[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 75 (Monday, May 19, 2014)]
[House]
[Pages H4444-H4447]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
AWARDING CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL TO JACK NICKLAUS
Mr. HUIZENGA of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules
and pass the bill (H.R. 2203) to provide for the award of a gold medal
on behalf of Congress to Jack Nicklaus, in recognition of his service
to the Nation in promoting excellence, good sportsmanship, and
philanthropy.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 2203
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:
(1) Jack Nicklaus is a world-famous golf professional, a
highly successful business executive, a prominent advertising
spokesman, a passionate and dedicated philanthropist, a
devoted husband, father, and grandfather, and a man with a
common touch that has made him one of the most popular and
accessible public figures in history.
(2) Jack Nicklaus amassed 120 victories in professional
competition of national or international stature, 73 of which
came on the Professional Golf Association (in this
[[Page H4445]]
Act referred to as the ``PGA'') Tour, and professional major-
championship titles. His record 18 professional majors, the
first of which he won 50 years ago with his win at the 1962
U.S. Open as a 22-year-old rookie, remains the standard by
which all golfers are measured. He is the only player in golf
history to have won each major championship at least three
times, and is the only player to complete a career ``Grand
Slam'' on both the regular and senior tours. He also owns the
record for most major championships as a senior, with eight.
(3) Jack Nicklaus' magnetic personality and unfailing sense
of kindness and thoughtfulness have endeared him to millions
throughout the world.
(4) Jack Nicklaus has been the recipient of countless
athletic honors, including being named Individual Male
Athlete of the Century by Sports Illustrated, one of the 10
Greatest Athletes of the Century by ESPN, and Golfer of the
Century or Golfer of the Millennium by every major national
and international media outlet. He received the Muhammad Ali
Sports Legend Award and the first-ever ESPY Lifetime
Achievement Award. He became the first golfer and only the
third athlete to receive the Vince Lombardi Award of
Excellence, and is also a five-time winner of the PGA Player
of the Year Award. He was inducted into the World Golf Hall
of Fame at the age of 34.
(5) Jack Nicklaus has received numerous honors outside of
the world of sports, including several golf industry awards
for his work and contributions as a golf course designer,
such as the Old Tom Morris Award, which is the highest honor
given by the Golf Course Superintendents Association of
America, and both the Donald Ross Award given by the American
Society of Golf Course Architects and the Don A. Rossi Award
given by the Golf Course Builders Association of America.
Golf Inc. Magazine named him the Most Powerful Person in Golf
for a record six consecutive years, due to his impact on
various aspects of the industry through his course design
work, marketing and licensing business, his ambassadorial
role in promoting and growing the game of golf worldwide, and
his involvement on a national and global level with various
charitable causes.
(6) Jack Nicklaus has been involved in the design of more
than 290 golf courses worldwide, and his business, Nicklaus
Design, has close to 380 courses open for play in 36
countries and 39 States.
(7) Jack Nicklaus served as the Global Ambassador for a
campaign to include golf in the Olympic Games, which was
achieved and will begin in the 2016 Olympic program.
(8) Jack Nicklaus was honored by President George W. Bush
in 2005 by receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the
highest honor given to any United States civilian.
(9) Jack Nicklaus has a long-standing commitment to
numerous charitable causes, such as his founding, along with
wife Barbara, of the Nicklaus Children's Health Care
Foundation, which provides pediatric health care services
throughout South Florida and in other parts of the country.
The Foundation has raised close to $24,000,000 since it was
formed in 2004, and has provided health assistance and
services to more than 4,000 children and their families
through--
(A) Child Life programs (supporting therapeutic
interventions for children with chronic and acute conditions
during hospitalization);
(B) Miami Children's Hospital Nicklaus Care Centers (to
offer a new option to Palm Beach County-area families with
children who require pediatric specialty care); and
(C) Safe Kids Program (aimed at keeping children injury-
free and offering safety education in an effort to decrease
accidental injuries in children).
(10) In October 2012, the Miami Children's Hospital
Nicklaus Outpatient Center was opened to provide pediatric
urgent care, diagnostic services, and rehabilitation services
in Palm Beach County.
(11) Jack Nicklaus also established an annual pro-am golf
tournament called ``The Jake'' to honor his 17-month-old
grandson who passed away in 2005, and it serves as a primary
fundraiser for the Nicklaus Children's Health Care
Foundation. The event alone has raised well over $43,000,000
over the last several years.
