[House Report 108-463]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]



108th Congress                                                   Report
                        HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
 2d Session                                                     108-463
======================================================================
 
    CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL FOR PRESIDENT JOSE MARIA AZNAR OF SPAIN

                                _______
                                

 April 20, 2004.--Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the 
              State of the Union and ordered to be printed

                                _______
                                

  Mr. Oxley, from the Committee on Financial Services, submitted the 
                               following

                              R E P O R T

                        [To accompany H.R. 2131]

      [Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]

    The Committee on Financial Services, to whom was referred 
the bill (H.R. 2131) to award a congressional gold medal to 
President Jose Maria Aznar of Spain, having considered the 
same, report favorably thereon without amendment and recommend 
that the bill do pass.





                                CONTENTS

                                                                   Page
Purpose and Summary..............................................     1
Background and Need for Legislation..............................     2
Hearings.........................................................     2
Committee Consideration..........................................     2
Committee Votes..................................................     2
Committee Oversight Findings.....................................     3
Performance Goals and Objectives.................................     3
New Budget Authority, Entitlement Authority, and Tax Expenditures     3
Committee Cost Estimate..........................................     3
Congressional Budget Office Estimate.............................     3
Federal Mandates Statement.......................................     4
Advisory Committee Statement.....................................     4
Constitutional Authority Statement...............................     4
Applicability to Legislative Branch..............................     4
Section-by-Section Analysis of the Legislation...................     4

                          Purpose and Summary

    H.R. 2131 authorizes the striking and presentation of a 
Congressional Gold Medal to Jose Maria Aznar, the former 
President of Spain, in recognition of the fact that he has been 
a steadfast ally of the United States and a leader in the 
global fight against terrorism.

                  Background and Need for Legislation

    H.R. 2131 authorizes the striking and awarding of a 
Congressional Gold Medal to former President Jose Maria Aznar 
of Spain.
    Born in Madrid in 1953, President Aznar was a tax inspector 
and a leader of the Popular Alliance before being elected to 
Parliament in 1989. He served as Spain's President from 1996 
through 2004. During that time, the legislation notes, 
President Aznar was a staunch ally of the United States, 
particularly in the international fight against terrorism.
    The legislation directs the Speaker of the House of 
Representatives and the President Pro Tempore of the Senate to 
make appropriate arrangements for the presentation of the 
medal, and allows for the striking and sale of duplicates of 
the gold medal, in bronze. Proceeds from the sale of the 
duplicates are to be applied toward the costs of designing and 
striking the gold medal.

                                Hearings

    The Subcommittee on Domestic and International Monetary 
Policy, Trade and Technology held a hearing on March 10, 2004, 
on H.R. 2768, the John Marshall Commemorative Coin Act; H.R. 
2131, authorizing a Congressional Gold Medal for Spain's 
President Jose MariaAznar; H.R. 1914, the Jamestown 400th 
Anniversary Commemorative coin Act; and H.R. 3277, the Marine Corps 
230th Anniversary Commemorative Coin Act. The following witnesses 
testified: The Honorable William H. Rehnquist, Chief Justice of the 
United States; The Honorable Richard L. Armitage, Deputy Secretary of 
State; The Honorable J. Steven Griles, Deputy Secretary of the 
Interior; and Gen. Carl E. Mundy Jr. USMC (Ret.).

                        Committee Consideration

    The Subcommittee on Domestic and International Monetary 
Policy, Trade, and Technology met in open session on March 10, 
2004 and approved H.R. 2131 for full Committee consideration.
    The Committee on Financial Services met in open session on 
March 17, 2004 and ordered H.R. 2131 reported to the House with 
a favorable recommendation by a voice vote, without amendment.

                            Committee Votes

    Clause 3(b) of rule XIII of the Rules of the House of 
Representatives requires the Committee to list the record votes 
on the motion to report legislation and amendments thereto. No 
record votes were taken with in conjunction with the 
consideration of this legislation. A motion by Mr. Oxley to 
report the bill to the House with a favorable recommendation 
was agreed to by a voice vote.
    The following amendment was considered:

          An amendment offered by Mr. Frank of Massachusetts, 
        No. 1, striking the word ``gold'' and inserting the 
        word ``silver'' in lieu thereof, was not agreed to by a 
        voice vote.

                      Committee Oversight Findings

    Pursuant to clause 3(c)(1) of rule XIII of the Rules of the 
House of Representatives, the Committee held a hearing and made 
findings that are reflected in this report.

