[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 147 (Tuesday, October 13, 2009)]
[House]
[Pages H11262-H11267]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           GIRL SCOUTS USA CENTENNIAL COMMEMORATIVE COIN ACT

  Mr. FOSTER. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 621) to require the Secretary of the Treasury to mint coins 
in commemoration of the centennial of the establishment of the Girl 
Scouts of the United States of America, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                                H.R. 621

       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 ``Girl Scouts USA Centennial 
     Commemorative Coin Act''.

     SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

       The Congress find as follows:
       (1) The Girl Scouts of the United States of America is the 
     world's preeminent organization dedicated solely to girls 
     where they build character and skills for success in the real 
     world.
       (2) In 1911, Juliette Gordon Low met Sir Robert Baden-
     Powell, a war hero and the founder of the Boy Scouts.
       (3) With Baden-Powell's help and encouragement, Juliette 
     Gordon Low made plans to start a similar association for 
     American girls.
       (4) On March 12, 1912, Juliette Gordon Low organized the 
     first 2 Girl Scout Troops in Savannah, Georgia consisting of 
     18 members.
       (5) Low devoted the next 15 years of her life to building 
     the organization, which would become the largest voluntary 
     association for women and girls in the United States.
       (6) Low drafted the Girl Scout laws, supervised the writing 
     of the first handbook in 1913, and provided most of the 
     financial support for the organization during its early 
     years.
       (7) The Girl Scouts of the United States of America was 
     chartered by the United States Congress in 1950 in title 36, 
     United States Code.
       (8) Today there are more than 3,700,000 members in 236,000 
     troops throughout the United States and United States 
     territories.
       (9) Through membership in the World Association of Girl 
     Guides and Girl Scouts, Girls Scouts of the United States of 
     America is part of a worldwide family of 10,000,000 girls and 
     adults in 145 countries.
       (10) More than 50,000,000 American women enjoyed Girl 
     Scouting during their childhood--and that number continues to 
     grow as Girl Scouts of the United States of America continues 
     to inspire, challenge, and empower girls everywhere.
       (11) March 12, 2012 will mark the 100th Anniversary of the 
     Girl Scouts of the United States of America.

     SEC. 3. COIN SPECIFICATIONS.

       (a) $1 Silver Coins.--The Secretary of the Treasury 
     (hereafter in this Act referred to as the ``Secretary'') 
     shall mint and issue not more than 350,000 $1 coins in 
     commemoration of the centennial of the Girl Scouts of the 
     USA, each of which shall--
       (1) weigh 26.73 grams;
       (2) have a diameter of 1.500 inches; and
       (3) 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 sections 5134 and 
     5136 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 centennial of the Girl Scouts 
     of the United States of America.
       (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 
     Girl Scouts of the United States of America and the 
     Commission of Fine Arts; 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.--
       (1) In general.--Only 1 facility of the United States Mint 
     may be used to strike any particular quality of the coins 
     minted under this Act.
       (2) Use of the united states mint at west point, new 
     york.--It is the sense of the Congress that the coins minted 
     under this Act should be struck at the United States Mint at 
     West Point, New York, to the greatest extent possible.
       (c) Period for Issuance.--The Secretary may issue coins 
     under this Act only during the calendar year 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 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 $10 per coin.
       (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 paid to 
     the Girl Scouts of the United States of America to be made 
     available for Girl Scout program development and delivery.
       (c) Audits.--The Comptroller General of the United States 
     shall have the right to examine such books, records, 
     documents, and other data of the Girl Scouts of the United 
     States of America as may be related to the expenditures of 
     amounts paid 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 the enactment 
     of this Act). The Secretary of the Treasury may issue 
     guidance to carry out this subsection.

     SEC. 8. TECHNICAL AND CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.

       (a) Continued Issuance of Certain Commemorative Coins 
     Minted in 2009.--Notwithstanding sections 303 and 304 of the 
     Presidential $1 Coin Act of 2005 (31 U.S.C. 5112 nt.), the 
     Secretary of the Treasury may continue to issue numismatic 
     items that contain 1-cent coins minted in 2009 after December 
     31, 2009, until not later than June 30, 2010.
       (b) Distribution of Surcharges.--Section 7 of the Jamestown 
     400th Anniversary Commemorative Coin Act of 2004 (31 U.S.C. 
     5112 nt.) is amended--
       (1) in subsection (b)(2)(B), by striking ``in equal 
     shares'' and all that follows through the period at the end 
     and inserting ``in the proportion specified to the following 
     organizations for the purposes described in such 
     subparagraph:
       ``(i) 2/3 to the Association for the Preservation of 
     Virginia Antiquities.
       ``(ii) 1/3 to the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation of the 
     Commonwealth of Virginia.''; and
       (2) in subsection (c), by striking ``, the Secretary of the 
     Interior,''.

