[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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