(12) Nicklaus has been a tireless supporter of numerous
junior golf initiatives, working with the PGA of America
Junior Golf Foundation over the course of four decades,
including the establishment of the Barbara and Jack Nicklaus
Junior Golf Endowment Fund and the PGA-Nicklaus First Tee
Teaching Grants. He also is a spokesperson for several PGA of
America and USGA growth-of-the-game initiatives. He continues
to support several scholarship foundations, other children's
hospitals, and other causes, including spinal-cord research,
pancreatic cancer issues, and Florida Everglades restoration.
(13) In 2013, Jack Nicklaus, with the support of the
National Park and Recreation Association (NRPA), launched the
Jack Nicklaus Learning Leagues, taking team-concept golf to
our parks system for children, ages 5 to 12. A non-profit
foundation called Global Outreach for Learning Foundation
(GOLF) was created to underwrite the program. By the end of
2013, they hope to have the program in more than 100
locations and reach close to 25,000 children.
(14) Jack Nicklaus continues to manage the Memorial
Tournament in his home State of Ohio, in which contributions
generated through the aid of over 2,600 volunteers are given
to support Nationwide Children's Hospital and close to 75
other Central Ohio charities. This has garnered more than
$5,700,000 for programs and services at Nationwide Children's
Hospital since 1976, so that Central Ohio will continue to
have one of the best children's hospitals in the United
States.
(15) Jack Nicklaus serves as an honorary chairs of the
American Lake Veterans Golf Course in Tacoma, Washington,
which neighbors a Veterans Administration hospital and is
designed for the rehabilitation of wounded and disabled
veterans. Nicklaus has donated his design services for the
improvement of the course, and raised contributions for the
addition of nine new holes (the ``Nicklaus Nine''), the
construction of the Rehabilitation and Learning Center, and
the upgrade of the maintenance facilities. The course is
considered the only one in the United States designed solely
for the use of disabled veterans. It served over 30,000
veterans and their families in 2011 to use the healing powers
of golf to help them rehabilitate and recreate. The hope is
that American Lake will serve as a pilot program for the more
than 150 Veterans Administration hospitals nationwide.
(16) Jack Nicklaus serves as a spokesperson and Trustee for
the First Tee program, which brings golf to children who
would not otherwise be exposed to it, and teaches them
valuable, character-building life lessons through the game of
golf, and is a national co-chair of the organization's More
Than a Game campaign.
(17) Jack Nicklaus remains active in tournament golf,
although he retired from major championship competition in
2005, when he played his final British Open and his final
Masters Tournament, and led the United States to a thrilling
victory in the President's Cup. He consults often with the
PGA Tour, and no fewer than 95 Nicklaus courses have hosted a
combined total of almost 700 professional tournaments. In
2013 alone, Nicklaus courses will host 17 PGA Tour-sanctioned
events. His Muirfield Village Golf Club in Ohio will be
hosting the Presidents Cup in October 2013, making it the
only club in history to have hosted all three of the game's
most prominent international team competitions--the Ryder
Cup, Solheim Cup and Presidents Cup. It is also expected that
his course at the Jack Nicklaus Golf Club Korea in New Songdo
City, South Korea, will be named the host venue for the 2015
Presidents Cup--the first time that country has hosted an
international team competition of this stature
SEC. 2. CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL.
(a) Authorization.--The Speaker of the House of
Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate
shall make appropriate arrangements for the presentation, on
behalf of Congress, of a gold medal of appropriate design to
Jack Nicklaus in recognition of his service to the Nation in
promoting excellence and good sportsmanship.
(b) Design and Striking.--For the purpose of the
presentation referred to in subsection (a), the Secretary of
the Treasury shall strike a gold medal with suitable emblems,
devices, and inscriptions to be determined by the Secretary.
SEC. 3. DUPLICATE MEDALS.
Under such regulations as the Secretary of the Treasury may
prescribe, the Secretary may strike duplicate medals in
bronze of the gold medal struck pursuant to section 2 and
sell such duplicate medals at a price sufficient to cover the
costs of the duplicate medals (including labor, materials,
dies, use of machinery, overhead expenses) and the cost of
the gold medal.
SEC. 4. NATIONAL MEDALS.
The medals struck under this Act are national medals for
purposes of chapter 51 of title 31, United States Code.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Michigan (Mr. Huizenga) and the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr.
Capuano) each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Michigan.
General Leave
Mr. HUIZENGA of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that
all Members have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend
their remarks and submit extraneous materials for the Record on H.R.
