[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 151 (Thursday, September 19, 2019)]
[House]
[Pages H7796-H7800]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            CHRISTA McAULIFFE COMMEMORATIVE COIN ACT OF 2019

  Ms. WATERS. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (S. 239) to require the Secretary of the Treasury to mint coins in 
recognition of Christa McAuliffe.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                                 S. 239

       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 ``Christa McAuliffe 
     Commemorative Coin Act of 2019''.

     SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

       Congress finds the following:
       (1) Christa McAuliffe was a social studies teacher at 
     Concord High School in Concord, New Hampshire.
       (2) In 1985, Christa McAuliffe was selected to be the first 
     participant in the Teacher in Space program of the National 
     Aeronautics and Space Administration.
       (3) On January 28, 1986, Christa McAuliffe and 6 other 
     astronauts were tragically killed during the Space Shuttle 
     Challenger disaster.
       (4) In 1989, For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and 
     Technology (in this Act referred to as ``FIRST'') was founded 
     to inspire young people's interest and participation in 
     science and technology.
       (5) The mission of FIRST ``is to inspire young people to be 
     science and technology leaders, by engaging them in exciting 
     mentor-based programs that build science, engineering, and 
     technology skills, that inspire innovation, and that foster 
     well-rounded life capabilities including self-confidence, 
     communication, and leadership''.
       (6) 2019 marks the 30th anniversary of the founding of 
     FIRST.
       (7) Each year, more than 1,000,000 children from the United 
     States and more than 86 countries participate in a FIRST 
     program.
       (8) Studies have shown that alumni of FIRST programs are 
     more likely to become scientists and engineers and to 
     volunteer in their communities.
       (9) FIRST is dedicated to carrying on the mission of 
     Christa McAuliffe of inspiring students and creating a new 
     generation of dreamers and innovators.
       (10) 2016 marked the 30th anniversary of the Space Shuttle 
     Challenger tragedy.

     SEC. 3. COIN SPECIFICATIONS.

       (a) Denominations.--In commemoration of Christa McAuliffe, 
     the Secretary of the Treasury (hereafter referred to in this 
     Act as the ``Secretary'') shall mint and issue not more than 
     350,000 $1 coins, each of which shall--
       (1) weigh 26.73 grams;
       (2) have a diameter of 1.500 inches; and
       (3) contain at least 90 percent silver.
       (b) Legal Tender.--The coins minted under this Act shall be 
     legal tender, as provided in section 5103 of title 31, United 
     States Code.

[[Page H7797]]

       (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 bear--
       (A) an image of and the name of Christa McAuliffe on the 
     obverse side; and
       (B) a design on the reverse side that depicts the legacy of 
     Christa McAuliffe as a teacher.
       (2) Designation and inscriptions.--On each coin minted 
     under this Act, there shall be--
       (A) a designation of the value of the coin;
       (B) an inscription of the year ``2021''; 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--
       (1) selected by the Secretary, after consultation with the 
     family of Christa McAuliffe, FIRST, and the Commission of 
     Fine Arts; and
       (2) reviewed by the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee.

     SEC. 5. ISSUANCE OF COINS.

       (a) Quality of Coins.--Coins minted under this Act shall be 
     issued in uncirculated and proof qualities.
       (b) Mint Facility.--Only 1 facility of the United States 
     Mint may be used to strike any particular quality of the 
     coins minted under this Act.
       (c) Period for Issuance.--The Secretary may issue coins 
     under this Act only during the period beginning on January 1, 
     2021, and ending on December 31, 2021.

