[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 75 (Monday, May 19, 2014)]
[House]
[Pages H4447-H4449]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           AWARDING CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL TO SHIMON PERES

  Mr. HUIZENGA of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules 
and pass the bill (H.R. 2939) to award the Congressional Gold Medal to 
Shimon Peres, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 2939

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. FINDINGS.

       Congress makes the following findings:
       (1) Shimon Peres was born in Poland in 1923.
       (2) The Peres family emigrated to Tel Aviv in 1934, and all 
     of the family members of Shimon Peres who remained in Poland 
     were murdered during the Holocaust.
       (3) Before Israel gained independence, Shimon Peres earned 
     the respect of senior leaders in the independence movement in 
     Israel, most notably David Ben-Gurion.
       (4) The founding generation of Israel was central to the 
     development of Israel, and Shimon Peres is the only surviving 
     member of that founding generation.
       (5) Shimon Peres has served in numerous high-level cabinet 
     positions and ministerial posts in Israel, including head of 
     the Israeli Navy, Minister of Defense, Foreign Minister, 
     Prime Minister, and President, among many others.
       (6) Shimon Peres has honorably served Israel for over 70 
     years, during which he has significantly contributed to 
     United States interests and has played a pivotal role in 
     forging the strong and unbreakable bond between the United 
     States and Israel.
       (7) By presenting the Congressional Gold Medal to Shimon 
     Peres, the first to be awarded to a sitting President of 
     Israel, Congress proclaims its unbreakable bond with Israel 
     and reaffirms its continual support for Israel as we 
     commemorate the 65th anniversary of the independence of 
     Israel and the 90th birthday of Shimon Peres, which are both 
     significant milestones in Israeli history.
       (8) Maintaining strong bilateral relations between the 
     United States and Israel has been a priority of Shimon Peres 
     since he began working with the United States in the days of 
     John F. Kennedy. The strong bond is exemplified by the 
     following:
       (A) President Reagan said to Shimon Peres upon his visit to 
     the United States, ``Mr. Prime Minister, I thank you very 
     much for your visit. It's been an occasion to renew a 
     friendship and to review and enhance the strength of our 
     unique bilateral relationship.''.
       (B) At another point President Reagan said of Shimon Peres, 
     ``His vision, his statesmanship and his tenacity are greatly 
     appreciated here.''.
       (C) While visiting with Shimon Peres at the Residence of 
     the President in Jerusalem, President Obama described Shimon 
     Peres as ``. . . a son of Israel who's devoted his life to 
     keeping Israel strong and sustaining the bonds between our 
     two nations''.
       (D) On March 20, 2013, Shimon Peres reaffirmed his belief 
     in the relationship between the United States and Israel, 
     stating, ``America stood by our side from the very beginning. 
     You support us as we rebuild our ancient homeland and as we 
     defend our land. From Holocaust to redemption.''.
       (E) On March 21, 2013, Shimon Peres stated, ``. . . America 
     is so great and we are so small. But I learned that you don't 
     measure us by size, but by values. When it comes to values, 
     we are you and you are us . . . As I look back, I feel that 
     the Israel of today has exceeded the vision we had 65 years 
     ago. Reality has surpassed our dreams. The United States of 
     America helped us to make this possible.''.

     SEC. 2. CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL.

       (a) Award Authorized.--The President pro tempore of the 
     Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives shall 
     make appropriate arrangements for the award, on behalf of 
     Congress, of a single gold medal of appropriate design in 
     honor of President Shimon Peres.
       (b) Design and Striking.--For the purpose of the award 
     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 medals, including labor, materials, dies, use of 
     machinery, and overhead expenses.

     SEC. 4. NATIONAL MEDALS.

       Medals struck pursuant to 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. 
2939, as amended, the bill 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, and I rise today in support of H.R. 2939, a bill to award 
a Congressional Gold Medal to Shimon Peres, introduced by the gentleman 
from Massachusetts (Mr. Kennedy). This bill authorizes the minting and 
award of a single gold medal in honor of this brave man.
  Shimon Peres was born on August 2, 1923, in Wiszniew, Poland. The 
Peres family immigrated to Tel Aviv in 1934. All of the family's 
relatives who remained in Poland were murdered during the Holocaust 
during World War II.
  Before Israel gained independence, Shimon Peres earned the respect of 
senior leaders in the independence movement in Israel, most notably 
David Ben-Gurion. In 1952, he was appointed deputy director general of 
the Ministry of Defense, and the following year, he became director 
general. At age 29, he was the youngest person to hold this position.
  He was involved in arms purchases and established strategic alliances 
that were important for the State of Israel. He has served in numerous 
high-level cabinet positions and ministerial posts in Israel, including 
head of the Israeli navy, Minister of Defense, Foreign Minister, Prime 
Minister, and President, among others.
  Mr. Peres has honorably served Israel for more than 70 years, during 
which he has helped harmonize the foreign policy interests of Israel 
and the United States. He played a pivotal role in forging the strong 
and unbreakable bond between our two countries.
  Mr. Speaker, the founding generation of Israel was central to the 
development of that country, and Shimon

