Native American $1 Coin Act

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 2358, the Native American $1 Coin Act, and urge my colleagues to support the bill.

The Native American $1 Coin Act directs the Treasury Department to mint and issue $1 coins to celebrate the important contributions made by Indian tribes and Native Americans to the United States.

Mr. Speaker, this legislation is a terrific complement to the Presidential $1 Coin Act that I worked to pass last Congress with the gentlelady from New York (Mrs. Maloney). Like that program and the very popular 50-state quarter program, this bill will provide an enormous educational opportunity for parents and teachers, while at the same time recognizing the immense and important contributions of Native Americans to the history of the United States.

Implementation of this legislation will save taxpayers more than half a billion dollars over the next decade. When Congress passed the Presidential $1 Coin Act in December of 2005, the bill required one- third of all dollar coins minted each year to bear the design of the Sakakawea coin that was first issued in 2000. The requirement was intended to keep the image and memory of Sakakawea in the public's mind at the same time the Mint produced and issued coins bearing the images of the Presidents.

Unfortunately, through no fault of the design or its subject, there is not a large demand for a dollar coin with a static design. It is that problem we sought to overcome with the Presidential dollar by creating a constantly

changing design that encourages the public to look for new coins.

The current law requires the Mint to issue 300 to 350 million of the current design Sakakawea dollars every year, for which there is no evident demand. That would be about $60 million worth of material and labor costs per year, not including the high cost of storing the unused coin yearly.

The innovative legislation was introduced by Mr. Kildee, Chairman Frank, Mr. Cole and Mr. Renzi. The bill would keep the Sakakawea design on the front of the coin, but would change the design on the reverse side each year to represent Native American contributions to the United States.

Mr. Speaker, this legislation will both honor Native Americans and create demand for the coins similar to the Presidential dollars. Instead of the Mint spending $50 million or more a year to make coins for which there is no demand, the legislation has the potential to save the Treasury $150 million a year or more. It is rare that we can do something so cost effective this easily. I support the goals of this bill and urge its immediate passage.

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

Mr. Speaker, at this time, I yield such time as she may consume to the distinguished Congresswoman from Michigan, Candice Miller.

Mr. Speaker, in closing, I also would like to thank all of the sponsors of this legislation. I would like to thank the gentleman from Oklahoma for the managing of it here, Mr. Kildee, for his interest in this, and Mrs. Miller for coming to the floor and speaking to it.

I think this is a very worthwhile piece of legislation which will move forward something which otherwise would not move forward, and will save the Federal Government a lot of money and make it far more interesting to those who are collecting these coins out around the country.

So for all these reasons, I hope we would all support this legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2358) to require the Secretary of the Treasury to mint and issue coins in commemoration of Native Americans and the important contributions made by Indian tribes and individual Native Americans to the development of the United States and the history of the United States, and for other purposes.

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.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 2358, the Native American $1 Coin Act, requiring the Secretary of the Treasury to mint and issue coins commemorating Native Americans and the important contributions they have made, both as individuals and collectively as tribes to the history and growth of the United States of America.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Frank for his hard work in making this legislation a priority and recognizing the importance of memorializing Native Americans who have been instrumental in the evolution of the United States.

I also want to thank Mr. Kildee for his work on this legislation.

H.R. 2358 calls upon the government to recognize and pay long overdue tribute to Indian tribes and individual Native Americans for their significant contributions to the progression of the United States. This bill would allow for the acknowledgment of such important events as the Pueblo Revolt and the creation of the Cherokee written language; in addition, individuals such as the code talkers, who so valiantly served in our Armed Forces during World War I and II, and Olympian Jim Thorpe who will forever be engraved in the minds of all Americans.

H.R. 2358 ensures that we recognize the many individual Native Americans and Indian tribes who have so significantly contributed to the history and development of the United States.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the author of the bill, the gentleman from the fine State of Michigan (Mr. Kildee), home to 12 federally recognized tribes.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to represent a State that is home to nearly 40 federally recognized Indian tribes. But Native Americans are not only engrained in Oklahoma's history, they are also richly embedded in the history of the United States and in the history of each individual State.

H.R. 2358 requires the government to do its part to recognize the importance of Native Americans to our country's history and development.

Again, I want to thank the chairman, Mr. Frank, for recognizing the importance of H.R. 2358 and also Mr. Kildee for all of his efforts.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 2358, the Native American $1 Coin Act, and urge its immediate passage.

