[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 150 (2004), Part 11]
[House]
[Pages 15622-15625]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




         MARINE CORPS 230TH ANNIVERSARY COMMEMORATIVE COIN ACT

  Mr. CASTLE. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 3277), to require the Secretary of the Treasury to mint 
coins in commemoration of the 230th Anniversary of the United States 
Marine Corps, and to support construction of the Marine Corps Heritage 
Centers, as amended.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                               H.R. 3277

       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 ``Marine Corps 230th 
     Anniversary Commemorative Coin Act''.

     SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

       The Congress finds that--
       (1) November 10, 2005, marks the 230th anniversary of the 
     United States Marine Corps;
       (2) the United States Marine Corps has, over the course of 
     its illustrious 230-year history, fought gallantly in defense 
     of the United States;
       (3) the United States Marine Corps has, over the course of 
     its storied history, established itself as the Nation's 
     military leader in amphibious warfare, and will continue in 
     that role as the United States faces the challenges of the 
     21st Century;
       (4) the United States Marine Corps continues to exemplify 
     the warrior ethos that has made it a fighting force of 
     international repute;
       (5) all Americans should commemorate the legacy of the 
     United States Marine Corps so that the values embodied in the 
     ``Corps'' are recognized for the significant contribution 
     they have made in protecting the United States against its 
     enemies;
       (6) in 2001, the Congress authorized the construction of 
     the Marine Corps Heritage Center, the purpose of which is to 
     provide a multipurpose facility to be used for historical 
     displays for the public viewing, curation, and storage of 
     artifacts, research facilities, classrooms, offices, and 
     associated activities, consistent with the mission of the 
     Marine Corps;
       (7) the Marine Corps Heritage Center is scheduled to open 
     on November 10, 2005;
       (8) the United States should pay tribute to the 230th 
     anniversary of the United States Marine Corps by minting and 
     issuing a commemorative silver dollar coin; and
       (9) the surcharge proceeds from the sale of a commemorative 
     coin, which would have no net costs to the taxpayers, would 
     raise valuable funding for the construction of the Marine 
     Corps Heritage Center.

     SEC. 3. COIN SPECIFICATIONS.

       (a) $1 Silver Coins.--The Secretary of the Treasury 
     (hereafter in this Act referred to as the ``Secretary'') 
     shall mint and issue not more than 500,000 $1 coins, each of 
     which shall--
       (1) weigh 26.73 grams;
       (2) have a diameter of 1.500 inches; and
       (3) contain 90 percent silver and 10 percent copper.
       (b) Legal Tender.--The coins minted under this Act shall be 
     legal tender, as provided in section 5103 of title 31, United 
     States Code.

     SEC. 4. DESIGN OF COINS.

       (a) Design Requirements.--
       (1) In general.--The design of the coins minted under this 
     Act shall be emblematic of the warrior ethos of the United 
     States Marine Corps.
       (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 ``2005''; 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 
     Marine Corps Historical Division and the Commission of Fine 
     Arts; 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.

[[Page 15623]]

       (b) Mint Facility.--Only 1 facility of the United States 
     Mint may be used to strike any particular quality of the 
     coins minted under this Act.
       (c) Period for Issuance.--The Secretary may issue coins 
     minted under this Act only during the 1-year period beginning 
     on January 1, 2005.

     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 subsection (b) 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) Surcharges.--All sales of coins issued under this Act 
     shall include a surcharge of $10 per coin.
       (c) Bulk Sales.--The Secretary shall make bulk sales of 
     coins issued under this Act at a reasonable discount.
       (d) Prepaid Orders.--
       (1) In general.--The Secretary shall accept prepaid orders 
     for coins minted under this Act before the issuance of such 
     coins.
       (2) Discount.--Sale prices with respect to prepaid orders 
     under paragraph (1) should be at a reasonable discount.
       (e) Limitation.--Notwithstanding subsection (b), 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. 7. DISTRIBUTION OF SURCHARGES.