     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 under section 7(a) with respect 
     to the coins; and
       (3) the cost of designing and issuing the coins, 
     including--
       (A) labor;
       (B) materials;
       (C) dies;
       (D) use of machinery;
       (E) overhead expenses;
       (F) marketing; and
       (G) 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 
     the 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 $10 per coin.
       (b) Distribution.--Subject to section 5134(f) of title 31, 
     United States Code, and section 8(2), all surcharges received 
     by the Secretary from the sale of coins issued under this Act 
     shall be promptly paid by the Secretary to the FIRST robotics 
     program for the purpose of engaging and inspiring young 
     people, through mentor-based programs, to become leaders in 
     the fields of science, technology, engineering, and 
     mathematics.
       (c) Audits.--The FIRST robotics program shall be subject to 
     the audit requirements of section 5134(f)(2) of title 31, 
     United States Code, with respect to the amounts received 
     under subsection (b).

     SEC. 8. FINANCIAL ASSURANCES.

       The Secretary shall take such actions as may be necessary 
     to ensure that--
       (1) minting and issuing coins under this Act result in no 
     net cost to the Federal Government; and
       (2) no funds, including applicable surcharges, are 
     disbursed to any recipient designated in section 7(b) until 
     the total cost of designing and issuing all of the coins 
     authorized by this Act, including labor, materials, dies, use 
     of machinery, overhead expenses, marketing, and shipping, is 
     recovered by the United States Treasury, consistent with 
     sections 5112(m) and 5134(f) of title 31, United States Code.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from 
California (Ms. Waters) and the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. 
McHenry) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from California.


                             General Leave

  Ms. WATERS. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may 
have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks on 
this legislation and to insert extraneous material thereon.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentlewoman from California?
  There was no objection.
  Ms. WATERS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, in 1985, Christa McAuliffe was selected out of over 
10,000 applicants to be the first participant in NASA's Teacher in 
Space program, becoming the first private citizen to be on a space 
mission.
  Before her selection, Ms. McAuliffe was a social studies teacher at 
Concord High School in New Hampshire and extremely popular with her 
students.
  McAuliffe was to be part of the space shuttle Challenger's crew and 
the mission plan, including having her conduct not only some basic 
science experiments, but also teach two 15-minute classes from space 
that would be broadcast to millions of students.
  On January 20, 1986, Christa McAuliffe tragically lost her life, 
alongside her six crewmates, in the space shuttle Challenger disaster.
  Ms. McAuliffe was posthumously awarded the Congressional Space Medal 
of Honor in 2004 and has had scholarships and schools named in her 
honor.
  This year, a pair of teachers turned astronauts, Ricky Arnold and Joe 
Acaba, honored Ms. McAuliffe by filming the lessons she would have 
taught, had she lived to complete her mission, while they were aboard 
the International Space Station.
  This film is accessible to students around the world, courtesy of a 
partnership between NASA and the Challenger Center for Space Science 
Education. The first lesson was released in August 2018, and more 
lessons continue to be released.
  Proceeds from the sale of the commemorative coin will benefit FIRST, 
the Nation's leading not-for-profit STEM engagement program. The 
mission of FIRST is to inspire young people to be science and 
technology leaders by engaging them in exciting, mentor-based programs 
that build science, engineering, and technology skills that inspire 
innovation and that foster well-rounded life capabilities, including 
self-confidence, communication, and leadership.
  Each year, more than 1 million children in the U.S. and 100 countries 
participate in FIRST. It has a presence in every State and nearly every 
congressional district.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge all Members to support this bill and vote 
``yes,'' and I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. McHENRY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I would like to first start by taking just a few minutes 
to recognize a dear friend of mine, a member of the Financial Services 
Committee, Congressman Sean Duffy of Wisconsin.
  Sean has been a good friend of mine since the very beginning of when 
he started running for Congress, and I have had the pleasure of serving 
with Mr. Duffy since he came to Congress in 2011.
  As we say on the committee, known for his punctuality, it is kind of 
amazing that he is here now. This might be the first time he has been 
on time in all his 9 years of service in the House.
  Sean has been a huge asset for the Financial Services Committee and 
his constituents in the Seventh District of Wisconsin. He has worked on 
national issues of importance, like flood insurance; large issues, like 
international regulation of insurance agreements; as well as important, 
smaller issues that are very important to people's lives, like mold and 
lead-based paint remediation and providing better options for residents 
of public and assisted living or assisted housing. He has been a great 
advocate for his constituents, and I have been honored to work with him 
as a colleague.
  He has led three separate subcommittees on the Financial Services 
Committee. He has had a meaningful impact on public policy. He has 
developed meaningful relationships on both sides of the aisle in this 
institution and has been willing to have some of the bigger debates on 
policy that, perhaps, were divided in the party. He has always done so 
with a joyful heart and a fantastic capacity for communicating.
  At some points, to the dismay of my colleagues on the other side of 
the aisle, including the chairwoman of the committee, the debate can 
sometimes get rough-and-tumble, but he always does it with a smile 
on his face; and you can have a conversation with him afterwards, no 
matter how difficult or challenging the conversation or debate.

