[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 194 (Wednesday, December 14, 2022)]
[House]
[Pages H9815-H9817]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
IRAN HOSTAGES CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL ACT
Mr. AUCHINCLOSS. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass
the bill (S. 2607) to award a Congressional Gold Medal to the former
hostages of the Iran Hostage Crisis of 1979 1981, highlighting their
resilience throughout the unprecedented ordeal that they lived through
and the national unity it produced, marking four decades since their
444 days in captivity, and recognizing their sacrifice to the United
States.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
S. 2607
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 ``Iran Hostages Congressional
Gold Medal Act''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:
(1) On January 20, 1981, United States diplomats, military
personnel, and civilians were released after being held
hostage for 444 days by militant student supporters of Iran's
Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini in a violation of international
law. The individuals were taken from the United States
Embassy in Tehran, Iran, and the ordeal came to be known as
the Iran Hostage Crisis.
(2) The hostages were subjected to intense physical and
psychological torture throughout their captivity, such as
mock executions, beatings, solitary confinement, and
inhospitable living conditions.
(3) Throughout their time held, the hostages were routinely
told to denounce the United States and, when they refused,
they were tortured, but remained strong in their spirit.
(4) One hostage wrote ``Viva la roja, blanco, y azul'',
which translates to ``Long live the red, white, and blue'',
on the wall of his cell as a reminder of the values he swore
to protect.
(5) The hostages showed extraordinary courage by
continually engaging in acts of resistance against their
captors, such as by refusing to sign condemnations of the
United States, in the face of gross violations of their human
rights.
(6) Many of the hostages still experience trauma as a
result of the events of the crisis and deserve to have their
suffering recognized.
(7) While, as of the date of enactment of this Act, 35 of
the hostages are living, it is important that the people of
the United States reflect on the resilience and strength of
the hostages, which serve as an example to current
generations.
(8) The people of the United States should--
(A) acknowledge the hostages as heroes who--
(i) experienced great tribulation; and
(ii) endured, so that the people of the United States may
know the blessing of living in the United States; and
(B) strive to demonstrate the values shown by the hostages.
(9) On January 22, 1981, President Jimmy Carter met with
the hostages in West Germany and stated the following: ``One
of the acts in my life which has been the most moving and
gratifying in meeting with and discussing the future and the
past with the now liberated Americans who were held hostage
in Iran for so long. I pointed out to them that, since their
capture by the Iranian terrorists and their being held in
this despicable act of savagery, that the American people's
hearts have gone out to them and the Nation has been united
as perhaps never before in history and that the prayers that
have gone up from the people throughout the world to God for
their safety have finally been answered.''.
(10) On January 28, 1981, when welcoming the hostages home,
President Ronald Reagan stated the following: ``You've come
home to a people who for 444 days suffered the pain of your
imprisonment, prayed for your safety, and most importantly,
shared your determination that the spirit of free men and
women is not a fit subject for barter. You've represented
under great stress the highest traditions of public service.
Your conduct is symbolic of the millions of professional
diplomats, military personnel, and others who have rendered
service to their country.''.
(11) During the 444 days the brave hostages were held, the
rest of the United States held its breath, waiting for news
of the hostages. The United States hoped and prayed together,
as one, for the hostages' safe return.
(12) Bruce Laingen, who served as United States Ambassador
to Iran from 1979 to 1980 and was the highest ranking
diplomat held hostage, summed up the experience by saying the
following: ``Fifty-three Americans who will always have a
love affair with this country and who join with you in a
prayer of thanksgiving for the way in which this crisis has
strengthened the spirit and resilience and strength that is
the mark of a truly free society.''. It is now the
responsibility of the people of the United States to honor
the spirit, resilience, and strength that the hostages
displayed during their 444 days of imprisonment.
(13) Now, more than 4 decades later, the United States
continues to honor the hostages. The recipients of the award
bestowed by this Act are heroes in every sense of the word.
