[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 109 (Monday, July 20, 2009)]
[House]
[Pages H8385-H8387]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               NEW FRONTIER CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL ACT

  Mr. GRAYSON. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 2245) to authorize the President, in conjunction with the 
40th anniversary of the historic and first lunar landing by humans in 
1969, to award gold medals on behalf of the United States Congress to 
Neil A. Armstrong, the first human to walk on the moon; Edwin E. 
``Buzz'' Aldrin, Jr., the pilot of the lunar module and second person 
to walk on the moon; Michael Collins, the pilot of their Apollo 11 
mission's command module; and, the first American to orbit the Earth, 
John Herschel Glenn, Jr.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 2245

       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 ``New Frontier Congressional 
     Gold Medal Act''.

     SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

       The Congress finds that--
       (1) as spacecraft commander for Apollo 11, the first manned 
     lunar landing mission, Neil A. Armstrong gained the 
     distinction of being the first man to land a craft on the 
     moon and first to step on its surface on July 21, 1969;
       (2) by conquering the moon at great personal risk to 
     safety, Neil Armstrong advanced America scientifically and 
     technologically, paving the way for future missions to other 
     regions in space;
       (3) Edwin E. ``Buzz'' Aldrin, Jr., joined Armstrong in 
     piloting the lunar module, Eagle, to the surface of the moon, 
     and became the second person to walk upon its surface;
       (4) Michael Collins piloted the command module, Columbia, 
     in lunar orbit and helped his fellow Apollo 11 astronauts 
     complete their mission on the moon;
       (5) John Herschel Glenn, Jr., helped pave the way for the 
     first lunar landing when on February 20, 1962, he became the 
     first American to orbit the Earth; and
       (6) John Glenn's actions, like Armstrong's, Aldrin's and 
     Collins's, continue to greatly inspire the people of the 
     United States.

     SEC. 3. CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL.

       (a) Presentation Authorized.--The President is authorized 
     to present, on behalf of the Congress, to Neil A. Armstrong, 
     Edwin E. ``Buzz'' Aldrin, Jr., Michael Collins, and John 
     Herschel Glenn, Jr., each a gold medal of appropriate design, 
     in recognition of their significant contributions to society.
       (b) Design and Striking.--For purposes of the presentation 
     referred to in subsection (a), the Secretary of the Treasury 
     shall strike gold medals with suitable emblems, devices, and 
     inscriptions, to be determined by the Secretary.

     SEC. 4. DUPLICATE MEDALS.

       The Secretary of the Treasury may strike and sell 
     duplicates in bronze of the gold medal struck pursuant to 
     section 3 under such regulations as the Secretary may 
     prescribe, 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 medals.

     SEC. 5. NATIONAL MEDALS.

       The medals struck pursuant to this Act are national medals 
     for purposes of chapter 51 of title 31, United States Code.

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

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

[[Page H8386]]

     into the United States Mint Public Enterprise Fund.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Florida (Mr. Grayson) and the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Posey) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Grayson).


                             General Leave

  Mr. GRAYSON. 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 Florida?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. GRAYSON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Today we mark and celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Apollo 11 
landing on the Moon on July 20, 1969. On that date, an 11-year-old boy 
stayed in a hotel room in San Juan, Puerto Rico, all day long--while 
his parents went to St. Thomas with his sister--and watched in awe to 
see mankind take this enormous step forward. That 11-year-old boy was 
me. And if somebody had said to me at the time, One day you will be 
standing in Congress and celebrating this day, marking this day, I 
would have said what every other 11-year-old boy would say, Oh, come 
on. That's ridiculous.
  But here we are celebrating this day, marking this day explaining 
what it means to all of us in conveying a Congressional Gold Medal to 
Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, Michael Collins, and John Glenn, the first 
American--and the third human being--to orbit the Earth. Certainly this 
was the greatest technological achievement of any time, anywhere on 
this planet by human beings.
  But for many of us, it was more than that. For many of us it was the 
most important moment of our lives.
  Think about it. What would you choose as the most important moment of 
your life? For some of us it would be the fall of the Berlin Wall; for 
others, it might be the election of Nelson Mandela to lead South Africa 
and end apartheid in that country; and for sure for others it would 
mean the election of Barack Obama as the first black President of the 
United States.
  But for many of us, it would mean that time, 40 years ago today, when 
men landed on the Moon and for the first time, and the only time, in 
our history visited our celestial neighbor. That's exciting, and it's 
good to look back on that time and to ask ourselves what led to that 
moment.
  Everybody attributes that moment to President Kennedy, the leader of 
the new frontier. President Kennedy used these words to spur us to take 
this action. He said as follows: ``We choose to go to the Moon in this 
decade and do other things, not because they are easy, but because they 
are hard, because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best 
of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are 
willing to accept, one that we are unwilling to postpone, and one which 
we intend to win.
  ``Many years ago, the great British Explorer George Mallory, who was 
to die on Mount Everest, was asked why did he want to climb it.

