[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 8]
[House]
[Pages 10901-10905]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




           AWARDING CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL TO ARNOLD PALMER

  Mr. BACA. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill 
(H.R. 1243) to provide for the award of a gold medal on behalf of 
Congress to Arnold Palmer in recognition of his service to the Nation 
in promoting excellence and good sportsmanship in golf.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 1243

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. FINDINGS.

       Congress finds the following:
       (1) Arnold Palmer is a world famous golf professional, a 
     highly successful business executive, a prominent advertising 
     spokesman, a devoted husband, father, and grandfather, and a 
     man with a common touch that has made him one of the most 
     popular and accessible public figures in history.
       (2) Arnold Palmer amassed 92 championships in professional 
     competition of national or international stature by the end 
     of 1993, 62 of which came on the Professional Golf 
     Association Tour.
       (3) Arnold Palmer's magnetic personality and unfailing 
     sense of kindness and thoughtfulness have endeared him to 
     millions throughout the world.
       (4) Arnold Palmer has been the recipient of countless 
     honors including virtually every national award in golf and 
     both the Hickok Athlete of the Year and Sports Illustrated's 
     Sportsman of the Year awards, and he was chosen Athlete of 
     the Decade for the 1960s in a national Associated Press poll.
       (5) Arnold Palmer has received numerous honors outside the 
     world of sports, including the Patriot Award of the 
     Congressional Medal of Honor Society, the Golden Plate award 
     of the American Academy of Achievement, and the United States 
     Navy Memorial Lone Sailor Award.
       (6) Arnold Palmer was honored by the United States Golf 
     Association with the opening of the Arnold Palmer Center for 
     Golf History on June 3rd 2008.
       (7) Arnold Palmer served his country for 3 years in the 
     United States Coast Guard and was among those chosen to 
     address the Joint Session of Congress on the occasion of the 
     100th anniversary of the birth of President Dwight D. 
     Eisenhower.
       (8) Arnold Palmer served as Honorary National Chairman of 
     the March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation for 20 years and 
     played a major role in the fund-raising drive that led to the 
     creation of the Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children in 
     Orlando and the Latrobe Area Hospital Charitable Foundation 
     in his Western Pennsylvania hometown.
       (9) Arnold Palmer remains active in tournament golf, 
     although he retired from competition in the major 
     championships on April 14, 2002, when he played the last of 
     his 48 Masters Tournaments, where he was given an emotional 
     standing ovation as he finished the 18th hole.

     SEC. 2. CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL.

       (a) Presentation Authorized.--The Speaker of the House of 
     Representatives and the President Pro Tempore of the Senate 
     shall make appropriate arrangements for the presentation, on 
     behalf of the Congress, of a gold medal of appropriate design 
     to Arnold Palmer in recognition of his service to the Nation 
     in promoting excellence and good sportsmanship.
       (b) Design and Striking.--For the purpose of the 
     presentation referred to in subsection (a), the Secretary of 
     the Treasury shall strike a gold medal with suitable emblems, 
     devices, and inscriptions to be determined by the Secretary.

     SEC. 3. DUPLICATE MEDALS.

       Under such regulations as the Secretary of the Treasury may 
     prescribe, the Secretary may strike duplicate medals in 
     bronze of the gold medal struck pursuant to section 2 and 
     sell such duplicate medals at a price sufficient to cover the 
     costs of the duplicate medals (including labor, materials, 
     dies, use of machinery, overhead expenses) and the cost of 
     the gold medal.

     SEC. 4. NATIONAL MEDALS.

       The medals struck under this Act are national medals for 
     purposes of chapter 51 of title 31, United States Code.

     SEC. 5. FUNDING.

       (a) Authorization of Charges.--There is authorized to be 
     charged against the United States Mint Public Enterprise Fund 
     an amount not to exceed $30,000 to pay for the cost of the 
     medals authorized by this Act.
       (b) Proceeds of Sale.--Amounts received from the sale of 
     duplicate bronze medals under section 3 shall be deposited in 
     the United States Mint Public Enterprise Fund.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
California (Mr. Baca) and the gentlewoman from Illinois (Mrs. Biggert) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from California.


                             General Leave

  Mr. BACA. Mr. Speaker I ask unanimous consent that all Members may 
have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks 
on this legislation and to insert extraneous material thereon.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from California?
  There was no objection.

