[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 151 (Thursday, September 19, 2019)]
[House]
[Pages H7814-H7816]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                GREG LEMOND CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL ACT

  Mr. SAN NICOLAS. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass 
the bill (H.R. 3589) to award a Congressional Gold Medal to Greg 
LeMond, in recognition of his service to the Nation as an athlete, 
activist, role model, and community leader, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 3589

       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 ``Greg LeMond Congressional 
     Gold Medal Act''.

     SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

       The Congress finds the following:
       (1) Gregory James ``Greg'' LeMond was born in Lakewood, 
     California, on June 26, 1961.
       (2) Greg began cycling at the age of 14, winning an 
     astonishing 11 straight races to begin his career.
       (3) Greg took home a full suite of medals at the 1979 
     Junior World Championships, including gold, silver, and 
     bronze, emerging victorious in the road race and placing in 
     both team and track pursuit events.
       (4) At age 18, Greg became the youngest cyclist in the 
     history of the sport to be selected for the United States 
     Men's Olympic team.
       (5) Greg emerged victorious in the 1980 Circuit de la 
     Sarthe, becoming the first American in history and the 
     youngest rider ever to win a major pro-am cycling event on 
     the European continent.
       (6) At age 19, Greg signed his first professional contract.
       (7) In 1982, Greg made the first of several remarkable 
     recoveries, returning from a broken collarbone to win the 
     silver medal at the world championships in Great Britain.
       (8) The Tour de France, the world's preeminent cycling 
     competition, was first held over a century ago, in 1903.
       (9) The Tour de France takes place over 23 days, covering 
     an extraordinary 2,200 miles, winding through multiple 
     mountain ranges, spanning multiple nations, and is viewed as 
     comparable to running a marathon every day for three 
     consecutive weeks.
       (10) Greg first competed in the Tour de France in 1984, 
     finishing third, and finishing second the following year, in 
     both years deputizing himself to his teammates, sacrificing a 
     chance to win himself to boost his teammates toward victory.
       (11) Greg emerged victorious in the 1986 Tour de France, 
     ascending the fabled Alpe D'Huez, defeating the field by more 
     than three full minutes, becoming the first American and the 
     first non-European to win cycling's most prestigious race.
       (12) In 1987, while recovering from a broken wrist and 
     collarbone, Greg was tragically shot during a turkey hunting 
     accident, leaving him in intensive care, requiring the 
     removal of over 40 shotgun pellets from his abdomen, was 
     deemed unlikely to ever ride a bicycle again, and likely 
     survived only due to the abnormal strength of his 
     cardiovascular system.
       (13) Greg mounted the greatest comeback in the history of 
     American sports, taking home an astonishing victory at the 
     1989 Tour de France, following multiple surgeries, life-
     threatening gunshot wounds, tendon repair, and an 
     appendectomy, winning by eight seconds in the closest finish 
     in the history of the Tour de France.
       (14) Greg would win a third Tour de France victory in 1990.
       (15) Greg is the only American to win the Tour de France.
       (16) Greg has vocally spoken out to champion healthy sport 
     amongst athletes of all ages and competition levels.
       (17) Greg and his wife, Kathy, are active in numerous 
     nonprofit causes, including healthy sport, assisting victims 
     of sexual abuse and various childhood illnesses.
       (18) Cycling offers young people a healthy, active, outdoor 
     hobby.
       (19) Greg completed his professional career having won two 
     World Championships, three Tour de France championships, and 
     twenty-two titles overall.
       (20) More than any other cyclist, Greg personified the 
     ``breakaway'' culture of American cycling in the 1970s and 
     80s, viewed universally as the epitome of a young person on a 
     bicycle, attempting to accomplish feats no other American had 
     achieved.
       (21) Greg has not only reached the pinnacle of 
     international sport, but has devoted his time and resources 
     to assisting his fellow athletes.
       (22) Greg has demonstrated the commitment to excellence, 
     generosity, community, and tenacity that makes him an example 
     for all to follow.

     SEC. 3. CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL.

       (a) Presentation Authorized.--The Speaker of the House of 
     Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate 
     shall make appropriate arrangements for the presentation, on 
     behalf of the Congress, of a gold medal of appropriate design 
     to Greg LeMond, in recognition of his contributions to the 
     Nation as an athlete, activist, role model, and community 
     leader.
       (b) Design and Striking.--For purposes of the presentation 
     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 pursuant to 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 pursuant to this 
     Act are national medals for purposes of chapter 51 of title 
     31, United States Code.
       (b) Numismatic Items.--For purposes of section 5134 of 
     title 31, United States Code, all medals struck under this 
     Act shall be considered to be numismatic items.