2203, as amended, currently under consideration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Michigan?
There was no objection.
Mr. HUIZENGA of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I
may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 2203, a bill to provide
for the award of a gold medal on behalf of Congress to Jack Nicklaus,
in recognition of his service to the Nation in promoting excellence,
good sportsmanship, and philanthropy, introduced by the gentleman from
Ohio (Mr. Tiberi). This bill authorizes the minting and award of a
single gold medal in honor of the life and work of the immensely well-
known golf champion.
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Mr. Speaker, Jack Nicklaus--nicknamed the Golden Bear--is a world-
famous golf professional, a highly successful businessman, executive,
prominent advertising spokesman, a passionate and dedicated
philanthropist, a devoted husband, father, and grandfather, and a man
with a common touch that has made him one of the most popular and
accessible public figures in American history. He is widely regarded as
one of the most accomplished professional golfers of all time. And I
might add, on a personal note, his design up at the Grand Traverse Bay
Resort this past summer humbled me in my golf game personally.
Mr. Jack William Nicklaus was born to Charlie Nicklaus and his wife,
Helen, on January 21, 1940, in the Columbus suburb of Upper Arlington,
Ohio. Young Jack took up golf at the age of 10, scoring a 51 at Scioto
Country Club for the first nine holes that he ever played. I suspect
that there are more than a few Members here that wouldn't mind carding
a 51 right now.
Nicklaus amassed 120 victories in professional competition of
national or international stature, 73 of which came on the Professional
Golfers' Association Tour. His record 18 professional majors, the first
of which he won 50 years ago with his win at the 1962 U.S. Open as a
22-year-old rookie, remains the standard by which all golfers are
measured. He is the only player in golf history to have won each major
championship at least three times and is the only player to complete a
career Grand Slam on both the regular and senior tours. He also owns
the record for the most major championships as a senior, with eight.
Jack Nicklaus has been the recipient of countless athletic honors,
including being named Individual Male Athlete of the Century by Sports
Illustrated, one of the 10 Greatest Athletes of the Century by ESPN,
and Golfer of the Century or Golfer of the Millennium by every major
national and international media outlet. He received the Muhammad Ali
Sports Legend Award and first-ever ESPY Lifetime Achievement Award. He
became the first golfer and only the third athlete to receive the Vince
Lombardi Award of Excellence. He is also a five-time winner of the PGA
Player of the Year Award. He was inducted into the World Golf Hall of
Fame at the ripe old age of 34.
But Jack Nicklaus is much more than a golf champion. His magnetic
personality and unfailing sense of kindness and thoughtfulness have
endeared him to millions throughout the world. He has also received
numerous honors outside of the world of sports, including several golf
industry awards for his work and contributions as a golf course
designer, as I noted earlier, such as the Old Tom Morris Award, which
is the highest honor given by the Golf Course Superintendents
Association of America, and both the Donald Ross Award given by the
American Society of Golf Course Architects and the Don A. Rossi Award
given by the Golf Course Builders Association of America. Golf Inc.
magazine named him one of the Most Powerful Persons in Golf for a
record 6 consecutive years due to his impact on various aspects of
industry through his course design work, marketing and licensing
business, his ambassadorial role in promoting and growing the game of
golf worldwide, and his involvement on a national and global level with
various charitable causes.
Mr. Speaker, everyone knows Jack Nicklaus, and most of us at least
wish we had half the golf ability that he has, but it is important to
remember his charitable and leadership works as well. The bill has 304
cosponsors in the House, and a companion bill introduced in the other
body is being championed by Senator Portman. I ask for unanimous
approval of this important legislation, and I reserve the balance of my
time.
Mr. CAPUANO. Mr. Speaker, I would like to yield as much time as she
may consume to the gentlelady from Ohio (Mrs. Beatty).
Mrs. BEATTY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 2203,
sponsored by Congressman Pat Tiberi, awarding the Congressional Gold
Medal to Columbus, Ohio, native Jack Nicklaus. Jack Nicklaus--an alumni
of Ohio State University--is a world-famous professional golfer who has
amassed 120 victories in professional tournaments worldwide.
While well known for his athletic achievements on the golf course,
Jack Nicklaus also has a long history of involvement in, and
contributions to, numerous charitable activities. One example: last
month I had the opportunity to attend the Legends Luncheon. While only
a few years in existence, it has raised more than a half-million
dollars in proceeds from his annual Memorial Tournament held in his
home State of Ohio in support of Nationwide Children's Hospital located
in my district, ensuring that central Ohio will continue to have one of
the best children's hospitals in the United States.