[[Page 10902]]


  Mr. BACA. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, first of all I would like to thank Chairman Frank, 
Ranking Member Spencer Bachus and my colleague, Judy Biggert, who is 
also a cosponsor of this legislation.
  I want to take the time to thank my colleagues in the House of 
Representatives for their support on this bill. It truly is a 
bipartisan bill.
  I also want to thank my staff for their hard work and dedication. I 
rise today in strong support of H.R. 1243, to honor Arnold Palmer with 
a Congressional Gold Medal. Arnold Palmer's golf record is one history 
will forever remember. He is a legend and a giant amongst golfers.
  I have had the opportunity to play with Arnold Palmer before. My son, 
Joe Baca, Jr., mayor pro tem, City of Rialto, was also in attendance. 
This was the most memorable outing I have had the pleasure of 
experiencing. It was an experience the two us will never forget.
  It was like a dream come true. I had to pinch myself to make sure 
that this wasn't just a dream. Not only is he a golf legend, but also a 
genuine person with a great sense of humor.
  Walking these 18 holes with him will forever be one of my greatest 
moments in life, besides, of course, marrying my wife and having my 
four children.
  His drive and passion for the game is an example of sportsmanship of 
the highest caliber and was an inspiration to me.
  However, I ask that Arnold Palmer be awarded the Congressional Gold 
Medal for his leadership as an American.

                              {time}  1330

  Palmer was born in Latrobe, Pennsylvania in September of 1929. He 
learned golf from his father, Deacon Palmer, who was the head 
professional and greenskeeper at Latrobe Country Club. At the age of 7, 
Palmer broke 70 at Bent Creek Country Club.
  Can you imagine the rest of us with the kind of equipment that we 
have today and his having that equipment and breaking 70 at that tender 
age? My Lord, that is something else.
  As a youngster, Palmer was only allowed on the Latrobe course in the 
early mornings or late afternoons when the members weren't playing. He 
attended Wake Forest University on a golf scholarship. He left upon the 
death of close friend, Bud Worsham, and enlisted in the Coast Guard 
where he served for 3 years and continued to hone his skills.
  Palmer gathered himself and returned to competitive golf. His win in 
the 1954 U.S. Amateur Championship made him decide to try the pro tour 
for a while, and he and his new bride, Winifred, whom he had met at a 
Pennsylvania tournament, traveled the circuit for 1955.
  As a member of the Professional Golfers Association, PGA, which also 
stands for ``posture, grip and alignment,'' Palmer won the 1955 
Canadian Open in his rookie season. He raised his game systematically 
for the next several sessions.
  With the help of his unfailing personality and lucrative business 
ventures, Arnold Palmer has almost single-handedly brought golf out of 
the elite country clubs and into the consciousness of mainstream 
America, which is where most of us are from, mainstream America.
  Palmer won his first major championship at the 1958 Masters, 
cementing his position as one of the leading stars in golf. Palmer is 
credited by many for securing the status of the Open Championship--the 
British Open--among U.S. players.
  After Ben Hogan won the championship in 1953, few American 
professionals had traveled to play in The Open due to its travel 
requirements, relatively small prize purses and the style of its links 
courses. That means traveling across the country for the game of golf 
and for the love of the game of golf to ensure that others love the 
game and are as compassionate as he is about the game.
  Palmer's Open wins in the early 1960s convinced many American pros 
that a trip to Britain would be worth the effort. He secured his 
popularity among the British and European fans and, of course, the 
American fans.
