[House Hearing, 108 Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
PENDING COIN AND MEDAL LEGISLATION
=======================================================================
HEARING
BEFORE THE
SUBCOMMITTEE ON
DOMESTIC AND INTERNATIONAL
MONETARY POLICY, TRADE AND TECHNOLOGY
OF THE
COMMITTEE ON FINANCIAL SERVICES
U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
ONE HUNDRED EIGHTH CONGRESS
FIRST SESSION
__________
MARCH 10, 2004
__________
Printed for the use of the Committee on Financial Services
Serial No. 108-71
93-840 U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE
WASHINGTON : 2003
____________________________________________________________________________
For Sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office
Internet: bookstore.gpo.gov Phone: toll free (866) 512-1800; (202) 512�091800
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HOUSE COMMITTEE ON FINANCIAL SERVICES
MICHAEL G. OXLEY, Ohio, Chairman
JAMES A. LEACH, Iowa BARNEY FRANK, Massachusetts
DOUG BEREUTER, Nebraska PAUL E. KANJORSKI, Pennsylvania
RICHARD H. BAKER, Louisiana MAXINE WATERS, California
SPENCER BACHUS, Alabama CAROLYN B. MALONEY, New York
MICHAEL N. CASTLE, Delaware LUIS V. GUTIERREZ, Illinois
PETER T. KING, New York NYDIA M. VELAZQUEZ, New York
EDWARD R. ROYCE, California MELVIN L. WATT, North Carolina
FRANK D. LUCAS, Oklahoma GARY L. ACKERMAN, New York
ROBERT W. NEY, Ohio DARLENE HOOLEY, Oregon
SUE W. KELLY, New York, Vice Chair JULIA CARSON, Indiana
RON PAUL, Texas BRAD SHERMAN, California
PAUL E. GILLMOR, Ohio GREGORY W. MEEKS, New York
JIM RYUN, Kansas BARBARA LEE, California
STEVEN C. LaTOURETTE, Ohio JAY INSLEE, Washington
DONALD A. MANZULLO, Illinois DENNIS MOORE, Kansas
WALTER B. JONES, Jr., North MICHAEL E. CAPUANO, Massachusetts
Carolina HAROLD E. FORD, Jr., Tennessee
DOUG OSE, California RUBEN HINOJOSA, Texas
JUDY BIGGERT, Illinois KEN LUCAS, Kentucky
MARK GREEN, Wisconsin JOSEPH CROWLEY, New York
PATRICK J. TOOMEY, Pennsylvania WM. LACY CLAY, Missouri
CHRISTOPHER SHAYS, Connecticut STEVE ISRAEL, New York
JOHN B. SHADEGG, Arizona MIKE ROSS, Arkansas
VITO FOSSELLA, New York CAROLYN McCARTHY, New York
GARY G. MILLER, California JOE BACA, California
MELISSA A. HART, Pennsylvania JIM MATHESON, Utah
SHELLEY MOORE CAPITO, West Virginia STEPHEN F. LYNCH, Massachusetts
PATRICK J. TIBERI, Ohio ARTUR DAVIS, Alabama
MARK R. KENNEDY, Minnesota RAHM EMANUEL, Illinois
TOM FEENEY, Florida BRAD MILLER, North Carolina
JEB HENSARLING, Texas DAVID SCOTT, Georgia
SCOTT GARRETT, New Jersey CHRIS BELL, Texas
TIM MURPHY, Pennsylvania
GINNY BROWN-WAITE, Florida BERNARD SANDERS, Vermont
J. GRESHAM BARRETT, South Carolina
KATHERINE HARRIS, Florida
RICK RENZI, Arizona
Robert U. Foster, III, Staff Director
Subcommittee on Domestic and International Monetary Policy, Trade and
Technology
PETER T. KING, New York, Chairman
CAROLYN B. MALONEY, New York
JUDY BIGGERT, Illinois, Vice BERNARD SANDERS, Vermont
Chairman MELVIN L. WATT, North Carolina
JAMES A. LEACH, Iowa MAXINE WATERS, California
MICHAEL N. CASTLE, Delaware BARBARA LEE, California
RON PAUL, Texas PAUL E. KANJORSKI, Pennsylvania
DONALD A. MANZULLO, Illinois BRAD SHERMAN, California
DOUG OSE, California DARLENE HOOLEY, Oregon
JOHN B. SHADEGG, Arizona LUIS V. GUTIERREZ, Illinois
MARK R. KENNEDY, Minnesota NYDIA M. VELAZQUEZ, New York
TOM FEENEY, Florida RAHM EMANUEL, Illinois
JEB HENSARLING, Texas CHRIS BELL, Texas
TIM MURPHY, Pennsylvania
J. GRESHAM BARRETT, South Carolina
KATHERINE HARRIS, Florida
C O N T E N T S
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Page
Hearing held on:
March 10, 2004............................................... 1
Appendix:
March 10, 2004............................................... 13
WITNESSES
Wednesday, March 10, 2004
Armitage, Hon. Richard L., Deputy Secretary, United States
Department of State............................................ 6
Griles, Hon. J. Steven, Deputy Secretary, United States
Department of the Interior..................................... 9
Mundy, Carl E. Jr., General, USMC Retired, 30th Commandant of the
Marine Corps................................................... 10
Rehnquist, Hon. William H., Chief Justice, United States Supreme
Court.......................................................... 3
APPENDIX
Prepared statements:
King, Hon. Peter T........................................... 14
Gutierrez, Hon. Luis V....................................... 16
Armitage, Hon. Richard L..................................... 17
Griles, Hon. J. Steven....................................... 19
Mundy, Carl E. Jr............................................ 23
Rehnquist, Hon. William H.................................... 29
PENDING COIN AND MEDAL LEGISLATION
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Wednesday, March 10, 2004
U.S. House of Representatives,
Subcommittee on Domestic and International,
Monetary Policy, Trade and Technology
Committee on Financial Services,
Washington, D.C.