       (a) Distribution.--Subject to section 5134(f) 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 Marine Corps Heritage 
     Foundation for the purposes of construction of the Marine 
     Corps Heritage Center, as authorized by section 1 of Public 
     Law 106-398 (114 Stat. 1654).
       (b) Audit.--The Marine Corps Heritage Foundation 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 (a).

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Delaware (Mr. Castle) and the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Scott) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Delaware (Mr. Castle).


                             General Leave

  Mr. CASTLE. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their 
remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 3277, as amended.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Delaware?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. CASTLE. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 3277, the 
Marine Corps 230th Anniversary Commemorative Coin Act, authored by the 
gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Murtha), himself a Marine, and ask for 
its immediate passage.
  Madam Speaker, this legislation authorizes the Secretary of the 
Treasury to strike and issue in 2005 $1 silver commemorative coins in 
observation of the 230th anniversary of the founding of the Marine 
Corps, which will be celebrated November 10, 2005.
  The corps of Marines was create in 1775 by the Continental Congress 
even before the formal creation of the United States to provide a 
landing force for the evolving country's fleet.
  Moving forward from that tradition of service on land and sea, the 
Marines have played pivotal roles in every major conflict in which the 
United States has been involved, often taking the most grueling tasks 
with pride.
  Madam Speaker, proceeds from surcharges on the sale of the 
commemorative coins will be applied after the raising of the matching 
funds towards the construction of a Marine Corps Heritage Center being 
built at Quantico, Virginia, by the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation, a 
501(c)3 nonprofit corporation. The foundation is dedicated to the 
preservation and chronicling of Marine Corps history through scholarly 
research, education and outreach efforts detailing the Marine Corps' 
contributions to the Nation. The center is scheduled to open on the 
230th anniversary of the founding of the corps.
  Obviously, the Marine Corps, with its storied tradition, has played 
an important part in the defense of this country and our values, and I 
believe the Marine Corps is a distinguished group of men and women 
worthy of a commemorative coin and the heritage center is a fine 
endeavor to receive the funds raised.
  It is my understanding that some of the artifacts that will be in the 
center now are housed in a World War II-era Quonset hut, and I think we 
can all agree that a better environment to preserve and teach about 
these important artifacts is necessary.
  Finally, Madam Speaker, I would like to take a moment to thank the 
gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Murtha), as I mentioned, himself a 
Marine, for his diligent and tireless work on behalf of this 
legislation, which is supported by more than 300 bipartisan cosponsors, 
myself included.
  I would also like to recognize, in addition to the gentleman from 
Pennsylvania (Mr. Murtha), the five Members of the United States House 
of Representatives who served in the United States Marine Corps: the 
gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Evans), the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. 
Gilchrest), the gentleman from New York (Mr. Houghton), the gentleman 
from Minnesota (Mr. Kline), and the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. 
Snyder). We thank these gentleman and all the men and women of the 
United States Marine Corps for their service to our country.
  Madam Speaker, I ask for immediate passage of H.R. 3277, which was 
approved on voice votes in both subcommittee and the full Committee on 
Financial Services.
  Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. SCOTT of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I 
may consume.
  Madam Speaker, this is indeed an honor for me today, to stand on this 
most important bill in recognition of our Marine Corps, and I want to 
start my remarks by recognizing a distinguished Marine himself, the 
distinguished gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Murtha), who is the 
primary author of this legislation.
  Today, Madam Speaker, we take up the Marine Corps 230th Anniversary 
Commemorative Coin Act, H.R. 3277. This measure passed the Committee on 
Financial Services by voice vote with my support.
  November 10, 2005, marks the 230th anniversary of the United States 
Marine Corps. The United States Marine Corps has, over the course of 
its illustrative 230-year history, fought gallantly in defense of the 
United States.
  This commemorative coin bill will direct the Secretary of the 
Treasury to mint 500,000 $1 coins with the emblem of the warrior ethos 
of the United States Marine Corps. The surcharge proceeds from the sale 
of this commemorative coin, which would have no net cost to the 
taxpayers, will raise valuable funding for the construction of the 
Marine Corps Heritage Center.
  In 2001, the Congress authorized the construction of the Marine Corps 
Heritage Center. The facility will be used for historical displays, 
curation, and the storage of artifacts, research facilities, classrooms 
and offices. The Marine Corps Heritage Center is scheduled to open on 
November 10, 2005.
  I strongly support the Marine Corps, especially since in Georgia we 
have a Marine Corps presence at the Marine Corps Logistics Base, in 
Albany, Georgia. The base comprises a depot maintenance complex that 
provides world-wide expeditionary logistics support to the Fleet Marine 
Force, and other forces and agencies.
  The repair facility operates as a multi-commodity maintenance center. 
The maintenance center is an integral part of the Marine Corps 
Logistics Base and works closely with other organizations in carrying 
out the mission of the base, which is to provide logistics support to 
Marine forces that will maintain continued readiness and sustainment 
necessary to meet operational requirements.