  In all, Arnold Palmer won 92 professional events. Can you imagine 
what that's like? Ninety-two. Some of us can't even win when we go out 
and play on a weekend. Ninety-two professional events. His most 
prominent professional titles were four Masters--and I repeat four 
Masters--in 1958, 1960, 1962, and 1964--wow--two British Opens in 1961 
and 1962 and the memorable U.S. Open Championship at Cherry Hills in 
Denver, Colorado in 1960.
  In 1960, he won the Hickok Belt as the top professional athlete of 
the year and Sports Illustrated magazine's Sportsman of the Year 
award--something that a lot of us are striving for that we'll probably 
never, ever make, but we congratulate him on that award.
  In 1967, he became the first man to reach the $1 million in career 
earnings on the PGA Tour. Can you imagine the amount of money during 
that period of time and what he would have won now if they'd paid the 
same amount of money? He'd be equal to Tiger Woods, I believe, but that 
wasn't the case. They didn't pay as much.
  Palmer won the Vardon Trophy for the lowest scoring average four 
times in 1961, 1962, 1964, and 1967. Can you imagine the lowest 
scoring? Well, most of us get the highest scoring award right now 
versus the lowest scoring award on the average, and that's quite a 
compliment, you know, for someone to receive.
  Arnold Palmer also represented the U.S. in the Ryder Cup matches 
seven times as either a player or as a captain. Seven times. You know, 
when we've had the Ryder Cup that has come here in our congressional, 
I'm glad that I've been a member of our Ryder Cup. We've been 
successful in defeating that cup; but can you imagine Arnold Palmer 
being there seven times as either a player or as a captain? That's 
quite an honor. He was the last playing captain in 1963 and captained 
the team again in 1975.
  Palmer was eligible for the Senior PGA Tour from its first season in 
1980, and he was one of the marquees named who helped it become 
successful. That's giving those individuals who play on the young tour 
an opportunity to continue or it's creating hope for seniors who want 
to become professionals. There are others who have become professionals 
as seniors. Thanks to Arnold, those gates were opened to allow 
individuals to get there.
  He won 10 events on the tour, including five senior majors. He 
retired from tournament golf on October 13, 2006.
  One of his favorite drinks is a combination of half iced tea and half 
lemonade. You thought I was going to say some kind of mixed drink or 
liquor. No. Half iced tea and half lemonade. It's a drink which is 
often referred to as the ``Arnold Palmer'' in his honor. That's a great 
drink for those of you who haven't had the Arnold Palmer. I'm not 
soliciting, asking you to go out and do that, but that's great. It's a 
good drink to get when you're out on the golf course.
  I ask that we honor Arnold Palmer with a Congressional Gold Medal 
because of the way Arnold Palmer lives his life. He is a perfect 
example of how Americans should live--and I state: how Americans should 
live. Arnold Palmer's way of life is a perfect example of how all 
Americans should give--how Americans should give.
  He is a devoted husband, father and grandfather who cares for his 
family and who has helped many other families during times of hardship 
and struggle. He has helped many other families during times of 
hardship and struggle, and that's what we're going through right now in 
this Nation and in this country with the recession that we're in and 
with many people losing their homes and their jobs.
  Arnold Palmer's work in philanthropy shows his dedication towards 
helping others. He is known to have an unfailing sense of kindness, and 
has used the game of golf as a means of sharing. He proactively helps 
others survive extreme health emergencies. As a cancer survivor, he 
knows firsthand how devastating health issues can be. Arnold Palmer 
served as Honorary National Chairman of the March of