                    Performance Goals and Objectives

    Pursuant to clause 3(c)(4) of rule XIII of the Rules of the 
House of Representatives, the Committee establishes the 
following performance related goals and objectives for this 
legislation:
    The Speaker of the House of Representatives and the 
President Pro Tempore of the Senate shall present a 
Congressional Gold Medal to President Jose Maria Aznar of 
Spain.

   New Budget Authority, Entitlement Authority, and Tax Expenditures

    In compliance with clause 3(c)(2) of rule XIII of the Rules 
of the House of Representatives, the Committee finds that this 
legislation would result in no new budget authority, 
entitlement authority, or tax expenditures or revenues.

                        Committee Cost Estimate

    The Committee adopts as its own the cost estimate prepared 
by the Director of the Congressional Budget Office pursuant to 
section 402 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974.

                  Congressional Budget Office Estimate

    Pursuant to clause 3(c)(3) of rule XIII of the Rules of the 
House of Representatives, the following is the cost estimate 
provided by the Congressional Budget Office pursuant to section 
402 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974:

                                     U.S. Congress,
                               Congressional Budget Office,
                                    Washington, DC, March 19, 2004.
Hon. Michael G. Oxley,
Chairman, Committee on Financial Services,
House of Representatives, Washington, DC.
    Dear Mr. Chairman: The Congressional Budget Office has 
prepared the enclosed estimate for H.R. 2131, a bill to award a 
Congressional gold medal to President Jose Maria Aznar of 
Spain.
    If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be 
pleased to provide them. The CBO staff contact is Matthew 
Pickford.
            Sincerely,
                                      Elizabeth M. Robinson
                               (For Douglas Holtz-Eakin, Director).
    Enclosure.

H.R. 2131--A bill to award a Congressional gold medal to President Jose 
        Maria Aznar of Spain

    H.R. 2131 would authorize the Speaker of the House of 
Representatives and the President Pro Tempore of the Senate to 
present a gold medal to President Jose Maria Aznar on behalf of 
the Congress. To help recover the costs of the medal, the 
legislation would authorize the Mint to strike and sell bronze 
duplicates of the medal at a price that covers production costs 
for both the medal and the duplicates.
    Based on the costs of recent medals produced by the Mint, 
CBO estimates that the act would not significantly increase 
direct spending from the U.S. Mint Public Enterprise Fund. We 
estimate that the gold medal would cost about $35,000 to 
produce in fiscal year 2004, including about $5,000 for the 
cost of the gold and around $30,000 for the costs to design, 
engrave, and manufacture the medal. CBO expects that the Mint 
would recoup little of its costs by selling bronze duplicates 
to the public.
    H.R. 2131 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector 
mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act and 
would not affect the budgets of state, local, or tribal 
governments.
    The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Matthew 
Pickford. This estimate was approved by Peter H. Fontaine, 
Deputy Assistant Director for Budget Analysis.

                       Federal Mandates Statement

    The Committee adopts as its own the estimate of Federal 
mandates prepared by the Director of the Congressional Budget 
Office pursuant to section 423 of the Unfunded Mandates Reform 
Act.

                      Advisory Committee Statement

    No advisory committees within the meaning of section 5(b) 
of the Federal Advisory Committee Act were created by this 
legislation.

                   Constitutional Authority Statement

    Pursuant to clause 3(d)(1) of rule XIII of the Rules of the 
House of Representatives, the Committee finds that the 
Constitutional Authority of Congress to enact this legislation 
is provided by Article 1, section 8, clause 1 (relating to the 
general welfare of the United States) and clause 5 (relating to 
the coinage of money).

                  Applicability to Legislative Branch

    The Committee finds that the legislation does not relate to 
the terms and conditions of employment or access to public 
services or accommodations within the meaning of section 
102(b)(3) of the Congressional Accountability Act.

             Section-by-Section Analysis of the Legislation


Section 1. Findings

    This section presents certain findings regarding President 
Aznar's history as a strong ally of the United States and a 
leader in the global fight against terrorism.

Section 2. Congressional gold medal

    This section directs the Speaker of the House of 
Representatives and the President Pro Tempore of the Senate to 
make appropriate arrangements to present to President Aznar a 
medal of appropriate design and directs the Secretary of the 
Treasury to strike the medal.

Section 3. Duplicate medals

    This section authorizes the striking and sale of bronze 
duplicates of the gold medal, with the proceeds of sales to 
cover the cost of production.

Section 4. Status of medals

    This section establishes the medals as national medals 
treated as numismatic items.

Section 5. Authority to use fund amounts and proceeds of sale

    This section authorizes the use of funds from the United 
States Mint's Public Enterprise Fund to create the medal and 
duplicates, and to return to the fund proceeds of any sales.

                                
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