[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 148 (2002), Part 8]
[House]
[Page 11032]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




  INTRODUCTION OF H.R. 4971, SUPPORT OF AMERICAN EAGLE SILVER BULLION 
                             PRODUCTION ACT

  (Mr. OTTER asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. OTTER. Mr. Speaker, yesterday, joined by my colleagues, the 
gentleman from Idaho, (Mr. Simpson) and the gentleman from Nevada (Mr. 
Gibbons), I introduced H.R. 4971, the Support of the American Silver 
Bullion Production Act. This bill will allow the U.S. Mint to continue 
its production of the American eagle silver dollar, the most popular 
silver coin in the world.
  The Sunshine Mint Company in my district produces the blanks for 
these coins, and employs 60 of my constituents. Idaho is the greatest 
silver producer in history, mining more than 1.1 billion ounces since 
1884.
  Passage of this bill into law will allow us, number one, to meet the 
worldwide demand for bullion; number two, to continue to build on the 
$264 million that this program has contributed to the deficit 
reduction; and, finally, to preserve the connection between Idaho's 
Silver Valley and our Nation's coinage.

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