[[Page 15624]]

  The Marine Corps Maintenance Center, MC, is capable of supporting 
Marine Corps ground combat and combat support equipment, as well as 
other customers with similar needs. Personnel are cross-trained to 
apply common skills to work on a variety of equipment and different 
commodities. This affords the Marine Corps MCs the flexibility to 
rapidly realign their work force to meet the changing requirements of 
the FMF and other customers. It should be noted that while the MCs' 
capacities for each major commodity is highly flexible, their total 
capacity is relatively constant.
  The Marine Logistics Base in Albany, Georgia, is critical, because 
during the late 1990s, Marine Corps units deployed to several African 
nations, including Liberia, the Central African Republic and Zaire in 
order to provide security and assist in the evacuation of American 
citizens during periods of political and civil instability in these 
nations.
  Humanitarian and disaster relief operations were also conducted by 
Marines during the 1998 situation in Kenya and in the Central American 
nations of Honduras, Nicaragua, El Salvador and Guatemala.
  In 1999, Marine units deployed to Kosovo in support of Operation 
Allied Forces.
  Soon after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attack on New York City 
and here in Washington, D.C., Marine units deployed to the Arabian Sea 
and in November set up a forward operating base in southern Afghanistan 
as part of Operation Enduring Freedom.
  Today the Marine Corps stands ready to continue in the proud 
tradition of those who valiantly fought and died at Iwo Jima, in the 
Chosin Reservoir and Khe Sanh, combining a long and proud heritage of 
faithful service to this Nation, with the resolve to face tomorrow's 
challenges, and will continue to keep the Marine Corps the best of the 
best.
  Madam Speaker, from the foundation of this country, from the 
Revolutionary War, to the War of 1812, to the Mexican-American War, to 
the Civil War, to the Spanish-American War, World War I and World War 
II, to the Korean War, from the Halls of Montezuma to the shores of 
Tripoli, from the jungles in Vietnam to the hot sand in the Middle 
East, our Marine Corps has been there, on the cutting edge, standing 
strong and fighting and dying for our freedom and freedom around this 
world, and oftentimes standing when there is nothing left to do but 
stand and die for a noble cause, freedom and democracy.
  Madam Speaker, I know that every American in this country joins me in 
recognizing the Marine Corps with this 230th commemorative coin that 
will go a long way in simply saying thank you, our Marines.
  Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. 
Evans).
  Mr. EVANS. Madam Speaker, I am proud to support this Commemorative 
Coin Act. I want to thank my friend and fellow Marine, the gentleman 
from Pennsylvania (Mr. Murtha), for sponsoring this legislation. We 
have worked hard together to get our colleagues out in cosponsoring 
this legislation.
  I am really impressed how eager our colleagues are to support the 
United States Marine Corps. There are currently only six enlisted men 
serving in the United States House of Representatives that were in the 
Marine Corps.
  My friend, the gentleman from New York (Mr. Houghton), is the oldest 
Marine; and I am proud to serve with him. As we all know, the gentleman 
is retiring this year and will be missed. He represents the generation 
of Marines that motivated my brother and myself to join the corps. It 
was his generation and their heroics in Guadalcanal, Iwo Jima and other 
places of legend and lore that seduced thousands of men and women to 
join.

