[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 132 (Thursday, August 3, 2017)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4804-S4806]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
BOB DOLE CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL ACT
Mr. ROBERTS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs be discharged from
further consideration of S. 1616 and the Senate proceed to its
immediate consideration.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
The clerk will report the bill by title.
The senior assistant legislative clerk read as follows:
A bill (S. 1616) to award the Congressional Gold Medal to
Bob Dole, in recognition for his service to the nation as a
soldier, legislator, and statesman.
There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the bill.
Mr. ROBERTS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the bill be
considered read a third time.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
The bill was ordered to be engrossed for a third reading and was read
the third time.
Mr. ROBERTS. I know of no further debate on the bill.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there further debate?
Hearing none, the bill having been read the third time, the question
is, Shall the bill pass?
The bill (S. 1616) was passed, as follows:
=========================== NOTE ===========================
On page S4804, August 3, 2017, near the bottom of the second
column, the following language appears: Mr. ROBERTS. Mr.
President, I ask unanimous consent that the bill be considered
read a third time and passed and the motion to reconsider be
considered made and laid upon the table. The PRESIDING OFFICER.
Without objection, it is so ordered. The bill (S. 1616) was
ordered to be engrossed for a third reading, was read the third
time, and passed, as follows:
The online Record has been corrected to read: Mr. ROBERTS. Mr.
President, I ask unanimous consent that the bill be considered
read a third time. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is
so ordered. The bill was ordered to be engrossed for a third
reading and was read the third time. Mr. ROBERTS. I know of no
further debate on the bill. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there
further debate? Hearing none, the bill having been read the third
time, the question is, Shall the bill pass? The bill (S. 1616) was
passed, as follows:
========================= END NOTE =========================
S. 1616
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 ``Bob Dole Congressional Gold
Medal Act''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:
(1) Bob Dole was born on July 22, 1923 in Russell, Kansas.
(2) Growing up during the Great Depression, Bob Dole
learned the values of hard-work and discipline, and worked at
a local drug store.
(3) In 1941, Bob Dole enrolled at the University of Kansas
as a pre-medical student. During his time at KU he played for
the basketball, football, and track teams, and joined the
Kappa Sigma Fraternity, from which he would receive the ``Man
of the Year'' award in 1970.
(4) Bob Dole's collegiate studies were interrupted by WWII,
and he enlisted in the United States Army. During a military
offensive in Italy, he was seriously wounded while trying to
save a fellow soldier. Despite his grave injuries, Dole
recovered and was awarded two Purple Hearts and a Bronze Star
with an Oak Cluster for his service. He also received an
American Campaign Medal, a European-African-Middle Eastern
Campaign Medal, and a World War II Victory Medal.
(5) While working on his law degree from Washburn
University, Bob Dole was elected into the Kansas House of
Representatives, serving from 1951-1953.
(6) Bob Dole was elected into the U.S. House of
Representatives and served two Kansas districts from 1961-
1969.
(7) In 1969, Bob Dole was elected into the U.S. Senate and
served until 1996. Over the course of this period, he served
as Chairman of the Republican National Committee, Chairman of
the Finance Committee, Senate Minority Leader, and Senate
Majority Leader.
(8) Bob Dole was known for his ability work across the
aisle and embrace practical bipartisanship on issues such as
social security.
(9) Bob Dole has been a life-long advocate for the disabled
and was a key figure in the passing of the Americans with
Disabilities Act in 1990.
(10) After his appointment as Majority Leader, Bob Dole set
the record as the nation's longest-serving Republican Leader
in the Senate.
(11) Several Presidents of the United States have specially
honored Bob Dole for his hard-work and leadership in the
public sector. This recognition is exemplified by the
following:
(A) President Reagan awarded Bob Dole the Presidential
Citizens Medal in 1989 stating, ``Whether on the battlefield
or Capitol Hill, Senator Dole has served America heroically.
Senate Majority Leader during one of the most productive
Congresses of recent time, he has also been a friend to
veterans, farmers, and Americans from every walk of life. Bob
Dole has stood for integrity, straight talk and achievement
throughout his years of distinguished public service.''.
(B) Upon awarding Bob Dole with the Presidential Medal of
Freedom in 1997, President Clinton made the following
comments, ``Son of the soil, citizen, soldier and legislator,
Bob Dole understands the American people, their struggles,
their triumphs and their dreams. . . In times of conflict and
crisis, he has worked to keep America united and strong. . .
our country is better for his courage, his determination, and
his willingness to go the long course to lead America.''.
(12) After his career in public office, Bob Dole became an
active advocate for the public good. He served as National
Chairman of the World War II Memorial Campaign, helping raise
over $197 million dollars to construct the National WWII
Memorial, and as Co-Chair of the Families of Freedom
Scholarship Fund, raising over $120 million for the
educational needs of the families of victims of 9-11.