They are role models who wore their pride in the United
States with esteem and have allowed for subsequent
generations to appreciate the blessing of living in the
United States. Today, as we mark 40 years since their
release, the people of the United States acknowledge their
endurance, strength, and contributions to seeing a more
peaceful world. The hostages suffered for the United States
and now it is the duty of the United States to recognize them
for it.
SEC. 3. DEFINITION.
In this Act, the term ``hostage'' means a person of the
United States who was taken captive on November 4, 1979, in
Tehran, Iran, at the United States embassy and released on--
(1) July 11, 1980; or
(2) January 20, 1981.
SEC. 4. 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 award, on behalf
of Congress, of a single gold medal of appropriate design to
the 53 hostages of the Iran Hostage Crisis, in recognition of
their
[[Page H9816]]
bravery and endurance throughout their captivity, which
started on November 4, 1979, and lasted until January 21,
1981.
(b) Design and Striking.--For the purposes 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, in consultation with the
Secretary of State.
(c) Smithsonian Institution.--
(1) In general.--Following the award of the gold medal
under subsection (a), the gold medal shall be given to the
National Museum of American History of the Smithsonian
Institution, where it shall be available for display as
appropriate and made available for research.
(2) Sense of congress.--It is the sense of Congress that
the Smithsonian Institution should make the gold medal
received under paragraph (1) available for loan, as
appropriate, so that the medal may be displayed elsewhere.
SEC. 5. BRONZE DUPLICATE MEDALS.
(a) In General.--The Secretary may strike and sell
duplicates in bronze of the gold medal struck pursuant to
section 4, at a price sufficient to cover the cost thereof,
including labor, materials, dies, use of machinery, and
overhead expenses.
(b) Proceeds of Sales.--The amounts received from the sale
of duplicate medals under subsection (a) shall be deposited
in the United States Mint Public Enterprise Fund.
SEC. 6. 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 under this Act.
SEC. 7. 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.
SEC. 8. 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
Massachusetts (Mr. Auchincloss) and the gentleman from South Carolina
(Mr. Norman) each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Massachusetts.
General Leave
Mr. AUCHINCLOSS. 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 include extraneous material thereon.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Massachusetts?
There was no objection.
Mr. AUCHINCLOSS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of S. 2607, the Iran Hostages
Congressional Gold Medal Act, sponsored by Senator Padilla, which is a
companion to a House bill sponsored by Representative Suozzi.
I thank Representative Suozzi for sponsoring this bipartisan bill,
which would award a Congressional Gold Medal to the 53 hostages of the
Iran hostage crisis, which occurred from November 4, 1979, to January
21, 1981, in recognition of their bravery in the face of egregious
human rights violations. It has been more than 40 years since their
release.
Representative Suozzi has been a tireless advocate in honoring these
U.S. embassy employees who were taken hostage and uplifting their
humanity. Last week, Representative Suozzi said on the floor that he
was 17 years old when the hostages were taken and remembers the Iran
hostage crisis as a painful time in our history. I am so appreciative
of his dedication to this important issue and ensuring that these
hostages are properly recognized for the sacrifices they have made that
have had lasting effects until today.
I am pleased to be able to vote ``yes'' for this bill before his
retirement at the end of this term, and I congratulate him on this
important bill to celebrate the resilience and strength of the
hostages.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I reserve
the balance of my time.
{time} 1500
Mr. NORMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
I rise in total support of S. 2607. It is a bill that will award a
Congressional Gold Medal to the former hostages of the Iran hostage
crisis of 1979-1981.
Mr. Speaker, on November 4, 1979, Iranian students in Iran's capital
city, Tehran, stormed the American Embassy, trapping more than 50
American workers within the embassy grounds. This violent act was
carried out to declare a break from Iran's past and put an end to the
perceived American interference in the region.
The response by the Carter administration at the onset was limited
to, one, asset freezes; and two, blockading the shipment of goods to
Iran. There was fear that anything more would encourage the students to
destroy the embassy and harm the hostages.
