[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 159 (Wednesday, September 26, 2018)]
[House]
[Pages H9068-H9070]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
ANWAR SADAT CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION ACT
Mr. TIPTON. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (H.R. 754) to award the Congressional Gold Medal to Anwar Sadat in
recognition of his heroic achievements and courageous contributions to
peace in the Middle East.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 754
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 ``Anwar Sadat Centennial
Celebration Act''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:
(1) Anwar Sadat was born on December 25, 1918, in Mit Abu
al-Kum, al-Minufiyah, Egypt, as 1 of 13 children in a poor
Egyptian family.
(2) In 1938, Sadat graduated from the Royal Military
Academy in Cairo and was appointed to the Signal Corps.
(3) Sadat entered the Army as a second lieutenant and was
posted to Sudan where he met Gamal Abdel Nasser and fellow
junior officers who became the ``Free Officers'' who led the
Egyptian revolution of 1952.
(4) Sadat held various high positions during Nasser's
presidency, assuming the role of President of the National
Assembly in 1960 and Vice President in 1964.
(5) President Nasser died of a heart attack on September
28, 1970, at which point Sadat became acting President. Sadat
was subsequently elected as the third President of Egypt.
(6) On October 6, 1973, President Sadat, along with his
Syrian counterparts, launched an offensive against Israel. A
permanent cease-fire was reached on October 25, 1973.
(7) In 1974, after talks facilitated by Secretary of State
Henry Kissinger, Egypt and Israel signed an agreement
allowing Egypt to formally retrieve land in the Sinai.
President Sadat later wrote in his memoirs that his meetings
with Kissinger ``marked the beginning of a relationship of
mutual understanding with the United States culminating and
crystallizing in what we came to describe as a `peace
process'. Together we started that process and the United
States still supports our joint efforts to this day''.
(8) Months of diplomacy between Egypt and Israel followed
the signing of this initial agreement and a second
disengagement agreement, the Sinai Interim Agreement, was
signed in September of 1975.
(9) President Sadat addressed a joint session of Congress
on November 5, 1975, during which he underscored the shared
values between the United States and Egypt. In this speech,
President Sadat addressed the path to peace, saying, ``We are
faced, together with other nations, with one of the greatest
challenges of our time, namely the task of convincing this
generation, and those to follow, that we can finally build a
viable international system capable of meeting the demands of
tomorrow and solving the problems of the coming age''.
(10) On November 19, 1977, President Sadat became the first
Arab leader to visit Israel, meeting with the Israeli Prime
Minister, Menachem Begin. President Sadat spoke before the
Israeli Knesset in Jerusalem about his views on how to
achieve comprehensive peace in the Arab-Israeli conflict.
(11) Before commencing negotiations, President Sadat
courageously announced to the Knesset, ``I have come to you
so that together we might build a durable peace based on
justice, to avoid the shedding of 1 single drop of blood from
an Arab or an Israeli. It is for this reason that I have
proclaimed my readiness to go to the farthest corner of the
world''. President Sadat further poignantly stated that ``any
life lost in war is a human
[[Page H9069]]
life, irrespective of its being that of an Israeli or an
Arab. . . . When the bells of peace ring, there will be no
hands to beat the drums of war''.
(12) On September 17, 1978, President Jimmy Carter hosted
President Sadat and Prime Minister Begin at Camp David where
the 3 leaders engaged in 13 days of negotiations that
resulted in the ``Framework for Peace in the Middle East''
(commonly known as the ``Camp David Accords'').
(13) Following negotiations, President Sadat and Prime
Minister Begin signed the Egypt-Israel Peace Treaty (in this
section referred to as the ``Peace Treaty'') at the White
House on March 26, 1979. Addressing President Sadat at the
signing of the Peace Treaty, which remains an important
anchor for peace in the region today, Prime Minister Begin
commended President Sadat by saying, ``In the face of
adversity and hostility, you have demonstrated the human
value that can change history--civil courage''.
(14) The Peace Treaty featured mutual recognition of each
country by the other and ultimately the cessation of the
state of war that had existed between Israel and Egypt since
the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. Israel completely withdrew its
armed forces and civilians from the rest of the Sinai.
(15) In 1978, both President Sadat and Prime Minister Begin
were awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for signing the Peace
Treaty, which made Egypt the first Arab country to officially
recognize Israel.
(16) While presenting the Nobel Peace Prize to President
Sadat, Aase Lionaes, Chairman of the Norwegian Nobel
Committee, said, ``During the 30 preceding years, the peoples
of the Middle East have, on 4 separate occasions, been the
victims of warfare and there seemed no prospect of peace.
President Sadat's great contribution to peace was that he had
sufficient courage and foresight to break away from this
vicious circle. His decision to accept Prime Minister
Menachem Begin's invitation of November 17, 1977, to attend a
meeting of the Israeli parliament on November 19 was an act
of great courage, both from a personal and from a political
point of view. This was a dramatic break with the past and a
courageous step forward into a new age''.
(17) During his Nobel lecture, President Sadat remarked,
``I made my trip because I am convinced that we owe it to
this generation and the generations to come not to leave a
stone unturned in our pursuit of peace''.