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


                             General Leave

  Mr. FOSTER. Madam 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 Illinois?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. FOSTER. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Madam Speaker, in 1912, just 18 girls from Georgia came together in 
what would become the first meeting of the Girl Scouts. Since then, the 
program has grown to 3.7 million girls to become the organization that 
we know today. To date, the Girl Scouts have shown 5 million girls how 
to lead, how to work together, and how to serve our communities.
  The Girl Scouts of the United States have had such prestigious 
members as

[[Page H11263]]

the Honorable Sandra Day O'Connor, former Supreme Court Justice; 
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton; former Secretary of State Madeleine 
Albright; and former First Lady Nancy Reagan.
  The Fox Valley Girl Scouts Council, which serves portions of my 
congressional district, has 6,000 registered members sponsored by over 
1,600 adult volunteers. I appreciate the work of these Girl Scouts, who 
have devoted so much time and effort to community service projects in 
our community.
  I am pleased to be a cosponsor of H.R. 621, and I thank Mr. Kingston 
for introducing it. H.R. 621 directs the Secretary of the Treasury to 
mint and to issue up to 350,000 one dollar coins in commemoration of 
the centennial of the founding of the Girl Scouts.
  The Girl Scouts of the USA has helped shape millions of young girls' 
lives, and in turn strengthened our communities. I congratulate the 
Girl Scouts on their 97 years of service and look forward to the 
passage of this piece of legislation so that we can join with them in 
celebrating their centennial in 2012.
  Madam Speaker, I submit the following correspondence.

                                                 October 13, 2009.
     Hon. Barney Frank,
     Chairman, Financial Services Committee, 2129 Rayburn House 
         Office Building, Washington, DC.
       Dear Chairman Frank: I am writing regarding H.R. 621, the 
     ``Girl Scouts USA Centennial Commemorative Coin Act of 
     2009.''
  As you know, the Committee on Ways and Means maintains jurisdiction 
over bills that raise revenue. H.R. 621 contains a provision that 
establishes a surcharge for the sale of commemorative coins that are 
minted under the bill, and thus falls within the jurisdiction of the 
Committee on Ways and Means.
  However, as part of our ongoing understanding regarding commemorative 
coin bills and in order to expedite this bill for Floor consideration, 
the Committee will forgo action. This is being done with the 
understanding that it does not in any way prejudice the Committee with 
respect to the appointment of Conferees or its jurisdictional 
prerogatives on this bill or similar legislation in the future.
  I would appreciate your response to this letter, confirming this 
understanding with respect to H.R. 621, and would ask that a copy of 
our exchange of letters on this matter be included in the record.
           Sincerely,
                                                Charles B. Rangel,
     Chairman.
                                  ____

                                                 October 13, 2009.
     Hon. Charles B. Rangel,
     Chairman, Committee on Ways and Means, House of 
         Representatives, Washington, DC.
       Dear Charlie: I am writing in response to your letter 
     regarding H.R. 621, the ``Girl Scouts USA Centennial 
     Commemorative Coin Act,'' which was introduced in the House 
     and referred to the Committee on Financial Services on 
     January 21, 2009. It is my understanding that this bill will 
     be scheduled for floor consideration shortly.
  I wish to confirm our mutual understanding on this bill. As you know, 
section 7 of the bill establishes a surcharge for the sale of 
commemorative coins that are minted under the bill. I acknowledge your 
committee's jurisdictional interest in such surcharges as revenue 
matters. However, I appreciate your willingness to forego committee 
action on H.R. 621 in order to allow the bill to come to the floor 
expeditiously. I agree that your decision to forego further action on 
this bill will not prejudice the Committee on Ways and Means with 
respect to its jurisdictional prerogatives on this or similar 
legislation. I would support your request for conferees on those 
provisions within your jurisdiction should this bill be the subject of 
a House-Senate conference.
  I will include this exchange of letters in the Congressional Record 
when this bill is considered by the House. Thank you again for your 
assistance.
                                                     Barney Frank,
                                                         Chairman.

  Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. KINGSTON. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  It is a great honor to be here with Mr. Foster, and I want to thank 
Mr. Bachus and Mr. Frank and the members of the Financial Services 
Committee for their support of this commemorative coin bill.
  This commemorative coin, like all commemorative coins, will pay for 
itself. Once it has done that, the additional money that it brings in 
will benefit the centennial activities of the Girl Scouts of the United 
States of America, as well as helping with some of the repairs of the 
Juliette Gordon Low birthplace, her childhood home, which is located in 
Savannah, Georgia.
  I think I, like so many people, have great memories of Girl Scouts, 
even though I wasn't one. My sisters, Betty, Barbara, and Jean, were 
all Girl Scouts, and they all wore their Brownie uniforms and then 
their Girl Scout uniforms, and my mother was one of the--I want to say 
den mother, and, Madam Speaker, I don't know the exact title, but she 
was a consultant--a leader. A great Girl Scout on the front row, Ms. 
Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, has corrected me. But they had those sashes. And I 
was a Y-boy and we didn't get sashes.