  While Sean has been a colleague, I have counted him as an adviser and 
a friend and somebody I knew I could talk to even in the toughest of 
times.

[[Page H7798]]

  Sean is leaving because of his family. He has made a decision that it 
is the right thing for his family, to depart our institution and our 
schedule and the challenges of public life at this time in his family 
life. He has got a beautiful family, some of whom are here behind me 
today.
  So we wish Sean and Rachel Duffy the best, and we will keep them, 
certainly, in our thoughts, but forever in our prayers and in our 
hearts.
  I thank Sean so much for his leadership.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of S. 239, the Christa McAuliffe 
Commemorative Coin Act of 2019.
  I would like to thank the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Upton), the 
dean of the Michigan delegation, who has the bill here in the House, 
H.R. 500, and who has gathered more than 309 cosponsors on this bill to 
see it across the line.
  We know the story of Christa McAuliffe. In fact, one of my first 
memories of understanding what NASA did was to see the tragedy of the 
loss of the shuttle and the human tragedy of somebody who is such a 
dedicated public servant, dedicated to her classroom, to teaching, but, 
also, her willingness to put herself on the line to be a greater 
advocate for teaching and for education.
  Christa McAuliffe had a meaningful impact on people's lives, and this 
is a representation of that. It is a fantastic undertaking that we have 
had here today. Due to the great work of Congressman Upton, we have 
wide, bipartisan support for this important and meaningful act before 
us.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. WATERS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from 
Maryland (Mr. Hoyer), the majority leader.