[[Page 10903]]

Dimes Birth Defects Foundation for 20 years. That means he dedicated 
himself for 20 years to the March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation. He 
played a major role in the fund-raising drives that led to the creation 
of the Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children and Women in Orlando in the 
1980s. The hospital has been healing women and children from central 
Florida and around the world with care, compassion and a leading edge 
in medical care.
  The Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women and Babies has left a permanent 
mark on the lives of thousands of families from around the world--and 
that's around the world.
  The Arnold Palmer Prostate Center--and I state ``prostate center'' 
because most of us may be having it, but we want to make sure that we 
look at prevention. He has recognized every cancer patient as unique 
because of his prostate cancer center. It offers a variety of programs, 
including counseling, nutrition, support groups, a cancer lecture 
series, exercise for cancer patients, and arts in health care, because 
he cares about those patients or those individuals who have been 
affected with prostate cancer. Even my bishop, Bishop Barnes, had 
prostate cancer, and I remember that. It's for individuals who care 
about others and who want to improve their quality of life, which is 
what Arnold Palmer has done for them.
  Arnie's Army Battles Prostate Cancer is a unique funding-raising and 
awareness campaign of the Prostate Cancer Foundation. This program is 
designed to help organizers and participants use golf as a fund-raising 
tool to raise money for better treatments and for the cure of prostate 
cancer. Every dollar raised by Arnie's Army tournaments--and I state 
``every dollar''--goes directly to the Prostate Cancer Foundation. That 
means every dollar goes to the Prostate Cancer Foundation.
  The Arnold Palmer Cancer Pavilion fulfills a longtime dream of his to 
offer outpatient oncology and testing. They are committed to the 
prevention, detection, diagnosis, and treatment of cancer in his home 
town.
  The Winnie Palmer Nature Reserve Trust's mission is to permanently 
improve and maintain property preserved by the Pennsylvania Department 
of Conservation.
  We thank Arnold Palmer; his late wife, Winnie; his two daughters, 
Peggy and Amy; and his five grandchildren, Emily, Katherine Anne, Anne 
Palmer Saunders, Nicola Wears, and Samuel Palmer Saunders, for making 
America a better place. He, too, is a role model, an example that, if 
you lead by example, others can be better, and he has done that in what 
he has demonstrated and in what he has done as an American.
  Although Arnold Palmer does not feel comfortable being called the 
``king of golf,'' Arnold Palmer is royalty, royalty in the eyes and 
hearts of those he has helped. We thank Arnold Palmer. We thank you for 
your life's work.
  His legions of fans were often called Arnie's Army. Well, now we can 
be called Arnie's Congressional Army. So he no longer just has the army 
out there. He has Arnie's Congressional Army.
  You are a true American, an American deserving not only of the 
Presidential Medal of Freedom and of the U.S. Navy's Lone Sailor award, 
to name a few, but Arnold Palmer deserves to be honored with a 
Congressional Gold Medal. For this reason and for many reasons unsaid 
and of stories unsaid and for the people who have met him, I urge all 
Members to support this passage.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mrs. BIGGERT. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  As Sports Illustrated said in a 1994 story, ``All Arnold Daniel 
Palmer did was save golf. All he did was bring golf back to the truck 
drivers and the mailmen, whoever. Basically, he took a game that was a 
little too prissy, a little too clubby, a little too saturated with Ivy 
League men trying not to soil their cardigans and breathe sweet life 
into it.''
  Every one of us, even nongolfers, can name a few men of the links--
Tiger Woods, of course, and perhaps Phil Mickelson of today's game; 
Gary Palmer, Gary Player and Jack Nicklaus from a couple of decades 
ago; and for those who have been playing for years, maybe Ben Hogan and 
Byron Nelson to whom we awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor in the 
109th Congress, but everyone would name Arnold Palmer.
  Amazingly, for a man who won the 92 professional tournaments and who 
at one time was the highest paid professional athlete, earning more 
than $1 million a year, Arnold Palmer always seemed as someone who was 
an everyman. His swing looked pretty much like the guys' you would see 
on a course on a weekend. It definitely was not the picture perfect one 
of a pro, but it did matter. Arnold Palmer was a man who understood the 
history and continuity of the game.
  Born in a steel town east of Pittsburgh, he moved to Latrobe, 
Pennsylvania with his parents when he was young. His father was known 
as Deacon Palmer, who worked at the Latrobe Country Club for years, 
rising from a groundskeeper to a teaching pro. He started his son at 
the age of 3 with a set of golf clubs and, really, was Arnold Palmer's 
only teacher.
  Years later, in 1960, Palmer began a successful crusade to resurrect 
the status of the British Open at the old course in St. Andrews, 
Scotland, becoming the first American of stature to play there since 
Ben Hogan.
  Arnold Palmer put his good winnings to use, becoming so involved in 
business that some thought it detracted from his golf game, but he also 
worked tirelessly for various charities, spending 20 years as the 
honorary chairman of the March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation and in 
spearheading the creation of the Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children 
and Women in Orlando, as well as raising funds for the Latrobe Area 
Hospital Charitable Foundation in his hometown.
  You heard from Mr. Baca of many, many more things that he did, but as 
a Member of Congress from Illinois who has the most golf courses in her 
district in Illinois, I am honored to manage this bill.
  With that, I urge Members to join me in support of H.R. 1243, 
introduced by the gentleman from California (Mr. Baca).
  With that, I would reserve the balance of my time.

