[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 109 (Tuesday, July 14, 2015)]
[House]
[Pages H5127-H5130]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
BREAST CANCER AWARENESS COMMEMORATIVE COIN ACT
Mr. LUETKEMEYER. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass
the bill (H.R. 2722) to require the Secretary of the Treasury to mint
coins in recognition of the fight against breast cancer, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 2722
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 ``Breast Cancer Awareness
Commemorative Coin Act''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
The Congress finds the following:
(1) Breast cancer is the most common cancer among American
women, except for skin cancers. Today, about 1 in 8, or 12
percent of, women in the United States will develop invasive
breast cancer during their lifetime. This is an increase from
1 in 11, or 9 percent of, women in 1975.
(2) Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer
death in women. The chance of dying from breast cancer is
about 1 in 36. Thanks to earlier detection, increased
awareness, and improved treatment, death rates from breast
cancer have decreased since about 1989.
(3) There is a strong interest among the American public to
do more to tackle this disease. The National Cancer Institute
estimates $16.5 billion is spent in the United States each
year on breast cancer treatment. Assuming that incidence and
survival rates follow recent trends, it is estimated that
$17.2 billion will be spent on breast cancer care in the
United States in 2014.
(4) Finding a cure for breast cancer is a goal of the
United States Government.
(5) The National Institutes of Health dedicated an
estimated $674 million for breast cancer research in Fiscal
Year 2014. In Fiscal Year 2014, the Department of Defense's
Breast Cancer Research Program received $120 million.
(6) While the National Institutes of Health and the
Department of Defense program on Breast Cancer research
remain the largest funders of breast cancer research in the
United States, in 2013, the National Cancer Institute funding
was reduced by nearly $66 million since 2011. The funding
level for the Department of Defense Breast Cancer Research
Program has remained consistent since 2012, however this
amount represents a 20-percent decrease from 2011 funding
levels.
(7) Additional private sector support for breast cancer
research will help us find cures for breast cancer even
faster.
(8) It is estimated that in the United States 231,840 women
will be diagnosed with and 40,290 women will die of cancer of
the breast in 2015. This means that every 13 minutes a woman
dies of breast cancer in the United States.
(9) However, due to disease type and lack of adequate care,
African-American women have the highest death rates of all
racial and ethnic groups overall and are at least 44 percent
more likely to die of breast cancer as compared to other
racial and ethnic groups.
(10) Breast cancer used to be considered a disease of aging
but recent trends show that more aggressive forms of the
disease have been increasingly diagnosed in younger women.
(11) Breast cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer
among nearly every racial and ethnic group, including
African-American, American Indian/Alaska Native, Asian/
Pacific Islander and Hispanic/Latina women.
(12) Clinical advances, resulting from research, have led
to increased survival from breast cancer. Since 1990, death
rates from breast cancer have dropped over 34 percent.
(13) Among men in the United States it is estimated that
there will be 2,350 new cases of invasive breast cancer and
440 breast cancer deaths in 2015.
(14) At this time there are more than 3.1 million breast
cancer survivors in the United States.
(15) It is estimated that breast cancer costs $12.5 billion
in lost productivity. Such productivity losses will increase
with projected growth rate and aging of the U.S. population
if cancer mortality rates stay constant in the future.
(16) There is a better chance of survival and there are
more treatment options with early stage detection through
mammograms and clinical breast exams.
(17) Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women
worldwide, with an estimated 1.7 million new cases of breast
cancer among women worldwide in 2012.
(18) Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF) is considered
one of the most efficient cancer research charities.
(19) Of every dollar donated to BCRF, $0.91 goes to
research and awareness programs--88 cents towards research
and 3 cents towards awareness.
(20) Founded in 1993, the BCRF has raised more than $500
million to fuel discoveries in tumor biology, genetics,
prevention, treatment, survivorship and metastasis, making
BCRF one of the largest private funders of breast cancer
research in the world. For 2014-2015, BCRF committed $58.6
million in research, including $11.6 million to the
international Evelyn H. Lauder Founder's Fund focused on
metastasis, to support the work of more than 220 researchers
at leading medical institutions across six continents (25
states and 14 countries).
(21) Susan G. Komen (Komen) is the largest non-government
funder of breast cancer research, funding research that spans
the breast cancer continuum from basic biology to treatment
to survivorship.
(22) Over the past 5 years, more than 80 cents of every
dollar spent by Komen has gone directly to its mission to
save lives and end breast cancer by empowering people,
ensuring quality care for all and energizing science to find
the cures.
(23) Since its inception in 1982, Komen has invested more
than $2.6 billion towards its mission, including more than
$847 million in over 2400 research grants and 450 clinical
trials in 48 states and 21 different countries. Recent
funding has focused on research to stem metastatic and
aggressive disease, find scientifically sound preventive
strategies, and investigate environmental links to breast
cancer development.