                              {time}  1915

  We didn't get to earn merit badges. But I always thought what a great 
system of training people. And of course, Girl Scouts got to sell the 
cookies, of which I not only did not have to sell, but I got to eat. So 
I got two great benefits from them, and so many other people did the 
same.
  Girl Scout cookies actually started in December 1917, and that was 
when the Mistletoe Troop in Muskogee, Oklahoma, started baking cookies, 
and they sold them in their high school that year. And then it grew in 
the 1920s and the 1930s, Girl Scouts followed suit all over the country 
and started to sell them. They sold them for 25 and 35 cents a dozen 
and in time had 11 varieties. And can I get a favorite? I think 
everybody would vote on a bipartisan basis, it is the Thin Mint.
  Mr. FOSTER. Will the gentleman yield?
  Mr. KINGSTON. I will be happy to yield to my friend.
  Mr. FOSTER. I very much share your opinion. I have to address the 
Speaker. I'm sure the Speaker and everyone in this room agrees that 
Thin Mints are the cookie of choice.
  Mr. KINGSTON. See, Madam Speaker, only the Girl Scouts could bring 
such bipartisan fellowship here so quickly in a bill.
  Juliette Gordon Low was an amazing historical figure. She was 
actually nicknamed Daisy as a child. Her parents were early settlers, 
on the dad's side from Georgia, and her mother's family came from 
Chicago. She was born on Halloween in 1860 and grew up during the Civil 
War in the difficult Reconstruction period in the Deep South. Her 
father owned a big house, and she developed a fondness as a child for 
writing poems, sketching, painting. She acted in plays and became a 
sculptor and a blacksmith.
  Her brother, George Arthur Gordon, described her this way: She was 
deeply religious, quite superstitious, and a confirmed hero worshiper. 
Underneath her bubbling, irrepressible gaiety, there was a deep, 
generous, loyal, loving, striving, brave, self-sacrificing personality. 
She had her full share of slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, and 
she not only met them, as the poet advised, by opposing, but in every 
crisis of her life she faced fate with a smiling defiance that was 
simply sublime. And that's from somebody who would know her well.
  As a child, she started a group called Helping Hands to help make 
clothes for the poor. She grew up in Savannah but went to a boarding 
school in Virginia. She made her debut in Savannah and enjoyed the good 
life. She married a young man which her parents weren't really crazy 
about because of their age, but they went ahead and got married and I 
guess, showing her streak of independence, got married on her parents' 
29th wedding anniversary date, December 21, 1886, and got married in 
Christ Episcopal Church, where she was also christened and later would 
be buried.
  Juliette Gordon Low had a hearing problem, and when she was leaving 
the church, at her wedding, on her wedding day, rice was being thrown, 
and one found itself lodged in her ear. It caused a problem which 
caused her to lose much of her hearing, and she went through life 
almost deaf, which later served her, though, because, as a fundraiser, 
she could pretend to not understand when people said ``no'' when she 
was asking for money for the Girl Scouts, so she would persevere and 
get more money from them.

[[Page H11264]]

