[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 129 (Tuesday, September 4, 2007)]
[House]
[Pages H10036-H10038]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      NATIVE AMERICAN $1 COIN ACT

  Mr. BOREN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and concur in the 
Senate amendment to the bill (H.R. 2358) to require the Secretary of 
the Treasury to mint and issue coins in commemoration of Native 
Americans and the important contributions made by Indian tribes and 
individual Native Americans to the development of the United States and 
the history of the United States, and for other purposes.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the Senate amendment is as follows:

       Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert:

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Native American $1 Coin 
     Act''.

     SEC. 2. NATIVE AMERICAN $1 COIN PROGRAM.

       Section 5112 of title 31, United States Code, is amended by 
     adding at the end the following:
       ``(r) Redesign and Issuance of Circulating $1 Coins 
     Honoring Native Americans and the Important Contributions 
     Made by Indian Tribes and Individual Native Americans in 
     United States History.--
       ``(1) Redesign beginning in 2008.--
       ``(A) In general.--Effective beginning January 1, 2008, 
     notwithstanding subsection (d), in addition to the coins to 
     be issued pursuant to subsection (n), and in accordance with 
     this subsection, the Secretary shall mint and issue $1 coins 
     that--
       ``(i) have as the designs on the obverse the so-called 
     `Sacagawea design'; and
       ``(ii) have a design on the reverse selected in accordance 
     with paragraph (2)(A), subject to paragraph (3)(A).
       ``(B) Delayed date.--If the date of the enactment of the 
     Native American $1 Coin Act is after August 25, 2007, 
     subparagraph (A) shall be applied by substituting `2009' for 
     `2008'.
       ``(2) Design requirements.--The $1 coins issued in 
     accordance with paragraph (1) shall meet the following design 
     requirements:
       ``(A) Coin reverse.--The design on the reverse shall bear--
       ``(i) images celebrating the important contributions made 
     by Indian tribes and individual Native Americans to the 
     development of the United States and the history of the 
     United States;
       ``(ii) the inscription `$1' ; and
       ``(iii) the inscription `United States of America'.
       ``(B) Coin obverse.--The design on the obverse shall--
       ``(i) be chosen by the Secretary, after consultation with 
     the Commission of Fine Arts and review by the Citizens 
     Coinage Advisory Committee; and
       ``(ii) contain the so-called `Sacagawea design' and the 
     inscription `Liberty'.
       ``(C) Edge-incused inscriptions.--
       ``(i) In general.--The inscription of the year of minting 
     and issuance of the coin and the inscriptions `E Pluribus 
     Unum' and `In God We Trust' shall be edge-incused into the 
     coin.
       ``(ii) Preservation of distinctive edge.--The edge-incusing 
     of the inscriptions under clause (i) on coins issued under 
     this subsection shall be done in a manner that preserves the 
     distinctive edge of the coin so that the denomination of the 
     coin is readily discernible, including by individuals who are 
     blind or visually impaired.
       ``(D) Reverse design selection.--The designs selected for 
     the reverse of the coins described under this subsection--
       ``(i) shall be chosen by the Secretary after consultation 
     with the Committee on Indian Affairs of the Senate, the 
     Congressional Native American Caucus of the House of 
     Representatives, the Commission of Fine Arts, and the 
     National Congress of American Indians;
       ``(ii) shall be reviewed by the Citizens Coinage Advisory 
     Committee;
       ``(iii) may depict individuals and events such as--

       ``(I) the creation of Cherokee written language;
       ``(II) the Iroquois Confederacy;
       ``(III) Wampanoag Chief Massasoit;
       ``(IV) the `Pueblo Revolt';
       ``(V) Olympian Jim Thorpe;
       ``(VI) Ely S. Parker, a general on the staff of General 
     Ulysses S. Grant and later head of the Bureau of Indian 
     Affairs; and
       ``(VII) code talkers who served the United States Armed 
     Forces during World War I and World War II; and