(24) Today, BCRF and Susan G. Komen continue their work to
advance research and support programs for patients and their
families.
SEC. 3. COIN SPECIFICATIONS.
(a) Denominations.--The Secretary of the Treasury
(hereafter in this Act referred to as the ``Secretary'')
shall mint and issue the following coins:
(1) $5 gold coins.--Not more than 50,000 $5 gold coins,
which shall--
(A) have a diameter of 0.850 inches; and
(B) be made of ``pink gold'' which contains not less than
75 percent gold.
(2) $1 silver coins.--Not more than 400,000 $1 coins, which
shall--
(A) weigh 26.73 grams;
(B) have a diameter of 1.500 inches; and
(C) contain not less than 90 percent silver.
(3) Half-dollar clad coins.--Not more than 750,000 half-
dollar coins which shall--
(A) weigh 11.34 grams;
(B) have a diameter of 1.205 inches; and
(C) be minted to the specifications for half-dollar coins
contained in section 5112(b) of title 31, United States Code.
(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 fight against breast cancer.
(2) Designation and inscriptions.--On each coin minted
under this Act there shall be--
(A) a designation of the face value of the coin;
(B) an inscription of the year ``2018''; 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 selected by the Secretary based on the winning
design from a juried, compensated design competition
described under subsection (c).
(c) Design Competition.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary shall hold a competition and
provide compensation for its winner to design the obverse and
reverse of the coins minted under this Act. The competition
shall be judged by an expert jury chaired by the Secretary
and consisting of 3 members from the Citizens Coinage
Advisory Committee who shall be elected by such Committee and
3 members from the Commission of Fine Arts who shall be
elected by such Commission.
(2) Proposals.--As part of the competition described in
this subsection, the Secretary may accept proposals from
artists, engravers of the United States Mint, and members of
the general public, and any designs submitted for the design
review process described herein shall be anonymized until a
final selection is made.
(3) Accompanying designs; preference for physical
designs.--The Secretary shall encourage 3-dimensional designs
to be submitted as part of the proposals, and the jury shall
give a preference for proposals that are accompanied by a 3-
dimensional physical design instead of, or in addition to, an
electronic design.
[[Page H5128]]
(4) Compensation.--The Secretary shall determine
compensation for the winning design under this subsection,
which shall be not less than $5,000. The Secretary shall take
into account this compensation amount when determining the
sale price described in section 6(a).
SEC. 5. ISSUANCE OF COINS.
(a) Quality of Coins.--Coins minted under this Act shall be
issued in uncirculated and proof qualities.
(b) Period for Issuance.--The Secretary may issue coins
minted under this Act only during the 1-year period beginning
on January 1, 2018.
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(a) with respect to
the 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--
(1) $35 per coin for the $5 coin;
(2) $10 per coin for the $1 coin; and
(3) $5 per coin for the half-dollar coin.
(b) Distribution.--Subject to section 5134(f) of title 31,
United States Code, all surcharges which are received by the
Secretary from the sale of coins issued under this Act shall
be promptly paid by the Secretary as follows:
(1) \1/2\ to the Susan G. Komen for the Cure, Dallas,
Texas, for the purpose of furthering research funded by the
organization.
(2) \1/2\ to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, New
York, New York, for the purpose of furthering research funded
by the Foundation.
(c) Audits.--The surcharge recipients under subsection (b)
shall be subject to the audit requirements of section
5134(f)(2) of title 31, United States Code, with regard to
the amounts received under that subsection.
(d) Limitations.--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.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Missouri (Mr. Luetkemeyer) and the gentlewoman from California (Ms.
Maxine Waters) each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Missouri.
General Leave
Mr. LUETKEMEYER. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all
Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their
remarks and include extraneous material on the bill.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Missouri?
There was no objection.
Mr. LUETKEMEYER. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to
the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Sessions), the distinguished chairman of
the Rules Committee.
Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the gentleman, my dear friend
from Missouri, for this opportunity to allow me to speak today.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today with my friends and colleagues, including
the gentlewoman from New York, Congresswoman Carolyn B. Maloney, in
support of H.R. 2722, the Breast Cancer Awareness Commemorative Coin
Act.
This bipartisan legislation supports research only and awareness with
a new $1 gold minted coin, proceeds of which will benefit breast cancer
research.
Mr. Speaker, breast cancer research is one of the most important
pieces of research that the Federal Government and other organizations
perform on behalf of the American people and people all around the
world. This is going to allow, for the first time ever, for these
congressionally approved coins to be minted in pink gold in honor of
the fight against breast cancer.