  But an interesting thing happened to Juliette Gordon Low on the way 
to a good life. After the Spanish American War, her marriage fell 
apart, and when it did, she wasn't sure what her sense of direction 
would be and actually considered being a sculptor. But in 1911, she met 
Sir Robert Baden-Powell who, as we know, started the Boy Scouts in 
England, and he told Ms. Low about a sister organization that his own 
biological sister had started in England called the Girl Guides. He 
recommended to her that she do the same thing.
  So, as Mr. Foster has said, when she came back to America on March 
12, 1912, she started the Girl Scouts of America, and actually wrote a 
friend a note and said, come right over; I have something for all the 
girls of Savannah and all America and all the world, and we're going to 
start it tonight. And they did start it. And by the time she died, 
there were 168,000 members of the Girl Scouts from that first 18.
  The impact that they had has been national and international. Girl 
Scouts have been all over the map, and their history has followed the 
history of the United States. They collected clothes during the 
Depression. They made quilts. They carved wood toys. They gathered food 
for the poor. They assisted in hospitals. They participated in food 
drives and canning programs, provided meals to undernourished program, 
and in World War II, they operated a bicycle courier service and 
invested more than 48,000 hours in farm aid projects, collected fat and 
scrap metal, and grew victory gardens. They also collected 1\1/2\ 
million articles of clothing that were shipped overseas to children and 
adult victims of the war.
  Nearly 100 years ago this happened, and yet Juliette Gordon Low's 
legacy of friendship, education and ideals is today shared by 3.8 
million girls and women. We should be very proud to live in a country 
where such an organization exists, and I am proud to be a cosponsor of 
this legislation.
  I rise to honor the Girl Scouts of the United States and their 
founder, Juliette Gordon Low. H.R. 621 would create a Girl Scouts 
Commemorative Coin in celebration of their 100th Birthday. Proceeds of 
this coin will benefit Centennial activities and the Birthplace of 
Juliette Gordon Low.
  Today, the Girl Scouts are known for their cookies--of course--and 
their blue, green, or brown scouting uniforms, but most importantly, 
the Girl Scouts are known for their dedication in growing and nurturing 
life skills of young women around the globe. Scouts can earn over 300 
badges and awards throughout their journey as a Scout for completing 
tasks which expand areas of knowledge and experience. These badges vary 
from Computer Smarts, to Money Sense, to First Aid, to Sports and 
Games, and Heritage. Girl Scouts number nearly 3.8 million--2.8 million 
girl members and 963,000 adult members.
  Although cookie sales are the most recognized Girl Scouting Activity, 
they started on a much smaller scale. Girl Scout Cookies had their 
earliest beginnings in the kitchens of Scouts themselves--with their 
mothers' assistance. The earliest mention of a cookie sale found to 
date was by the Mistletoe Troop in Muskogee, Oklahoma, which baked 
cookies and sold them in its high school cafeteria as a service project 
in December 1917. In the 1920s and 1930s, Girl Scouts in different 
parts of the country continued to bake their own simple sugar cookies 
with their mothers. These cookies were packaged in wax paper bags, 
sealed with a sticker, and sold door to door for 25 to 35 cents per 
dozen. This project has now expanded to 11 varieties of cookies, with 
Thin Mints as the annual favorite.
  Selling cookies began just five years after Juliette Gordon Low 
started Girl Scouts in the United States in 1912. The Founder, Juliet 
Gordon, was born in Savannah, Georgia on Halloween 1860. Affectionately 
called ``Daisy'' (which is now the name of the youngest troop 
designation) by family and close friends, Juliette's paternal family 
were early settlers in Georgia and her mother's family played an 
important role in the founding of Chicago. She was the second of 6 
children and grew up during the difficult era of the Civil War and 
Reconstruction.
  Daisy spent her early years in Wayne-Gordon House in Savannah, 
Georgia. In 1818, Savannah Mayor James Moore Wayne, later a U.S. 
Supreme Court Justice, purchased a double house lot on the northeast 
corner of Bull and South Broad streets. The house constructed for Wayne 
at a cost of $6,500, consisted of a two-story, double town house over a 
raised basement. In 1831, James Moore Wayne sold the house to his 
niece, Sarah Stites Anderson Gordon, and her husband, William 
Washington Gordon I, Daisy's parents. Today, this is the location of 
the Juliette Gordon Low Birthplace and Girl Scout museum.
  In this house, young Daisy developed a lifetime interest in the 
arts--wrote poems, sketched, wrote and acted in plays, and later became 
a skilled painter, sculptor, and blacksmith. She had many pets 
throughout her life and was particularly fond of exotic birds, Georgia 
mockingbirds, and dogs. Daisy was also known for her great sense of 
humor. Her brother, George Arthur Gordon, described her this way, ``She 
was deeply religious, quite superstitious and a confirmed hero 
worshiper. Underneath her bubbling, irrepressible gaiety, there was a 
deep, generous, loyal, loving, striving, brave, self-sacrificing 
personality. She had her full share of slings and arrows of outrageous 
fortune, and she not only met them as the poet advised, by opposing, 
but in every crisis of her life she faced fate with a smiling defiance 
that was simply sublime.''
  Her dedication to the community started at a young age. As a 
teenager, Juliette formed her first organization, the ``Helping 
Hands'', whose activities included making clothes for the poor. 
Juliette was a great organizer of people and situations, though not 
particularly organized herself.
  Juliette attended school in Savannah, and moved to a boarding school 
at Virginia Female Institute (now Stuart Hall School) during her teens. 
She later attended Mlles Charbonniers, a French finishing school in New 
York City and traveled extensively in the United States and Europe 
after schooling. After her debut in Savannah, Daisy met the handsome 
and charming William Mackay Low--nicknamed Billow. Billow's father was 
an associate of Daisy's father and a prosperous British shipping tycoon 
with Savannah ties. Although her parents would never approve of a 
relationship between them, Daisy became convinced if she did not marry 
him, she would not marry at all. She characteristically continued to 
conceal her feelings from her family and friends; only revealing her 
innermost thoughts to her diary.
  A year later, she became secretly engaged to Billow in January of 
1886. When the engagement was revealed, her parents expectedly opposed 
the relationship as they felt that Billow was too spoiled and 
irresponsible to care for a wife and family. However, Daisy and Billow 
were both of age and Billow was bestowed with his father's fortune. On 
December 21, 1886--on her parents' 29th wedding anniversary--Juliette 
married Low at Christ Episcopal Church in Savannah, Georgia. She 
believed that, since her parents' marriage had been an idyllic one, the 
date would be lucky for her as well. During her wedding exit, a grain 
of good-luck rice became lodged in Daisy's ear. When trying to remove 
the rice, the doctor punctured the eardrum and damaged the nerve-
endings resulting in a total loss of hearing in that ear at the age of 
26. Her other ear had previously lost hearing because of an improperly 
treated abscess in 1885.
  Juliette would later use her hearing impediment to her benefit. When 
asking for donations, she would purposely play deaf to not hear the 
word ``no.'' Instead, she would respond with the date she would come by 
to pick up the donation. However, her deafness did have an effect in 
certain social situations--during dinner function, a speaker rose to 
acknowledge Juliette. She became upset when the audience was not 
clapping at every pause, so she began clapping--unaware that the 
speaker was talking about her own accomplishments. A fellow diner had 
to stop her, as it is not proper to clap for yourself.
  Putting difficulty aside, Juliette Low continued the luxurious life 
of a young Victorian lady during her married years in both England and 
Savannah. During the Spanish-American War, however, Juliette came back 
to America to aid in the war effort. She helped her mother organize a 
recovery hospital for wounded soldiers returning from Cuba. Her father 
(who had been a captain in the Confederate Army) was commissioned as a 
general in the U.S. Army and served on the Puerto Rican Peace 
Commission. At the end of the war, Juliette returned to England to a 
disintegrating marriage. The Lows were separated at the time of her 
husband's death in 1905.
  Daisy considered herself to be a failure. She had no children, a 
failed marriage, and was left with little money from her husband. She 
was looking for something useful to do with her life and was 
considering becoming a professional sculptor when, in 1911, she met Sir 
Robert Baden-Powell. Sir Robert, a military hero with a keen interest 
in young people, was also a painter and sculptor, an interest he shared 
with Daisy.
  He had begun a successful group in England known as the Boy Scouts. 
He was shocked to discover that 6,000 girls had joined the Boy Scouts, 
and urged his sister ``do something'' with the girls--so she began a 
parallel organization called Girl Guides. Sir Robert told Daisy about 
the two groups; she wrote in her diary after meeting him, ``He has 
ideas, which if I followed them, a more useful sphere of work might 
open before me in the