In honor of Jack Nicklaus' sportsmanship and philanthropy, I urge my
colleagues to join the 304 of us who have signed H.R. 2203 and pass
H.R. 2203.
Mr. HUIZENGA of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, I yield as much time as he may
consume to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Tiberi), the sponsor of this
legislation.
Mr. TIBERI. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the gentleman from
Michigan for his kind words about the honoree today. I rise in support
of the bill to award the Congressional Gold Medal to a Buckeye native,
Jack Nicklaus.
As Mr. Huizenga said, often called the ``Golden Bear,'' named after
the mascot of his high school in Upper Arlington, he is widely known
today as the greatest golfer of all time. Mr. Huizenga mentioned the
incredible athletic accomplishments on the golf course. I won't repeat
those that Mr. Nicklaus achieved, but as Mrs. Beatty of Columbus
mentioned, it is his philanthropic work that continues today that
directly impacts tens of thousands of children and adults.
Through the Nicklaus Children's Health Care Foundation, he has raised
nearly $24 million to support health assistance and services for more
than 4,000 children and their families. He continues to host the
Memorial Tournament in Dublin, Ohio, on the golf course that he built
and designed, the Muirfield Village Golf Club in the congressional
district I am so honored to represent. And in that tournament, he has
raised over $5.5 million for Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus
that Mrs. Beatty recognized, giving children access to world-class
health care.
He serves as a spokesperson and trustee for the First Tee Program, an
organization dedicated to bringing golf to children in areas that
aren't normally exposed to it across our country. He serves as the
honorary chairman for the American Lake Veterans Golf Course in Tacoma,
Washington, a course designed to help rehabilitation of wounded and
disabled veterans.
{time} 1645
He has donated his time to design services for improvement of the
American Lake Veterans course and has raised contributions for the
addition of nine new holes and the construction of the course's
rehabilitation and learning center for these veterans.
His accolades are many, as Mr. Huizenga has said, including the
Presidential Medal of Freedom. Jack's devotion to helping others and
giving back to his community is only matched by his devotion to his
wife Barbara, their children, and their grandchildren.
I would like to thank, in addition to Congresswoman Beatty and
Congressman Stivers from Ohio, Congressman Yarmuth for his work in
building support for this measure on the floor today.
I would also like to thank Senator Rob Portman for spearheading this
effort in the U.S. Senate; and I would also like to give a special
thank you to my senior legislative assistant, Rebecca Kastan, for her
work in helping move this bill through the legislative process.
I urge my colleagues to award this gold medal to Jack Nicklaus to
recognize not only his success on the golf course, but more
importantly, for his incredible success, his incredible work off the
course in helping tens of thousands of children and veterans across our
country.
Mr. CAPUANO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
My father would never forgive me if I didn't speak for a minute on
this particular bill. I played my first round of golf in the year of
1960, and at that time, the rising star on the course was
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the Golden Bear. My father was a crazy, crazy golfer. I, myself, am a
recovering golfer. Since I was never that good, I decided to give it
up.
We have heard about the incredible statistics accumulated by Jack
Nicklaus, and that is all well and good, and I respect that and honor
it, and certainly, he is one of, if not the best golfer in history, but
that is not really what I want to speak about.
I want to speak about his character, and I don't know him personally,
but the way he projects it, and I want to speak about the work he has
done since he stepped off the competitive field.
As we have heard already, he is an incredible philanthropist. He has
gone around the country helping people do good work to help others,
people he doesn't know. He stood for many of the right things in this
country during a difficult time.
For those reasons, to me, having been a great athlete, it would have
been very easy for him simply to retire, go count his money, make more
money, and just fade away. That is the easy thing to do.
The hard thing to do is to then transition yourself into another
great leader, a person who leads society. That is what Jack Nicklaus
has done. That is why I am very, very glad to be here today, to be a
small part of this.
I thank Mr. Tiberi for his hard work on this. I know he assaulted me
on it right away. I would like to know who the 130-odd Members you
didn't get were; and I will tell you, again, this is a well-deserved
honor.
I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. HUIZENGA of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, I am prepared to close, and I
yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Huizenga) that the House suspend the rules
and pass the bill, H.R. 2203, as amended.
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. MASSIE. 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, further
proceedings on this motion will be postponed.
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