       ``(iv) in the case of a design depicting the contribution 
     of an individual Native American to the development of the 
     United States and the history of the United States, shall not 
     depict the individual in a size such that the coin could be 
     considered to be a `2-headed' coin.
       ``(3) Issuance of coins commemorating 1 native american 
     event during each year.--
       ``(A) In general.--Each design for the reverse of the $1 
     coins issued during each year shall be emblematic of 1 
     important Native American or Native American contribution 
     each year.
       ``(B) Issuance period.--Each $1 coin minted with a design 
     on the reverse in accordance with this subsection for any 
     year shall be issued during the 1-year period beginning on 
     January 1 of that year and shall be available throughout the 
     entire 1-year period.
       ``(C) Order of issuance of designs.--Each coin issued under 
     this subsection commemorating Native Americans and their 
     contributions--
       ``(i) shall be issued, to the maximum extent practicable, 
     in the chronological order in which the Native Americans 
     lived or the events occurred, until the termination of the 
     coin program described in subsection (n); and
       ``(ii) thereafter shall be issued in any order determined 
     to be appropriate by the Secretary, after consultation with 
     the Committee on Indian Affairs of the Senate, the 
     Congressional Native American Caucus of the House of 
     Representatives, and the National Congress of American 
     Indians.
       ``(4) Issuance of numismatic coins.--The Secretary may mint 
     and issue such number of $1 coins of each design selected 
     under this subsection in uncirculated and proof qualities as 
     the Secretary determines to be appropriate.
       ``(5) Quantity.--The number of $1 coins minted and issued 
     in a year with the Sacagawea-design on the obverse shall be 
     not less than 20 percent of the total number of $1 coins 
     minted and issued in such year.''.

     SEC. 3. TECHNICAL AND CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.

       Section 5112(n)(1) of title 31, United States Code, is 
     amended--
       (1) by striking the paragraph designation and heading and 
     all that follows through ``Notwithstanding subsection (d)'' 
     and inserting the following:
       ``(1) Redesign beginning in 2007.--Notwithstanding 
     subsection (d)'';
       (2) by striking subparagraph (B); and
       (3) by redesignating clauses (i) and (ii) as subparagraphs 
     (A) and (B), respectively, and indenting the subparagraphs 
     appropriately.

     SEC. 4. REMOVAL OF BARRIERS TO CIRCULATION OF $1 COIN.

       (a) In General.--In order to remove barriers to 
     circulation, the Secretary of the Treasury shall carry out an 
     aggressive, cost-effective, continuing campaign to encourage 
     commercial enterprises to accept and dispense $1 coins that 
     have as designs on the obverse the so-called ``Sacagawea 
     design''.
       (b) Report.--The Secretary of the Treasury shall submit to 
     Congress an annual report on

[[Page H10037]]

     the success of the efforts described in subsection (a).

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Oklahoma (Mr. Boren) and the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Roskam) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Oklahoma.