[[Page H11265]]

future.'' In 1912, Juliette returned to Savannah and called her cousin, 
principal of a local girl's school, and told her to ``Come right over! 
I have something for all the girls of Savannah, and all America, and 
all the world and we're going to start it tonight!''
  That was the beginning of the Girl Scouts USA.
  The first Girl Guide meeting in the U.S. was held March 12, 1912. The 
first two patrols (today known as troops) consisted of 18 girls. They 
wore the blue uniform of the British Girl Guides and used the same 
handbook as the British Guides. Juliette, an inveterate fund raiser, 
would use all sort of baited props to gain donations including a tomato 
tin with assorted Girl Scouts badges and awards to ``pin'' donors, and 
a hat decorated with root vegetables. When asked the purpose of her 
hat, she simply replied that she could not afford to properly decorate 
her hat as she donated most of her money to the Girl Scouts and then of 
course asked for an additional donation for the cause.
  In 1913, the American girls decided they wanted their own identity 
and the name was changed to Girl Scouts and Juliette published the 
first handbook, ``How Girls Can Help Their Country; A Handbook for Girl 
Scouts.'' In her handbook, Daisy encouraged girls to participate in 
competitive sports and to develop career skills in short to BE PREPARED 
for life--still a guiding principle today. Juliette was also known for 
humorous antics such as standing on her head in a board meeting to show 
off the new Girl Scout shoes--a move usually saved for an ill niece or 
nephew.
  During the mid-1920s, Juliette Low developed cancer, 
characteristically, she kept her illness hidden from family and 
friends. She served as President from 1915 until 1920 then she 
stepped down and assumed the role of the ``Founder'' of the Girl 
Scouts. In the 15 years that she worked with the organization, Girl 
Scouts grew from 18 members in Savannah to 168,000 members nationally.

  Juliette Low was honored for her contributions on Georgia Day, 
February 12, 1926 by the city of Savannah and the state of Georgia in a 
large celebration held in Forsythe Park. She was able to attend the 
World Conference of Girl Guide and Girl Scouts in 1926 held at Edith 
Macy Girl Scout National Center just outside of New York City. 
Following the conference, she took a trip back to England to say good-
bye to her friends. She died at her home on Lafayette Square on January 
17, 1927 at the age of 66. Her funeral was held at Christ Church--the 
same in which she was married and christened--and was attended by 
hundreds of community members and her beloved Girl Scouts. She is 
buried in Laurel Grove Cemetery in the Gordon Family plot.
  Throughout America's history, the Girl Scouts have reacted to many 
differing needs During World War I, girls learned about food production 
and conservation, sold war bonds, worked in hospitals, and collected 
peach pits for use in gas mask filters. By 1920, there were nearly 
70,000 Girl Scouts nationwide, including the territory of Hawaii and 
new Girl Scout badges included Economist and Interpreter, and revisions 
already were being made to the Journalist and Motorist badges. Girl 
Scouts led community relief efforts during the Great Depression by 
collecting clothing, making quilts, carving wood toys, gathering food 
for the poor, assisting in hospitals, participating in food drives and 
canning programs, and providing meals to undernourished children. 
During WWII, Girl Scouts operated bicycle courier services, invested 
more than 48,000 hours in Farm Aide projects, collected fat and scrap 
metal, and grew Victory Gardens. They also collected 1.5 million 
articles of clothing that were then shipped overseas to children and 
adult victims of war.
  Today, nearly 100 years later, Juliet Gordon Low's legacy of 
friendship, education, and ideals is shared and perpetuated by over 3.8 
million currently registered Girl Scouts and, through USA Girl Scouts 
Overseas, her influence extends around the world. Every day, the Girl 
Scouts help mold young women and girls throughout our Nation by 
empowering them with knowledge and experience. This organization allows 
girls from all backgrounds to benefit from enriching experiences such 
as field trips, sporting activities, cultural exchanges, and volunteer 
work. In its near 100 years, more than 50+ million American women 
befitted from Girl Scouting in their childhood.
  In addition to their National and global success, many former members 
carry the Girl Scouts legacy. One-third of female elected officials and 
almost 80% of female CEOs were Girl Scouts, in addition to sports 
stars, astronauts, presidential families, cartoonists, singers, 
actresses, Olympic medalists, and even a Supreme Court Justice.
  I am honored to support the Girl Scouts 100 years, their dedicated 
Founder Juliette Gordon Low, and the crucial principles which they 
instill in each and every Girl Scout member. I wish them another 100 
years of success.
  Below I have listed some of the more famous Girl Scouts. But most of 
all I want to give special thanks to Allison Thigpen who helped with 
the passage of this legislation and without it would not be possible to 
bring H.R. 621 to the floor.
       Bellamy, Carol--Executive Director, UNICEF
       Dole, Elizabeth--Former President, American Red Cross
       Katen, Karen--Vice President, Pfizer
       Marram, Ellen--Former President, Tropicana
       Bush, Laura--Wife of President George Bush, Jr (43rd 
     President)
       Clinton, Chelsea--Daughter of Bill Clinton (42nd President)
       Gore, Tipper--Wife of former VP Al Gore
       Johnson Robb, Lynda,--Daughter of Lyndon B. Johnson (36th 
     President)
       Johnson Turpin, Luci,--Daughter of Lyndon B. Johnson (36th 
     President)
       Kennedy, Ethel--Wife of Robert Kennedy (Presidential 
     candidate)
       Nixon Cox, Tricia--Daughter of Richard Nixon (37th 
     President)
       Nixon Eisenhower, Julie--Daughter of Richard Nixon (37th 
     President)
       Reagan, Nancy--Wife of Ronald Reagan (40th President)
       Rodham Clinton, Hillary--Wife of Bill Clinton (42nd 
     President)
       Albright, Madeleine--former US Secretary of State
       Napolitano, Janet--D-AZ; Former Governor
       Collins, Lt Col Eileen--1st Woman Space Shuttle Commander 
     Astronaut
       6 American Astronauts
       Day O'Connor, Sandra--Associate Justice, US Supreme Court
       Jones, Starr--Co-host, ``The View'', ABC-TV
       Sweeney, Anne--President, Disney/ABC Cable Network
       Walters, Barbara--Anchorwoman of ABC ``20/20''
       Allison, Jacqueline--Rear Admiral/Navy
       Edmunds, Jeanette--Colonel, US Army War Reserve
       Elliot, Carol C.--Brigadier General, USAF
       Engel, Joan--Rear Admiral, Director, Health & Safety
       Fishburne, Lillian--Rear Admiral/Navy
       Frost, Kathy--The Adjutant General of the Army
       Johnson, Joyce--Rear Admiral, Director, Health & Safety
       Kirkpatrick, Jeanne--Former US Ambassador to the United 
     Nations
       McGann, Barbara--Rear Admiral/Navy
       Paige, Kathleen K--RADM, VSN
       Stierle, Linda--Brigadier General
       Widnall, Sheila--US Secretary of Air Force--retired
       Williamson, Myrna, Gen.--Retired Army General
       Bergen, Candace--Actress
       Crow, Sheryl--Singer/Songwriter
       Fisher, Carrie--Actress, Author
       Lucci, Susan--Actress
       Merchant, Natalie--Singer, Songwriter
       Reynolds, Debbie--Actress
       Stewart, Martha--TV Personality; Martha Stewart Living
       Moore, Ann--Publisher, ``People'' magazine
       Dion, Celine--Singer
       Moore, Mary Tyler--Actress
       Fanning, Dakota--Actress
       Ackerman, Valede--Women's National Basketball
       Bell, Judy--Former President, US Golf Association; amateur 
     golfer
       Blair, Bonnie--'94 Gold Olympian Speed Skater
       Fleming, Peggy--'68 figure skating gold Olympian
       Hamill, Dorothy--'76 figure skating gold Olympian
       Joyner-Kersee, Jacqueline--'88 Long Jump Gold Olympian
       MacMillan, Shannon--Women's World Cup Member
       Marquis, Gail--Olympic Basketball Medalist; basketball 
     commentator
       McPeak, Holly--Beach Pro Volleyball
       McTiernan, Kerri-Ann--1st woman coach men's basketball
       Powell, Renee--1st African American Golf Player on LPGA
       Redman, Susie--Pro-golfer
       Rigby-Mason, Cathy--Olympic Gymnast & TV Commentator
       St. John Deane, Bonnie--Paralympic Snow Skiing Medalist
       St. James, Lyn--Auto Racing; '92 Indy 500 ``Rookie of the 
     Year''
       Williams, Venus--Tennis Champion
       Dove, Rita--'93 US Poet Laureate
       Steinem, Gloria--Author
       Brandon, Barbara--Cartoonist
       Gist, Carole--1st African American Miss USA
       Whitestone, Heather--Miss America, '95
       Thigpen, Allison--Hill Staffer Extraordinaire

