[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 203 (Wednesday, December 2, 2020)]
[House]
[Pages H6035-H6037]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       NATIONAL PURPLE HEART HALL OF HONOR COMMEMORATIVE COIN ACT

  Mr. CLAY. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and concur in the 
Senate amendment to the bill (H.R. 1830) to require the Secretary of 
the Treasury to mint coins in commemoration of the National Purple 
Heart Hall of Honor.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the Senate amendment is as follows:
  Senate amendment:

        Strike all after the enacting clause and insert the 
     following:

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``National Purple Heart Hall 
     of Honor Commemorative Coin Act''.

     SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

       The Congress finds the following:
       (1) The National Purple Heart Hall of Honor's mission is--
       (A) to commemorate the extraordinary sacrifice of America's 
     servicemen and servicewomen who were killed or wounded by 
     enemy action; and
       (B) to collect and preserve the stories of Purple Heart 
     recipients from all branches of service and across 
     generations to ensure that all recipients are represented.
       (2) The National Purple Heart Hall of Honor first opened 
     its doors on November 10, 2006, in New Windsor, NY.
       (3) The National Purple Heart Hall of Honor is co-located 
     with the New Windsor Cantonment State Historic Site.
       (4) The National Purple Heart Hall of Honor is the first to 
     recognize the estimated 1.8 million U.S. servicemembers 
     wounded or killed in action representing recipients from the 
     Civil War to the present day, serving as a living memorial to 
     their sacrifice by sharing their stories through interviews, 
     exhibits and the Roll of Honor, an interactive computer 
     database of each recipient enrolled.

     SEC. 3. COIN SPECIFICATIONS.

       (a) Denominations.--The Secretary of the Treasury 
     (hereafter in this Act referred to as the ``Secretary'') 
     shall mint and issue the following coins:
       (1) $5 gold coins.--Not more than 50,000 $5 coins, which 
     shall--
       (A) weigh 8.359 grams;
       (B) have a diameter of 0.850 inches; and
       (C) contain 90 percent gold and 10 percent alloy.
       (2) $1 silver coins.--Not more than 400,000 $1 coins, which 
     shall--
       (A) weigh 26.73 grams;
       (B) have a diameter of 1.500 inches; and
       (C) contain not less than 90 percent silver.
       (3) Half-dollar clad coins.--Not more than 750,000 half-
     dollar coins which shall--
       (A) weigh 11.34 grams;
       (B) have a diameter of 1.205 inches; and
       (C) be minted to the specifications for half-dollar coins 
     contained in section 5112(b) of title 31, United States Code.
       (b) Legal Tender.--The coins minted under this Act shall be 
     legal tender, as provided in section 5103 of title 31, United 
     States Code.
       (c) Numismatic Items.--For purposes of section 5134 of 
     title 31, United States Code, all coins minted under this Act 
     shall be considered to be numismatic items.

     SEC. 4. DESIGNS OF COINS.

       (a) Designs Requirements.--
       (1) In general.--The designs of the coins minted under this 
     Act shall be emblematic of the National Purple Heart Hall of 
     Honor.
       (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 ``2022''; 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 
     Commission of Fine Arts and the National Purple Heart Hall of 
     Honor, Inc.; 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.--
       (1) In general.--Only 1 facility of the United States Mint 
     may be used to strike any particular quality of the coins 
     minted under this Act.
       (2) Use of the united states mint at west point, new 
     york.--It is the sense of Congress that the coins minted 
     under this Act should be struck at the United States Mint at 
     West Point, New York, to the greatest extent possible.
       (c) Period for Issuance.--The Secretary may issue coins 
     minted under this Act only during the 1-year period beginning 
     on January 1, 2022.

     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 in section 7(a) with respect to 
     such coins; and
       (3) the cost of designing and issuing the coins (including 
     labor, materials, dies, use of machinery, overhead expenses, 
     marketing, and 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 
     such 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--
       (1) $35 per coin for the $5 coin;
       (2) $10 per coin for the $1 coin; and
       (3) $5 per coin for the half-dollar coin.
       (b) Distribution.--Subject to section 5134(f)(1) of title 
     31, United States Code, all surcharges received by the 
     Secretary from the sale of coins issued under this Act shall 
     be promptly paid by the Secretary to the National Purple 
     Heart Hall of Honor, Inc., to support the mission of the 
     National Purple Heart Hall of Honor, Inc., including capital 
     improvements to the National Purple Heart Hall of Honor 
     facilities.
       (c) Audits.--The National Purple Heart Hall of Honor, Inc., 
     shall be subject to the audit requirements of section 
     5134(f)(2) of title 31, United States Code, with regard to 
     the amounts received under subsection (b).
       (d) Limitation.--Notwithstanding subsection (a), no 
     surcharge may be included with respect to the issuance under 
     this Act of any coin during a calendar year if, as of the 
     time of such issuance, the issuance of such coin would result 
     in the number of commemorative coin programs issued during 
     such year to exceed the annual 2 commemorative coin program 
     issuance limitation under section 5112(m)(1) of title 31, 
     United States Code (as in effect on the date of the enactment 
     of this Act). The Secretary of the Treasury may issue 
     guidance to carry out this subsection.