(13) From 1997-2001, Bob Dole served as chairman of the
International Commission
[[Page S4805]]
on Missing Persons in the Former Yugoslavia.
(14) In 2003, Bob Dole established The Robert J. Dole
Institute of Politics at the University of Kansas to
encourage bipartisanship in politics.
(15) Bob Dole is a strong proponent of international
justice and, in 2004, received the Golden Medal of Freedom
from the president of Kosovo for his support of democracy and
freedom in Kosovo.
(16) In 2007, President George W. Bush appointed Bob Dole
to co-chair the President's Commission on Care for America's
Returning Wounded Warriors, which inspected the system of
medical care received by U.S. soldiers returning from Iraq
and Afghanistan.
(17) Bob Dole was the co-creator of the McGovern-Dole
International Food for Education and Child Nutrition Program,
helping combat child hunger and poverty. In 2008, he was co-
awarded the World Food Prize for his work with this
organization.
(18) Bob Dole is co-founder of the Bipartisan Policy Center
which works to develop policies suitable for bipartisan
support.
(19) Bob Dole is a strong advocate for veterans, having
volunteered on a weekly basis for more than a decade on
behalf of the Honor Flight Network.
(20) Bob Dole serves as Finance Chairman of the Campaign
for the National Eisenhower Memorial, leading the private
fundraising effort to memorialize President Dwight D.
Eisenhower in Washington, DC.
(21) Bob Dole was acknowledged by many organizations for
his achievements both inside and outside of politics,
including being awarded the ``U.S. Senator John Heinz Award
for Outstanding Public Service By An Elected Official'', the
Gold Good Citizenship Award, the American Patriot Award, the
Survivor's Gratitude Award, the U.S. Association of Former
Member of Congress Distinguished Service Award, a
Distinguished Service Medal, the French Legion of Honor
medal, the Horatio Alger Award, the U.S. Defense Department's
Distinguished Public Service Award, the National Collegiate
Athletic Association's Teddy Roosevelt Award, the Albert
Schweitzer Medal ``for outstanding contributions to animal
welfare'', the 2004 Sylvanus Thayer Award, and honorary
degrees from the University of Kansas, Fort Hays State
University, and the University of New Hampshire School of
Law.
(22) Throughout his life-long service to our country, Bob
Dole has embodied the American spirit of leadership and
determination, and serves as one of the most prolific role
models both in and outside of politics.
SEC. 3. CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL.
(a) Award Authorized.--The Speaker of the House of
Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate
shall make appropriate arrangements for the award, on behalf
of Congress, of a gold medal of appropriate design to Bob
Dole, in recognition for his service to the nation as a
soldier, legislator, and statesman.
(b) Design and Striking.--For the purpose of the award
referred to in subsection (a), the Secretary of the Treasury
(referred to in this Act as the ``Secretary'') shall strike a
gold medal with suitable emblems, devices, and inscriptions
to be determined by the Secretary.
SEC. 4. DUPLICATE MEDALS.
The Secretary may strike and sell duplicates in bronze of
the gold medal struck under section 3 under such regulations
as the Secretary may prescribe, at a price sufficient to
cover the cost thereof, including labor, materials, dies, use
of machinery, and overhead expenses, and the cost of the gold
medal.
SEC. 5. STATUS OF MEDALS.
(a) National Medals.--The medals struck under this Act are
national medals for purposes of chapter 51 of title 31,
United States Code.
(b) Numismatic Items.--For purposes of sections 5134 and
5136 of title 31, United States Code, all medals struck under
this Act shall be considered to be numismatic items.
Mr. ROBERTS. I ask unanimous consent that the motion to reconsider be
considered made and laid upon the table.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
Mr. ROBERTS. Mr. President, I rise also to talk about my dear friend
and mentor, Bob Dole. Senator Dole just celebrated his 94th birthday,
and I think it is obviously right and proper to honor his contributions
to our Nation.
=========================== NOTE ===========================
On page S4805, August 3, 2017, near the top of the second
column, the following language appears: . . . items. Mr. ROBERTS.
Mr. President, I rise . . .
The online Record has been corrected to read: . . . items. Mr.
ROBERTS. I ask unanimous consent that the motion to reconsider be
considered made and laid upon the table. The PRESIDING OFFICER.
Without objection, it is so ordered. Mr. ROBERTS. Mr. President, I
rise . . .
========================= END NOTE =========================
Let me tell you a little bit about Bob Dole. He comes from Russell,
KS. You can't get any more Kansas than Russell. Growing up during the
Great Depression, Bob Dole learned the values of hard work and
discipline, which is the mark of a Kansas upbringing and the heart of
what I call Kansas values.
In 1941, Bob Dole enrolled at the University of Kansas as a premed
student. During his time at KU, he played for the basketball, football,
and track teams. Being a K-State alum, I don't always hold that against
him, but his collegiate studies were interrupted by World War II. And
when he answered the call to duty, he joined the U.S. Army. During a
military offensive in Italy, he was very seriously wounded while trying
to save a fellow soldier. Despite his grave injuries, Bob recovered and
was awarded two Purple Hearts and a Bronze Star with an Oak Leaf
Cluster for his service. He is indeed a warrior and a hero.