                     Girl Scout Members of Congress

       Baldwin, Tammy--D-WI; House
       Biggert, Judy--R-IL; House
       Bono, Mary--R-CA; House
       Capps, Lois--D-CA; House
       Chenoweth, Helen--R-ID; House
       Christensen, Donna--D-VI; House
       Clayton, Eva--D-NC; House
       Collins, Susan--D-ME; Senate
       Cubin, Barbara--R-WY; House
       DeGette, Diana--D-CO; House
       Emerson, JoAnn--R-MO; House
       Eshoo, Anna G.--D-CA; House
       Fowler, Tillie--R-FL; House
       Granger, Kay--R-TX; House

[[Page H11266]]

       Hutchison, Kay Bailey--R-TX; Senate
       Jackson-Lee, Sheila--D-TX; House
       Johnson, Eddie Bernice--D-TX; House
       Kaptur, Marcy--D-OH; House
       Kilpatrick, Carolyn Cheeks--D-MI; House
       Landrieu, Mary--D-LA; Senate
       Lee, Barbara--D-CA; House
       Lincoln, Blanche--D-AR; Senate
       Lowey, Nita--D-NY; House
       McCarthy, Carolyn--D-NY; House
       McCarthy, Karen--D-MO; House
       Meek, Carrie P.--D-FL; House
       Mikulski, Barbara--D-MD; Senate
       Millender-McDonald, Juanita--D-CA; House
       Mink, Patsy--D-HI; House
       Murray, Patty--D-WA; Senate
       Myrick, Sue--R-NC; House
       Northup, Anne--R-KY; House
       Pryce, Deborah--R-OH; House
       Rodham Clinton, Hillary--D-NY; Senate
       Ros-Lehtinen, Ileana--R-FL; House
       Roukema, Marge--R-NJ; House
       Sanchez, Loretta--D-CA; House
       Schakowsky, Jan--D-IL; House
       Slaughter, Louise M.--D-NY; House
       Stabenow, Deborah--D-MI; House
       Tauscher, Ellen O.--D-CA; House
       Thurman, Karen L.--D-FL; House
       Tubbs Jones, Stephanie--D-OH; House
       Wilson, Heather--R-NM; House
       Woolsey, Lynn--D-CA; House