The subcommittee met, pursuant to call, at 10:01 a.m., in
Room 2128, Rayburn House Office Building, Hon. Peter King
[chairman of the subcommittee] presiding.
Present: Representatives King, Biggert, Ose, Feeney, Oxley
(ex officio), Murphy, Maloney, Sherman and Gutierrez. Also
present were Representatives Bachus, Davis and Gibbons.
Chairman King. [Presiding.] The subcommittee will come to
order. One of the reasons we are starting on time is, first of
all, we are privileged to have a very select panel this
morning. Also, my understanding is that there are going to be a
series of votes starting on the House floor at 10:15 a.m. I
have spoken to Mrs. Maloney. We will try to expedite this,
especially in view of the witnesses we have here.
This meeting of the Subcommittee on Domestic and
International Monetary Policy, Trade and Technology is meeting
today to hear testimony on and consider several pieces of
legislation authorizing commemorative coins and Congressional
Gold Medals. Before we begin, I just want to make several quick
statements. One, pursuant to my prior announcements, the only
speakers this morning will be myself and the Ranking Member,
Mrs. Maloney. All other members's statements will be placed in
the record.
I also note that the subcommittee is joined today by
members both on and off the full committee who are sponsoring
the legislation before us today. Without objection, each of
these members will be briefly recognized for the purpose of
introducing the witnesses testifying on behalf of their bill.
Without objection, so ordered.
Finally, I note that we have a number of very important
witnesses before the committee. I am aware that they have other
matters they have to attend to. I will ask the other members to
be respectful of these obligations and limit any questions they
might have to the bills before us today.
With that, I will recognize myself for a brief opening
statement. I will actually waive my opening statement and go to
Mrs. Maloney so we can get the witnesses started. No sense
tying them down on this.
Mrs. Maloney. I really want to put in context what we are
doing. I want to thank the Chairman for holding the markup and
all our distinguished witnesses today, Chief Justice Rehnquist,
Deputy Secretary of State Armitage, Deputy Secretary of
Interior Griles, and General Mundy, as well as Representatives
Gibbons, Jo Ann Davis, and my colleague Jack Murtha.
This morning, the subcommittee takes up the awarding of the
Congressional Gold Medal and three commemorative coin programs.
The Congressional Gold Medal is the most distinguished award
bestowed by Congress. First awarded to George Washington,
recipients of the medal include Winston Churchill, Robert
Frost, Joe Louis, Mother Teresa, and the American Red Cross,
and most recently in a bill offered by myself and Ginny Brown-
Waite, we voted to pass one to give to Tony Blair.
This morning, the subcommittee meets to approve H.R. 2131,
which will award the medal to President Jose Maria Anzar of
Spain. President Anzar was sworn in as Spain's leader on March
3, 1996. Under his leadership, it is only the second time in 60
years that power has passed from one elected party to another
peacefully in Spain. He has pursued very close relations with
the U.S. throughout his time in office. He has been an ally in
our war on terror and an important trading partner.
This morning we will also consider three coin programs,
including the John Marshall Commemorative Coin Act introduced
by Financial Institutions Chair Spencer Bachus, and it is hard
to think of a more distinguished recipient of this honor than
John Marshall, a native of Virginia who served in the
Revolutionary War and as Secretary of State. Marshall is also a
former colleague of ours, having served in the House of
Representatives.
Chief Justice Marshall's impact on the Supreme Court is
unmatched. Over the course of his 34 years on the Court, he
guided it to true equality with the other branches of
government, most importantly establishing the doctrine of
judicial review in Marbury v. Madison decided in 1803. The
program will benefit the Supreme Court Historical Society.
H.R. 1914, the Jamestown 400th Anniversary Commemorative
Coin Act was introduced by my colleague Jo Ann Davis, and
surcharges from the sale of this coin will go to the
Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities, the
Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation of the Commonwealth of Virginia,
and the National Park Service.
