts in moving this legislation forward.
This legislation is unique in its promotion of NASA and the Jet
Propulsion Lab, and it speaks to the best of what NASA represents. I
believe, of course, that human space flight is crucial to the knowledge
of men and women and the improvement and enhancement of Americans and
people around the world. At the same time, the Jet Propulsion Lab also
offers its own assets: new technology and understanding of flight and
new sciences regarding these issues.
The good news of this particular legislation is it responds to a
concern that I have, and that is to recognize the families that have
seen their loved ones lost in the exploration of space. We know that
space exploration is a good thing, so the idea that the $50 coin and
the $10 coin, or the two coins that will be offered, the surcharge that
will be on those two coins will be utilized for the NASA Family
Assistance Funds, which proposes financial assistance to the families
of NASA personnel who die as a result of injuries suffered in the
performance of their official duties.
As a neighbor to the Johnson Space Center, I knew the families of
Challenger and Columbia, and my heart, as well as the hearts of all
Americans, poured out in response to the enormous impact and loss of
life to those families and to America, brave astronauts willing to risk
their lives so that others might live well or better.
Tomorrow, at 3:51, the Space Shuttle Discovery is scheduled to launch
from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida with a woman commander. What
better statement to support that effort than by passing this
legislation today. Even as they go forward, they will have the
opportunity to test the muster and fortitude of the space station by
delivering goods and services there. They will first demonstrate repair
techniques on the shuttle's protective tiles, known as the thermal
protection system. During the second space walk, they will replace a
failed control moment gyroscope, which helps keep the station oriented
properly. And, finally, they will install the external storage
platform, a sort of space shelf for holding spare parts during station
construction.
This bill also provides for a freestanding museum and also a
traveling exhibit to promote and celebrate the various metals that have
been found in space. I think that is an excellent idea.
Mr. Speaker, I rise to support this legislation and I make one
comment. It is important as we support the human space shuttle as it
goes off tomorrow, that we continue our oversight with the NASA
authorization bill and that we recognize the importance of safety and
that we promote in large dollars the needs of NASA as it looks to the
sophistication of new safety standards.
Then of course I hope that my colleagues will join me in honoring
those who lost their lives aboard Columbia by rendering a gold medal,
where I sought 300-plus signatures on legislation that I offered to
promote that and to acknowledge their loss through a gold medal. I
think that will bring us full circle to acknowledging going forward but
also acknowledging the sacrifices that were being made.
Let me conclude my remarks by saying that in 1962, John F. Kennedy
was at Rice University and he said these words: ``We set sail on this
new sea because there is new knowledge to be gained and new rights to
be won, and they must be won and used for the progress of all people,
for science technology has no conscience of its own.''
Today, we honor them by this legislation. I congratulate my colleague
for H.R. 68, and I urge my colleagues to enthusiastically support it,
for it recognizes NASA and JPL for their 50th anniversary.
I rise today as a proud cosponsor of H.R. 68, the NASA and JPL 50th
Anniversary Commemorative Coin Act. Let me first thank the sponsor of
this legislation my colleague from Texas, Mr. Culberson and the work of
Ms. Maloney in bringing this legislation to the floor. This bill would
require the Secretary of the Treasury to mint coins in commemoration of
the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the National Aeronautics
and Space Administration and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
I am heartened to see that the NASA and JPL 50th Anniversary
Commemorative Coin Act stipulates that any funds generated by the sale
of these coins shall be paid by the Secretary to the NASA Family
Assistance Fund for the purposes of providing financial assistance to
the families of NASA personnel who die as a result of injuries suffered
in the performance of their official duties. This Act also states that
each coin shall include a portion of metal that has flown In space so
that these coins are truly symbolic of our Nation's journey through
space.
