[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 102 (Thursday, June 19, 2008)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5915-S5917]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         REQUIRING THE SECRETARY OF THE TREASURY TO MINT COINS

  Mr. DODD. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Banking 
Committee be discharged from further consideration of S. 2159 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 assistant legislative clerk read as follows:

       A bill (S. 2159) 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.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the bill.
  Mr. DODD. I ask unanimous consent that a Dodd-Shelby amendment which 
is at the desk be agreed to, the bill, as amended, be read a third 
time, passed, the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table, and any 
statements relating to the bill be printed in the Record.
  THE PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The amendment (No. 5015) was agreed to, as follows:

(Purpose: To extend the period during which the coins may be minted and 
                                issued)

       On page 16, strike lines 8 through 11 and insert the 
     following:
       ``(c) Period for Issuance.--Notwithstanding any other 
     provision of law, including section 7(d), the Secretary--
       ``(1) may accept orders for the coins authorized under this 
     Act during the period beginning on January 1, 2008 and ending 
     on December 31, 2008; and
       ``(2) may mint and issue such coins required to fulfill 
     such orders during the period beginning on January 1, 2008 
     and ending on December 31, 2009.
       ``(d) Exception to Program Limitation.--Notwithstanding any 
     other provision of law, the minting or issuance of coins 
     under this Act in 2009 does not--
       ``(1) preclude the Secretary from including a surcharge on 
     the issuance of any other commemorative coin minted or issued 
     in 2009; and
       ``(2) be counted against the annual 2 commemorative coin 
     program minting and issuance limitation under section 
     5112(m)(1) of title 31, United States Code.
       ``(e) Issuance of Gold Coins.--Each gold coin''.

  The bill (S. 2159), as amended, was ordered to be engrossed for a 
third reading, was read the third time, and passed, as follows:

                                S. 2159

       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 50th Anniversary 
     Commemorative Coin Act''.

     SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

       The Congress finds that--
       (1) the National Aeronautics and Space Administration began 
     operation on October 1, 1958, with about 8,000 employees and 
     an annual budget of $100,000,000;
       (2) over the next 50 years, the National Aeronautics and 
     Space Administration has been involved in many defining 
     events which have shaped the course of human history and

[[Page S5916]]