                              {time}  1545

  Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding. I want 
to thank Mr. McHenry for his leadership as ranking member of the 
committee, and for his bringing this to the floor.
  I want to thank my very good friend, not my Republican friend, my 
very good friend, Fred Upton, for his work and his leadership on this 
piece of legislation, and my dear friend, Annie Kuster, for her 
leadership.
  This is personal for me. I am so happy to rise in support of this 
legislation.
  I went to Georgetown Law School, and I set up practice just about 5 
or 7 miles from here in the late sixties. And in the seventies, late 
seventies, I had a law clerk; he also went to Georgetown Law School. He 
was a young, bright, extraordinarily able individual. His name was 
Steve.
  Steve is now a Federal District Court Judge in New Hampshire. He had 
an extraordinary wife, and her name was Christa. Steve and Christa 
became very dear friends of Judy's and mine.
  In those days, I had enough time to sail, and I had a sailboat. Steve 
and Christa, from time to time, would go sailing with Judy and me and 
perhaps some of my children. I remember Christa with the wind in her 
hair, beautiful outside but, more importantly, beautiful inside, full 
of life, full of excitement, full of vision for what she, as a teacher, 
could do for her children.
  Some of you may recall that Christa's motto as the Teacher in Space 
was: ``I touch the future. I teach.'' And she was looking forward with 
such excitement, not only to leave the bounds of Earth, but to return 
to Earth and engage with her students; to share her experience; to 
share the excitement and adventure of going into a new frontier that we 
call space.
  It is so appropriate that we pass this coin bill in her name. Christa 
was my friend. She was the best of us, as were her fellow astronauts on 
that fated day at the beginning of 1986, that, for a few seconds, 
burned so brightly with so much hope, and whose lives were snuffed out 
in an instant as the Challenger blew up.
  Christa, during the course of the competition to be the teacher in 
space, would visit my office that was in the Longworth Building, in the 
back of the building on the fifth floor.
  Mr. Speaker, every time she would come to Washington, she would come 
to my office, and we would visit as she was participating in the 
competition, and I saw her excitement and her anticipation. Obviously, 
NASA saw it as well because, out of those 10,000, they chose her to be 
the representative of the most important profession in our country, the 
teaching profession, without whom our society cannot succeed.
  It is so appropriate that this coin bill, as the chairwoman has said, 
will benefit a program called FIRST, that Dean Kamen, one of the great 
engineers and inventors in our country and, indeed, the world, 
established; and now we have literally thousands and thousands and 
thousands of young people all over this world participating in STEM 
activities and, particularly, robotics, who will be enabled to pursue 
this program more fully.
  Surely, no one is going to vote against this bill, but we can all be 
very proud of the fact that we not only memorialize an extraordinary 
fellow citizen, fellow human being, who, as Kennedy said, brought her 
energy and her faith and her devotion to making her country, her 
community, and our children better.
  Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairwoman for bringing this bill to the 
floor. I thank Mr. McHenry for his support. I thank Mr. Upton, and I 
thank Ms. Kuster.
  This is a thing that is good to do. America is better for Christa 
McAuliffe's life.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise to offer my strong support for this bill.
  Christa McAuliffe was more than just a teacher and an American hero 
who lost her life in the pursuit of science and our understanding of 
the universe.
  Christa was a friend.
  Her husband, Steven, now senior judge of the U.S. District Court for 
the District of New Hampshire, worked as my law clerk for two years.
  I got to know Christa then, and before the couple moved to New 
England, Christa taught in Prince George's County schools in my 
district.
  As a graduate of Bowie State University and then as a teacher for 
eight years in Prince George's County, she inspired so many young 
people in Maryland to dream big and aim for the stars.
  Kind, intelligent, and compassionate--Christa was a perfect choice 
for the ``Teacher in Space'' program, to which she was selected out of 
more than 11,000 applicants.
  Christa was the ideal candidate.
  She could connect with anyone; her personality was magnetic.
  She had a way of inspiring every student to give his or her best, and 
she radiated a joy and love of teaching every time she entered a 
classroom or stood up to speak.
  With trademark poise and determination, Christa approached the 
challenge of space travel like she did all others: with boundless 
passion.
  I remember when she spoke to over 12,000 people from Prince George's 
County School System after her selection for the ``Teacher in Space'' 
program.
  Everyone in the audience--from the youngest students to the oldest 
teachers, parents and guests--we all felt like we were about to go on 
the journey alongside her.
  Christa spoke about her goals for the spaceflight, how she wanted to 
get students and teachers around the country excited about science and 
space.
  She spoke of how the `new frontier' of space belongs to all of us as 
the children of earth.
  And she told us that she would be returning to teaching after her 
journey to space, because that was what she loved, and nothing could 
stop her from doing what she loved.
  Of course, tragically, we know that she never had that chance.
  Today, we have an opportunity to help make sure that Christa can 
continue to inspire and instill lessons about science and space.
  Even more than three decades after she and the six astronauts 
perished in the Challenger disaster, we can carry on her legacy by 
promoting S.T.E.M. learning with this new commemorative coin program 
named in her memory.
  The proceeds will benefit the F.I.R.S.T. Robotics Program, which 
engages and inspires future generations to become leaders in S.T.E.M. 
fields.
  I hope my colleagues will join me in celebrating Christa's life and 
building on her legacy by supporting this legislation with strong, 
bipartisan approval.
  Mr. McHENRY. Mr. Speaker, if I may inquire how much time I have 
remaining.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from North Carolina has 15\1/
2\ minutes remaining.
  Mr. McHENRY. Mr. Speaker, I yield the balance of my time to the 
gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Upton), the dean of the Michigan 
delegation.

