Lewis and Clark Commemorative Coin Correction Act

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 5401) to amend section 308 of the Lewis and Clark Expedition Bicentennial Commemorative Coin Act to make certain clarifying and technical amendments.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and insert extraneous material on this legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 5401, the Lewis and Clark Commemorative Coin Correction Act introduced by the gentlewoman from Missouri (Mrs. Emerson). This is a technical correction which addresses language in legislation that authorized the minting and sale of a commemorative coin recognizing the bicentennial of the great Lewis and Clark Corps of Discovery expedition.

The original legislation was sponsored by a former colleague, the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Bereuter), and the coin was issued in the year 2004.

That bill specified that the surcharge income from the sale of the coins be divided between the National Lewis and Clark Bicentennial Council and the National Park Service to be used for events commemorating the bicentennial. Unfortunately, the Park Service has no capacity to raise the private funding necessary to satisfy the matching funds requirement of statutes guiding the issuance of commemorative coins.

This legislation, which has broad bipartisan support, corrects that problem and will allow disbursement of the funds in ways that support the Lewis and Clark exhibit that has made its

way around the country and opened 2 weeks ago at the Smithsonian's Museum of Natural History. This is an extraordinarily educational exhibit with many items from personal collections that have not been together since the expedition itself.

Mr. Speaker, this is a technical correction with no cost to the government. The cause is deserving. American history has many elements, but the Lewis and Clark expedition is unique to our development as a Nation. The courageous trek deserves celebration because it helps define the innate sense of adventure which is such an integral part of the American spirit.

Mr. Speaker, I ask for its immediate passage and would simply note the wonderful support on both sides of the aisle as symbolized by the gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. Maloney), a good friend.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I thank very much the gentlewoman from New York and, of course, the gentleman from Missouri; and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend and gentlewoman from New York and friend and gentleman from Iowa for their support on this bill.

Mr. Speaker, several years ago, I hosted a small breakfast for the well-known historian Stephen Ambrose, and I asked him what it was that made America so great. Now, I fully expected him to mention the westward movement of American pioneer families in the 1800s.

Instead, Mr. Ambrose replied, ``Look at Russia. They have abundant natural resources and a hearty workforce. But they never had a George Washington, a John Adams and a Thomas Jefferson. It was Thomas Jefferson who had the wisdom and the foresight to appoint Merriweather Lewis and William Clark to explore the Louisiana Territory.''

I am pleased that we are considering this legislation that will continue to honor the historic achievements of Lewis and Clark, and I want to thank my good friend, Jo Ann Emerson, for introducing the bill; and I appreciate the support of Financial Services Committee Chairman Mike Oxley and Ranking Member Barney Frank.

This bill will designate the National Council of the Lewis and Clark Bicentennial and the Missouri Historical Society as beneficiaries of proceeds from the sale of the Lewis and Clark commemorative coin. These nonprofit organizations have raised nearly $5 million to conduct Lewis and Clark Bicentennial promotional activities. They will use funds from the sale of the coin to further historic investments in the Lewis and Clark Heritage Trail and to promote additional Lewis and Clark bicentennial celebrations.

This legislation has been endorsed by the National Council of the Lewis and Clark Bicentennial and the Lewis and Clark Trail Heritage Foundation, which includes representation from all the States along the Missouri River basin.

It is with a note of interest, Mr. Speaker, that the Missouri River flows right by my hometown of Lexington, Missouri, and as Lewis and Clark went up that river in that historic year 1804, they went by the bluffs which now contain my hometown of Lexington, Missouri. So it is special to those of us that do live along the river that we continue to honor the work, the courage of Lewis and Clark on their very, very courageous journey.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 5401, the Lewis and Clark Commemorative Coin Correction Act. This technical correction to the Lewis and Clark Expedition Bicentennial Commemorative Coin Act redirects a portion of the proceeds of sales of the Lewis and Clark silver dollars from the National Park Service to the Missouri Historical Society.

The Park Service does not want to and cannot receive the one-third share of the surcharge funds originally allocated to it since it has no mechanism to raise the required matching funds.

The Missouri Historical Society, in contrast, has to date raised matching funds equal to over half of the surcharge funds. The other share has been raised by the National Council of the Lewis and Clark Bicentennial.

Under the bill proposed today, the National Council and the Missouri Historical Society would each receive half of the surcharge funds. Any funds not expended by these two organizations would go to the Lewis and Clark Heritage Foundation for the establishment of a trust for the stewardship of the Lewis and Clark Historical Trail.

I am happy to say the coin has been very successful and raised almost $5 million to date. I understand that this resolution is supported by Congressional Representatives from many of the States along the trail and by the board of the national council, which has members from all of the Lewis and Clark States.

It is a sensible way to assure that funds raised by this coin are used for activities that preserve and honor the achievements of the Lewis and Clark expedition.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from the great State of Missouri (Mr. Skelton), the lead Democratic cosponsor of this bill and the ranking member of the Armed Services Committee.

Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I yield back the balance of my time.

I ask unanimous consent the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 440, S. 633, Calendar No. 441, S. 2784, and H.R. 4501 which was received from the House, en bloc.

I ask unanimous consent the bills be read a third time and passed, the motions to reconsider be laid upon the table, and any statements relating to the bills be printed in the Record.