The legislation before us is essentially identical to a bill that passed the House in June by a voice vote, with minor changes made by the other body. H.R. 2358 complements the Presidential $1 Coin Act that passed in the last Congress thanks to the hard work and leadership of the gentleman from Delaware (Mr. Castle) and the gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. Maloney). Like that program and the very popular 50-State quarter program, it will provide an enormous educational opportunity for parents and teachers, while also recognizing the immense and important contributions of Native Americans to the history of the United States. Passage of this legislation also could save taxpayers more than half a billion dollars over the next decade.

When Congress passed the Presidential $1 Coin Act in December of 2005, it contained a requirement that a third of all dollar coins minted each year bear the design of the Sacagawea coin that first was issued in 2000. The requirement was intended to keep the image and the memory of Sacagawea in people's minds while the mint issues presidential dollars.

Unfortunately, through no fault of the design or its subject, there is no real demand for the dollar coin with an unchanging design. At the current rate of issue of presidential coins, the mint would have to make 300 to 350 million of the current design Sacagawea dollars every year, resulting in some $60 million of material and labor costs per year, not counting storage for the unused coins.

Under H.R. 2358, the current Sacagawea design would appear on the front of 20 percent of all dollar coins. Similar to the changing design of quarters and presidential dollars, the reverse of the Sacagawea coin would be different each year, honoring such contributions to American history as the Iroquois Confederacy, the Cherokee written language, the code talkers who served the U.S. Army so heroically in both world wars, and individuals such as Olympian Jim Thorpe.

Let me close by congratulating the lead sponsor of the legislation, the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Kildee) and by thanking Chairman Frank for bringing the bill to the floor today. I urge passage of H.R. 2358, and I thank the gentleman from Oklahoma for his leadership on this issue.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and concur in the Senate amendment to the bill (H.R. 2358) to require the Secretary of the Treasury to mint and issue coins in commemoration of Native Americans and the important contributions made by Indian tribes and individual Native Americans to the development of the United States and the history of the United States, and for other purposes.

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.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 2358, the Native American $1 Coin Act, requiring the Secretary of the Treasury to mint and issue coins commemorating Native Americans and the important contributions they have made to the history and growth of the United States.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Frank and Mr. Kildee for their hard work in making this legislation a priority and recognizing the importance of memorializing Native Americans who have been instrumental to the evolution of the United States.

H.R. 2358 calls upon the government to recognize and pay a long overdue tribute to Indian tribes and individual Native Americans for their significant contributions. This bill would allow for our country's acknowledgment of important events in Native American history.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the distinguished chairman of the Financial Services Committee from the State of Massachusetts and a strong supporter of Native Americans (Mr. Frank).

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Kildee).

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to represent a State that is home to nearly 40 federally recognized Indian tribes. Native Americans are not only a strong part of Oklahoma's history, they are also richly embedded in the history of the United States. H.R. 2358 allows the government to do its part to recognize the importance of Native Americans to our country's history and development.

Again, I thank Chairman Frank and Mr. Kildee for recognizing the importance of H.R. 2358.

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

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in very strong support of H.R. 2358, the Native American $1 Coin Act, and I applaud my colleague and fellow Michiganian (Mr. Kildee) for cosponsoring this legislation, and the other cosponsors as well, and for bringing it to the House floor this morning.

Native Americans have played an important role throughout the history of our Nation, so it is certainly appropriate that we honor them and their accomplishments as well. In fact, were it not for some great Native Americans, America as we know it today might look quite a bit different.

Think about Squanto and Somerset, who helped the Pilgrims survive their very first winter in the New World; or Sakakawea, who guided Lewis and Clark across the unexplored North American continent; or Jim Thorpe, the athlete who thrilled millions, really, across the globe with his exploits in baseball and football and the Olympics, where he won a gold medal; or the Navajo code talkers who broke the Japanese code, which was a key moment in the Allied forces prevailing over Japan during World War II.

These individuals and many others like them have made invaluable contributions to the survival and to the character of these United States.

This legislation will require the Secretary of Treasury to mint and issue coins in commemoration of Native Americans and the important contributions made by Indian tribes and individual Native Americans to the development and the history, the very rich history, of the United States.

These coins will serve as an important reminder to all Americans of the important role that Native Americans have played in our Nation's history, the things they are achieving today, and the goals that they will meet in the future. Native Americans will be involved in the design selection process as well, which will also remind them of their important historical contributions.

So I applaud the sponsors and the cosponsors of this legislation for their efforts. And I urge all of my colleagues to support the Native American $1 Coin Act.