[[Page H7799]]

  

  Mr. UPTON. Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. McHenry for his leadership on 
this, and for his co-sponsorship.
  I want to particularly cite Steny Hoyer, not only as a great friend, 
but as one who really helped shepherd this to the floor today.
  These are not easy. In fact, I talked to a colleague earlier today 
who has got another coin bill, and I told him I don't know if I can 
ever do another one of these again. It takes a lot of work.
  This has been bipartisan from the very start, and I want to thank my 
friend, Mike Crapo, who used to be on the House Energy and Commerce 
Committee, who now chairs the Senate Finance Committee.
  But particularly, I want to thank my three colleagues that I see on 
the other side here, Debbie Dingell, Annie Kuster, and Chris Pappas, 
for their help to make sure that we could, in fact, get more than 290 
cosponsors, which is the magic number to try and get this thing done.
  It is, as Mr. Hoyer, the majority leader, said, an important piece of 
legislation; it really is. It is, in essence, the Senate companion. Our 
bill, H.R. 500, is the companion to the Senate bill, S. 239, which 
passed at the end, just before the August break in the Senate.
  But we only do two coin bills a year. And as one that helped 
buttonhole Members about this, there is no cost to the Treasury. That 
is important. All of the costs are firstborn; the sale of the coins all 
goes to reimburse the Treasury for the costs that are associated, and 
then the profits from the coins go to the particular cause; in this 
case, it is FIRST.
  Many of us on both sides, all across the country, have seen FIRST 
competitions in high schools, with high schools, tens of thousands of 
high school students over the last 10, 15-some years.
  More than 3,500 individual corporate sponsors help to enlist people 
to be encouraged to go into the math and science fields, to compete, to 
develop robots, to compete against each other, to work with each other, 
build team partnerships, and it really makes a difference.
  In fact, there is a story that the current Air Force Academy 
Superintendent apparently said earlier this year that one of the first 
things that they look at for students for admission to the Air Force 
Academy is: Did they participate in FIRST. Because they know that if 
they did, that is an outstanding outside-school activity and they know 
that they are on the right path.
  What this coin is going to do, with Christa McAuliffe's picture, but 
the other six astronauts that were with her on that fateful January 
day, the sale of that coin is going to help FIRST, which was set up by 
Dean Kamen, who, in my book, is a rock star. But he, in essence, is the 
Thomas Edison of today.
  Yep, he did the Segway. He also did the kidney dialysis machine. He 
has done prosthetics so that our veterans coming back from Iraq and 
Afghanistan are actually able to be functional in a way that makes up 
for the loss of those particular limbs.
  He is such an enthusiastic supporter of this that it is not only in 
every State in the Nation, but all around the world now, in terms of 
competition. And they have provided financial assistance, I think more 
than $50 million in scholarship loans, to students looking to move on 
to higher education, particularly in engineering.
  So this coin is going to be a sellout. I am looking forward to 2021 
to getting my coin for sure and helping the cause.
  I would note that our State, in Michigan, under Governor Snyder, and 
now Governor Whitmer, a Republican and a Democrat, they have authorized 
in their budget at least $10 million a year to help offset the costs 
that are associated with the students as they participate in this 
program that often starts in January and concludes, as we saw in the 
worldwide competition in Detroit earlier this year, just a few months 
later.
  So it is a great program. All of us need to support it.
  Having more than 300 cosponsors was pretty awesome to do in just a 
short amount of time. And I congratulate my colleagues from New 
Hampshire, particularly the ones that are on the floor today for their 
work with our Senate colleagues to get this thing across the finish 
line. Knowing that you can only do two is pretty amazing.
  I reserve the balance of my time, just in case somebody needs it. I 
urge all my colleagues to support this bill.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from Michigan cannot reserve. 
The gentleman from North Carolina controls the time.
  Mr. McHENRY. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. WATERS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from 
New Hampshire (Ms. Kuster).
  Ms. KUSTER of New Hampshire. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairwoman for 
yielding, and I thank our colleagues on the other side of the aisle.
  I am so thrilled today to rise in favor of the Christa McAuliffe 
Commemorative Coin Act.
  Christa McAuliffe was a teacher at my alma mater, Concord High 
School, and she was my hero. Christa was smart; she was charming; she 
was the kind teacher who left her mark on countless students through 
her willingness to do whatever it took to help them succeed.
  The Concord and broader New Hampshire community was thrilled when she 
was chosen out of over 10,000 applicants as NASA's first teacher in 
space. Her mission was to inspire a generation of American students to 
look toward the sky and pursue careers in science. And her motto, as 
Mr. Hoyer noted: ``I touch the future. I teach.''
  She cared about America, and every year she invited my mother, former 
State Senator Susan McLane, into her classroom so that her students 
would know about our government and opportunities for their future.