                              {time}  1700

  ``He said, `Because it is there.' Well, space is there,'' Kennedy 
told us, ``and we're going to climb it, and the Moon and the planets 
are there, and new hopes for knowledge and peace are there.
  ``And, therefore, as we set sail,'' Kennedy said, ``we ask God's 
blessing on the most hazardous and dangerous and greatest adventure on 
which man has ever embarked.''
  That's what President Kennedy said, that this was the greatest 
adventure on which man has ever embarked, and he was right. These 
astronauts, these brave three, they crossed dead space for almost a 
quarter of 1 million miles. They landed with less than 25 seconds of 
fuel remaining when they finally reached the Moon, and when they 
reached that Moon, they were only there for 21\1/2\ hours. Their 
moonwalk was only 2 hours and 37 minutes. They brought back a mere 47 
pounds of Moon rock, but they inspired everyone on this planet. One-
fifth of all of this planet was watching at that moment on TV. One out 
of every five human beings. That's pretty good ratings, Mr. Speaker.
  And when the landing occurred, what we heard was the following: ``The 
Eagle has landed.'' The eagle meaning the American eagle, because this 
was an assertion of our superiority as a Nation, our fortitude, our 
determination, our discipline, and our resourcefulness. That's what led 
us across that deep space in only 8 years from the first time when 
President Kennedy set forth this goal to the time that we actually 
landed on the Moon. ``The Eagle has landed.'' The American eagle has 
landed.
  But then during the moonwalk, we heard another theme. When Mr. 
Armstrong first put his foot down on the Moon, when Neil Armstrong put 
his foot down on the Moon he said the following: ``One small step for 
man, one giant leap for mankind.'' Not just Americans, but all mankind.
  And when these brave explorers left behind their inscription, the 
inscription said something very important: ``We came in peace, for all 
mankind.''
  And when Buzz Aldrin was returning, the day before the flight 
actually landed back on the Earth, he said the following: ``This stands 
as a symbol of the insatiable curiosity of all mankind to explore the 
unknown.''
  So on that day 40 years ago we learned a lot about ourselves. We 
learned a lot about what kind of people human beings really are. The 
first thing we learned is that in our heart we are explorers. We have 
that spark to see what's on the other side of that hill and then go and 
find it, and that spark is what led us 50,000 years ago to cross as far 
as Australia all the way from Africa. And 15,000 years ago one of my 
ancestors went as far as eastern Siberia in the midst of the Ice Age. 
And now, today, we see it's possible to explore this whole planet, and 
that just makes us want to explore other areas as well.
  I have visited 175 countries myself. I have that urge to see, to 
explore, to look beyond the next hill, and it's what makes us human 
beings. Wolves howl at the Moon; human beings go there.
  And we've also learned that these challenges that we pose for 
ourselves, these goals that we have for ourselves, we reap rewards from 
just seeking those goals, from pursuing those goals. In this case, NASA 
developed integrated circuits which led to the modern computer age. 
They developed computer-directed machining, which is used throughout 
manufacturing today, including in computers. And they developed fuel 
cells, which could very well be the key to our energy future. And all 
of that was done through the Apollo program for less than $150 billion 
in today's money, which is actually less than, in many cases, the costs 
of the war in Iraq for 1 year.
  We've also learned something else important about it. When we visited 
the Moon, we looked back on the Earth, and we have in that day 40 years 
ago the roots of the environmental movement. Earth Day was first 
celebrated barely 9 months later on April 22, 1970, because when we 
went to the Moon and we looked back on the Earth, we saw ourselves. We 
recognized how fragile the Earth really is.
  And Joni Mitchell best captured that in a song that she sang, these 
words from her song, ``Refuge of the Roads.'' She wrote:
  ``In a highway service station, over the month of June was a 
photograph of the Earth, taken coming back from the Moon.
  ``And you couldn't see the city, on that marbled bowling ball, or a 
forest, or a highway, or me here least of all.''
  And so we recognize in that moment, when we looked at the entire 
Earth, the entire planet, we didn't see individuals, we saw all of us, 
and it created a newfound respect for the environment.
  But beyond that, we reached the realization that we're only beginning 
to appreciate right now 40 years later, and that realization is this. 
We are one planet; we are one people. This is not a planet of blacks 
versus whites; we are one. This is not a planet of men versus women; we 
are one. This is not a planet of the young versus the old; we are one. 
We are one species, one set of human beings, one people, proud of our 
accomplishments, this above all, to visit the Moon.
  And when we return to the Moon, as we're scheduled to do 10 years 
from now, I hope that we'll say not just,

[[Page H8387]]