Being from the City of Houston, which is home to the Johnson Space
Center I take great pride in the accomplishments of NASA. Tomorrow at
3:51 p.m. the Space Shuttle Discovery is scheduled to launch from the
Kennedy Space Center in Florida. I am proud to
[[Page H5653]]
say that I will be among the Congressional Delegation that will be in
attendance at this historic launch. The launch of the Space Shuttle
Discovery will come more than 2 years after the tragic Columbia shuttle
accident. The crew of the Discovery will include astronauts Steve
Robinson, Jim Kelly, Andy Thomas, Wendy Lawrence, Charlie Camarda,
Eileen Collins and Soichi Noguchi. With implementation of the Columbia
Accident Investigation Board recommendations completed, this crew of
seven astronauts will fly aboard Space Shuttle Discovery on mission
STS-114 to test new safety techniques and deliver needed supplies to
the International Space Station. Two crewmembers, Steve Robinson and
Soichi Noguchi, will venture outside the Shuttle three times on
spacewalks. The first will demonstrate repair techniques on the
Shuttle's protective tiles, known as the Thermal Protection System.
During the second spacewalk, they'll replace a failed Control Moment
Gyroscope, which helps keep the station oriented properly. Finally,
they'll install the External Stowage Platform, a sort of space shelf
for holding spare parts during Station construction. STS-114 will also
be the third trip of the Multi Purpose Logistics Module, MPLM, named
Raffaello to the Station. It's essentially a ``moving van'' that
transports supplies to the orbital outpost.
I have consistently stated that since the Columbia shuttle accident,
that safety must be our number one priority. There is no doubt that the
Space Shuttle Discovery is the safest ever flown by NASA, but when it
comes to safety there is always more work to be done, both in regards
to the shuttle as well as to the International Space Station. All
Americans can look proudly upon the achievements of our space
exploration tomorrow when we witness the launch of Discovery.
Truly, we as a nation have come a long way in the area of space
exploration since President John F. Kennedy set the course for our
Nation when he stated in a speech at Rice University in 1962: ``We set
sail on this new sea because there is new knowledge to be gained, and
new rights to be won, and they must be won and used for the progress of
all people. For space science, like nuclear science and technology, has
no conscience of its own. Whether it will become a force for good or
ill depends on man, and only if the United States occupies a position
of preeminence can we help decide whether this new ocean will be a sea
of peace or a new terrifying theater of war--The great British explorer
George Mallory, who was to die on Mount Everest, was asked why did he
want to climb it. He said because it is there. Well space is there, and
we're going to climb it. And the moon and the planets are there. And
new hopes for knowledge and peace are there. And therefore, as we set
sail, we ask God's blessing, on the most hazardous, and dangerous, and
greatest adventure, on which man has ever embarked.'' Tomorrow
afternoon we embark on yet another journey of exploration and we write
another chapter in the history of space. Our Nation has seen great
tragedy and yet we continue to move forward because that is the only
path that knowledge will accept, truly it is appropriate that
tomorrow's shuttle will be called Discovery.
Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the
gentleman from Texas (Mr. Gene Green), who has the honor of
representing many NASA employees.
Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I thank both my House
colleagues but also my Rayburn Hall colleague, and also we both came to
Congress in 1993 together. I rise to offer my strong support for H.R.
68 as an original cosponsor. The National Aeronautics and Space
Administration and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory have made significant
contributions to all aspects of science advancement over the last half
century and deserve the commemoration by having a coin minted
celebrating this anniversary.
Since its inception in October of 1958, NASA has pushed the
boundaries of exploration from Earth to the Moon, to the outer reaches
of the solar system and to the edge of the universe through scientific
and technological feats in air and space. NASA remains a leading force
in scientific research and stimulating public interest in aerospace
exploration, as well as science and technology in general.
Since 1997, I have had the privilege of having NASA astronauts visit
middle schools in the congressional district I represent. It is good to
have them as neighbors, literally in the district of the gentleman from
Texas (Mr. DeLay), but they actually come to our district to visit. The
interaction between these middle school students with the astronauts
and the questions they ask about space and NASA demonstrate the
benefits of our space program and the impact on getting our students
today who are in middle school excited about math and science.