I am sure we all remember Walter Cronkite ending his nightly program
reporting the number of days the hostages were held captive, a daily
reminder of those who were still trapped.
During this time, the hostages were subjected to intense physical and
psychological torture, but their spirit never wavered. Those held
captive showed extraordinary courage by continually engaging in acts of
resistance against their captors, such as by refusing to sign
condemnations of the United States despite the gross violations of
their human rights.
This infamous incident in American history lasted 444 days, and it is
important that we continue to remember the bravery shown by those
courageous Americans.
S. 2607 will honor the captured United States diplomats, military
personnel, and civilians with the recognition that they deserve.
Mr. Speaker, I wholeheartedly support this bill, and I urge my
colleagues to support it as well. I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. AUCHINCLOSS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume. As I am awaiting the arrival of the gentleman from New York
(Mr. Suozzi), who has performed able and faithful service in the House
over his career, I would like to reflect on the Iran hostage crisis and
its unfortunate foreshadowing of the behavior of the Ayatollah's regime
that we are witnessing now on our TV screens today as they persecute
brave men and women on the streets of Iran's major cities who are
protesting for basic human and civil rights.
I know that I speak on behalf of my constituents in Massachusetts'
4th District when I say that the American people stand with those who
are protesting the repression and the discrimination, particularly
against women, that have been the hallmark of the Ayatollah's regime
and that we feel that the values that they are fighting for are
universal values, core human rights, and certainly hope and expect that
they will be achieved.
Mr. Speaker, I also want to reflect on the great service of Mr.
Suozzi, who has been an able member of the Ways and Means Committee and
a wise counselor to those of us like myself who are new to this
business in how to best represent our constituents and advance their
priorities and reflect their values.
Mr. Speaker, I now yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from New York
(Mr. Suozzi), the sponsor of this legislation.
Mr. SUOZZI. Mr. Speaker, last week, I had the great honor to be
joined in this Chamber by many brave Americans and their family members
who were held hostage when student militants stormed the U.S. Embassy
in Iran on November 4, 1979.
For 444 days, 52 brave Americans were held hostage and held captive
against their will. On behalf of those brave Americans, I rise in
support of my bipartisan, bicameral legislation that would award the
Congressional Gold Medal to the 52 hostages of the Iran hostage crisis.
As it currently stands, almost 300 Members of this Chamber have
pledged their support for this legislation, a showing of true
bipartisanship in an oftentimes divided Chamber, and the bill has
received overwhelming support in the Senate, as well.
Despite mock firing squads, beatings, solitary confinement, lack of
food, and psychological torture, these American hostages maintained
their strength and resilience. Back at home, we remember
[[Page H9817]]
that Americans remained united in their support for these hostages,
with many tying yellow ribbons around trees in signs of solidarity.
I was 17 years old in 1979, and I well remember, as many Americans
do, that the Iran hostage crisis was a painful time in our history, but
that pain cannot stop us from recognizing the true pain and sacrifice
by these special Americans.
On behalf of the entire Congress, I give special thanks to the
chairman of Commission 52, Brock Pierce, and Ezra Friedlander, the
project manager, for helping to gather support for this bill. It is
truly a public service.
Mr. Speaker, I urge the swift passage of this bill so we can
immediately send it to the President's desk to be signed into law.
Mr. NORMAN. Mr. Speaker, I will say, this is the least we can do for
these American heroes, what they sacrificed, the abuse they took. This
is such a worthy cause.
Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to support this bill, and I
yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. AUCHINCLOSS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time
to close.
I appreciate Representative Suozzi's dedication to this important
issue. This bipartisan bill will honor the bravery of the 53 hostages
of the Iran hostage crisis, the U.S. Embassy employees, who were held
hostage for 444 days.
Mr. Speaker, I again thank Representative Suozzi for championing this
issue and urge my colleagues to support this bill. I yield back the
balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Auchincloss) that the House suspend
the rules and pass the bill, S. 2607.
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.
____________________