[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 33 (Wednesday, February 25, 2009)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2485-S2486]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. DODD (for himself, Mr. Lieberman, Mrs. Boxer, Mr. Schumer, 
        Mrs. McCaskill, and Mr. Bond):
  S. 483. A bill to require the Secretary of the Treasury to mint coins 
in commemoration of Mark Twain; to the Committee on Banking, Housing, 
and Urban Affairs.
  Mr. DODD. Mr. President, today I am introducing the Mark Twain 
Commemorative Coin Act. I am pleased to be joined by Senators 
Lieberman, Boxer, Schumer, McCaskill, and Bond in cosponsoring this 
legislation, which authorizes the Secretary of the Treasury to mint 
100,000 five-dollar gold coins and 500,000 silver dollar coins in a 
design emblematic of the life and legacy of Mark Twain.
  Samuel L. Clemens, better known by his pen name ``Mark Twain,'' was 
born in 1835 in Florida, Missouri, and died in 1910 while residing in 
my home State of Connecticut. As many of us know from having read his 
works, Twain is an iconic author who has left an indelible mark on our 
Nation's history. Two of his most renowned works, ``The Adventures of 
Tom Sawyer'' and ``Adventures of Huckleberry Finn,'' have become a 
central part of the American literary canon and are still widely read 
in schools and universities across the country. Another enduring work, 
entitled ``The Gilded Age: A Tale of Today,'' satirized the excesses of 
the age during which it was written, and solidified Twain's reputation 
as a fierce but subtle social critic. His writings evoke discussions of 
race, politics, and economic inequality, all issues with which our 
nation continues to struggle as we become a ``more perfect union.''
  This bill will allow the Treasury to mint and issue coins in 
commemoration of Mark Twain's lasting contributions to America's 
literary tradition and cultural heritage. A portion of proceeds from 
surcharges of $35 and $10 applied to each gold and silver coin sold to 
the public will be distributed by the Treasury to support four 
institutions critical to the mission of promoting Mark Twain's legacy: 
The Mark Twain House & Museum in Hartford, CT; the Mark Twain Project 
at the Bancroft Library of the University of California, in Berkeley, 
CA; the Center for Mark Twain Studies at Elmira College, in New York; 
and the Mark Twain Boyhood Home & Museum in Hannibal, MO.
  The Mark Twain House and Museum in Hartford, CT, is a national 
historic landmark. Each year, over 60,000 visitors flock there, many of 
them from outside my home State. This site offers a unique experience 
to all who visit, and serves as a center for educating young and old 
alike about Mark Twain's life and legacy. However, as recent news 
articles have reported, the Mark Twain House and Museum has--not unlike 
many other nonprofit entities across the country in the midst of the 
economic downturn--struggled to cover operating costs solely on private 
donations, and the financial challenges it currently faces are 
substantial. Passing this legislation will help to support the 
continued operation and restoration of the Mark Twain House, and 
promote its goals by honoring Mark Twain with a commemorative coin 
desirable to coin collectors as well as enthusiasts of American history 
and literature.
  Congressman John Larson of Connecticut is introducing companion 
legislation today in the House of Representatives. As a procedural 
matter, the House Financial Services Committee requires no less than 
290 cosponsors for any commemorative coin bill to come under committee 
consideration, and similar cosponsorship rules are in place for the 
Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. Moreover, the 
House adheres to a tradition of interpreting commemorative coin bills 
as ``revenue-raisers'' subject to the origination clause of the U.S. 
Constitution. Passing the Mark Twain Commemorative Coin Act through 
both Houses will require no small amount of effort, but today marks an 
important first step as we put this legislative proposal forward and 
begin to generate broad public support for the effort. Once Congressman 
Larson's companion bill meets the necessary requirements and is adopted 
by the full House, I intend to press it forward here in the Senate.
  The legislation I am introducing will require broad bipartisan 
support to meet the high threshold for commemorative coin legislation 
established by the rules of the Committee on Banking, Housing, and 
Urban Affairs, so I urge my colleagues to cosponsor this legislation 
and join me in supporting the life and legacy of Mark Twain, as well as 
the important places in our Nation that promote further study and 
education on his significant contributions to American history.
  Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be 
printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the text of the bill was ordered to be 
printed in the Record, as follows:

                                 S. 483

       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 ``Mark Twain Commemorative 
     Coin Act''.

     SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

       The Congress finds that--
       (1) Samuel Clemens--better known to the world as Mark 
     Twain--was a unique American voice whose literary work has 
     had a lasting effect on our Nation's history and culture;
       (2) Mark Twain remains one of the best known Americans in 
     the world, with over 6,500 editions of his books translated 
     into 75 languages;
       (3) Mark Twain's literary and educational legacy remains 
     strong even today, with nearly every book he wrote still in 
     print, including ``The Adventures of Tom Sawyer'' and 
     ``Adventures of Huckleberry Finn''--both of which have never 
     gone out of print since they were first published over a 
     century ago;
       (4) in the past 2 decades alone, there have been more than 
     100 books published and over 250 doctoral dissertations 
     written on Mark Twain's life and work;
       (5) even today, Americans seek to know more about the life 
     and work of Mark Twain, as people from around the world and 
     across all 50 States annually flock to National Historic 
     Landmarks like the Mark Twain House & Museum in Hartford, 
     Connecticut and the Mark Twain Boyhood Home & Museum in 
     Hannibal, Missouri; and
       (6) Mark Twain's work is remembered today for addressing 
     the complex social issues facing America at the turn of the 
     century, including the legacy of the Civil War, race 
     relations, and the economic inequalities of the ``Gilded 
     Age''.

     SEC. 3. COIN SPECIFICATIONS.

       (a) Denominations.--The Secretary of the Treasury 
     (hereafter in this Act referred to as the ``Secretary'') 
     shall mint and issue the following coins:
       (1) $5 gold coins.--Not more than 100,000 $5 coins, which 
     shall--

[[Page S2486]]

       (A) weigh 8.359 grams;
       (B) have a diameter of 0.850 inches; and
       (C) contain 90 percent gold and 10 percent alloy.
       (2) $1 silver coins.--Not more than 500,000 $1 coins, 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. 4. DESIGN OF COINS.

       (a) Design Requirements.--
       (1) In general.--The design of the coins minted under this 
     Act shall be emblematic of the life and legacy of Mark Twain.
       (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 ``2013''; and
       (C) inscriptions of the words ``Liberty'', ``In God We 
     Trust'', ``United States of America'', and ``E Pluribus 
     Unum''.
       (b) Selection.--The design for the coins minted under this 
     Act shall be--
       (1) selected by the Secretary, after consultation with the 
     Commission of Fine Arts and the Board of the Mark Twain House 
     & Museum; and
       (2) reviewed by the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee.

     SEC. 5. ISSUANCE OF COINS.

       (a) Quality of Coins.--Coins minted under this Act shall be 
     issued in uncirculated and proof qualities.
       (b) Mint Facility.--Only 1 facility of the United States 
     Mint may be used to strike any particular quality of the 
     coins minted under this Act.
       (c) Period for Issuance.--The Secretary may issue coins 
     minted under this Act only during the 1-year period beginning 
     on January 1, 2013.

     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) Bulk Sales.--The Secretary shall make bulk sales of the 
     coins issued under this Act at a reasonable discount.
       (c) 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.

     SEC. 7. SURCHARGES.

       (a) In General.--All sales of coins issued under this Act 
     shall include a surcharge of--
       (1) $35 per coin for the $5 coin; and
       (2) $10 per coin for the $1 coin.
       (b) Distribution.--Subject to section 5134(f)(1) of title 
     31, United States Code, all surcharges received by the 
     Secretary from the sale of coins issued under this Act shall 
     be promptly paid by the Secretary as follows:
       (1) \2/5\ of the surcharges, to the Mark Twain House & 
     Museum in Hartford, Connecticut, to support the continued 
     restoration of the Mark Twain house and grounds, and to 
     ensure continuing growth and innovation in museum programming 
     to research, promote, and educate on the legacy of Mark 
     Twain.
       (2) \1/5\ of the surcharges, to the Mark Twain Project at 
     the Bancroft Library of the University of California, 
     Berkeley, California, to support programs to study and 
     promote Mark Twain's legacy.
       (3) \1/5\ of the surcharges, to the Center for Mark Twain 
     Studies at Elmira College, New York, to support programs to 
     study and promote Mark Twain's legacy.
       (4) \1/5\ of the surcharges, to the Mark Twain Boyhood Home 
     & Museum in Hannibal, Missouri, to preserve historical sites 
     related to Mark Twain and to help support programs to study 
     and promote Mark Twain's legacy.
       (c) Audits.--The Comptroller General of the United States 
     shall have the right to examine such books, records, 
     documents, and other data of each of the organizations 
     referred to in paragraphs (1), (2), (3), and (4) of 
     subsection (b) as may be related to the expenditures of 
     amounts paid under such subsection.
                                 ______