It is really great when an astronaut who has a great story to tell
can get the attention of these 6th, 7th and 8th graders. Because,
again, that is the future not only of NASA but of our Nation. When
looking back over its history, we remember such revolutionary
achievements as the Echo Project, which led to advancements towards the
satellite systems we take for granted today, the creation of the manned
spacecraft center and mission control in my hometown of Houston, which
later was renamed the Johnson Space Center, on through Neil Armstrong's
first steps on the Moon and the lift-off of the shuttle program and the
construction of the International Space Station.
The achievements of NASA have not come without cost, however, and
having a coin minted to celebrate NASA's accomplishments will also
honor the sacrifices made by crew members of Apollo I, Challenger and
Colombia who gave their lives advancing our space program.
As NASA takes one more significant step in history tomorrow by
returning to flight after more than 2 years, we have the opportunity
today to express our support by authorizing the production of a coin
emblematic of the 50 years of exemplary and unparalleled achievements
of NASA and the JPL. Our prayers and support are with our astronauts
tomorrow, and I strongly urge my colleagues to support this
legislation.
Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume
and advise that that concludes the speakers on this side. As revealed
by the eloquent statements from my colleagues, the gentlewoman from
Texas (Ms. Jackson-Lee), a 10-year member of the Committee on Science;
and the gentlemen from Texas (Mr. Al Green) and (Mr. Gene Green), both
of whom represent NASA employees, I would say there is great enthusiasm
on both sides of the aisle, with over 300 cosponsors.
This is important legislation. It honors not only NASA on its 50th
anniversary but the commitment of this country and body to science and
scientific advancement. I thank very much the chairman of the
committee, the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Baker), and the gentleman
from Texas (Mr. Culberson), who has really been the fight behind moving
this to the floor, along with the fine help of Joe Pinder.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. BAKER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I just wish to point out that the astronauts are the
bravest of the brave and assume the most dire risk in these missions as
they approach to reach the outer limits of mankind's understandings.
But within the organization known as NASA and JPL, there are literally
thousands of individuals who work collaboratively for years to get
these launches to the place where they can proceed at the highest level
of safety and responsibility.
So I look at this act and this step the Congress is now authorizing
today as one which recognizes not only those life-risking astronauts as
being the pinnacle of our recognition, but certainly every member of
the NASA JPL teams who literally work lifetimes to make these steps of
exploration by humankind possible.
Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Texas (Mr.
Culberson).
{time} 1115
Mr. CULBERSON. Mr. Speaker, it is a collaborative effort. There are
thousands of scientists and engineers at NASA and the Jet Propulsion
Laboratory and across the country and scientists around the world who
participate in these missions.
I also want to point out that this set of coins will contain metal
that was recovered from spacecraft that actually flew in space. So some
portion of each coin will contain metal that flew in space. There will
be a certificate to that effect. The money will go to the support of
the families, and it will also go to the support of the Air and Space
Museum and for the creation of a money museum. The coins are expected
to generate quite a bit of revenue, and, therefore, it will be a
benefit to the families who have lost loved ones.
[[Page H5654]]
But above all, Congress has expressed its strong support for NASA. I
am proud to serve on the Committee on Appropriations, Subcommittee on
Science. The gentleman from Virginia (Chairman Wolf) is a strong
supporter. This House has supported increased funding for NASA in a
vote on this floor just weeks ago.
So in addition to this coin, Congress has expressed our tangible
support for NASA and their mission with increased funding.
As this coin is brought into production in 2008, we do not know what
the future holds, but I am confident it holds immense promise. Just as
the Lewis and Clark expedition brought unknown and immense benefits to
the Nation, the American space program will continue to bring
incredible growth in our economy as a result of technological spinoffs.
The unparalleled growth we have seen in worker productivity in America
is a direct result of improvements in high technology and
communications and scientific and medical research.
