March of Dimes Commemorative Coin Act of 2012

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3187) to require the Secretary of the Treasury to mint coins in recognition and celebration of the 75th anniversary of the establishment of the March of Dimes Foundation, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and to add extraneous materials on this bill.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 3187, the March of Dimes Commemorative Coin Act of 2011. I'm proud to have introduced this bill and to have worked closely with my friend and colleague from New York, Congresswoman Nita Lowey.

This legislation authorizes the minting and issue in 2015 of a commemorative coin honoring the 75th anniversary of the March of Dimes and recognizes their landmark accomplishments in maternal and child health. Surcharges on the sales of these special coins will fund critical research and programs to support healthy mothers, healthy infants, and healthy families nationwide.

Mr. Speaker, it's summertime across our Nation, and back home in our districts, children are playing outside with friends or are going swimming at the pool. But more than 75 years ago, children stayed indoors during the summer. Their parents wouldn't let them go to the park or to the pool because of outbreaks of polio. Polio back then could strike any child, and no one knew what the cause was.

The March of Dimes is a nonprofit organization that was founded in 1938 by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, with a mission to eradicate polio. In FDR's day, polio was an epidemic disease that paralyzed or killed up to

52,000 Americans, mostly children, every year. Even the President had polio.

So during the Great Depression, citizens sent dimes--4 billion of them--to the White House to fund polio research. That effort funded the research by Doctors Salk and Sabin that produced the vaccines that have eradicated polio in the United States and in much of the world.

In the quest for a vaccine, the March of Dimes supported many other research milestones in newborn and child health. For example, in 1953, Francis Crick and March of Dimes grantee Dr. James D. Watson identified the double helix structure of DNA and, in 1962, won the Nobel Prize for mapping the human genome.

Another research breakthrough came in the 1960s when the March of Dimes supported research that developed the first screening test for PKU, a rare metabolic genetic disorder that causes intellectual disabilities. Since that time, the March of Dimes has led the effort to expand newborn screening. Now every baby born in the United States receives screening for dozens of conditions that have the potential to cause catastrophic health problems or death if not detected or treated promptly at birth.

Today the March of Dimes is leading the national effort to reduce premature birth. Every year, nearly 500,000 infants are born far too soon. In my home State of Illinois, almost 13 percent of all infants are born prematurely. Preterm birth is the leading cause of death among newborns. Many of those who survive face a lifetime of serious health problems, including cerebral palsy, intellectual disabilities, chronic lung disease, and vision and hearing loss. Preterm delivery can happen to any pregnant woman, and in nearly half of the cases, no one knows why.

The March of Dimes National Prematurity Campaign funds a robust portfolio of research and education programs designed to unveil the causes and address the risk factors of preterm birth. For example, the March of Dimes is working with hospitals to implement best practices that discourage early elective deliveries before 39 completed weeks of pregnancy. Thanks to the dedication of the March of Dimes and others, the United States has seen a decline in the prematurity rate for 4 consecutive years.

Mr. Speaker, the March of Dimes has an extraordinary history of achievement. More than 4 million infants are born every year in the United States, and the March of Dimes helps each and every one through research, education, vaccines, and breakthroughs. The commemorative coin will help fund these vitally important activities.

H.R. 3187 has broad bipartisan support in both Chambers of the Congress, with 304 cosponsors here in the House and 68 in the United States Senate. This legislation complies with all statutory requirements for the commemorative coin program, and the coins will be produced at no cost to the American taxpayer. To claim the surcharges, the March of Dimes will raise matching funds form private sources.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to have sponsored this bipartisan bill, and I would like to thank the Congresswoman from New York, Representative Lowey, for her steadfast leadership and hard work to see this day become a reality. I would also like to thank Chairman Spencer Bachus and Ranking Member Barney Frank for helping to get this bill to the floor today. I also want to thank my friend from Georgia, for him managing time on the other side today and for his leadership as well.

Mr. Speaker, for 75 years, the March of Dimes has dedicated itself to helping all infants get a healthy start in life, which is what I think is very, very important. I ask my colleagues to join me in voting for H.R. 3187, the March of Dimes Commemorative Coin Act.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, before I yield, I do want to just thank my good friend from Georgia (Mr. Scott) for his leadership and support of the March of Dimes.

He talked a little bit about the recent fundraiser that the March of Dimes held, where Members of Congress actually were cooking for this fundraiser. What he failed to mention was that I believe Mr. Scott--and Mrs. Scott, for that matter--actually won the cooking contest. So thank you again. It was one of the few places I know we went back for seconds. I really appreciate that.

Mr. Speaker, at this time, I would like to yield 2 minutes to my good friend, the gentlewoman from Illinois (Mrs. Biggert).

Mr. Speaker, in closing, I just want to again commend my colleague. This is a bipartisan bill, broad bipartisan support, talking about the Commemorative Coin Act for the March of Dimes, truly a wonderful organization that really helps protect our nearest and dearest, our children. I just want to thank my colleagues for their leadership and support, and urge swift passage.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Committee on Ways and Means,

House of Representatives,

Washington, DC, August 1, 2012.