Mr. Speaker, today, I wear this pin of the breast cancer fight. I
applaud organizations all across the country that are not only trying
to make progress in this issue, but are making sure that awareness
about breast cancer and actual research to eliminate this deadly
disease, that progress is being made. That is what the funds would do
from private contributions of individuals all around the United States.
There will be approximately 231,840 cases--new cases--of breast
cancer among women and 2,350 new cases of breast cancer in men this
year alone. That means that every 13 minutes, a woman will die of
breast cancer in the United States, making breast cancer the second
leading cause of death in women in the United States.
I think it is important that we understand what we are trying to
accomplish with this coin and this act today. The bottom line is that
the United States Congress allows several organizations each year to be
able to mint coins on behalf of highlighting the services that they
offer to the American people.
It comes at no cost to the taxpayers of this country. As a matter of
fact, the Treasury makes a small amount of money as a result of their
doing the work.
Mr. Speaker, what will happen is that through this legislation
today--that is very intricate and well understood--no money outside of
any money that is brought to bear would be for anything other than
breast cancer research. I am aware of the sensitivity of taxpayer money
and how that might be used, but no taxpayer money would be used for
this effort today.
I want to recognize not only the people in breast cancer research,
but also many of the survivors all across this country who are
recognizing that the awareness and highlighting this project and the
money that would be brought to bear of how important that is.
I would say to my colleagues today that breast cancer research cannot
be done entirely through taxpayer money. We are counting on outside
money. This is allowing the American people to buy coins, just as we
did when I handled the Boy Scout coin with the 100th anniversary of the
Boy Scouts several years ago. People who were part of the Boy Scouts of
America paid money in, and it helped us to sell the coin and to
celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Boy Scouts.
That is exactly what this coin would do also. It would be money from
citizens all across this country that would highlight breast cancer
awareness and the research dollars that would come as a result of that.
That is why we are here today, the incredible medical research that is
improving the lives of those who are diagnosed and undergoing treatment
for breast cancer.
Mr. Speaker, I believe this is the right thing to do for breast
cancer research, and I want to thank my colleague, Carolyn B. Maloney,
who has been doing this bill, not only for the hard work necessary to
get 290 Members of Congress to say we want to vote on this bill, but
also the awareness that, if we will join ranks with millions of people
who are back home in our congressional districts who want to see breast
cancer be solved in our lifetime, that it means that it would be all of
us across this country.
I want to thank the gentleman who is handling this on behalf of the
Financial Services Committee, the gentleman from Missouri, for his
great work. I think that this is an overwhelmingly bipartisan bill
where the money will go 100 percent for research, not a dime of
taxpayer dollars, and it is a well-understood process that is in the
best interests of cancer research for our country.
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman.
Mr. LUETKEMEYER. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. MAXINE WATERS of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such
time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak in favor of H.R. 2722, introduced
by my distinguished colleague on the Financial Services Committee,
Representative Carolyn B. Maloney, the ranking member of the Financial
Services Subcommittee on Capital Markets and Government Sponsored
Enterprises.
I commend the gentlewoman for introducing the bill before us today,
the Breast Cancer Awareness Commemorative Coin Act, which provides a
chance
[[Page H5129]]
for all of us to come together to raise awareness about this critical
health issue that impacts the lives of so many women and families.
Mr. Speaker, the statistics are startling. Approximately one in eight
women in the United States will develop invasive breast cancer during
her lifetime; and many of these women, approximately 1 in 36, will lose
their lives from this horrible disease.
This means that every 13 minutes, a woman in this country will die
from breast cancer. That is 40,290 women in the United States are
expected to die from breast cancer in 2015 alone.
{time} 1245
While this disease affects women in every community across this
country for a variety of reasons, such as the lack of adequate care,
the likelihood of dying from the disease is particularly high for
African American women. In fact, African American women had a 44
percent higher rate of breast cancer mortality than White women. That
is why the conversation we are having here today is so important.
With increased awareness, early detection, new research, and better
medicine, we can save lives, thousands of them each year. If
consideration of the bill before us today causes at least one woman to
get screened for breast cancer, we will be better off for it.
I urge my colleagues to support the bill before us today, which will
help raise awareness and modest sums for the fight against breast
cancer.
Again, I urge adoption of the bill, and I reserve the balance of my
time.
Mr. LUETKEMEYER. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. MAXINE WATERS of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as
she may consume to the gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. Carolyn B.
Maloney), the author of this legislation.
Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I thank my good
friend and colleague from the great State of California for yielding me
the time and for her leadership in so many important areas before this
body.