Thomas Jefferson, my hero, always said freedom is the firstborn child
of science, and there is no better way for America to express our pride
and our confidence in our Nation's space program than by commemorating
their 50th anniversary with this coin set in the year 2008.
Mr. BAKER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I include for the Record an exchange of correspondence
between the Committee on Financial Services and the Committee on Ways
and Means.
House of Representatives,
Committee on Ways and Means,
Washington, DC, July 11, 2005.
Hon. Michael G. Oxley,
Chairman, Committee on Financial Services, Rayburn House
Office Building, Washington, DC.
Dear Chairman Oxley: Thank you for your letter regarding
H.R. 68, the ``NASA and JPL 50th Anniversary Commemorative
Coin Act,'' which was reported to the House by the Committee
on Financial Services on June 17, 2005.
As you noted, the Committee on Ways and Means maintains
jurisdiction over matters that concern raising revenue. H.R.
68 contains a provision that establishes a surcharge for the
sale of commemorative coins that are minted under the bill,
and thus falls within the jurisdiction of the Committee on
Ways and Means. However, in order to expedite this bill for
floor consideration, the Committee will forgo action. This is
being done with the understanding that it does not in any way
prejudice the Committee with respect to the appointment of
conferees or its jurisdictional prerogatives on this bill or
similar legislation.
I appreciate and agree to your offer to include this
exchange of letters on this matter in the Congressional
Record during floor consideration.
Best regards,
Bill Thomas,
Chairman.
____
House of Representatives,
Committee on Financial Services,
Washington, DC, June 24, 2005.
Hon. William M. Thomas,
Chairman, Committee on Ways and Means, House of
Representatives, Longworth House Office Building,
Washington, DC.
Dear Chairman Thomas: I am writing concerning H.R. 68, the
``NASA and JPL 50th Anniversary Commemorative Coin Act,''
which will be scheduled for floor consideration in the near
future.
I acknowledge your committee's jurisdictional interest in
this bill and request your cooperation in moving the bill to
the House floor expeditiously. I agree that your decision to
forego further action on this bill will not prejudice the
Committee on Ways and Means with respect to its
jurisdictional prerogatives on this or similar legislation. I
would support your request for conferees on those provisions
within your jurisdiction should this bill be the subject of a
House-Senate conference.
I will include a copy of this letter and your response in
the Congressional Record when this bill is considered by the
House. Thank you again for your assistance.
Yours truly,
Michael G. Oxley,
Chairman.
____
Mr. OXLEY. Mr. Speaker, two and a half years ago we all watched in
horror as the space shuttle Columbia fell apart during re-entry over
the Southwest. Nearly two decades ago, we all watched in horror as the
Challenger blew up on launch. And before that, we remember other space
tragedies. But, Mr. Speaker, despite all the sense of sorrow and loss
that those events brought, we also remember the successes of NASA and
the Jet Propulsion Laboratories--spacewalks and moon walks, moon rocks
and rocket jocks.
The history of NASA and the JPL are a glorious celebration of all
that is American, the right stuff, the elation and the tragedy, the
bravery and the genius. And so today I rise in strong support of the
proposal by the gentleman from Texas to honor the 50th anniversary of
NASA and the JPL with commemorative coins to be issued in 3 years.
Mr. Speaker, just like the space exploration program, this program is
big and reaches for the stars. The coins will have symbolic, though
trace, amounts of metal that has actually flown in space. Though the
coins will be available individually, the prize no doubt will be sets
representing the solar system that will become prized collector items
for space fans and coin collectors alike who will be glad to fork over
the $1,200 or $1,500 that will be necessary to buy nine silver dollars
and one gold $50 coin.
Fittingly, surcharges on the sale of the coins will go to help the
survivors of those heroes killed in space exploration accidents, and to
help preserve and display spacecraft at the Smithsonian Air and Space
Museum, said to be the most popular tourist destination in the District
of Colombia. Also fittingly some of the surcharge money will be used to
seed creation of a Smithsonian Museum of Money here in DC. I know the
gentleman from Texas, besides being an energetic Member of this body,
is a coin collector himself, and I think it is fitting that a coin
program and a coin collector will be the start of such an overdue money
museum effort.