[[Page H4448]]

Peres was the only surviving member of that founding generation.
  By presenting the Congressional Gold Medal to Shimon Peres, the first 
to be awarded to a sitting President of Israel, Congress proclaims its 
unbreakable bond with and its continual support for Israel as we 
commemorate the 65th anniversary of its independence and the 90th 
birthday of Mr. Peres.
  Maintaining the strong mutual relations between the United States and 
Israel has been a priority of Shimon Peres since he began working with 
the United States in the days of John F. Kennedy.
  Mr. Speaker, this honor is richly deserved. The bill has 294 
cosponsors in the House, and a version introduced by Senator Ayotte had 
81 cosponsors when it passed the Chamber on March 13. I ask for 
immediate approval of this important legislation.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. CAPUANO. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the 
gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Kennedy).
  Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Massachusetts for 
yielding me this time. I would also like to thank the gentleman from 
Arizona (Mr. Franks), who is here as well, for his diligent and 
important work on this bill.
  It has been a pleasure to work with him and see him gather his fellow 
colleagues to support an extremely important piece of legislation.
  Mr. Speaker, this bipartisan bill would award the Congressional Gold 
Medal to Israel's President, Shimon Peres, in honor of his pivotal role 
in forging the strong and unbreakable bond between the United States 
and Israel.
  The Congressional Gold Medal is one of the highest civilian honors. 
It is not lightly conferred or frequently granted. President Peres is 
most deserving of this extraordinary recognition.
  During my last trip to Israel, I had the distinct honor to spend some 
time with President Peres. What impressed me most about the President 
was, even at 90 years of age, he is as committed to peace in his 
beloved Israel as never before.
  During the time that I and my colleagues spent with President Peres, 
particularly as someone who was, at that point, not even a year and in 
his first term in Congress, the opportunity to listen to Mr. Peres' 
words of wisdom and counsel over his decades of service was a true 
gift.
  Over his tenure in public life, it is Israel's future that has always 
lit his way. Throughout our travels in the country, we met with 
politicians young and old. We visited sites from Jerusalem to Ramallah 
to the Dead Sea; and in each historic site, every meeting, every church 
or shrine was a poignant reminder that, without the courage and 
strength of leaders like President Peres, Israel's story would be very 
different than it is today.
  A few days ago, we celebrated Israel's 66th independence day, and we 
are also in the midst of Jewish American Heritage Month. Awarding the 
Congressional Gold Medal to Shimon Peres is a timely and fitting 
acknowledgement of a man whose influence has touched so many lives in 
Israel, across the Middle East, and around the world.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge that my colleagues support this bill. I would 
also like to thank, for the Record, Stanley Treitel, Lee Samson, Rabbi 
David Baron, Robert Rechnitz, Joe Stamm, and Hassan Ali Bin Ali, who 
have been instrumental in this bill.
  Mr. HUIZENGA of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may 
consume to the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Franks), the lead Republican 
cosponsor on this legislation.
  Mr. FRANKS of Arizona. Mr. Speaker, I thank Congressman Huizenga for 
yielding, and I also gratefully express my appreciation to Mr. Kennedy 
for his work on this. It is always wonderful when Republicans and 
Democrats can actually get together.

