[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.

[[Page H4446]]

  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

[[Page H4447]]

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.

                          ____________________