     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 gentleman from 
Missouri (Mr. Clay) and the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Gonzalez) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Missouri.


                             General Leave

  Mr. CLAY. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may 
have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and 
to insert extraneous material therein.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Missouri?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. CLAY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 1830, the National 
Purple Heart Hall of Honor Commemorative Coin Act.
  The Purple Heart is one of the oldest and most recognized American 
military medals awarded to servicemembers who were killed or wounded by 
enemy action.
  The mission of the National Purple Heart Hall of Honor, located in 
New Windsor, New York, is to collect and preserve the stories of Purple 
Heart recipients from all branches of the Armed Forces and across all 
generations.
  The Hall of Honor serves as a living memorial to these servicemembers 
and ensures that all recipients are remembered. Currently, there are 
over 200,000 names installed at the Hall of Honor.
  This bill would provide tangible support to the Hall of Honor by 
directing the West Point Mint to produce commemorative coins in 
recognition of the work of the Hall of Honor. Proceeds from the sale of 
this coin would fund improvements to the museum itself to help expand 
the understanding and respect for those who have served and sacrificed.
  This bill passed the House last September, but the version we are 
considering today incorporates changes made by a Senate amendment that 
updates the time period for issuance of the commemorative coins to 
fiscal year 2022, and includes financial assurance language that 
minting and issuing coins under this act will result in no net cost to 
the Federal Government.
  I thank Mr. Maloney, Mr. Takano, and Mr. Gallagher for their work on 
this bill, and I urge Members to vote ``yes.''

[[Page H6036]]

  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. GONZALEZ of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1830, as amended by the 
Senate, also known as the National Purple Heart Hall of Honor 
Commemorative Coin Act.
  I would like to thank Leader Schumer for championing this issue on 
the Senate side and the gentleman from New York, Congressman Maloney, 
for his work. We passed his version of this bill in the House back in 
September of 2019. I am glad that we have the opportunity to send this 
important bill to the President's desk.
  The National Purple Heart Mission opened in 2006. The Purple Heart 
Mission is a New York State facility that is dedicated to collecting, 
preserving, and sharing the stories of all Purple Heart recipients from 
all branches of service and across all conflicts.
  Enrollments at the National Purple Heart Honor Mission are voluntary, 
and submissions are made by Purple Heart recipients, their families, or 
friends. Currently, there are 1,095 Purple Heart recipients enrolled 
from the great State of North Carolina, representing World War I, World 
War II, Korea, Vietnam, Somalia, Operation Enduring Freedom, and 
Operation Iraqi Freedom.
  These courageous men and women are recognized by the National Purple 
Heart Honor Mission because, surprisingly, the Federal Government does 
not maintain a comprehensive list. In fact, the only award for which 
there is a list is the Medal of Honor.
  Mr. Speaker, the National Purple Heart Honor Mission is an 
organization that deserves the recognition the commemorative coin will 
bring.
  I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I reserve the balance 
of my time.
  Mr. CLAY. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from New 
York (Mr. Sean Patrick Maloney), my friend and colleague.
  Mr. SEAN PATRICK MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support 
of my bill, the National Purple Heart Hall of Honor Commemorative Coin 
Act, which will be voted on tonight, after many years of work.
  I think it is important to note that it was the father of our 
country, George Washington, who created the Purple Heart in the closing 
days of the Revolutionary War. It happened right in my district, in the 
heart of New York's Hudson Valley, at the New Windsor Cantonment, where 
General Washington created and awarded something called the Badge of 
Military Merit. We know that honor today as the Purple Heart, which is 
how it appeared when it was originally created out of fabric.
  The Purple Heart was revived in 1932, on the bicentennial of General 
Washington's birth to honor veterans of World War I. Since then, this 
great honor has been earned. It has been earned, often at great 
personal cost, by nearly 2 million brave servicemen and servicewomen.
  In 2006, as my colleague noted, the National Purple Heart Hall of 
Honor, located in New Windsor, opened its doors and launched the first 
comprehensive list of Purple Heart recipients. The Hall of Honor 
collects and preserves the names and, more importantly, the deeds and 
stories of the men and women wounded or killed in service of our 
Nation.
  It honors heroes like Rich Drago, my friend, who lives in the Hudson 
Valley. Rich served in Vietnam. He continued to man his post under 
fire, even after he had been hit by a mortar blast. It is heroes like 
Rich who we honor tonight. He serves today on my Veterans Advisory 
Board. He is the vice chair of the National Purple Heart Honor Mission 
Board of Directors and is the commander of the Military Order of the 
Purple Heart, Chapter 1782.
  I thank so many others, including members of my staff--my legislative 
staff: Ryan Lehman; Molly Carey; Shallum Atkinson; Laura Bart; and, of 
course, Beverly Hart, who has personally worked for so long to make 
this day a reality.