  Mr. Speaker, I am privileged to rise today in favor of H.R. 2939 to 
award the Congressional Gold Medal to Israel's President, Shimon Peres. 
This award to Shimon Peres is our highest expression of national 
appreciation.
  Indeed, President Peres' lifetime of dedicated service to the State 
of Israel is unparalleled. No countryman has ever served Israel for so 
many years, in so many different capacities, as both a key figure in 
its foundation and its continued survival and rise in the world.
  In his 70 years of state service, Mr. Peres has served in high-level 
cabinet positions, including head of the navy, Minister of Defense, 
Foreign Minister, Prime Minister, and most recently as President of 
Israel.
  Throughout his political tenure, he has worked diligently to promote 
diplomacy, democracy, and freedom in Israel, across the Middle East, 
and across the world in so very many different ways.
  Mr. Peres has also been a powerful and dedicated friend to the United 
States of America, and he has been instrumental in forming this 
unbreakable bond that we have spoken of so often here that exists 
between our two nations.
  So, Mr. Speaker, not only does this award acknowledge the merit and 
noble endurance of President Shimon Peres, it is also an expression of 
the American people's continued commitment to the nation of Israel and 
its place as a beacon of democracy in the Middle East.
  This award reaffirms the important of Israel as the Holy Land, close 
to the hearts of millions of committed Jews and Christians in America 
and around the world. Moreover, it is an expression of America's 
unwavering resolve to our greatest ally in the world.
  Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my esteemed colleagues on both 
sides of the aisle for cosponsoring this worthy piece of legislation, 
and may I also gratefully acknowledge the Shimon Peres Congressional 
Gold Medal Commemoration Committee for their gallant dedication to the 
ideals that gave rise to this heartfelt award to Israeli President 
Shimon Peres.
  God bless him, and God bless the friendship between Israel and the 
United States of America forever.
  Mr. CAPUANO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume, 
and I would just like to add my voice to comments about Mr. Peres.
  Having met him, I will tell you that he is a totally respectable 
gentleman who has been through more difficult times during his life 
than hopefully anyone I know will ever have to go through; and yet he 
has survived them all with class, with dignity, with the ability to 
bring people together. Again, I hope this bill passes unanimously.
  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.
  Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 2939, 
a bill to award the Congressional Gold Medal to Shimon Peres who is the 
9th and current President of Israel.
  I have had the honor of meeting with President Peres on many 
occasions, most recently in February of this year. He is indeed a 
person very deserving of the honor of receiving a Congressional Gold 
Medal for his contributions to our nation's security interest in the 
region and his efforts to advance peace.
  A milestone in world history was reached on November 29, 1947, when 
the United Nations General Assembly voted to partition the British 
Mandate of Palestine, to create the State of Israel.
  The people of the United States began a long history with the modern 
State of Israel on May 14, 1948, when the people of Israel proclaimed 
the establishment of the sovereign and independent State of Israel.
  The United States Government established full diplomatic relations 
with Israel and this relationship has been fostered by the work of 
diplomacy and astute people who worked for the best interest of both 
our nations.
  I along with millions of friends of Israel will mark the 66th year of 
Israel's independence in May 2014.
  President Peres played a pivotal role in assuring the security and 
resilience of Israel during his years of service to that nation.
  In 1949, when Shimon Peres was 26, he was appointed head of the naval 
service, and after the War of Independence he was appointed head of the 
Ministry of Defense delegation to the United States.
  The time he spent in the United States during the formative period 
for the new government of Israel helped to develop strong ties within 
our government with the new nation.
  President Peres recognized the importance of an alliance between the 
United States and Israel. His presence in the United States helped to 
develop and solidify that relationship that has grown stronger over the 
last 6 decades.
  President Peres returned to Israel in 1952, at age 29, and David Ben 
Gurion, the Prime

[[Page H4449]]

Minister of Israel, appointed Shimon Peres to serve as Director General 
of the Ministry of Defense.
  He worked to re-organizing the Ministry of Defense, and developing 
the ability of Israel to defend itself.
  Israel remains America's staunchest friend in the region--a 
friendship that has grown stronger over 6 decades. Israel and the 
United States join to celebrate the accomplishments of President Peres 
in contributing to peace and security for the region.
  Israel shares the United States appreciation for democratic values, 
common strategic interest, and moral bonds of friendship and mutual 
respect.
  The establishment of a modern State of Israel as a homeland for the 
Jews followed the murder of more than 6 million European Jews during 
the Holocaust. This tragic chapter in world history will never be 
forgotten and the establishment of a modern State of Israel in no way 
relieves those responsible for that terrible crime.
  The people of Israel have established a vibrant and functioning 
pluralistic democratic political system including freedom of speech, a 
free press, free and open elections, the rule of law, and other 
important democratic principles and practices.
  Mr. Speaker, I join my colleagues recognizing the work of President 
Peres and look forward to his continued work to advance message of 
peace and security he has championed through his efforts as a 
statesman, scholar and leader of a great nation.
  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. 2939, 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.

                          ____________________