                             General Leave

  Mr. BOREN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may 
have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks 
on this legislation and to insert extraneous material thereon.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Oklahoma?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. BOREN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 2358, the Native American $1 
Coin Act, requiring the Secretary of the Treasury to mint and issue 
coins commemorating Native Americans and the important contributions 
they have made to the history and growth of the United States.
  Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Frank and Mr. Kildee for their hard 
work in making this legislation a priority and recognizing the 
importance of memorializing Native Americans who have been instrumental 
to the evolution of the United States.
  H.R. 2358 calls upon the government to recognize and pay a long 
overdue tribute to Indian tribes and individual Native Americans for 
their significant contributions. This bill would allow for our 
country's acknowledgment of important events in Native American 
history.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. ROSKAM. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 2358, the Native 
American $1 Coin Act, and urge its immediate passage.
  The legislation before us is essentially identical to a bill that 
passed the House in June by a voice vote, with minor changes made by 
the other body. H.R. 2358 complements the Presidential $1 Coin Act that 
passed in the last Congress thanks to the hard work and leadership of 
the gentleman from Delaware (Mr. Castle) and the gentlewoman from New 
York (Mrs. Maloney). Like that program and the very popular 50-State 
quarter program, it will provide an enormous educational opportunity 
for parents and teachers, while also recognizing the immense and 
important contributions of Native Americans to the history of the 
United States. Passage of this legislation also could save taxpayers 
more than half a billion dollars over the next decade.
  When Congress passed the Presidential $1 Coin Act in December of 
2005, it contained a requirement that a third of all dollar coins 
minted each year bear the design of the Sacagawea coin that first was 
issued in 2000. The requirement was intended to keep the image and the 
memory of Sacagawea in people's minds while the mint issues 
presidential dollars.
  Unfortunately, through no fault of the design or its subject, there 
is no real demand for the dollar coin with an unchanging design. At the 
current rate of issue of presidential coins, the mint would have to 
make 300 to 350 million of the current design Sacagawea dollars every 
year, resulting in some $60 million of material and labor costs per 
year, not counting storage for the unused coins.
  Under H.R. 2358, the current Sacagawea design would appear on the 
front of 20 percent of all dollar coins. Similar to the changing design 
of quarters and presidential dollars, the reverse of the Sacagawea coin 
would be different each year, honoring such contributions to American 
history as the Iroquois Confederacy, the Cherokee written language, the 
code talkers who served the U.S. Army so heroically in both world wars, 
and individuals such as Olympian Jim Thorpe.
  Let me close by congratulating the lead sponsor of the legislation, 
the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Kildee) and by thanking Chairman Frank 
for bringing the bill to the floor today. I urge passage of H.R. 2358, 
and I thank the gentleman from Oklahoma for his leadership on this 
issue.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. BOREN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the distinguished 
chairman of the Financial Services Committee from the State of 
Massachusetts and a strong supporter of Native Americans (Mr. Frank).
  Mr. FRANK of Massachusetts. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for 
the important role he has played in our committee as a representative 
from a State which has a very large number of Native Americans. The 
gentleman from Oklahoma (Mr. Boren) has played a lead role in helping 
us live up to our obligations to Native Americans. And I am very proud 
of the role that the committee has played in general in this area, in 
the coinage area, a couple of things that have come up in the housing 
area and elsewhere, and the gentleman from Oklahoma has been a major 
part of that.
  I am also very pleased to be here with one of the great advocates for 
human rights in general and particularly for Native Americans, our 
colleague from Michigan (Mr. Kildee), who has been the major mover in 
insisting that we live up to the obligation we as a Nation have to 
Native Americans. This bill is in furtherance of that. It is, I am glad 
to say, and has been from the beginning, bipartisan, and I hope it is 
passed. And I just want to pay tribute to the work of both the 
gentleman from Oklahoma and the gentleman from Michigan.
  Mr. ROSKAM. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. BOREN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the distinguished 
gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Kildee).
  Mr. KILDEE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Oklahoma (Mr. 
Boren), an active member of the Native American Caucus, for yielding.
  Mr. Speaker, as Democratic chairman of the congressional Native 
American Caucus, I am honored to speak in support of H.R. 2358, the 
Native American $1 Coin Act.
  As the chief sponsor of this bipartisan legislation, I am pleased 
that the House is passing this final version of the bill today. The 
House passed H.R. 2358 on June 12, 2007, and the Senate passed it by 
unanimous consent on August 3 with an amendment that makes minor 
changes to the bill. Both my friend, Financial Services chairman Barney 
Frank, and I support the Senate changes.
  Mr. Speaker, this bill will honor the strength and wisdom of Indian 
country by authorizing the Secretary of the Treasury to mint and issue 
coins that commemorate the outstanding contributions of Native 
Americans by changing the design annually on the reverse side of the 
Sacagawea dollar coin. These designs will take the American people 
through a journey of different experiences of Native peoples by 
exposing them to their unique histories while preserving the memory of 
Sacagawea, the young Shoshone woman who assisted Lewis and Clark on 
their expedition to the Pacific Northwest more than 200 years ago.
  I can think of no better way to pay tribute to the Native American 
people than to honor their contributions to the development of the 
United States and her history. I urge my colleagues to support this 
legislation.
  Mr. ROSKAM. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. BOREN. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to represent a State that is home 
to nearly 40 federally recognized Indian tribes. Native Americans are 
not only a strong part of Oklahoma's history, they are also richly 
embedded in the history of the United States. H.R. 2358 allows the 
government to do its part to recognize the importance of Native 
Americans to our country's history and development.
  Again, I thank Chairman Frank and Mr. Kildee for recognizing the 
importance of H.R. 2358.
  Mr. BACA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to voice my strong support for 
H.R. 2358, the Native American One Dollar Coin Act.
  I want to thank my colleague, Representative Dale Kildee, for 
sponsoring this bill and for all his great work as head of the Native 
American Caucus.
  I also would like to thank Chairman Frank for his efforts in guiding 
this bill through the Financial Services Committee.
  This bill honors the history of the American Indian culture by 
authorizing the Treasury Department to mint and distribute coins that 
commemorate the contributions of Native Americans.
  By annually changing the design on the reverse side of the Sacagawea 
coin, Americans

[[Page H10038]]

everywhere will be exposed to more of the unique histories of our 
country's native inhabitants.
  At the same time, this legislation ensures we still pay tribute to 
Sacagawea, the young woman who bravely guided Lewis and Clark on their 
expedition to the Pacific coast.
  The Native American one dollar coin is a fitting way to pay tribute 
to Native Americans while also educating current and future generations 
on their many contributions to the United States.
  I urge my colleagues to support increased appreciation of the Native 
American culture, and cast a vote in favor of H.R. 2358.
  Mr. BOREN. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I 
yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Oklahoma (Mr. Boren) that the House suspend the rules 
and concur in the Senate amendment to the bill, H.R. 2358.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the Senate amendment was concurred in.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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