  Of course, it is the National Purple Heart Hall of Honor that 
deserves the credit and the Purple Heart Honor Mission and the 
recipients who do such important work and who create such a powerful 
example for all of us.
  In addition to helping veterans receive their Purple Heart, they now 
support veterans and their families, offer educational programs for 
schools, host a 4-day honor mission to the Hudson Valley to see the 
Hall of Honor.
  My bill will authorize, importantly, the U.S. Treasury to mint $5 
gold coins, $1 silver coins, and half-dollar clad coins. The proceeds 
from these coins--and this is wonderful--which will be produced at the 
West Point Mint, right down the road, outside the United States 
Military Academy, will support the critical mission, along with other 
programs to help veterans and their families at no cost to the 
taxpayers, both in New York and, of course, across our country.
  I thank my friend, Senator Schumer, for his partnership in passing 
the bill through the Senate with broad bipartisan support. I thank my 
colleagues here in House: The chairman of the Veterans' Affairs 
Committee; my friends across the aisle, like   Mike Gallagher, himself 
a Marine Corps veteran, for their partnership on this legislation.
  The bill was really made possible, of course, by the extraordinary 
work of the Military Order of the Purple Heart, the team at the 
National Purple Heart Hall of Honor and the Honor Mission, including 
Russ Vernon, Richie Lay, Richard Gerbeth, Jr., and William Nazario; 
and, of course, volunteers like Stephanie Keegan, who helped us win 
overwhelming bipartisan support from over 300 Members of Congress.
  You know, today is particularly moving for me because of how long it 
has taken to bring this bill to fruition. I can't help but think of two 
men who inspired our work on this bill. One is my dad, Jim Maloney, a 
Navy veteran who was banged up pretty bad on the USS Manchester on his 
19th birthday, but who got himself well and was able to live his 
American Dream because his country had his back and there were people 
here who wanted to honor his service. He showed me firsthand the 
incredible sacrifice of those who have served.
  Another is a Republican friend of my mine, Senator Bill Larkin, a 
dear friend who passed away just last year. Bill served our country in 
World War II and Korea. When we did events together, he would have 
trouble standing because his feet still hurt from the frostbite he 
suffered in Korea. He served the Hudson Valley as a State senator for 
40 years and worked closely with me to advance the mission of the Hall 
of Honor on this bill. I could not be more proud to work with his 
beloved wife, Pat, and others, to carry on this piece of his legacy, 
and I can't wait to see this coin become a reality. I know my friend, 
Bill Larkin, is smiling down from Heaven tonight.
  Mr. Speaker, I thank you all for your support and the bipartisanship 
it took to get us to this point.
  Mr. GONZALEZ of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my 
time for the purpose of closing.
  Mr. Speaker, I would simply urge my colleagues to support H.R. 1830, 
as amended, so we can honor our great Purple Heart recipients in Ohio 
and across the country.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. CLAY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
  Mr. Speaker, this bill ensures that the National Purple Heart Hall of 
Honor can continue its important mission of collecting, preserving, and 
sharing the stories of the brave men and women who were killed or 
injured in service to their country.
  The straightforward changes we are considering today will align the 
time period for the issuance of the commemorative coins and ensures 
that the coins issued under this act will result in no net cost to the 
Federal Government.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge Members to vote ``yes'' on this bill, and I yield 
back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Clay) that the House suspend the rules and 
concur in the Senate amendment to the bill, H.R. 1830.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the Senate amendment was concurred in.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

[[Page H6037]]

  

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