  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. FOSTER. I yield 2 minutes to the gentlelady from Florida (Ms. 
Wasserman Schultz).
  Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Madam Speaker, before I begin my remarks in 
support of H.R. 621, I do want to suggest to the gentleman from Georgia 
(Mr. Kingston) and the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Foster) that Samoas 
would probably give Thin Mints a run for their money, just speaking 
from personal experience. I'm out there helping my daughters drag that 
wagon behind me.
  Mr. KINGSTON. Will my friend yield a minute?
  Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. I'd be happy to yield.
  Mr. KINGSTON. I just was wondering, can you put those in vanilla ice 
cream and crunch them the same way you can the Thin Mints? Can you say 
in your heart of hearts they really have the substance and the property 
that you're looking for as you bite down? I'm only asking.
  Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Reclaiming my time, the gentleman would be 
interested and thrilled to learn that both Samoas and Thin Mints are 
now in ice cream that are special edition Edy's brand ice creams that 
are sold during the time in January when the Girl Scouts are out there 
selling their cookies for a good cause.
  Mr. KINGSTON. Well, let me say to my friend, I stand instructed, and 
I appreciate being schooled today.
  Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. I'm glad to provide you with the furtherance 
of your education on the Girl Scouts whose leaders, by the way, are not 
den mothers. Those are the Cub Scouts. Troop leaders are the actual 
title for Girl Scouts, and den mothers are Cub Scouts.
  Anyway, I realize that that has cut into much of my 2 minutes, so if 
the gentleman would further yield.
  Mr. FOSTER. I yield the gentlelady another minute.
  Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Thank you very much.
  Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 621, the Girl Scouts 
USA Commemorative Coin Act. It is an honor to work with the sponsor of 
this important legislation, my friend and colleague from Georgia, 
Representative Jack Kingston.
  As you may know, and as he has so wonderfully detailed, 97 years ago 
the first Girl Scout National Council meeting was held right here in 
Washington, D.C., and founder Juliette Gordon Low was elected 
president. Ms. Low envisioned providing a safe place, an environment of 
acceptance where girls could be inspired and challenged to build the 
necessary skills to become leaders. This vision still holds strong 
today, and the Girl Scouts provide the premier opportunity for girls 
and women to develop the talents and confidence necessary for a 
lifetime of leadership.
  Being involved in this pursuit means something different to everyone. 
To me, it means leading by example every day. I'm honored to serve in 
the United States Congress, Madam Speaker, and I'm proud to tell you 
that not only was I a Girl Scout, but I am currently a troop leader for 
my 10-year-old daughter, Rebecca, her troop, and have been for 4 years; 
and now this year, for the first time, for my 6-year-old daughter 
Shelby's Brownie troop. But I never stopped being a Girl Scout myself, 
because I'm currently a member, as I know you are, of Troop Capitol 
Hill, the honorary Congressional Girl Scout Troop for all women Members 
of Congress.
  In each of these roles, I personally see how Girl Scouts enriches the 
lives of millions of girls and their families through innovative 
programming that embraces the rich diversity of communities across our 
country. Girl Scouts are working day and night to make the world a 
better place. Through projects in their schools, local neighborhoods, 
and the international community, they touch lives in many ways. The 
Girl Scouts Commemorative Coin Act would recognize all the significant 
contributions of the Girl Scouts movement.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentlewoman has expired.
  Mr. FOSTER. I yield the gentlelady an additional minute.
  Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. The Girl Scouts Commemorative Coin Act would 
recognize all of the significant contributions of the Girl Scouts 
movement and commend their century of service to this country. I 
strongly join my colleagues in urging our colleagues to vote in favor 
of this worthy legislation.
  Mr. KINGSTON. I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. 
Paulsen).
  Mr. PAULSEN. I thank the gentleman for yielding and for his 
leadership on this issue as well.
  For nearly 100 years, the Girl Scouts have helped girls throughout 
the United States develop their full individual potential. The first 
Girl Scout troop was founded on March 12, 1912, in Savannah, Georgia. 
And since then, more than 50 million American women have enjoyed Girl 
Scouting during their childhood, and that number's still growing.
  There's over 3.7 million Girl Scouts across the Nation today. And as 
the father of four daughters, I can speak to the testament where Cassie 
and Briana were involved in the Girl Scouts themselves, and Tayler and 
Liesl still are actively participating in the Girl Scouts, and I 
certainly understand the importance that this institution has had and 
is having on their life.
  So through a variety of experiences, ranging from field trips to 
community service projects to cultural exchanges, the Girl Scouts have 
helped girls build individual character and skills to succeed in 
today's world. And by fostering the development of these skills, the 
Girl Scouts have helped millions of girls contribute to the improvement 
of society through their abilities, their leadership skills and 
cooperation with others.
  2012 will mark the 100th year anniversary of Girl Scouting here in 
the United States of America. And the legislation before us with the 
leadership of the gentleman, my colleague from Illinois, as well, would 
honor this milestone by authorizing the minting of 350,000 $1 coins, 
and the proceeds from that sale of these commemorative coins would, in 
turn, go back to the Girl Scouts program which is so important. And the 
Senate counterpart bill I know, as well, has over 70 cosponsors and is 
moving forward in a bipartisan manner. I expect it's going to pass 
swiftly as well.
  But finally, I would be remiss if I didn't mention the cookies as 
well, and I'll put in one more vote. It's been a staple of Girl Scout 
fundraising for a long period of time all the way back to 1917. But 
just like my colleagues from Illinois and Georgia, my personal favorite 
is the Thin Mint.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentleman has expired.
  Mr. KINGSTON. I yield 20 more seconds to the gentleman only because 
he's a Thin Mint person.
  Mr. PAULSEN. Just seeing Dairy Queen as an institution also cooperate 
with the Girl Scouts to promote their cookie sales is outstanding.
  So, Madam Speaker, this legislation before us honors an institution 
that has positively impacted the fabric of America for decades, and I 
encourage my colleagues to support it.
  Mr. FOSTER. I yield 2 minutes to the gentlelady from Texas (Ms. 
Jackson-Lee).
  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. I thank the gentleman from Illinois and the 
gentleman from Georgia for their respective leadership, and I will just 
tell you that my memory on what flavors I