     demonstrated to the world the character of the people of the 
     United States;
       (3) among the many firsts by the National Aeronautics and 
     Space Administration are that--
       (A) on December 6, 1958, the United States launched Pioneer 
     3, the first United States satellite to ascend to an altitude 
     of 63,580 miles;
       (B) on March 3, 1959, the United States sent Pioneer 4 to 
     the Moon, successfully making the first United States lunar 
     flyby;
       (C) on April 1, 1960, the United States launched TIROS 1, 
     the first successful meteorological satellite, observing 
     Earth's weather;
       (D) on May 5, 1961, Freedom 7, carrying Astronaut Alan B. 
     Shepard, Jr., was the first American space flight involving 
     human beings;
       (E) on February 20, 1962, John Glenn became the first 
     American to circle the Earth, making 3 orbits in his 
     Friendship 7 Mercury spacecraft;
       (F) on December 14, 1962, Mariner 2 became the first 
     spacecraft to commit a successful planetary flyby (Venus);
       (G) on April 6, 1965, the United States launched Intelsat I 
     (also known as Early Bird 1), the first commercial satellite 
     (communications), into geostationary orbit;
       (H) on June 3 through 7, 1965, the second piloted Gemini 
     mission, Gemini IV, stayed aloft for 4 days, and astronaut 
     Edward H. White II performed the first EVA or ``spacewalk'' 
     by an American;
       (I) on June 2, 1966, Surveyor 1 became the first American 
     spacecraft to soft-land on the Moon;
       (J) on May 31, 1971, the United States launched Mariner 9, 
     the first mission to orbit another planet (Mars) beginning 
     November 13, 1971;
       (K) on April 12, 1981, the National Aeronautics and Space 
     Administration launched the Space Shuttle Columbia on the 
     first flight of the Space Transportation System (STS-1).
       (L) on June 18, 1983, the National Aeronautics and Space 
     Administration launched Space Shuttle Challenger (STS-7) 
     carrying 3 mission specialists, including Sally K. Ride, the 
     first woman astronaut;
       (M) in another historic mission, 2 months later, the 
     National Aeronautics and Space Administration launched STS-8 
     carrying the first black American astronaut, Guion S. 
     Bluford; and
       (N) on July 23, 1999, the Space Shuttle Columbia's 26th 
     flight was led by Air Force Col. Eileen Collins, the first 
     woman to command a Shuttle mission;
       (4) on April 9, 1959, the National Aeronautics and Space 
     Administration unveiled the Mercury astronaut corps, 7 men 
     with ``the right stuff'': John H. Glenn, Jr., Walter M. 
     Schirra, Jr., Alan B. Shepard, Jr., M. Scott Carpenter, L. 
     Gordon Cooper, Virgil I. ``Gus'' Grissom, and Donald K. 
     ``Deke'' Slayton;
       (5) on May 25, 1961, President John F. Kennedy, reflecting 
     the highest aspirations of the American people, proclaimed: 
     ``I believe this Nation should commit itself to achieving the 
     goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the Moon 
     and returning him safely to Earth. No single space project in 
     this period will be more impressive to mankind, or more 
     important in the long-range exploration of space; and none 
     will be so difficult or expensive to accomplish.'';
       (6) on September 19, 1961, the National Aeronautics and 
     Space Administration announced that the National Aeronautics 
     and Space Administration center dedicated to human space 
     flight would be built in Houston, Texas;
       (7) on February 17, 1973, the Manned Spacecraft Center in 
     Houston was renamed the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center;
       (8) on December 21, 1968, Apollo 8 took off atop a Saturn V 
     booster from the Kennedy Space Center for a historic mission 
     to orbit the Moon;
       (9) as Apollo 8 traveled outward, the crew focused a 
     portable television camera on Earth and for the first time 
     humanity saw its home from afar, a tiny, lovely, and fragile 
     ``blue marble'' hanging in the blackness of space;
       (10) this transmission and viewing of Earth from a distance 
     was an enormously significant accomplishment and united the 
     Nation at a time when American society was in crisis over 
     Vietnam, race relations, urban problems, and a host of other 
     difficulties;
       (11) on July 20, 1969, Apollo 11 astronauts Neil A. 
     Armstrong and Edwin E. Aldrin made the first lunar landing 
     mission while Michael Collins orbited overhead in the Apollo 
     command module;
       (12) Armstrong set foot on the surface of the Moon, telling 
     the millions of listeners that it was ``one small step for a 
     man, one giant leap for mankind'', and Aldrin soon followed 
     and planted an American flag, but omitted claiming the land 
     for the United States, as had routinely been done during 
     European exploration of the Americas;
       (13) the 2 Moon walkers left behind an American flag and a 
     plaque bearing the inscription: ``Here Men From The Planet 
     Earth First Set Foot Upon the Moon. Jul. 1969 A.D. We Came in 
     Peace for All Mankind.'';
       (14) on April 24, 1990, the Hubble Space Telescope was 
     launched into space aboard the STS-31 mission of the Space 
     Shuttle Discovery, and since then, the Hubble has 
     revolutionized astronomy, while expanding our knowledge of 
     the universe and inspiring millions of scientists, students, 
     and members of the public with its unprecedented deep and 
     clear images of space;
       (15) on July 4, 1997, the Mars Pathfinder landed on Mars 
     and on January 29, 1998, an International Space Station 
     agreement among 15 countries met in Washington, DC, to sign 
     agreements to establish the framework for cooperation among 
     the partners on the design, development, operation, and 
     utilization of the Space Station;
       (16) the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's 
     stunning achievements over the last 50 years have been won 
     for all mankind at great cost and sacrifice; in the quest to 
     explore the universe, many National Aeronautics and Space 
     Administration employees have lost their lives, including the 
     crews of Apollo 1, the Space Shuttle Challenger, and the 
     Space Shuttle Columbia;
       (17) the success of the United States space exploration 
     program in the 20th Century augurs well for its continued 
     leadership in the 21st Century, such leadership being 
     attributable to the remarkable and indispensable partnership 
     between the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and 
     its 10 space and research centers, including--
       (A) from small spacecraft to supercomputers, science 
     missions and payloads to thermal protection systems, 
     information technology to aerospace, the Ames Research Center 
     in California's Silicon Valley, which provides products, 
     technologies, and services that enable NASA missions and 
     expand human knowledge.
       (B) the Dryden Flight Research Center, the leading center 
     for innovative flight research;
       (C) the Glenn Research Center, which develops power, 
     propulsion, and communication technologies for space flight 
     systems and aeronautics research;
       (D) the Goddard Space Flight Center, which specializes in 
     research to expand knowledge on the Earth and its 
     environment, the solar system, and the universe through 
     observations from space;
       (E) the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, the leading center for 
     robotic exploration of the Solar System;
       (F) the Johnson Space Center, which manages the 
     development, testing, production, and delivery of all United 
     States human spacecraft and all human spacecraft-related 
     functions;
       (G) the Kennedy Space Center, the gateway to the Universe 
     and world leader in preparing and launching missions around 
     the Earth and beyond;
       (H) the Langley Research Center, which continues to forge 
     new frontiers in aviation and space research for aerospace, 
     atmospheric sciences, and technology commercialization to 
     improve the way the world lives;
       (I) the Marshall Space Flight Center, a world leader in 
     developing space transportation and propulsion systems that 
     accelerate exploration and scientific discovery, including 
     the Michoud Assembly Facility, which has been a world-class 
     facility since 1961 for fabrication of large space 
     structures, including the Saturn V and the Space Shuttle 
     External Tank, and which will have a critical role in the 
     Constellation program, including manufacturing major pieces 
     of the Orion crew capsule, the Ares I upper stage, and the 
     Ares V core stage; and
       (J) the Stennis Space Center, which is responsible for 
     rocket propulsion testing and for partnering with industry to 
     develop and implement remote sensing technology;
       (18) the United States should pay tribute to the National 
     Aeronautics and Space Administration, and to its successful 
     partnerships with the space and research centers, by minting 
     and issuing a commemorative silver dollar coin; and
       (19) the surcharge proceeds from the sale of a 
     commemorative coin would generate valuable funding for the 
     National Aeronautics and Space Administration Families 
     Assistance Fund, for the purposes of providing need-based 
     financial assistance to the families of any National 
     Aeronautics and Space Administration personnel who lose their 
     lives as a result of injuries suffered in the performance of 
     their official duties, and for other worthy and important 
     purposes.

