[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 62 (Tuesday, April 29, 2014)]
[House]
[Pages H3253-H3254]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              GOLD MEDAL TECHNICAL CORRECTIONS ACT OF 2014

  Mr. GARRETT. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 4488) to make technical corrections to two bills enabling 
the presentation of congressional gold medals, and for other purposes.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 4488

       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 ``Gold Medal Technical 
     Corrections Act of 2014''.

     SEC. 2. TECHNICAL CORRECTIONS TO AN ACT THAT AUTHORIZES 
                   PRESENTATION OF A CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL TO 
                   DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR., AND CORETTA SCOTT 
                   KING.

       Section 2 of Public Law 108-368 is amended--
       (1) in subsection (a)--
       (A) by striking all before ``to present'' and inserting the 
     following: ``(a) Presentation Authorized.--The Speaker of the 
     House of Representatives and the President pro tempore of the 
     Senate are authorized''; and
       (B) by striking ``(posthumously)''; and
       (2) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(c) Smithsonian Institution.--
       ``(1) In general.--Following the award of the gold medal in 
     honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and Coretta Scott King 
     under subsection (a), the gold medal shall be given to the 
     Smithsonian Institution, where it shall be available for 
     display as appropriate and made available for research.
       ``(2) Sense of congress.--It is the sense of Congress that 
     the Smithsonian Institution shall make the gold medal 
     received under paragraph (1) available for display, 
     particularly at the National Museum of African American 
     History and Culture, or for loan as appropriate so that it 
     may be displayed elsewhere, particularly at other appropriate 
     locations associated with the lives of Dr. Martin Luther 
     King, Jr., and Coretta Scott King.''.

     SEC. 3. TECHNICAL CORRECTIONS TO AN ACT THAT AUTHORIZES 
                   PRESENTATION OF A CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL 
                   COLLECTIVELY TO THE MONTFORD POINT MARINES, 
                   UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS.

       Section 2 of Public Law 112-59 is amended by adding at the 
     end the following:
       ``(c) Smithsonian Institution.--
       ``(1) In general.--Following the award of the gold medal in 
     honor of the Montford Point Marines, United States Marine 
     Corps under subsection (a), the gold medal shall be given to 
     the Smithsonian Institution, where it shall be available for 
     display as appropriate and made available for research.
       ``(2) Sense of congress.--It is the sense of Congress that 
     the Smithsonian Institution shall make the gold medal 
     received under paragraph (1) available for display, 
     particularly at the National Museum of African American 
     History and Culture, or for loan as appropriate so that it 
     may be displayed elsewhere, particularly at other appropriate 
     locations associated with the Montford Point Marines.''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from New 
Jersey (Mr. Garrett) and the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Al Green) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New Jersey.


                             General Leave

  Mr. GARRETT. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their 
remarks and submit extraneous material for the Record on H.R. 4488, 
which is currently under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from New Jersey?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. GARRETT. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 4488, the Gold Medal 
Technical Corrections Act of 2014, introduced by the gentleman from 
Georgia (Mr. Lewis) and Ms. Brown of Florida.
  Mr. Speaker, this legislation seeks to make minor technical 
corrections to allow the actual awarding of two Congressional Gold 
Medals authorized in previous Congresses. The first medal was awarded 
to Martin Luther King, Jr., and Coretta Scott King. The other medal was 
awarded to the pioneering Montford Point Marines of World War II.
  For different reasons, there are now no statutorily designated 
recipients of the medals. As has often happened in the past with such 
medals, they will be given to the Smithsonian Institution, where they 
will be available for display, research, or loan, as appropriate, to 
sites significant to their honorees.
  Importantly, in the case of both these medals, the sense of Congress 
is expressed that one place that would be very appropriate to display 
either or both of these medals is at the new National Museum of African 
American History and Culture, now under construction literally just 
down the street.
  So, Mr. Speaker, this is a good bill. It is a bipartisan bill. I ask 
for its immediate passage.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. AL GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I, too, rise in support of H.R. 4488. I would like to 
thank my colleague across the aisle for his support. I would also like 
to thank the Honorable John Lewis for being a sponsor of this 
legislation.
  This is important legislation, as it does embrace two Congressional 
Gold Medals that have already been awarded.
  As fate would have it, Mr. Lewis was the original sponsor of the bill 
awarding the Congressional Gold Medal to Ms. Coretta Scott King and the 
Honorable Dr. Martin Luther King. Both of them are honorable people.
  I would also say that Mr. Lewis has been a champion for human rights 
and civil rights. It is very difficult to have him in your presence and 
not acknowledge all that he has done.
  So, today, I am honored to support the Gold Medical Technical 
Corrections Act of 2014.
  I am also honored to mention one other colleague, the Honorable 
Corrine Brown. She worked on the bill that accorded a Congressional 
Gold Medal to the Montford Point Marines of the United States Marine 
Corps. She was an original sponsor of this legislation.

