[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 9]
[Senate]
[Pages 12594-12595]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                 BOB DOLE CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL ACT

  Mr. ROBERTS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the 
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs be discharged from 
further consideration of S. 1616 and the Senate proceed to its 
immediate consideration.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The clerk will report the bill by title.
  The senior assistant legislative clerk read as follows:

       A bill (S. 1616) to award the Congressional Gold Medal to 
     Bob Dole, in recognition for his service to the nation as a 
     soldier, legislator, and statesman.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the bill.
  Mr. ROBERTS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the bill be 
considered read a third time.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The bill was ordered to be engrossed for a third reading and was read 
the third time.
  Mr. ROBERTS. I know of no further debate on the bill.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there further debate?
  Hearing none, the bill having been read the third time, the question 
is, Shall the bill pass?
  The bill (S. 1616) was passed, as follows:

                                S. 1616

       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 ``Bob Dole Congressional Gold 
     Medal Act''.

     SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

       Congress finds the following:
       (1) Bob Dole was born on July 22, 1923 in Russell, Kansas.
       (2) Growing up during the Great Depression, Bob Dole 
     learned the values of hard-work and discipline, and worked at 
     a local drug store.
       (3) In 1941, Bob Dole enrolled at the University of Kansas 
     as a pre-medical student. During his time at KU he played for 
     the basketball, football, and track teams, and joined the 
     Kappa Sigma Fraternity, from which he would receive the ``Man 
     of the Year'' award in 1970.
       (4) Bob Dole's collegiate studies were interrupted by WWII, 
     and he enlisted in the United States Army. During a military 
     offensive in Italy, he was seriously wounded while trying to 
     save a fellow soldier. Despite his grave injuries, Dole 
     recovered and was awarded two Purple Hearts and a Bronze Star 
     with an Oak Cluster for his service. He also received an 
     American Campaign Medal, a European-African-Middle Eastern 
     Campaign Medal, and a World War II Victory Medal.
       (5) While working on his law degree from Washburn 
     University, Bob Dole was elected into the Kansas House of 
     Representatives, serving from 1951-1953.
       (6) Bob Dole was elected into the U.S. House of 
     Representatives and served two Kansas districts from 1961-
     1969.
       (7) In 1969, Bob Dole was elected into the U.S. Senate and 
     served until 1996. Over the course of this period, he served 
     as Chairman of the Republican National Committee, Chairman of 
     the Finance Committee, Senate Minority Leader, and Senate 
     Majority Leader.
       (8) Bob Dole was known for his ability work across the 
     aisle and embrace practical bipartisanship on issues such as 
     social security.
       (9) Bob Dole has been a life-long advocate for the disabled 
     and was a key figure in the passing of the Americans with 
     Disabilities Act in 1990.
       (10) After his appointment as Majority Leader, Bob Dole set 
     the record as the nation's longest-serving Republican Leader 
     in the Senate.
       (11) Several Presidents of the United States have specially 
     honored Bob Dole for his hard-work and leadership in the 
     public sector. This recognition is exemplified by the 
     following:
       (A) President Reagan awarded Bob Dole the Presidential 
     Citizens Medal in 1989 stating, ``Whether on the battlefield 
     or Capitol Hill, Senator Dole has served America heroically. 
     Senate Majority Leader during one of the most productive 
     Congresses of recent time, he has also been a friend to 
     veterans, farmers, and Americans from every walk of life. Bob 
     Dole has stood for integrity, straight talk and achievement 
     throughout his years of distinguished public service.''.
       (B) Upon awarding Bob Dole with the Presidential Medal of 
     Freedom in 1997, President Clinton made the following 
     comments, ``Son of the soil, citizen, soldier and legislator, 
     Bob Dole understands the American people, their struggles, 
     their triumphs and their dreams . . . In times of conflict 
     and crisis, he has worked to keep America united and strong . 
     . . our country is better for his courage, his determination, 
     and his willingness to go the long course to lead America.''.
       (12) After his career in public office, Bob Dole became an 
     active advocate for the public good. He served as National 
     Chairman of the World War II Memorial Campaign, helping raise 
     over $197 million dollars to construct the National WWII 
     Memorial, and as Co-Chair of the Families of Freedom 
     Scholarship Fund, raising over $120 million for the 
     educational needs of the families of victims of 9-11.
       (13) From 1997-2001, Bob Dole served as chairman of the 
     International Commission on Missing Persons in the Former 
     Yugoslavia.
       (14) In 2003, Bob Dole established The Robert J. Dole 
     Institute of Politics at the University of Kansas to 
     encourage bipartisanship in politics.
       (15) Bob Dole is a strong proponent of international 
     justice and, in 2004, received the Golden Medal of Freedom 
     from the president of Kosovo for his support of democracy and 
     freedom in Kosovo.
       (16) In 2007, President George W. Bush appointed Bob Dole 
     to co-chair the President's Commission on Care for America's 
     Returning Wounded Warriors, which inspected the system of 
     medical care received by U.S. soldiers returning from Iraq 
     and Afghanistan.
       (17) Bob Dole was the co-creator of the McGovern-Dole 
     International Food for Education and Child Nutrition Program, 
     helping combat child hunger and poverty. In 2008, he was co-
     awarded the World Food Prize for his work with this 
     organization.
       (18) Bob Dole is co-founder of the Bipartisan Policy Center 
     which works to develop policies suitable for bipartisan 
     support.
       (19) Bob Dole is a strong advocate for veterans, having 
     volunteered on a weekly basis for more than a decade on 
     behalf of the Honor Flight Network.
       (20) Bob Dole serves as Finance Chairman of the Campaign 
     for the National Eisenhower Memorial, leading the private 
     fundraising effort to memorialize President Dwight D. 
     Eisenhower in Washington, DC.
       (21) Bob Dole was acknowledged by many organizations for 
     his achievements both inside and outside of politics, 
     including being awarded the ``U.S. Senator John Heinz Award 
     for Outstanding Public Service By An Elected Official'', the 
     Gold Good Citizenship Award, the American Patriot Award, the 
     Survivor's Gratitude Award, the U.S. Association of Former 
     Member of Congress Distinguished Service Award, a 
     Distinguished Service Medal, the French Legion of Honor 
     medal, the Horatio Alger Award, the U.S. Defense Department's 
     Distinguished Public Service Award, the National Collegiate 
     Athletic Association's Teddy Roosevelt Award, the Albert 
     Schweitzer Medal ``for outstanding contributions to animal 
     welfare'', the 2004 Sylvanus Thayer Award, and honorary 
     degrees from the University of Kansas, Fort Hays State 
     University, and the University of New Hampshire School of 
     Law.
       (22) Throughout his life-long service to our country, Bob 
     Dole has embodied the American spirit of leadership and 
     determination, and serves as one of the most prolific role 
     models both in and outside of politics.