                              {time}  2230

  Madam Speaker, many people can point to a time in their life when 
everything changed. For me, it was my time in the United States Marine 
Corps. Not only did it give me discipline and rigorous physical 
conditioning, but it gave me a purpose in life.
  The Marine Corps has continued to give generations of young Americans 
a purpose for their lives. So I thank the Chair for sponsoring this and 
for helping us to get it to this point.
  Mr. SCOTT of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I have no further requests for 
time, and I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. CASTLE. Madam Speaker, in yielding back, let me just thank the 
gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Evans) for his service to this country on 
a couple of fronts, obviously, here in Congress and as a Marine, and 
the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Scott) for his touching speech for the 
Marines, for whom we all owe a great debt of gratitude. I urge everyone 
to support the legislation.
  Mr. SCHROCK. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 3277, the 
Marine Corps 230th Anniversary Commemorative Coin Act.
  As a representative of one of the largest military constituencies in 
the Nation and as the chairman of the House Navy and Marine Corps 
Caucus, I am proud to support this bill.
  This is about memorializing the heritage of the United States Marine 
Corps, both in silver, and through the financial support that this will 
bring to funding the Marine Corps Heritage Center, which will allow us 
to preserve the over 200 years of brave service to our country that the 
Marine Corps has rendered.
  The Marine Corps fought during America's first war on terror, when 
then President Thomas Jefferson launched a war against the Barbary 
pirates, who for nearly 200 years had terrorized shipping in the 
Caribbean, raiding ships, and forcing American merchant sailors into 
slavery until ransom was paid for their release.
  Like today, the actions of these terrorists were openly supported by 
foreign nations who had no respect for law. Like today, few other 
countries in the world were willing to stand up and fight.
  Many European nations calculated that paying tribute to the Barbary 
pirates to leave their merchant ships alone gave them an edge over 
young countries like the United States in commercial trade.
  As part of Jefferson's war on the Barbary pirates, in 1805, a brave 
force of U.S. Marines crossed over 600 miles of West African desert and 
successfully assaulted the Barbary pirate harbor fortress at Derna, on 
the shores of Tripoli.
  Following this victory, these Marines were the first U.S. forces to 
hoist the flag of the United States over territory in the Old World.
  This early success of the Marines struck a blow for the forces of 
lawful nations against the terrorism of their day, and contributed to a 
change in the policy of European nations paying tribute, eventually 
bringing an end to the terrorism of the Barbary Coast nations.
  This heritage is what we are commemorating with the passage of this 
bill. It is the same heritage that we will be preserving through the 
Marine Corps Heritage Center.
  Mr. OXLEY. Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 
3277, the Marine Corps 230th Anniversary Commemorative Coin Act, 
authored by the gentleman from Pennsylvania, Mr. Murtha, and ask for 
its immediate passage.
  All of us know the grit the Marines have shown in the face of some of 
the worst of the fighting necessary to protect our Nation. All of us 
know the esprit de corps for which the Marines are famous. But, I 
think, few of us know all of the history of the Marines--that they were 
formed even before the United States became a country, for example. 
Passage of this legislation will help rectify that problem.
  Surcharges from the sale of the coins authorized in this bill will 
help fund construction of a facility at Quantico to house Marines 
memorabilia currently held in a 60-plus-year-old corrugated-metal 
building that isn't going to last forever. The Marine Corps Heritage 
Center that would be partially funded by surcharges and matching funds 
will provide a permanent center for preserving those artifacts, and a 
place to do research on the Marines.
  I would like to congratulate Mr. Murtha for his legislation and for 
all the hard work to get the co-sponsorship of more than two-thirds of 
this body, and as well to thank Chairman Thomas for his help in 
expediting consideration of the bill. With that, I urge immediate 
passage of this legislation.
  Mr. CASTLE. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Ms. Harris). The question is on the motion 
offered by the gentleman from Delaware (Mr. Castle) that the House 
suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 3277, as amended.

[[Page 15625]]

  The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor 
thereof) the rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

                          ____________________