Congressional Record, Volume 152 Issue 64 (Monday, May 22, 2006)

[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 64 (Monday, May 22, 2006)]
[House]
[Pages H2982-H2983]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

LEWIS AND CLARK COMMEMORATIVE COIN CORRECTION ACT

Mr. LEACH. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill
(H.R. 5401) to amend section 308 of the Lewis and Clark Expedition
Bicentennial Commemorative Coin Act to make certain clarifying and
technical amendments.
The Clerk read as follows:

H.R. 5401

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 ``Lewis and Clark
Commemorative Coin Correction Act''.

SEC. 2. LEWIS AND CLARK COMMEMORATIVE COIN AMENDMENTS.

Section 308 of the Lewis and Clark Expedition Bicentennial
Commemorative Coin Act (31 U.S.C. 5112 note) is amended--
(1) in subsection (a), by striking ``Secretary as
follows:'' and all that follows through the end of the
subsection and inserting the following: ``Secretary for
expenditure on activities associated with commemorating the
bicentennial of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, as follows:
``(1) National council of the lewis and clark
bicentennial.--\1/2\ to the National Council of the Lewis and
Clark Bicentennial.
``(2) Missouri historical society.--\1/2\ to the Missouri
Historical Society.'';
(2) by redesignating subsection (b) as subsection (c); and
(3) by inserting after subsection (a) the following new
subsection:
``(b) Transfer of Unexpended Funds.--Any proceeds referred
to in subsection (a) that were dispersed by the Secretary and
remain unexpended by the National Council of the Lewis and
Clark Bicentennial or the Missouri Historical Society as of
June 30, 2007, shall be transferred to the Lewis and Clark
Trail Heritage Foundation for the purpose of establishing a
trust for the stewardship of the Lewis and Clark National
Historic Trail.''.

The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Iowa (Mr. Leach) and the gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. Maloney) each
will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Iowa.

General Leave

Mr. LEACH. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may
have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks
and insert extraneous material on this legislation.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Iowa?
There was no objection.
Mr. LEACH. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 5401, the Lewis and Clark
Commemorative Coin Correction Act introduced by the gentlewoman from
Missouri (Mrs. Emerson). This is a technical correction which addresses
language in legislation that authorized the minting and sale of a
commemorative coin recognizing the bicentennial of the great Lewis and
Clark Corps of Discovery expedition.

{time} 1500

The original legislation was sponsored by a former colleague, the
gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Bereuter), and the coin was issued in the
year 2004.
That bill specified that the surcharge income from the sale of the
coins be divided between the National Lewis and Clark Bicentennial
Council and the National Park Service to be used for events
commemorating the bicentennial. Unfortunately, the Park Service has no
capacity to raise the private funding necessary to satisfy the matching
funds requirement of statutes guiding the issuance of commemorative
coins.
This legislation, which has broad bipartisan support, corrects that
problem and will allow disbursement of the funds in ways that support
the Lewis and Clark exhibit that has made its

[[Page H2983]]

way around the country and opened 2 weeks ago at the Smithsonian's
Museum of Natural History. This is an extraordinarily educational
exhibit with many items from personal collections that have not been
together since the expedition itself.
Mr. Speaker, this is a technical correction with no cost to the
government. The cause is deserving. American history has many elements,
but the Lewis and Clark expedition is unique to our development as a
Nation. The courageous trek deserves celebration because it helps
define the innate sense of adventure which is such an integral part of
the American spirit.
Mr. Speaker, I ask for its immediate passage and would simply note
the wonderful support on both sides of the aisle as symbolized by the
gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. Maloney), a good friend.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 5401, the Lewis and Clark
Commemorative Coin Correction Act. This technical correction to the
Lewis and Clark Expedition Bicentennial Commemorative Coin Act
redirects a portion of the proceeds of sales of the Lewis and Clark
silver dollars from the National Park Service to the Missouri
Historical Society.
The Park Service does not want to and cannot receive the one-third
share of the surcharge funds originally allocated to it since it has no
mechanism to raise the required matching funds.
The Missouri Historical Society, in contrast, has to date raised
matching funds equal to over half of the surcharge funds. The other
share has been raised by the National Council of the Lewis and Clark
Bicentennial.
Under the bill proposed today, the National Council and the Missouri
Historical Society would each receive half of the surcharge funds. Any
funds not expended by these two organizations would go to the Lewis and
Clark Heritage Foundation for the establishment of a trust for the
stewardship of the Lewis and Clark Historical Trail.
I am happy to say the coin has been very successful and raised almost
$5 million to date. I understand that this resolution is supported by
Congressional Representatives from many of the States along the trail
and by the board of the national council, which has members from all of
the Lewis and Clark States.
It is a sensible way to assure that funds raised by this coin are
used for activities that preserve and honor the achievements of the
Lewis and Clark expedition.
Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman
from the great State of Missouri (Mr. Skelton), the lead Democratic
cosponsor of this bill and the ranking member of the Armed Services
Committee.
Mr. SKELTON. Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend and gentlewoman from New
York and friend and gentleman from Iowa for their support on this bill.
Mr. Speaker, several years ago, I hosted a small breakfast for the
well-known historian Stephen Ambrose, and I asked him what it was that
made America so great. Now, I fully expected him to mention the
westward movement of American pioneer families in the 1800s.
Instead, Mr. Ambrose replied, ``Look at Russia. They have abundant
natural resources and a hearty workforce. But they never had a George
Washington, a John Adams and a Thomas Jefferson. It was Thomas
Jefferson who had the wisdom and the foresight to appoint Merriweather
Lewis and William Clark to explore the Louisiana Territory.''
I am pleased that we are considering this legislation that will
continue to honor the historic achievements of Lewis and Clark, and I
want to thank my good friend, Jo Ann Emerson, for introducing the bill;
and I appreciate the support of Financial Services Committee Chairman
Mike Oxley and Ranking Member Barney Frank.
This bill will designate the National Council of the Lewis and Clark
Bicentennial and the Missouri Historical Society as beneficiaries of
proceeds from the sale of the Lewis and Clark commemorative coin. These
nonprofit organizations have raised nearly $5 million to conduct Lewis
and Clark Bicentennial promotional activities. They will use funds from
the sale of the coin to further historic investments in the Lewis and
Clark Heritage Trail and to promote additional Lewis and Clark
bicentennial celebrations.
This legislation has been endorsed by the National Council of the
Lewis and Clark Bicentennial and the Lewis and Clark Trail Heritage
Foundation, which includes representation from all the States along the
Missouri River basin.
It is with a note of interest, Mr. Speaker, that the Missouri River
flows right by my hometown of Lexington, Missouri, and as Lewis and
Clark went up that river in that historic year 1804, they went by the
bluffs which now contain my hometown of Lexington, Missouri. So it is
special to those of us that do live along the river that we continue to
honor the work, the courage of Lewis and Clark on their very, very
courageous journey.
Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I yield
back the balance of my time.
Mr. LEACH. Mr. Speaker, I thank very much the gentlewoman from New
York and, of course, the gentleman from Missouri; and I yield back the
balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from Iowa (Mr. Leach) that the House suspend the rules and
pass the bill, H.R. 5401.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor
thereof) the rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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