[[Page H7815]]

  


     SEC. 6. DETERMINATION OF BUDGETARY EFFECTS.

       The budgetary effects of this Act, for the purpose of 
     complying with the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010, shall 
     be determined by reference to the latest statement titled 
     ``Budgetary Effects of PAYGO Legislation'' for this Act, 
     submitted for printing in the Congressional Record by the 
     Chairman of the House Budget Committee, provided that such 
     statement has been submitted prior to the vote on passage.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Guam (Mr. San Nicolas) and the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. 
McHenry) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Guam.


                             General Leave

  Mr. SAN NICOLAS. Madam 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 
gentleman from Guam?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. SAN NICOLAS. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 3589, the Greg LeMond 
Congressional Gold Medal Act of 2019.
  I thank the gentleman from California, Representative Thompson, for 
his work on this bill, which honors a man who, in addition to being one 
of our Nation's greatest athletes and the greatest American cyclist in 
history, exemplifies the virtues of sportsmanship, selflessness, and 
perseverance.
  Born in Lakewood, California, Greg LeMond is the only American 
cyclist to win the Tour de France officially, which he won three times. 
He is also the first American to win a major European cycling 
tournament and the youngest cyclist in history to be selected for the 
U.S. men's Olympic team.
  LeMond is at the pinnacle of American cycling history and ranks 
firmly among the most accomplished international athletes in U.S. 
history.
  In 1987, he suffered a horrific gunshot injury during a hunting 
accident, which left him with over 40 pellets in his abdomen. He was 
told he would never ride a bicycle again.
  Remarkably, in what remains one of the most astonishing recoveries in 
sports history, LeMond won the 1989 Tour de France on its final day, to 
win his third yellow jersey in 4 years.
  That victory--on the heels of gunshot wounds, an appendectomy, a 
broken wrist, and a fractured collarbone--is a testament to Mr. 
LeMond's tenacity and training. It still stands as the last time an 
American officially won the Tour de France.
  Above and beyond his considerable athletic accomplishments, LeMond 
has demonstrated a repeated willingness to sacrifice his own individual 
victories for the sake of his teammates.
  Outside of the world of sports, LeMond and his wife, Kathy, have 
worked through various charitable initiatives to support victims of 
childhood abuse and various childhood illnesses.
  Madam Speaker, I thank Mr. Thompson for joining me in introducing 
this bill this Congress and urge Members to vote ``yes,'' and I reserve 
the balance of my time.
  Mr. McHENRY. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Madam Speaker, I rise in support of the Greg LeMond Congressional 
Gold Medal Act.
  First, I thank my colleague from California (Mr. Thompson) for his 
work on this important, bipartisan legislation.
  I support the Greg LeMond Congressional Gold Medal Act. I support it 
because Greg LeMond is a legend, one of the cycling world's best, and 
the only American ever to officially win the Tour de France.
  When fans of cycling think of LeMond, they think of firsts. In 1983, 
LeMond was the first American to win an elite world road championship. 
In 1984, LeMond was the first cyclist to sign a million-dollar 
contract. In 1986, he was the first American to win the Tour de France.
  Finally, in 1989, he was the first cyclist to appear on the cover of 
Sports Illustrated as Sportsman of the Year.
  Madam Speaker, Greg ``LeMonster'' LeMond recovered from a near-fatal 
hunting accident in 1987 to go on to win two more Tours de France. He 
won those two with buckshot that was lodged in the lining of his heart.
  What an incredible athlete. What an incredible physical specimen, 
what a tenacious spirit, and what an icon that is a fantastic 
representation for our children to understand that you can be an elite 
athlete and do so abiding by the normal human constraints by which we 
are all bound.
  Doing it with intensity, with training, with focus, with practice, 
and with such a great deal of success over his amazing career, Greg 
LeMond is an icon in the sports world and is deserving of the 
Congressional Gold Medal. He represents some of the finest qualities 
that we have as Americans.
  Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I 
reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. SAN NICOLAS. Madam Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman 
from California (Mr. Thompson), chairman of the House Ways and Means 
Subcommittee on Select Revenue Measures.
  Mr. THOMPSON of California. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for 
yielding.
  Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 3589, my legislation to 
award American cyclist Greg LeMond with a Congressional Gold Medal. I 
thank Mr. Graves from Georgia, the coauthor and lead Republican on this 
bill. This is a bipartisan measure.
  It is clear by the number of coauthors that Greg LeMond has 
tremendous respect in this Chamber.
  It was pointed out that he was born in California, Madam Speaker, but 
he is your favorite son as well, having grown up in Nevada.
  Madam Speaker, Greg LeMond stands atop the list of the greatest 
American cyclists in our history. His accomplishments speak for 
themselves: the only American in history to officially win the Tour de 
France, a three-time Tour de France champion, the youngest American 
ever selected for the U.S. Olympic team, the first American in history 
to win a major cycling tournament in Europe, and the winner of 22 races 
overall.
  These achievements alone would place Greg firmly among the greatest 
of American athletes, but they don't tell the full story.