(18) In remarks to the People's Assembly in Cairo on March
10, 1979, President Carter praised President Sadat, telling
the Assembly, ``Your President has demonstrated the power of
human courage and human vision to create hope where there had
been only despair.''. President Carter also said that the
Peace Treaty would ``strengthen cooperation between Egypt and
the United States'' and underscored the support of the United
States for the agreement, saying, ``I fully share and will
support President Sadat's belief that stability must be
maintained in this part of the world . . . He and I recognize
that the security of this vital region is being challenged. I
applaud his determination to meet that challenge, and my
Government will stand with him''.
(19) The signing of the Peace Treaty enraged many
individuals who opposed normalized relations with Israel.
President Sadat was assassinated on October 6, 1981, by
Khalid Islambouli, a member of Egyptian Islamic Jihad.
President Sadat was well aware of the controversy to which
his actions would lead, but pushed for peace anyway.
(20) Upon the death of President Sadat, President Ronald
Reagan proclaimed, ``President Sadat was a courageous man
whose vision and wisdom brought nations and people together.
In a world filled with hatred, he was a man of hope. In a
world trapped in the animosities of the past, he was a man of
foresight, a man who sought to improve a world tormented by
malice and pettiness''.
(21) President Sadat is recognized in the United States and
throughout the world as a respected leader and champion of
peace whose vision provided a roadmap for the peaceful
resolution of conflict that endures nearly 40 years after its
inception.
(22) President Sadat bravely reached out to Israel and
dedicated himself to peace, furthering the national security
of Egypt and the stability of the Middle East.
(23) On the 30th anniversary of the Peace Treaty, President
Barack Obama praised the enduring legacy of the Camp David
Accords and the ``courage and foresight of these leaders, who
stood together in unity to change the course of our shared
history''. President Obama closed by saying, ``Today, as we
seek to expand the circle of peace among Arabs and Israelis,
we take inspiration from what Israel and Egypt achieved 3
decades ago, knowing that the destination is worthy of the
struggle''.
(24) The Camp David Accords and the Peace Treaty continue
to serve the interests of the United States by preserving
peace and serving as a foundation for partnership and
dialogue in a region fraught with conflict and division.
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 posthumous award,
on behalf of Congress, of a gold medal of appropriate design
to Anwar Sadat in recognition of his achievements and heroic
actions to attain comprehensive peace in the Middle East.
(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.
(c) Presentation.--
(1) In general.--The gold medal referred to in subsection
(a) shall be presented to--
(A)(i) the widow of Anwar Sadat, Jehan Sadat; or
(ii) if Jehan Sadat is unavailable, the next of kin of
Jehan Sadat; and
(B) a representative of the Government of Egypt.
(2) Award of medal.--Following the presentation described
in paragraph (1), the gold medal shall be given to--
(A) Jehan Sadat; or
(B) if Jehan Sadat is unavailable, the next of kin of Jehan
Sadat.
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.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Colorado (Mr. Tipton) and the gentleman from Nevada (Mr. Kihuen) each
will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Colorado.
General Leave
Mr. TIPTON. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members
have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include
extraneous materials on this bill.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Colorado?
There was no objection.
Mr. TIPTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Utah
(Mr. Stewart).
Mr. STEWART. Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend, Mr. Tipton, for
yielding, and it is such a great pleasure that I address the House
tonight as we talk about the Anwar Sadat Centennial Celebration Act,
which we will be voting on later this evening.
This is actually a great time, and it is a very fitting time, to give
the late President Sadat this much-deserved recognition. Just last
Monday marked the 40th anniversary of the Camp David Accords,
something, of course, which he is very responsible for. Additionally,
this year is the centennial of his birth.
President Sadat's historic visit to Israel in 1977 was the first ever
by an Arab leader and the foundation of lasting peace between Egypt and
Israel. This visit was all the more courageous given the fierce
opposition and outrage he faced at the time.
President Sadat fought for peace and paid the ultimate price. In
honoring Mr. Sadat, we honor a man who truly embodied the statesmanship
and fortitude necessary to bring peace to the Middle East, virtues that
are as important today as they were then.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank my colleague, the
gentlewoman from New York (Ms. Meng), the Sadat Gold Medal Commission,
and the Anwar Sadat Committee for their hard work on this bill.
President Anwar Sadat's shining example of putting aside our
differences and working towards peace is just as important today as it
was during his tenure as President of Egypt. It is my sincere hope that
we can reflect on the dream and the bravery of this visionary man and
work as he did for peace, even when it seemed impossible.
Mr. KIHUEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 754, the Anwar Sadat
Centennial Celebration Act.
This legislation gives the highest civilian award bestowed by
Congress to the third President of Egypt who served from 1970 until he
was assassinated in 1981. Under his leadership, he established lasting
peace between Israel and Egypt by expunging previous hostilities
towards Israel and being the first Arab leader to recognize Israel as a
nation-state.
Additionally, President Sadat and former Israeli Prime Minister
[[Page H9070]]
Menachem Begin negotiated the peace treaty that came to be known as the
Camp David Accords in a series of meetings arranged by then-President
Jimmy Carter at Camp David. President Sadat's leadership and commitment
to peace provided a resolution of conflict that has endured nearly 40
years after its inception.
Mr. Speaker, I urge all Members to support the passage of this bill
to honor President Sadat and his commitment to peace and the national
security of this country, as well as the stability of the Middle East.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. TIPTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Tipton) that the House suspend the rules
and pass the bill, H.R. 754.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
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