[[Page H11267]]

enjoyed may be a little dull. My daughter is a little bit older than 12 
or 15 or 20 or 25, and at that point I will stop for fear of her 
commentary on me giving her age. But I will say that I am honored to 
stand and support the Girl Scouts and the congressional coin in honor 
of them for the very special reason that I had the pleasure of watching 
my daughter grow up as a Girl Scout, but more particularly carry around 
those Girl Scout cookies in my Taurus station wagon and compete against 
the other mothers to make sure that we sold the most. And I would say 
to you that all of them were gourmet, because whichever box was left 
over, we told the person who was buying it it's the best bunch of 
cookies you could ever buy.

                              {time}  1930

  This is very special because this is a combination of two wonderful 
people, Juliette Gordon Low and Sir Robert Baden-Powell. Mr. Baden-
Powell was a war hero and a founder of the Boy Scouts. What a perfect 
combination. So he encouraged his wife, or she was encouraged by him, 
and sought his help to establish the Girl Scouts in 1912. So in 1912 
they started, and so 2012 they will have their 100th year.
  But I really want to focus on why the Girl Scouts were so important, 
what they did for my daughter, Erica Shelwyn Lee. The interesting thing 
is that the Girl Scouts was founded even before women had the right to 
vote. They were the early underpinnings of giving girls leadership 
skills, how special that can be. And now we find there are 236,000 
troops--and they're called ``troop leaders'' by the way--and there are 
10 million girls today around the world that are made up of Girl 
Guides, and Girl Scouts, and Girl Scouts of the United States of 
America, all part of a worldwide family of 10 million girls and adults 
in 145 countries. What a success story.
  And so this is an important affirmation of how important Girl Scouts 
have been to the building of character of women.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentlewoman has expired.
  Mr. FOSTER. Madam Speaker, I yield an additional 1 minute.
  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. I thank the distinguished gentleman.
  This is an affirmation of what leadership skills can do for America. 
Girl Scouts have grown up to be many outstanding leaders here and 
around the world. But one thing I think is very important. It teaches 
young girls team partnership, the ability to work together, the ability 
to succeed together and fail together and not give up.
  So I am very glad to rise and salute the Girl Scouts of the United 
States of America but also to applaud this legislation of H.R. 621. I 
congratulate my friend from Georgia (Mr. Kingston) and my good friend 
Mr. Foster from Illinois for this great legislation, and all of those 
sponsors, and I am pleased to advocate for its passage.
  Mr. KINGSTON. Madam Speaker, if I could ask an inquiry of my friend 
from Texas.
  Now, you have not said which cookie is your favorite. You did kind of 
sidestep it, saying they were all gourmet, but Mr. Foster and I just 
want to know.
  I yield the gentlewoman 2 minutes on this very important issue.
  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. I do remember them coming in big brown 
boxes, and I had them all stuffed in my station wagon going from door 
to door. But the shortbread ones have to be the best.
  I know you all had all of the mint and the Samoas, but the shortbread 
was the tastiest. I love the shortbread. Texas likes it big and simple, 
and shortbread did the job.
  Mr. KINGSTON. I would ordinarily tell my friend I am a little 
disappointed. However, inasmuch as you have explained it so eloquently, 
I will say we'll give the shortbread honorable mention here.
  And I saw Mr. Gingrey raised his hand as a shortbread guy himself.
  I yield to the gentlelady.
  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. This is the true spirit of bipartisanship, 
and I am delighted that we are rising today to support this very fine 
bill to honor the Girl Scouts of America with this gold coin.
  Mr. KINGSTON. Madam Speaker, we have no other speakers. I was going 
to finish a statement real quickly and then yield back the balance of 
our time.
  And I wanted to say with Ms. Jackson-Lee here and Ms. Ileana Ros-
Lehtinen that these are two of our Girl Scout Members. I have a list of 
other Members who I will be submitting for the Record.
  But also, Madam Speaker, I want to say that this bill also contains a 
pair of coin-related technical corrections, one of which allows an 
extension in the sale of the proof set contained in the 2009 Abraham 
Lincoln bicentennial one-cent coins because of a manufacturing glitch 
which slowed down the production of approved sets. Taken together, 
though, this bill is still budget neutral.
  The Senate counterpart bill has more than 70 cosponsors, and I expect 
swift consideration of this bill there as well.
  And so, Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this important 
legislation.
  I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. FOSTER. 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 Illinois (Mr. Foster) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, H.R. 621, as amended.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

                          ____________________