And so, Mr. Speaker, as we all look at television this week and see
the re-start of the space shuttle program, let us think a little about
heroes, and about guts and glory, and about genius, and how all of
these things are the essence of America. And today, let us support this
legislation overwhelmingly.
Mr. DREIER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 68,
legislation authorizing the U.S. Mint to produce commemorative coins
for the 50th anniversary of the National Aeronautics and Space
Administration (NASA) and the La Canada-Flintridge-based Jet Propulsion
Laboratory (JPL), which I am privileged to represent.
NASA and JPL's decades of space and planetary exploration are worthy
of this recognition. For more than fifty years, JPL has reached the
outer limits of our solar system and made incredible technological
breakthroughs. These achievements are all thanks to the outstanding
people who have worked there over the years. Having just recently
visited JPL for Deep Impact, I am confident they have another exciting
fifty years ahead.
Several colleagues joined me at JPL on July 4th to watch Deep Impact,
a mission that will expand our understanding of the universe and answer
many questions about the origins of our solar system. As many of you
read in the news, Deep Impact mission scientists at JPL accomplished
the amazing feat of flying an 820-pound probe into the heart of a comet
268 million miles from Earth. To complicate matters, the comet was
speeding through space at 23,000 miles per hour.
I want to thank my good friends Mr. Calvert, who chairs the House
Science Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics, and Mr. Schiff, who used
to represent JPL and now has Caltech in his district, for joining me at
JPL to celebrate our nation's independence. I am sure they will agree
that the fireworks we saw from JPL' s Mission Control room on July 4th
rivaled those that were launched here at our Nation's capital.
Deep Impact is just the latest in a long series of incredible
accomplishments of JPL and NASA, dating back to the very beginning of
United States space exploration. On January 31, 1958, the American
space age began with the launch of Explorer I, the first U.S.
satellite. At a time of national disappointment following the Soviet
Union's successful launch of Sputnik, Explorer I turned the tide in
international space exploration, displayed America's pioneering spirit-
and scientific excellence, and spurred our space efforts. The
organization behind the development, launch, and control of Explorer I
was JPL.
JPL will continue to push the boundaries of space and science with
upcoming missions, such as SIM PlanetQuest and the Terrestrial Planet
Finder. These missions will bring us closer to discovering whether
there may be other planets like our own. This quest is an important
one, which is why the search for Earth-like planets is a central part
of the President's vision for space exploration.
I have no doubt these very exciting missions will expand our
horizons, answer many questions and capture our imagination, just as
previous missions have. For example, it was one year ago that the
Cassini-Huygens Spacecraft successfully entered orbit around Saturn.
Since that time we have seen some incredible images and learned a great
deal about Saturn and its rings.
A little over two years ago, the first of the two Mars Exploration
Rovers, Spirit, was launched. In January 2004, the second rover,
[[Page H5655]]
Opportunity, landed on Mars. Both have proven to be work horses on the
planet's unforgiving surface, and both have made fascinating
discoveries. Spirit found evidence that early Martian history was wet
and violently explosive, and Opportunity found evidence of a shallow
ancient sea.
There are also tangible scientific and technological results from JPL
and NASA's successes. For example, the work of scientists and engineers
at JPL has resulted in medical imaging technology used in brain
surgery, the detection of breast cancer and detection of skin cancer,
and in computer chips that have been used to reduce engine emissions in
automobiles. These and other breakthroughs play a critical role in
ensuring America keeps its technological and scientific edge.
I congratulate JPL and NASA on their many decades of exploration and
discovery.
Mr. BAKER. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Shaw). The question is on the motion
offered by the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Baker) that the House
suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 68, as amended.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor
thereof) the rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
____________________