[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 123 (Wednesday, September 27, 2006)]
[Senate]
[Pages S10343-S10344]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       CONGRESSIONAL TRIBUTE TO DR. NORMAN E. BORLAUG ACT OF 2006

  Mr. BENNETT. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the 
Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs be discharged from 
further consideration of S. 2250, and the Senate proceed to its 
immediate consideration.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The clerk will report the bill by title.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

       A bill (S. 2250) to award a Congressional Gold Medal to Dr. 
     Norman E. Borlaug.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the bill.
  Mr. HARKIN. Mr. President, today the Senate pays tribute to a true 
American hero and fellow native Iowan in passing S. 2250, a bill to 
award Dr. Norman E. Borlaug the Congressional Gold Medal, which is the 
highest congressional expression of national appreciation for 
distinguished achievement and contribution. This is a fitting honor to 
a man who is frequently credited with saving more lives than anyone who 
has ever lived.
  Commonly known as ``The Father of the Green Revolution,'' Dr. 
Borlaug's scientific and humanitarian efforts have saved countless 
people from starvation and hunger while raising standards of living 
throughout the world.
  Dr. Borlaug was born in 1914 near Cresco, IA. Like many Iowans at the 
time, he grew up on a small farm and attended a one-room school house 
for his first 8 years of education. After graduating from high school, 
he attended the University of Minnesota and earned his bachelor of 
science in forestry. Immediately after receiving his degree in 1937, he 
worked for the U.S. Forestry Service. He returned to the University of 
Minnesota to receive his master's degree in 1939 and doctorate in 1942.
  In 1944 Dr. Borlaug accepted an appointment as a geneticist and plant 
pathologist with the Cooperative Wheat Research and Production Program 
in Mexico. This program was a joint undertaking by the Mexican 
Government and the Rockefeller Foundation involving research in plant 
genetics, plant breeding, plant pathology, agronomy, soil science, and 
cereal technology. He spent two decades working with farmers in Mexico 
to develop a new disease resistant variety of wheat that could triple 
its output in grain. This breakthrough achievement in plant breeding 
enabled Mexico to become self-sufficient in wheat production while 
vastly improving the livelihood of many poor farmers.
  The United Nations asked Dr. Borlaug to travel to India and Pakistan 
in the 1960s to help the warring countries, which were threatened with 
an imminent pandemic famine. Working with scientists from both 
countries, Dr. Borlaug convinced India and Pakistan to adopt his new 
seeds and approach to agriculture to avert potential starvation and 
famine. In a short time, both countries attained self-sufficiency in 
wheat production and millions of people were saved from hunger, famine 
and death. Dr. Borlaug continued his work in Southeast Asia, and the 
results were the same.
  In 1970, Dr. Borlaug was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his work 
in agriculture, reversing food shortages and saving millions of lives. 
Today, at the age of 92, Dr. Borlaug continues his tireless work to 
alleviate and prevent hunger throughout the world. He is the head of 
the Sasakawa Global 2000 program, which is working to bring the Green 
Revolution to Africa and alleviate hunger and malnutrition in the sub-
Saharan region. He founded the World Food Prize in 1986 as a means to 
recognize and inspire achievements in increasing the quality, quantity 
and availability of food in the world. He also continues his role as an 
educator at Texas A&M University while also continuing research at the 
International Center for the Improvement of Wheat and Maize in Mexico.
  Dr. Borlaug has been awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the 
National Academy of Science's Public Service Medal and the Rotary 
International Award for World Understanding and Peace. Today the Senate 
approves legislation to award Dr. Borlaug the Congressional Gold Medal. 
Dr. Borlaug is a true American hero and it is fitting that Congress 
honors this man who has done so much to alleviate hunger and human 
suffering, improve the quality of life around the globe and promote 
understanding and peace among all of the world's people.
  I would like to thank Senator Grassley and the many cosponsors of 
this bill for their support and work to honor Dr. Borlaug with this 
high distinction.
  Mr. BENNETT. Mr. President, 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 measure be printed in 
the Record.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The bill was ordered to be engrossed for a third reading, was read 
the third time, and passed, as follows:

                                S. 2250

       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 ``Congressional Tribute to Dr. 
     Norman E. Borlaug Act of 2006''.

     SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

       Congress finds as follows:
       (1) Dr. Norman E. Borlaug, was born in Iowa where he grew 
     up on a family farm, and received his primary and secondary 
     education.
       (2) Dr. Borlaug attended the University of Minnesota where 
     he received his B.A. and Ph.D. degrees and was also a star 
     NCAA wrestler.
       (3) For the past 20 years, Dr. Borlaug has lived in Texas 
     where he is a member of the faculty of Texas A&M University.
       (4) Dr. Borlaug also serves as President of the Sasakawa 
     Africa Association.
       (5) Dr. Borlaug's accomplishments in terms of bringing 
     radical change to world agriculture and uplifting humanity 
     are without parallel.
       (6) In the immediate aftermath of World War II, Dr. Borlaug 
     spent 20 years working in the poorest areas of rural Mexico. 
     It was there that Dr. Borlaug made his breakthrough 
     achievement in developing a strand of wheat that could 
     exponentially increase yields while actively resisting 
     disease.
       (7) With the active support of the governments involved, 
     Dr. Borlaug's ``green revolution'' uplifted hundreds of 
     thousands of the rural poor in Mexico and saved hundreds of 
     millions from famine and outright starvation in India and 
     Pakistan.
       (8) Dr. Borlaug's approach to wheat production next spread 
     throughout the Middle East. Soon thereafter his approach was 
     adapted to rice growing, increasing the number of lives Dr. 
     Borlaug has saved to more than a billion people.
       (9) In 1970, Dr. Borlaug received the Nobel Prize, the only 
     person working in agriculture to ever be so honored. Since 
     then he has received numerous honors and awards including the 
     Presidential Medal of Freedom, the Public Service Medal, the 
     National Academy of Sciences' highest honor, and the Rotary 
     International Award for World Understanding and Peace.
       (10) At age 91, Dr. Borlaug continues to work to alleviate 
     poverty and malnutrition. He currently serves as president of 
     Sasakawa Global 2000 Africa Project, which seeks to extend 
     the benefits of agricultural development to the 800,000,000 
     people still mired in poverty and malnutrition in sub-Saharan 
     Africa.
       (11) Dr. Borlaug continues to serve as Chairman of the 
     Council of Advisors of the World Food Prize, an organization 
     he created in 1986 to be the ``Nobel Prize for Food and 
     Agriculture'' and which presents a $250,000 prize each 
     October at a Ceremony in Des Moines, Iowa, to the Laureate 
     who has made an exceptional achievement similar to Dr. 
     Borlaug's breakthrough 40 years ago. In the almost 20 years 
     of its existence, the World

[[Page S10344]]

     Food Prize has honored Laureates from Bangladesh, India, 
     China, Mexico, Denmark, Sierra Leone, Switzerland, the United 
     Kingdom, and the United States.
       (12) Dr. Borlaug has saved more lives than any other person 
     who has ever lived, and likely has saved more lives in the 
     Islamic world than any other human being in history.
       (13) Due to a lifetime of work that has led to the saving 
     and preservation of an untold amount of lives, Dr. Norman E. 
     Borlaug is deserving of America's highest civilian award: the 
     congressional gold medal.

     SEC. 3. CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL.

       (a) Presentation Authorized.--The President Pro Tempore of 
     the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives 
     are authorized to make appropriate arrangements for the 
     presentation, on behalf of Congress, of a gold medal of 
     appropriate design, to Dr. Norman E. Borlaug, in recognition 
     of his enduring contributions to the United States and the 
     world.
       (b) Design and Striking.--For the purpose 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. 4. 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 3 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. 5. STATUS AS NATIONAL MEDALS.

       (a) National Medal.--The medal struck under this Act is a 
     national medal for purposes of chapter 51 of title 31, United 
     States Code.
       (b) Numismatic Items.--For purposes of section 5134 of 
     title 31, United States Code, all duplicate medals struck 
     under this Act shall be considered to be numismatic items.

     SEC. 6. AUTHORITY TO USE FUND AMOUNTS; PROCEEDS OF SALE.

       (a) Authority to Use Fund Amounts.--There are authorized to 
     be charged against the United States Mint Public Enterprise 
     Fund, such sums as may be necessary to pay for the cost of 
     the medals struck under this Act.
       (b) Proceeds of Sale.--Amounts received from the sale of 
     duplicate bronze medals under section 4 shall be deposited in 
     the United States Mint Public Enterprise Fund.

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