After the war, Bob returned to Kansas, studied the law, and was
elected to the Kansas House of Representatives. He soon moved to the
U.S. House of Representatives and served two Kansas districts from 1961
to 1969, including my old district, if I can refer to it in that way,
``The Big First.''
In 1969, Bob Dole was elected to the U.S. Senate and served until
1996. Now, over the course of this period, he served as chairman of the
Republican National Committee, chairman of the Finance Committee,
Senate minority leader, and then Senate majority leader.
During his time in Washington, Senator Dole was known for his ability
to work across the aisle and embrace practical bipartisanship on the
issues, such as tax reform, Social Security, and many other pressing
issues. I would call this the Kansas approach to legislating. He has
been a lifelong advocate for the disabled and was a key figure in the
passing of the Americans with Disabilities Act back in 1990.
After his appointment as majority leader, Bob Dole set the record as
the Nation's longest serving Republican leader in the Senate of the
United States. Several Presidents of the United States have especially
honored Bob for his hard work and leadership in the public sector. For
example, President Reagan awarded Bob Dole the Presidential Citizens
Medal in 1989.
President Reagan stated:
Whether on the battlefield or Capitol Hill, Senator Dole
has served America heroically. Serving as Senate Majority
Leader during one of the most productive Congresses of recent
time, he has also been a friend to veterans, farmers, and
Americans from every walk of life. Bob Dole has stood for
integrity, straight talk and achievement throughout his years
of distinguished public service.
So said our former President, Ronald Reagan.
As I said, they are Kansas values.
Likewise, in 1997, President Clinton awarded Senator Dole with the
Presidential Medal of Freedom saying:
Son of the soil, citizen, soldier and legislator, Bob Dole
understands the American people, their struggles, their
triumphs and their dreams. . . . In times of conflict and
crisis, he has worked to keep America united and strong. . .
. Our country is better for his courage, his determination,
and his willingness to go the long course to lead America.
So said our former President, Bill Clinton.
Senator Dole remains active today, serving as the national chairman
of the World War II Memorial Campaign, a memorial that simply would not
be in existence today had it not been for his perseverance, leadership,
and cochair of the Families of Freedom Scholarship Fund.
In 2007 President George W. Bush appointed Bob to cochair the
President's Commission on Care for America's Returning Wounded
Warriors, which inspected and reformed the system of medical care
received by U.S. soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan.
He remains the strongest advocate for veterans, having volunteered on
a weekly basis for more than a decade on behalf of the national Honor
Flight Network.
As a person who has gone to the World War II Memorial, along with Bob
Dole, I know I greet the veterans at the bus. They immediately get off
the bus. Whether they are from Kansas or any other State, they are very
proud to come to see their memorial. The first question they ask is
this: Where is Bob? Is Bob here? Then, they flock to him like a mother
hen. Maybe, that is not the best example, but it certainly shows the
pride and the desire of our veterans to meet the man who did so much
for their memorial.
I am also proud that he serves today as the finance chairman of the
campaign for the national Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial, leading the
private fundraising effort to memorialize President Dwight David
Eisenhower, our favorite son in Kansas, here in Washington, something
near and dear to both of us. I am privileged to be the chairman of the
Eisenhower Memorial Commission.
It is abundantly clear that throughout his long service to our
country, Bob Dole has embodied the American spirit of leadership and
determination, and he serves as one of the most prolific role models
both in and outside of politics.
I am reminded of the time when I was stationed at Quantico as a young
marine and my dad, Wes Roberts, who was
[[Page S4806]]
a friend and adviser to Bob, said: I want to take you up to the Hill to
meet Congressman Bob Dole. I consider him to have the highest potential
to be whatever he wants with regard to public service.
So I went up to the Hill, and I met this handsome young man. He
didn't sit on his hands very long in terms of what he wanted to
accomplish. I first met him then, and, then, as a staffer for my
predecessor, the Honorable Keith Sebelius, a congressman from ``The Big
First'' and, then, as a Member of the House for 16 years.
I tell the story that most people in the House thought that whatever
I proposed or whatever I was for, Bob Dole was for me. Well, about 50
percent of that was true, but I never told them about the other 50
percent. So I was really able to get a lot done.
Bob, thank you for that.
I am so proud--so proud--to call him friend. I am proud to serve his
State. I am equally proud today that each Senator--each and every
Senator and colleagues on both sides of the aisle--have joined me in
honoring Senator Bob Dole with a Congressional Gold Medal--all 100. It
didn't take very long.
I yield the floor
I suggest the absence of a quorum.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
The senior assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
Mr. PERDUE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for
the quorum call be rescinded.
The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Johnson). Without objection, it is so
ordered.
____________________