     SEC. 3. 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 gold medal of appropriate design to Bob 
     Dole, in recognition for his service to the nation as a 
     soldier, legislator, and statesman.
       (b) Design and Striking.--For the purpose 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.

     SEC. 4. DUPLICATE MEDALS.

       The Secretary may strike and sell duplicates in bronze of 
     the gold medal struck under section 3 under such regulations 
     as the Secretary may prescribe, at a price sufficient to 
     cover the cost thereof, including labor, materials, dies, use 
     of machinery, and overhead expenses, and the cost of the gold 
     medal.

     SEC. 5. STATUS OF MEDALS.

       (a) National Medals.--The medals struck under this Act are 
     national medals for purposes of chapter 51 of title 31, 
     United States Code.
       (b) Numismatic Items.--For purposes of sections 5134 and 
     5136 of title 31, United States Code, all medals struck under 
     this Act shall be considered to be numismatic items.

  Mr. ROBERTS. I ask unanimous consent that the motion to reconsider be 
considered made and laid upon the table.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mr. ROBERTS. Mr. President, I rise also to talk about my dear friend 
and mentor, Bob Dole. Senator Dole just celebrated his 94th birthday, 
and I think it is obviously right and proper to honor his contributions 
to our Nation.

[[Page 12595]]

  Let me tell you a little bit about Bob Dole. He comes from Russell, 
KS. You can't get any more Kansas than Russell. Growing up during the 
Great Depression, Bob Dole learned the values of hard work and 
discipline, which is the mark of a Kansas upbringing and the heart of 
what I call Kansas values.
  In 1941, Bob Dole enrolled at the University of Kansas as a premed 
student. During his time at KU, he played for the basketball, football, 
and track teams. Being a K-State alum, I don't always hold that against 
him, but his collegiate studies were interrupted by World War II. And 
when he answered the call to duty, he joined the U.S. Army. During a 
military offensive in Italy, he was very seriously wounded while trying 
to save a fellow soldier. Despite his grave injuries, Bob recovered and 
was awarded two Purple Hearts and a Bronze Star with an Oak Leaf 
Cluster for his service. He is indeed a warrior and a hero.
  After the war, Bob returned to Kansas, studied the law, and was 
elected to the Kansas House of Representatives. He soon moved to the 
U.S. House of Representatives and served two Kansas districts from 1961 
to 1969, including my old district, if I can refer to it in that way, 
``The Big First.''
  In 1969, Bob Dole was elected to the U.S. Senate and served until 
1996. Now, over the course of this period, he served as chairman of the 
Republican National Committee, chairman of the Finance Committee, 
Senate minority leader, and then Senate majority leader.
  During his time in Washington, Senator Dole was known for his ability 
to work across the aisle and embrace practical bipartisanship on the 
issues, such as tax reform, Social Security, and many other pressing 
issues. I would call this the Kansas approach to legislating. He has 
been a lifelong advocate for the disabled and was a key figure in the 
passing of the Americans with Disabilities Act back in 1990.
  After his appointment as majority leader, Bob Dole set the record as 
the Nation's longest serving Republican leader in the Senate of the 
United States. Several Presidents of the United States have especially 
honored Bob for his hard work and leadership in the public sector. For 
example, President Reagan awarded Bob Dole the Presidential Citizens 
Medal in 1989.
  President Reagan stated:

       Whether on the battlefield or Capitol Hill, Senator Dole 
     has served America heroically. Serving as Senate Majority 
     Leader during one of the most productive Congresses of recent 
     time, he has also been a friend to veterans, farmers, and 
     Americans from every walk of life. Bob Dole has stood for 
     integrity, straight talk and achievement throughout his years 
     of distinguished public service.

  So said our former President, Ronald Reagan.
  As I said, they are Kansas values.
  Likewise, in 1997, President Clinton awarded Senator Dole with the 
Presidential Medal of Freedom saying:

       Son of the soil, citizen, soldier and legislator, Bob Dole 
     understands the American people, their struggles, their 
     triumphs and their dreams. . . . In times of conflict and 
     crisis, he has worked to keep America united and strong. . . 
     . Our country is better for his courage, his determination, 
     and his willingness to go the long course to lead America.

  So said our former President, Bill Clinton.
  Senator Dole remains active today, serving as the national chairman 
of the World War II Memorial Campaign, a memorial that simply would not 
be in existence today had it not been for his perseverance, leadership, 
and cochair of the Families of Freedom Scholarship Fund.
  In 2007 President George W. Bush appointed Bob to cochair the 
President's Commission on Care for America's Returning Wounded 
Warriors, which inspected and reformed the system of medical care 
received by U.S. soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan.
  He remains the strongest advocate for veterans, having volunteered on 
a weekly basis for more than a decade on behalf of the national Honor 
Flight Network.
  As a person who has gone to the World War II Memorial, along with Bob 
Dole, I know I greet the veterans at the bus. They immediately get off 
the bus. Whether they are from Kansas or any other State, they are very 
proud to come to see their memorial. The first question they ask is 
this: Where is Bob? Is Bob here? Then, they flock to him like a mother 
hen. Maybe, that is not the best example, but it certainly shows the 
pride and the desire of our veterans to meet the man who did so much 
for their memorial.
  I am also proud that he serves today as the finance chairman of the 
campaign for the national Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial, leading the 
private fundraising effort to memorialize President Dwight David 
Eisenhower, our favorite son in Kansas, here in Washington, something 
near and dear to both of us. I am privileged to be the chairman of the 
Eisenhower Memorial Commission.
  It is abundantly clear that throughout his long service to our 
country, Bob Dole has embodied the American spirit of leadership and 
determination, and he serves as one of the most prolific role models 
both in and outside of politics.
  I am reminded of the time when I was stationed at Quantico as a young 
marine and my dad, Wes Roberts, who was a friend and adviser to Bob, 
said: I want to take you up to the Hill to meet Congressman Bob Dole. I 
consider him to have the highest potential to be whatever he wants with 
regard to public service.
  So I went up to the Hill, and I met this handsome young man. He 
didn't sit on his hands very long in terms of what he wanted to 
accomplish. I first met him then, and, then, as a staffer for my 
predecessor, the Honorable Keith Sebelius, a congressman from ``The Big 
First'' and, then, as a Member of the House for 16 years.
  I tell the story that most people in the House thought that whatever 
I proposed or whatever I was for, Bob Dole was for me. Well, about 50 
percent of that was true, but I never told them about the other 50 
percent. So I was really able to get a lot done.
  Bob, thank you for that.
  I am so proud--so proud--to call him friend. I am proud to serve his 
State. I am equally proud today that each Senator--each and every 
Senator and colleagues on both sides of the aisle--have joined me in 
honoring Senator Bob Dole with a Congressional Gold Medal--all 100. It 
didn't take very long.
  I yield the floor
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The senior assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. PERDUE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Johnson). Without objection, it is so 
ordered.

                          ____________________