  Greg's career has embodied many of our most cherished and fundamental 
values: sportsmanship, sacrifice, and being a good teammate.
  Greg won the Tour de France three times, but he could have won even 
more. In 1984 and 1985, Greg LeMond was in a position to win the tour, 
in position to win another title for himself, but instead, both times, 
Greg LeMond chose to deputize himself to his teammates, sacrificing a 
chance at the title himself to ensure that one of his teammates would 
emerge victorious.
  Greg would continue to demonstrate that selflessness for the rest of 
his life. In addition, Greg personified the ideals of perseverance and 
commitment, never more so than during the 1989 Tour de France, because, 
in 1987, as you heard, while recovering from a broken wrist and 
collarbone, Greg LeMond was shot during a hunting accident.
  Doctors removed over 40 shotgun pellets from his abdomen. He was told 
that he would never ride a bike again.
  Eighteen months later, Greg LeMond mounted one of the greatest 
comebacks in American sports history, winning the 1989 Tour de France 
by 8 seconds, the closest margin of victory in the history of that 
event.
  That victory, on the heels of his gunshot wounds, an appendectomy, a 
broken wrist, and a fractured collarbone, was the last time an American 
won the Tour de France.
  In the years since, Greg LeMond has devoted himself to helping 
others. He and his wife, Kathy, are active in numerous community 
causes: helping victims of sexual abuse and supporting research into 
various childhood illnesses.
  Greg LeMond has worked to promote clean and healthy sporting habits 
and to encourage young people to live healthy, active, engaged 
lifestyles.
  More than any other cyclist in our history, Greg LeMond was the 
epitome of the ``Breaking Away'' culture: a young kid on a bike, trying 
to do things no American had ever done.

                              {time}  1745

  Madam Speaker, Greg LeMond is one of our Nation's greatest athletes, 
a tremendous role model, and a force for

[[Page H7816]]

good in his community. It is fitting and proper that we honor him with 
the Congressional Gold Medal. I encourage my colleagues to vote for 
this bill.
  Mr. McHENRY. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. SAN NICOLAS. Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my 
time.
  I am pleased to support this bipartisan bill, and I want to thank Mr. 
Thompson and all the bill's many cosponsors.
  For decades, Greg LeMond has exemplified the breakaway culture of 
American cycling and is the embodiment of talent, tenacity, and 
selflessness that is unparalleled in American sports.
  Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this 
important piece of legislation, and I yield back the balance of my 
time.
  Mr. GRAVES of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 
3589, the Greg LeMond Congressional Gold Medal, which I've had the 
honor of working with Mr. Thompson of California on--a great partner 
and advocate in recognizing Greg LeMond's achievements.
  Mr. LeMond blazed a trail in American cycling, down which thousands 
of American cyclists have followed.
  Over a thirteen-year professional career, he raced to three wins at 
the Tour de France, one of the most arduous events in endurance sports, 
and became the first non-European to be crowned its champion. Even 
today, facilities like the Silver Comet Trail in my district owe their 
existence in part to Greg's legacy and excitement created by his 
achievements.
  Since his retirement, Greg and his wife Kathy have devoted thousands 
of hours to advocating against doping in sports, promoting athletic 
integrity, and serving others. As the lead Republican on the Financial 
Services and General Government Appropriations Subcommittee, which 
includes anti-doping funding, I am only too familiar with the scourge 
of doping in sports. Greg has earned 750 accolades over his career, and 
while a Congressional Gold Medal may not rival a yellow jersey, I hope 
we are able to provide him this recognition.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Guam (Mr. San Nicolas) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, H.R. 3589, as amended.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

                          ____________________