  Her husband, Steve, and their two children, were important in our 
community. And I am reminded of the story, when President Bush 
announced Christa's appointment, he whispered into Steve's ear: ``You 
will be making your dinner a lot more on your own.''
  Tragically, on January 28, 1986, Christa, along with six other 
members of the Challenger Space Shuttle crew, perished when the shuttle 
exploded.
  I can't tell you the number of colleagues when I was asking for their 
signatures to join us in this bipartisan bill said, I remember exactly 
where I was when that happened.
  But we remember Christa because she wanted her students to seek out 
the best in themselves, and always to reach a little higher. Inspired 
by Christa's leadership, her students did just that by going on to 
become teachers and to pursue careers in science and education and 
public policy.
  Christa's legacy can be seen all over the State of New Hampshire; 
from the Christa McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center, which is a 
planetarium in our town, to Christa McAuliffe Middle School in Concord. 
And I am proud that this coin will help cement Christa's place in 
American history for generations to come.
  So it is fitting that the proceeds from the coin will support FIRST 
Robotics, a nationwide leader in STEM education, founded, as Mr. Upton 
said, by New Hampshire inventor, Dean Kamen, to help fulfill Christa's 
legacy by helping students discover the wonders of the world through 
education and science.
  I was so proud to work with my colleagues and friends, Fred Upton, 
Debbie Dingell, and my new colleague from New Hampshire, Chris Pappas, 
to help secure the cosponsors needed to pass this bill. I appreciate 
Leader Hoyer's and Chairwoman Maxine Waters' willingness to move this 
bill and to honor Christa McAuliffe.
  I urge my colleagues to vote for this bill.

                              {time}  1600

  Ms. WATERS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from 
Michigan (Mrs. Dingell).
  Mrs. DINGELL. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of S. 239, the Christa 
McAuliffe Commemorative Coin Act of 2019.
  We all remember where we were on January 28, 1986, the day we lost 
the space shuttle Challenger and its crew, and Americans all across the 
country mourned. Among the brave crew members was New Hampshire's own 
Christa McAuliffe, who had been chosen as the first teacher in space.
  Through her spirit and enthusiasm for pioneering the unknown, she 
encouraged a generation to reach for the stars. Her quest for knowledge 
and her commitment to inspiring young people

[[Page H7800]]