                              {time}  1345

  Mr. BACA. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mrs. BIGGERT. Mr. Speaker, I would like to yield such time as he may 
consume to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Murphy).
  Mr. TIM MURPHY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, it is not often that we 
get to talk about people that we consider to be a true gentleman, a 
true friend and a great American. That is what Arnold Palmer is to all 
of us. I am honored that he lives in my congressional district, at 
least during the warm months, out in Youngstown, Pennsylvania, an area 
close to Latrobe, Pennsylvania, at the place that he grew up.
  Now, I am not a great golfer. And, in fact, to discuss it at all 
would be an embarrassment to me. But I did have a chance to play with 
Mr. Palmer once, and in so doing, traveling across his golf course, he 
points to a tree, or formerly a tree, which is now carved in the 
likeness of his father. And that brings about many a story about Deacon 
and how he taught young Arnold to play golf and many of the other 
things about him that have become famous icons: that tractor which he 
brings out now and then to show people when they come to the golf 
course, or how you will often see Arnold sitting out there talking to 
anybody who comes by, signing anything they put before him, because he 
is just so close to the people of the district and of America, always 
willing to shake their hand.
  And a handshake means something to Arnold Palmer. Very famously, he 
had that long-term agreement with his former manager, Mark McCormack, 
that lasted from 1960 until his death in May of 2003. He has the same 
kind of agreement with Doc Giffin, his assistant. That's the way Arnold 
does business. A handshake means something to

[[Page 10904]]

him. You don't have to put it in writing.
  We can also look at other parts of his life. Back when he was a 
champion golfer at Wake Forest, he left there after the death of a 
friend and joined the Coast Guard. And one would have thought he gave 
up golf entirely except he went out and played a little golf in 
Cleveland and rediscovered this great talent he had, and, well, the 
rest becomes history.
  But more so than the stories of golf are the stories of what he has 
done in western Pennsylvania and really around the Nation.
  As a pilot, he helped to develop Latrobe Airport, and interestingly 
enough, served in its authority for many years except during a time 
when he had his own business interests there. Being the true gentleman 
and person of high ethics that he is, he stepped off that aviation 
board for a while to make sure he didn't have any conflicts of 
interest.
  He's also given a great deal to many charities. He helped establish 
the Winnie Palmer Nature Preserve that just yesterday, there was the 
laughter of children there on the St. Vincent's College campus 
exploring that area in the woods and marshes that his former wife, 
Winnie, had talked about, how it was so important to preserve that 
area. He's also given so much to Latrobe Hospital where he remains head 
of their charitable board after raising so many millions of dollars for 
that hospital to help with charitable care. And also the Arnold Palmer 
Pavilion, part of Latrobe Hospital's Mountain View Medical Park 
facility.
  But beyond all of that, other ways to describe him is when you go to 
his office there--it's along the same road where he grew up out there 
on Arnold Palmer Road it's now called--you go up to his office and 
you'll see it's filled with trophies and photos of people he's played 
with of all levels. And of course that famous room where he always 
tinkers and works on his own putters and a wall filled with I don't 
know how many thousands of putters. He's got another area there, a 
warehouse filled with everything that anybody has ever given him. In 
fact, I gave him some congressional golf balls, and he said, ``I'll put 
these in the warehouse with everything else.'' I'm sure he catalogues 
it all.
  I remember walking through and pointed to a certain club and said, 
``Do you know what all these are for?'' He said, ``Sure.'' You name a 
certain hole, a certain year, a certain course, he will tell you what 
club he used and what happened on that. Most famously he has that twin 
set of golf balls mounted on the wall in his office. This is when he 
hit the back-to-back holes-in-one in 1968 at TPC Avondale. He hit it 
one year--I think it was the No. 5 hole, I'm not sure--hit it and the 
next day he shows up on the hole again and there's all the camera crews 
there. He said, ``What are you doing here?'' They said, ``We want to 
watch and see you hit another hole-in-one.'' He didn't expect it, but 
that's what he did.
  There's a couple other things about him, too. In his office, he has a 
table, and it's filled with the medals that he receives from every 
tournament that he wins. But there are a couple of empty spaces on that 