``One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind,'' but I hope 
we'll say, ``Today the Moon, tomorrow the stars.''
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. POSEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I would like to commend Representative Grayson and the 
nearly 300 cosponsors of H.R. 2245, the New Frontier Congressional Gold 
Medal Act. As we know, this legislation authorizes the President, on 
behalf of Congress, to issue gold medals to Neil Armstrong, Edwin 
``Buzz'' Aldrin, Michael Collins and John Glenn in recognition of their 
accomplishments, and pave the way for future missions.
  As we celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Moon landing, we 
recognize President Kennedy's vision to support the great explorers of 
our lifetime, like the Christopher Columbuses, the Magellans and the 
Marco Polos before them. President Kennedy proved to the world that the 
free enterprise system of the United States of America would outperform 
the socialist Soviet Union in the international challenge of landing a 
man on the Moon and returning him safely to Earth.
  One of the highlights of my life was the opportunity to work on the 
Apollo program as a young man when McDonnell Douglas was the contractor 
for the third stage. What a privilege it was to work alongside the 
thousands of men and women who helped make that historic achievement 
possible.
  And you know, from a personal perspective I will always cherish this 
little medallion that they gave each member of the launch team, the 
metal part of which was carried to the Moon and back by the Apollo 11 
astronauts.
  You know, it's one of those points in time where everyone old enough 
to be aware of their surroundings knows where they were when man took 
that historic first step. It was before, as Congressman Grayson said, 
the largest viewing audience in history. I was holding up my 3-month-
old daughter in front of the TV so that she might some day be the last 
person living to have witnessed that historic thing. Just what a 
marvelous event it was for all.
  Let us remember also that their legacy continues in today's exemplary 
space shuttle workforce, those who safely and efficiently worked to 
ensure the completion of the shuttle's remaining flight manifest. As we 
hear many times, America's space program is the only thing for which 
the United States is undeniably, unequivocally, and universally 
respected for around this globe.
  We sometimes take for granted the thousands of technological spinoffs 
we enjoy from space exploration, but let us take a moment to recognize 
the explorers of our lifetime and appreciate how all of us have been 
inspired by their pursuits and benefited from America's advances in 
space.
  Hopefully we will continue to maintain the leading edge in space 
under the leadership of President Obama.
  I yield back my time, Mr. Speaker.
  Mr. GRAYSON. Mr. Speaker, I want to note that what the accomplishment 
was here was to make America number one in space exploration, and I 
look forward to the time when we are number one in health care, when we 
are number one in education, when we are number one in meeting our 
human needs and making a 21st-century workforce.
  The thing that inspired people from President Kennedy's words was the 
desire to be number one, and that's something that we can and will 
accomplish, not only in this particular part of human endeavor but 
across the board.
  Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, it is an honor to support H.R. 
2245, the ``New Frontier Congressional Gold Medal Act'', which 
authorizes the President to award Congressional Gold Medals to Neil A. 
Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, Michael Collins, and John Herschel Glenn, Jr., 
who took great risks to lead our nation and society to new frontiers in 
outer space.
  Historic moments in space exploration, such as the 40th anniversary 
of the first lunar landing by humans that we are celebrating this week, 
and the first orbiting of the Earth by an American, inspired a 
generation of young people to devote their careers and lives to the 
scientific and human exploration of outer space and created a 
multiplier effect that has benefited American society, including our 
educational system, our economy, and our national security.
  The Apollo 11 mission of Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael 
Collins and the pathfinding Mercury mission of John Glenn continue to 
spark the excitement and anticipation of what is possible for our 
nation as explorers of outer space.
  Mr. Speaker, the Congressional Gold Medal is a fitting recognition of 
the unique and lasting imprint that these gentlemen have made on 
society, and I am pleased that so many of my colleagues in Congress 
have joined together in their support.
  I thank the gentleman from Florida, Mr. Grayson, for his leadership 
in introducing this bill.
  Ms. GIFFORDS. Mr. Speaker, today Congress is considering legislation 
to honor the Astronauts of Apollo 11 and Mercury Astronaut John Glenn 
with the Congressional Gold Medal, and as a proud cosponsor, I rise to 
urge support of this bill to recognize the trailblazing accomplishments 
of these brave American heroes.
  Their courage and the success of their missions have become symbols 
of what we as Americans can accomplish when we come together and put 
all of our energy and hard work into reaching a goal in which we all 
believe.
  The launch of Sputnik in 1957 initiated the Space Race of the 1960s 
between the United States and the Soviet Union. Just 12 years later, 
this Space Race culminated with Apollo 11's historic touchdown on the 
Moon's Sea of Tranquility in July of 1969.
  Even though NASA and the goal of landing men on the Moon were in some 
sense directly inspired by Cold War rivalries, the Apollo 11 lunar 
landings and John Glenn's orbital flight became a means of uniting all 
of us here on Earth in a collective adventure of humanity.
  Moreover, the lessons learned and the technology developed for John 
Glenn's orbital flight and the flight of Apollo 11 to the Moon spawned 
countless advances which have directly contributed to a better quality 
of life here on Earth.
  In the decades since, many important technologies can be traced back 
to our space program. For even though the goal landing humans on the 
Moon had been attained, NASA went on to undertake world-leading 
research and development initiatives in Earth and space science, 
aeronautics, and human space flight.
  Yet, ultimately it comes down to people--hard-working, dedicated men 
and women who made it all possible.
  That is why I am pleased to join my colleagues in support of 
legislation to bestow one of the nations highest honors, the 
Congressional Gold Medal, to Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, Michael 
Collins, and John Glenn.
  In closing, I want to commend Representative Grayson for introducing 
this bill, and I urge Members to pass it.
  Mr. GRAYSON. 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 Florida (Mr. Grayson) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, H.R. 2245.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds 
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
  Mr. POSEY. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the 
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be 
postponed.

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