Mr. Speaker, I am very, very proud to rise today to urge the passage
of H.R. 2722, the Breast Cancer Awareness Commemorative Coin Act, a
bill that I authored with my good friend and colleague, Congressman
Pete Sessions from Texas. I also want to add my thanks to Chairman
Hensarling, Ranking Member Maxine Waters of the Financial Services
Committee, and the House leadership for bringing this bill so quickly
to the floor.
And a very special thank-you to my partner in this effort,
Congressman Sessions, who has worked with great commitment and, I would
say, creativity in bringing this bill forward and has selflessly worked
to have it passed in this body. With his leadership, we were able to
secure over 307 cosponsors supporting the passage of this bill in
writing.
What we are doing together with this bill is we are going to save
American lives. I am absolutely delighted that Senator Heidi Heitkamp
from North Dakota, who is, herself, a breast cancer survivor, has
pledged to put 100 percent of her effort to making sure that the
passage of this bill happens in the United States Senate.
In the United States, over 200,000 new cases of breast cancer will be
diagnosed this year, and more than 40,000 women will die. Breast cancer
is the second leading cause of cancer death in women, and over 2,000
men will be diagnosed. Many people think that it is a woman's disease,
but there will be, on average, over 400 men a year who will die from
breast cancer. There is only one thing, and one thing only, that can
possibly save these lives, and that is research.
The Breast Cancer Commemorative Coin Act will create the opportunity
to raise millions of dollars for badly needed breast cancer research
without spending one taxpayer dime. Money buys research, and research
saves lives. Make no mistake, there have been significant advances in
medical research and better detection efforts over the years. But
40,000 women are still dying every year, and so much more needs to be
done.
I suspect that absolutely everyone in this body and everyone who is
listening who hears my voice today knows someone that they love, some
woman they admire, some family member that they care for who has been
touched by the shadow of breast cancer. Through this bill, we offer
them hope.
Our bill directs the U.S. Mint to create up to 50,000 $5 gold coins,
400,000 silver dollars, and 750,000 clad commemorative coins and make
them available for purchase by the public throughout 2018 so that the
American public can be involved with their dollars themselves making a
decision to support breast cancer research.
These coins will feature designs submitted and judged through a
national art competition that will symbolize the fight against this
terrible disease. The gold coin will be unique, made out of the
beautiful, highly-prized pink gold to reflect the pink ribbon, an
international symbol of breast cancer awareness. Like the ribbon, we
hope that Americans across this Nation will be wearing the pink gold
coin.
Actually, Mr. Speaker, there has never been a pink gold commemorative
coin made like this in U.S. history. This will be another congressional
first.
This bill is a creative way to raise awareness about breast cancer
entirely from private funds for critically needed research that is
necessary to find a cure. The proceeds will be split between two
outstanding organizations: the Breast Cancer Research Foundation and
Susan G. Komen. Over the years, the Breast Cancer Research Foundation
and Komen each have raised hundreds of millions of dollars for breast
cancer research across this Nation.
I am privileged to represent the Breast Cancer Research Foundation
and appreciate the constant support and effort from its founder, Evelyn
Lauder, who has passed but created this wonderful organization, and
Myra Biblowit, president of the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. The
Research Foundation has been responsible for many of the cures that
have come forward and breakthroughs.
There are 3.1 million Americans alive today because of cures that
have been financed by the Breast Cancer Research Foundation and Komen.
Both organizations have low administrative cost rates so that the
majority of every dollar received goes directly to research. For
instance, for every dollar donated to the Breast Cancer Research
Foundation, 91 cents goes directly to research, and that is incredibly
important.
The bill requires that every dollar generated through the coin
program must also be matched by private fundraising dollars that are
raised by these two organizations. The coin program has the potential
to raise millions of dollars to save lives--and at absolutely no cost
to the American taxpayer. It can raise as much as $8 million. The money
will buy research, and the research will save lives. When so many lives
are on the line, every dollar counts, every dollar matters.
I thank my colleagues, particularly my partner in this effort,
Congressman Sessions, for their support, and I urge their continued
bipartisan support in passing the Breast Cancer Commemorative Coin Act.
Mr. LUETKEMEYER. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. MAXINE WATERS of California. Mr. Speaker, I have no additional
speakers, and I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. LUETKEMEYER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Just to reiterate, the gentleman from Texas and the fine ladies from
New York and California have really done a good job of explaining this
bill. The importance of this, the fact that we are going to try and go
after one of the Nation's leading killers, a disease that has claimed
many lives, I think it is important to show that the bipartisan support
here and the well wishes and good intentions of the group are something
where it is nice to see something like this happen in Congress.
I urge support of the bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Luetkemeyer) that the House suspend the
rules and pass the bill, H.R. 2722, 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. AMASH. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
[[Page H5130]]
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.
____________________