Hon. Spencer Bachus,

Chairman, Committee on Financial Services, Rayburn House

Office Building, Washington, DC.

Dear Chairman Bachus: I am writing concerning H.R. 3187,

the ``March of Dimes Commemorative Coin Act of 2011,'' which

is scheduled for floor action the week of July 30, 2012.

As you know, the Committee on Ways and Means maintains

jurisdiction over matters that concern raising revenue. H.R.

3187 contains a provision that establishes a surcharge for

the sale of commemorative coins that are minted under the

bill, and this falls within the jurisdiction of the Committee

on Ways and Means.

However, as part of our ongoing understanding regarding

commemorative coin bills and in order to expedite this bill

for floor consideration, the Committee will forgo action.

This is being done with the understanding that it does not in

any way prejudice the Committee with respect to the

appointment of conferees or its jurisdictional prerogatives

on this or similar legislation in the future.

I would appreciate your response to this letter, confirming

this understanding with respect to H.R. 3187, and would ask

that a copy of our exchange of letters on this matter be

included in the Congressional Record during floor

consideration.

Sincerely,

Dave Camp,

Chairman.

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

I rise today to lend my support to this extraordinary and wonderful piece of legislation, an expression of strong bipartisan support.

I certainly want to thank my friend, Congressman Dold from Illinois, for his leadership on this. It's a pleasure to join with him on the floor today to manage time on this bill.

This bill, H.R. 3187, as was pointed out, is the March of Dimes Commemorative Coin Act. For 75 years now, the March of Dimes organization has worked to prevent infant mortality, premature births, and birth defects in our children in the United States and in other parts of the world. And I can think of no better time and place to honor this wonderful organization than right here and right now in the Halls of Congress.

This organization was originally founded by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt to help treat and prevent polio. The March of Dimes would meet with tremendous success and, through their funding of the work of Dr. Jonas Salk, would contribute greatly to curing that disease.

Having accomplished their original goal, the March of Dimes would turn their attention to promoting healthy women, healthy pregnancies, and healthy babies. The March of Dimes Foundation works not only here in the United States in local communities around the country but, as I mentioned, also around the world to educate and inform women, doctors, and policymakers on the prevention of birth defects and premature birth. This work is so vital, so very important, and really so very precious, Mr. Speaker. And a healthy pregnancy and a healthy birth can mean so much and start the child off on the right foot that will last the rest of their entire life.

This bill is simple, Mr. Speaker. It would allow for the minting, the making of a commemorative coin, which basically will be a silver $1 coin, for this wonderful organization. These coins would then be sold to the general public with a portion going to pay off the cost of minting the coin, but the rest going to support the very, very important work of this foundation.

So I ask, Mr. Speaker, that my colleagues join me in voting in favor of this bill, and in so doing, we'll be sending a big thank-you to the March of Dimes for their hard work and for their dedication over the last 75 years.

Mr. Speaker, I will also mention the fact that we support them each year in our special cooking and preparation for their major fundraiser that many Members of Congress and our families and our wives take part in. What an extraordinary organization doing an extraordinary thing for those who are most precious to us, that is, the children of the United States of America.

I reserve the balance of my time.

I thank the gentleman.

Mr. Speaker, I have no more speakers, so I will just close my remarks.

Again, it is a pleasure working with you on this bill, Mr. Dold. And what a noble occasion this is for such a worthy cause.

Thank you for mentioning about my wife. I give all credit to my wife for that cooking she did. I think it was shrimp and grits and let's see, and gumbo, her mother's gumbo, and it won first prize at that event. It is such a wonderful occasion, and to have all Members of Congress who participate with this fund-raising effort every year is just wonderful. I just urge a unanimous vote.

I yield back the balance of my time.

I thank the gentleman from Illinois for yielding, and I commend him for his hard work on this important bill.

I rise in support of the bill, H.R. 3187, the March of Dimes Commemorative Coin Act of 2011.

This legislation recognizes the tremendous achievements of the March of Dimes in protecting the health of infants and mothers across the United States.

Founded by President Franklin Roosevelt, as was noted, in 1938, the March of Dimes was instrumental in eradicating polio. The organization then turned its sights on birth defects, premature birth, and infant mortality.

For decades, the March of Dimes has been on the forefront of medical research. It educates parents and medical professionals about healthy pregnancies and has helped significantly expand access to neonatal intensive care for premature and sick infants.

H.R. 3187 recognizes the accomplishments of this great American success story of goodwill and public service, and it celebrates the 75th anniversary

of the March of Dimes through a commemorative coin.

I'm pleased to have been an original cosponsor of this important bill, and I urge my colleagues to join us in paying a fitting tribute to an organization known as the ``champion for all babies.''

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of H.R. 3187, which was received from the House and is at the desk.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the bill be read three times and passed, the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table, with no intervening action or debate, and that any statements related to the bill be printed in the Record.