table. I remember asking Arnold what those are for. He said, ``You 
never know. You might just win another medal.'' Quite frankly, I think 
that would be a good place for this Congressional Medal to go.
  A story about him and golf was told to me by a person who probably 
doesn't want me to use his name, so I won't. But it's probably some of 
the best golf advice any of us could ever have and, again, shows some 
of the spirit of Arnold Palmer.
  He was playing with this other golfer who was not having a very good 
day and was probably doing his share of slamming his club down and 
cussing and swearing, I suppose, as he shanked the ball and hit it to 
the left and right off the course. At some point, Palmer said to him, 
``Would you like some advice?'' Now, imagine what any of us, no matter 
what level of golf you have as talent or lack thereof, if Arnold 
Palmer, the King of Golf, says to you, ``Would you like a little 
advice?'' At this point the golfer eagerly said, ``Yes, I'd love it.'' 
And Palmer said to him, ``You're not good enough to get mad.''
  Well, so it is great advice for all of us. We're not good enough to 
get mad. Let's leave that to the professionals in this.
  But it is important that we recognize Arnold is good enough to 
receive this recognition. And I might say in all the years I have known 
Arnold Palmer, he's never asked me for anything--well, except for one 
thing. The man who seems to have it all has never come to his 
Congressman saying, I want you to do this or that. He just asked this: 
When you drive down Arnold Palmer Road and you come across the entrance 
to Latrobe Country Club where the sign says ``slow down, golf cart 
crossing,'' he really doesn't want anybody to get hurt there, and he 
would sure appreciate it if you just slowed down your car.
  All in all, though, for a life that is still very rich in its 
accomplishments and for a person who has made America a better country 
because of what he has done, not only for the sport of golf but for 
health and for so many people around this country, Mr. Speaker, Arnold 
Palmer is a man well-deserving of this Congressional Medal.
  Mr. BACA. I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mrs. BIGGERT. Mr. Speaker, at this time I would yield such time as he 
may consume to the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Burton).
  Mr. BURTON of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague over there 
who is a great golfer for introducing this resolution and my colleague 
from Pennsylvania.
  One of the things I will just say at the outset is I envy you because 
you had a chance to play golf with him. Tom Ridge, our former 
colleague, promised me when he became governor, he was going to arrange 
for me to play with Arnold Palmer, and he never did it. So when you see 
Governor Ridge, would you tell him I am still disappointed about that. 
Would you do that for me? Thank you. Be sure to tell him.
  There's been a lot said about Arnold Palmer today, and I am not going 
to be redundant and go over the things that have been said. But I will 
tell you this: that I have been an avid golfer and have followed golf 
all of my life as soon as I was 12 years old, and there's nobody that I 
know that brought golf from a minor sport into the major arena like 
Arnold Palmer did.
  Years ago, he won the Los Angeles Open, and on the front page of the 
Indianapolis Star newspaper they had a picture of him with a check for 
$5,000, and he was holding it up like, ``My gosh. Isn't this a 
tremendous amount of money?''
  When Arnold Palmer came on the scene and started making the great 
comebacks that he did in the Masters and U.S. Open and the PGA and 
British Open, he brought a new attitude to golf, a new sensation to 
golf. You talked about Arnie's Army, and people across the country who 
didn't play golf, who weren't really interested in the sport, became 
interested because here was a guy you see on television coming down to 
the 16th or 17th hole, two shots behind, and you knew he was going to 
be there at the end. He was a lot like Tiger Woods is today. He would 
knock in a putt at the 16th or 17th hole and everybody would go crazy, 
and he would win the tournament on the last one. We've seen Tiger Woods 
do that. Arnold Palmer was the Tiger Woods of his day. He made golf a 
tremendous sport, a spectator sport, and he made it into something that 
every American is now interested in.
  He did a lot of humanitarian things. I know you mentioned his 
involvement with children and the March of Dimes and prostate cancer. 
He did all of those things. But none of that wouldn't have occurred if 
he didn't have the personality and charisma that he showed on the golf 
course all those years. We had great players like Nicklaus, Player and 
Trevino and a whole host of them that played with him, but Palmer was 
the man. He was the guy that we all watched on Sunday afternoon and 
couldn't wait to get to the TV set to cheer on.
  I am tickled to death that you're moving this medal of honor for him,