     SEC. 3. COIN SPECIFICATIONS.

       (a) Denominations.--In commemoration of the 50th 
     anniversary of the establishment of the National Aeronautics 
     and Space Administration, 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 300,000 $1 coins of 
     each of the 9 designs specified in section 4(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.
       (d) Mintage Level Limit.--Notwithstanding the mintage level 
     limit described under section 5112(m)(2)(A)(ii) of title 31, 
     United States Code, the Secretary may mint

[[Page S5917]]

     and issue not more than 300,000 of each of the 9 $1 coins 
     authorized to be minted under this Act.

     SEC. 4. 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.
       (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) 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 the contributions of the research and space 
     centers, 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 (and other dwarf planets) 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.

       (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 and the Commission of Fine Arts; and
       (2) reviewed by the Citizens Coin Advisory Committee.

     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) Period for Issuance.--Notwithstanding any other 
     provision of law, including section 7(d), the Secretary--
       (1) may accept orders for the coins authorized under this 
     Act during the period beginning on January 1, 2008 and ending 
     on December 31, 2008; and
       (2) may mint and issue such coins required to fulfill such 
     orders during the period beginning on January 1, 2008 and 
     ending on December 31, 2009.
       (d) Exception to Program Limitation.--Notwithstanding any 
     other provision of law, the minting or issuance of coins 
     under this Act in 2009 does not--
       (1) preclude the Secretary from including a surcharge on 
     the issuance of any other commemorative coin minted or issued 
     in 2009; and
       (2) be counted against the annual 2 commemorative coin 
     program minting and issuance limitation under section 
     5112(m)(1) of title 31, United States Code.
       (e) Issuance of Gold Coins.--Each gold coin minted under 
     this Act may be issued only as part of a complete set with 1 
     of each of the 9 $1 coins minted under this Act.

     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 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 elliptical orbits. All such presentation cases shall 
     bear a plaque with appropriate inscriptions that include the 
     names and dates of the spacecraft missions on which United 
     States astronauts lost their lives over the course of the 
     space program and the names of such astronauts.

     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.
       (3) A surcharge of $1 per coin for any bronze duplicate 
     minted under section 8.
       (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 $4,000,000 available for distribution under 
     this section, to the NASA Family Assistance Fund, for the 
     purpose of providing need-based financial assistance to the 
     families of NASA personnel who lose their lives 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\ of the next $1,000,000 to each of 
     the following:
       (A) The Dr. Ronald E. McNair Educational (D.R.E.M.E.) 
     Science Literacy Foundation for the purposes of improving and 
     strengthening the process of teaching and learning science, 
     math, and technology at all educational levels, elementary 
     through college through the promotion of innovative 
     educational programs.
       (B) The Challenger Center for Space Science Education, for 
     the purposes of creating positive learning experiences using 
     space science as a theme that raise student expectations of 
     success, fostering a long-term interest in mathematics, 
     science, and technology, and motivating students to pursue 
     careers in these fields.
       (3) The remainder of the amounts available for distribution 
     after the payments under paragraphs (1) and (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).
       (c) Audits.--The NASA Family Assistance Fund, the Dr. 
     Ronald E. McNair Educational Science Literacy Foundation, the 
     Challenger Center for Space Science Education, 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 enactment of 
     this Act). The Secretary 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 
     determined by the Secretary to be appropriate. Such 
     duplicates shall not be considered to be United States coins 
     and shall not be legal tender.

  Mr. DODD. Mr. President, I note this is a coin bill that was authored 
by Senator Nelson of Florida commemorating the 50th anniversary of the 
establishment of NASA, a historic moment. I commend Senator Nelson for 
his efforts.

                          ____________________