[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 199 (Tuesday, November 16, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Page S8297]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 4723. Mr. DAINES (for himself and Ms. Warren) submitted an 
amendment intended to be proposed to amendment SA 3867 submitted by Mr. 
Reed and intended to be proposed to the bill H.R. 4350, to authorize 
appropriations for fiscal year 2022 for military activities of the 
Department of Defense, for military construction, and for defense 
activities of the Department of Energy, to prescribe military personnel 
strengths for such fiscal year, and for other purposes; which was 
ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

        At the appropriate place, insert the following:

     SEC. _____. CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL.

       (a) Findings.--Congress finds the following:
       (1) At 9:44 a.m., on August 26, 2021, the Pentagon 
     confirmed that one explosion occurred at the Hamid Karzai 
     International Airport.
       (2) The explosion was confirmed to be a suicide bombing by 
     ISIS-K terrorist group.
       (3) Estimates as high as 200 deaths were reported, 
     including 13 service members of the United States, as well as 
     hundreds more wounded.
       (4) The attack on Thursday, August 26, 2021 at the Hamid 
     Karzai International Airport in Kabul, Afghanistan, killed 13 
     United States service members, making it the deadliest single 
     day of the war for the United States in more than a decade.
       (5) The American service members went above and beyond the 
     call of duty to protect citizens of the United States and our 
     allies to ensure they are brought to safety in an extremely 
     dangerous situation as the Taliban regained control over 
     Afghanistan.
       (6) The American service members exemplified extreme 
     bravery and valor against armed enemy combatants.
       (7) The American service members dedicated their lives and 
     their heroism deserves great honor.
       (8) Maxton Soviak, Kareem Nikoui, David Espinoza, Rylee 
     McCollum, Jared Schmitz, Hunter Lopez, Taylor Hoover, Daegan 
     William-Tyeler Page, Nicole Gee, Humberto Sanchez, Dylan 
     Merola, Johanny Rosario Pichardo, and Ryan Knauss have been 
     identified as the 13 service members who died from the blast 
     while stationed at Hamid Karzai International Airport.
       (b) Congressional Gold Medal.--
       (1) Presentations authorized.--The Speaker of the House of 
     Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate 
     shall make appropriate arrangements for the posthumous 
     presentation, on behalf of Congress, of a single gold medal 
     of appropriate design in commemoration of the 13 service 
     members who perished as a result of the attack in 
     Afghanistan, on August 26, 2021.
       (2) Design and striking.--For purposes of the presentation 
     referred to in paragraph (1), the Secretary of the Treasury 
     (referred to in this section as the ``Secretary'') shall 
     strike a gold medal with suitable emblems, devices, and 
     inscriptions, to be determined by the Secretary.
       (3) Smithsonian institution.--
       (A) In general.--Following the award of the gold medal 
     under paragraph (1), the gold medal shall be given to the 
     Smithsonian Institution, where it shall be available for 
     display as appropriate and made available for research.
       (B) Sense of congress.--It is the sense of Congress that 
     the Smithsonian Institution shall make the gold medal 
     received under paragraph (1) available for display outside of 
     the District of Columbia at times, particularly at other 
     locations associated with the 13 service members who perished 
     in Afghanistan on August 26, 2021.
       (c) Duplicate Medals.--The Secretary may strike and sell 
     duplicates in bronze of the gold medal struck pursuant to 
     subsection (b) at a price sufficient to cover the cost 
     thereof, including labor, materials, dies, use of machinery, 
     and overhead expenses.
       (d) Status of Medals.--
       (1) National medals.--The medal struck pursuant to this 
     section is a national medal for purposes of chapter 51 of 
     title 31, United States Code.
       (2) Numismatic items.--For purposes of section 5134 of 
     title 31, United States Code, all medals struck under this 
     section shall be considered to be numismatic items.
       (e) Authority to Use Fund Amounts; Proceeds of Sale.--
       (1) Authority to use fund amounts.--There is authorized to 
     be charged against the United States Mint Public Enterprise 
     Fund such amounts as may be necessary to pay for the costs of 
     the medals struck pursuant to this section.
       (2) Proceeds of sale.--The amounts received from the sale 
     of duplicate bronze medals authorized under subsection (c) 
     shall be deposited into the United States Mint Public 
     Enterprise Fund.
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