[[Page 10905]]

and I am very happy to add my two cents worth. I think it's a great 
honor for him, and I hope he does put it in a very important place with 
all of his other trophies.
  Mr. BACA. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mrs. BIGGERT. I have no further speakers and would yield back the 
balance of my time.
  Mr. BACA. Mr. Speaker, first of all, I would thank Judy Biggert. 
Thank you very much for being a cosponsor of this important 
legislation. I want to thank Tim Murphy and, of course, my good friend 
Dan Burton, who, as well, is an excellent golfer I've had the 
opportunity to play golf with on many occasions. And he does hit the 
ball a long ways. Although we have a difficult time in getting it in 
the hole in three or four, whatever the course may be. Tim, I know that 
you had the privilege, like I, of playing with Arnold Palmer; and it's 
really quite a memorable experience. For those of us who have an 
opportunity to walk down the 18th hole, talk to him, look at his 
personality as a human being. He's one that's touched the life of many 
individuals.
  For people that have watched him play golf and have played golf, and 
not everybody can exert and be as good as Arnold Palmer was--and is, 
still today--and what he has done for the game itself not only for 
individuals that go there that when you're playing a lot of times, he 
is one that was a risk taker, a challenger. He's the one that said when 
it was impossible to hit that kind of a shot, he would dare and hit in 
between woods, try to hit over trees, try to make sure that if there 
was a lake, he says, ``I'm going to get to the tin cup of the world.'' 
He was the tin cup, except he got there and didn't have to take 12 
strokes to get there.
  That's one thing about Arnold Palmer is he lifted the game to another 
level because he believed in the challenge of it. He just didn't 
believe in just being that safe person and getting a par on a par 4 or 
getting a par on a par 5 or par 3. He always went for that birdie or 
that eagle because a lot of times he reached it.
  As I stated before, can you imagine what he would have been today if 
he had the kind of equipment that we have right now in hitting the 
balls and in playing. He's one that excelled in terms of having the 
excellence, because for those of us that even get over a putt, it's 
very difficult to be over a putt and then all of a sudden, you have to 
make that putt. I happened to be playing the other day, and I had maybe 
a two-and-a-half-foot putt for a birdie. I missed it. Can you imagine 
him? He had the nerves to make sure that he not only made that putt but 
made every other putt. Nerves of steel. And for that, we will always 
remember that he touched the lives of many individuals, and I think 
that's important for a lot of us, to know of a human being that really 
cared about people, that wanted to make people a lot better, and he did 
it through golf.
  He felt that golf was an opportunity for himself to excel and show 
the world that others can participate in this game and give back. He 
always believed in giving back to the community, and that's what he's 
done. That's why our lives are a lot better, and he's touched the lives 
of many individuals today that will always look at him, that have 
followed him throughout the world in Arnie's Army, now the 
Congressional Army that he has out here, to say, Arnie, we now realize 
that you did more than just golf. You did a lot for human beings in 
this world right now.
  That's why, Mr. Speaker, I ask us all to make sure that we support 
H.R. 1243, to provide the award of the Gold Medal on behalf of Congress 
to Arnold Palmer in recognition of his service to this Nation in 
promoting excellence and good sportsmanship.
  Mr. MURTHA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 1243, which 
will award a Congressional Gold Medal; to my good friend Arnold Palmer, 
recognizing his service to our nation in promoting excellence and good 
sportsmanship in golf.
  Arnold Palmer, who was born and raised in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, is 
an extraordinary individual who has achieved greatness. Mr. Palmer's 
father, Deacon Palmer, taught him to play golf at an early age and he 
quickly excelled at the game. He continued playing while attending Wake 
Forest University on a golf scholarship and while serving in the United 
States Coast Guard.
  After winning the U.S. Amateur Championship in 1954, Mr. Palmer 
turned pro. Since then he has won seven major championships, including 
winning the U.S. Open and the Open Championship twice, and was the 
first golfer to win the Masters Tournament four times. In addition to 
winning 61 tournaments between 1954 and 1975, he represented the United 
States by playing in the Ryder Cup six times between 1961 and 1973 and 
by serving as captain in 1963 and 1975. In 1963 he was the last player 
to also serve simultaneously as captain. He also served as the 
Presidents Cup captain in 1996.
  Over the course of his career, Mr. Palmer was honored with many 
accolades. He was the PGA Player of the Year in 1960 and 1962, he won 
the Vardon Trophy four times, was named Sports Illustrated magazine's 
Sportsman of the Year in 1960, and was inducted into the World Golf 
Hall of Fame in 1974. He was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom 
in 2004.
  Mr. Speaker, in addition to golf, Mr. Palmer is an extraordinary 
businessman, a skilled aviator, and a devoted family man. He founded 
the Arnold Palmer Pavilion at the University of Pittsburgh Medical 
Center, which is helping many western Pennsylvanians in their battles 
with cancer. Arnold Palmer is a favorite son of Latrobe, Pennsylvania, 
inspiring many to work hard and follow their dreams. He is truly 
deserving of the Congressional Gold Medal.
  Mr. BACA. I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from California (Mr. Baca) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, H.R. 1243.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds 
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
  Mr. BACA. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the 
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be 
postponed.

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