                              {time}  1230

  These two giants have brought us this far. It will take this 
legislation to take us the final steps along the way.
  The legislation merely indicates where these Congressional Gold 
Medals may be displayed. It seems to do what we could have done 
earlier, but we have found that it is not too late to do now.
  Mr. Speaker, at this time, I am honored to yield such time as he may 
consume to the gentleman from Georgia, the Honorable John Lewis, our 
civil rights icon right here in the United States House of 
Representatives.
  Mr. LEWIS. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman from Texas for 
yielding, and I want to thank the gentleman from New Jersey for all of 
his work on this legislation.
  I would like to thank the chair and ranking member of the Financial 
Services Committee and all of their staff for their strong support of 
the legislation.

[[Page H3254]]

  This bill is very simple. It simply ensures that these medals are 
displayed at the Smithsonian's National Museum of African American 
History and Culture, which opens next year.
  In 2004, Congress passed bipartisan legislation to grant the 
Congressional Gold Medal to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and Mrs. 
Coretta Scott King. I introduced the House bill, and my good friend, 
Senator Carl Levin, sponsored the Senate companion.
  The legislation passed in the House and Senate by voice vote. 
Unfortunately, a couple of years later, my good friend, Coretta Scott 
King, passed away. She was a beautiful and strong spirit and, like her 
husband, a national treasure.
  They were heroes, breaking down barriers, opening doors, fighting 
injustice across our country, and building bridges around the world. It 
is only fitting that this congressional tribute is on exhibit to the 
world in a permanent national memorial.
  Again, Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the bipartisan leadership 
and staff for all of their good and great work in support of this 
commonsense legislation.
  Mr. AL GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I am so honored to be a part of 
this, and I would thank, again, the Honorable John Lewis for his 
efforts to not only accord the Congressional Gold Medals to Dr. King 
and Mrs. King, but also his efforts to make sure that they are properly 
located, so that they can be displayed properly.
  I would also want to, again, reiterate the efforts of the Honorable 
Corrine Brown, with reference to the Montford Point Marines of the 
United States Marine Corps. I believe this bill is one that can be 
embraced by all of our colleagues.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. GARRETT. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  At this point, we have no other speakers. I, again, would just like 
to thank my colleagues on the other side of the aisle for joining us 
with the sponsoring of this legislation; Mr. Lewis, not only for 
legislation that is on the floor today, but for your historic work on 
behalf of civil rights prior to coming to Congress as well.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Ms. BROWN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I have been an elected official 
for nearly 32 years, and one of the proudest moments I have experienced 
in all my years was when this House passed the bill to grant a 
Congressional Gold Medal to the Montford Point Marines. When the bill 
granting the Gold Medal passed, all of the Members of Congress honored 
the Marines with a standing ovation for their service, their bravery, 
and their dedication to preserving freedom and democracy for our nation 
and the world.
  I was pleased to work with Marine Commandant General James F. Amos, 
who put his office and staff behind the Gold Medal and in only 4 
months, we went from introduction to public law, granting that Gold 
Medal. There were 308 cosponsors on the bill and it passed unanimously 
by a vote of 422-0.
  When I was first elected to Congress, I requested to be a member of 
the Veterans Affairs Committee. And today, as the second most senior 
Democrat on the Committee, I believe it is my duty to continue to do 
everything I can to assist the members of our armed forces.
  So for me, it was more than an honor to sponsor a Resolution to 
recognize the service and sacrifice of the Montford Point Marines, and 
acknowledge today's United States Marine Corps as an excellent 
opportunity for the advancement of people of all races, which in large 
part is due to the service and example of the original Montford Point 
Marines.
  Years before Jackie Robinson, and decades before Rosa Parks and 
Martin Luther King, Jr., these heroes joined the Marines to defend our 
great nation. Fighting racism both at home and in the armed forces, as 
well as enemies abroad, these men persevered and protected this nation 
when it mattered most.
   These African Americans from all States were not sent to the 
traditional boot camps in Parris Island, South Carolina and Sari Diego, 
California. Instead, African American Marines were segregated, and went 
through basic training at Camp Montford Point near the New River in 
Jacksonville, North Carolina.
  We must honor these war heroes' selfless service and sacrifice. They 
answered our nation's call at a time when our society was deeply 
divided along racial lines. Because of this, many of their 
contributions went unrecognized and many times they were not given the 
respect and recognition they deserved as Marines, as Americans, and as 
patriots. To correct this past injustice, we honor the Monford Point 
Marines, and this Gold Medal will forever anchor their role in the 
history of our nation's great military.
  I am reminded of the words of the first President of the United 
States, George Washington, whose words are worth repeating at this 
time:

       The willingness with which our young people are likely to 
     serve in any war, no matter how justified, shall be directly 
     proportional as to how they perceive the veterans of earlier 
     wars were treated and appreciated by their country.

  Thank you all for your service.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Garrett) that the House suspend the 
rules and pass the bill, H.R. 4488.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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