to pursue their dreams has had a lasting impact on children everywhere. 
To honor her and keep her dream alive for the next generation, my dear 
friends Representative Upton, who has been incredible, Representative 
Annie Kuster, and Representative Pappas, Michigan and New Hampshire, 
have worked together for this, and I thank them for their leadership.
  The bill will mint a commemorative coin, with the proceeds going to 
support the New Hampshire-based nonprofit FIRST, or For Inspiration and 
Recognition of Science and Technology.
  Each year, they host the first robotics competition, and we see young 
people building these robots, encouraging and inspiring them to invest 
in science and math. I try to go to them every time I can. I was just 
at an all-women's one last Saturday. They strive to inspire young 
people to be leaders in the science, technology, engineering, and 
mathematics fields.
  There is no better way to honor the memory and life of Christa 
McAuliffe than to continue to inspire and encourage young people to be 
at the forefront of innovation and technology.
  I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this.
  Mr. McHENRY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
  It is amazing how a teacher can touch lives. Christa McAuliffe 
touched lives, not just for the students in her classroom, not just in 
her community, but by what she means to the American people and how her 
contribution is marked in the American psyche of what teachers are and 
what they represent in such a significant way.
  The Challenger tragedy was a massive loss for us as Americans in 
terms of human life, certainly. But it is marked in American history, 
and it is marked in American history in a very special way and has a 
quite different feel because of Christa McAuliffe.
  The work put in to bring a coin bill to the floor is extraordinary, 
and I have to say this: The challenge to get a coin bill to the House 
floor is enormous under our rules. Under a bipartisan understanding, we 
have a massive hurdle in order to get here. It is not a normal process 
to bring a bill to the floor. It is an onerous and difficult one. That 
is why we have so few bills to strike new coins that come across the 
House floor and get enacted into law. It is a proper thing to make it 
onerous and difficult because, when it happens, it shows what we are 
trying to represent with that coin, whether it is a person, a 
community, an action, that what they did was so pure, so perfectly 
American, and that what they did, that person, that group, what they 
did should be noted in American history and should be noted in a 
meaningful way, a meaningful enough way that it was how the Romans 
marked who their emperors were.
  This is our way of saying in a very special way that Christa 
McAuliffe was a wonderfully special human being who made a significant 
mark as an American.
  I thank Congressman Upton for the massive amount of passionate work 
that he put in to make this day possible. I thank my colleagues across 
the aisle for this process and for the outcome that we have here today.
  Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Ms. WATERS. Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
  Madam Speaker, 2021 marks the 35th anniversary of the space shuttle 
Challenger tragedy. This bill will help commemorate and further Christa 
McAuliffe's inspirational life and help develop a new generation of 
dreamers and innovators by providing FIRST with additional funding to 
launch young people into critically needed, well-paying STEM jobs.
  I thank the sponsor of the House companion to S. 239, the gentleman 
from Michigan (Mr. Upton), and I urge my colleagues to join me in 
supporting this important piece of legislation.
  I yield back the balance of my time.
  Ms. JOHNSON of Texas. Madam Speaker, on the morning of January 28, 
1986, the Space Shuttle Challenger broke apart just over a minute after 
launch. We will always remember the brave Challenger crew, and the 
sacrifice they made to help advance the exploration of space. Among 
those lost in the Challenger tragedy was one teacher, Christa 
McAuliffe, who was to be the very first teacher to go to space with 
NASA's new Teacher in Space project. The Teacher in Space project was 
created to spark students' interest in science, exploration, and 
discovery.
  Teachers are leaders and inspirers. Teachers encourage their students 
to reach for the stars; devoting their careers to uncovering the 
endless opportunities that are out there for their pupils. That is just 
what Christa McAuliffe was seeking to do when she joined the Teacher in 
Space project. Ms. McAuliffe was once asked to describe her philosophy 
of living, to which she answered, ``to get as much out of life as 
possible.''
  The Christa McAuliffe Commemorative Coin Act of 2019 is an excellent 
way to recognize and remember Ms. McAuliffe for her contributions to 
education and to celebrate women in STEM. We must continue to uphold 
Ms. McAuliffe's mission to boost the next generation's interest in the 
sciences. Christa McAuliffe decided to embark on this adventure with 
her students in mind, knowing she would have incredible lessons to 
teach them when she returned from space. Although she never returned, 
the story of her life will continue to inspire successive generations 
of students to explore, to remain curious, and to keep a love of 
learning alive.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Ms. Titus). The question is on the motion 
offered by the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Waters) that the House 
suspend the rules and pass the bill, S. 239.
  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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