Finally, my dear colleague and friend John Murtha has
introduced H.R. 3277, the Marine Corps's 230th Anniversary
Commemorative Coin Act. With the Marines deployed in harm's way
across the world today, from Iraq to Haiti, it is highly
appropriate that we pass this legislation. There could not
possibly be a better advocate to bring this bill to the
subcommittee than Representative Murtha.
For those of you who do not know, Representative Murtha is
a former Marine and was the first Vietnam combat veteran
elected to Congress. In fact, Representative Murtha was an
active Marine reservist until 1990. We all know that he knows a
great deal about putting together successful congressional
projects. Here, once again, he is backing an exceedingly worthy
endeavor, as surcharges from the coin will benefit the
construction of the Marine Corps's Heritage Center for
historical depictions and educational programs related to the
Corps.
I thank the Chairman and especially the witnesses for being
here, and I yield back the balance of my time.
Chairman King. I thank the Ranking Member.
As mentioned, we have a number of distinguished witnesses
here today. Probably, I can honestly say to this committee, the
subcommittee has never had a more distinguished witness than
the Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court who is
here today.
I would yield to Chairman Spencer Bachus, Chairman of the
Subcommittee on Financial Institutions for the purpose of
introducing the chief justice. Mr. Bachus?
Mr. Bachus. I thank the Chairman.
It is my extreme honor not only to introduce Chief Justice
Rehnquist, but also my former Auburn University graduate and
fraternity brother Carl Mundy. My oldest son is a Marine and
would be thrilled that you are on the panel before our
committee.
It is very appropriate that a great Chief Justice, William
Rehnquist, is here to talk about another former great Chief
Justice, John Marshall. John Marshall was our longest-serving
chief judge. He not only served as a chief judge, he was a
Revolutionary War hero, went through Valley Forge with George
Washington. He was Secretary of State when John Adams appointed
him to the Supreme Court.
Without further ado, I will simply welcome Chief Justice
Rehnquist to our panel and allow him to make remarks as he sees
fit.
STATEMENT OF HON. WILLIAM H. REHNQUIST, CHIEF JUSTICE, UNITED
STATES SUPREME COURT
Justice Rehnquist. Thank you very much, Congressman Bachus.
Chairman King, Representative Maloney, I appreciate the
opportunity to be here today to speak in support of H.R. 2768.
Last spring, the Citizens Commemorative Coin Advisory Committee
recommended that a coin commemorating the 250th anniversary of
the birth of Chief Justice John Marshall be minted in 2005.
Neither Marshall nor the Court has been previously honored with
a commemorative coin.
While people all over the country are familiar with the
likes of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Benjamin
Franklin, fewer know about the remarkable contributions of the
fourth Chief Justice. A commemorative coin would provide an
opportunity to educate all Americans about the man known as
``the Great Chief Justice.'' The Supreme Court Historical
Society, which has been instrumental in forwarding this idea,
devotes itself to educating the public about the workings of
the Supreme Court and the history of the Supreme Court.
John Marshall served as Chief Justice for 34 years, from
1801 until 1835. He was born in the Blue Ridge foothills of
Virginia, about 50 miles west of present-day Washington. He had
very little formal education, but by the time he reached 25
years of age, he had served as a captain commanding a line
company of artillery in the Battles of Brandywine and Monmouth
during the Revolutionary War. He had also suffered through the
terrible winter at Valley Forge with George Washington and the
rest of the Continental troops.
It was this experience which led him to remark that he
looked upon the ``United States as his country, and Congress as
his government,'' not an unusual sentiment today, to be sure,
but quite an unusual sentiment for a Virginian at that time.
After mustering out of the service, he studied law very
briefly and was admitted to the Virginia bar. He was elected a
Member of Congress from Virginia and at the time of his
appointment as Chief Justice, he was serving as President John
Adams's Secretary of State. He was much better known then as a
politician than as a legal scholar. Today, due in large part to
John Marshall, the federal judiciary, headed by the Supreme
Court, is regarded as a co-equal branch of the federal
government, along with the legislative and the executive
branches. But in the first decade of the new republic, from
1790 to 1800, the judiciary was very much a junior partner.
To illustrate the low estate of the Supreme Court at this
time, the federal government was in the process of moving from
Philadelphia, which had been the capital for 10 years, to the
new capital of Washington in the District of Columbia. The
White House, then called the President's House, was finished,
and John Adams was the first President to occupy it. The
Capitol Building had been constructed on Capitol Hill and was
ready for Congress, though it was not nearly the building we
know today as the Capitol. No provision whatever had been made
for housing the Supreme Court. Finally at the last minute, a
room in the basement of the Capitol was set aside for the third
branch. In that rather undistinguished environment, the Court
would sit for 8 years.
Marshall's principal claim to fame as Chief Justice, though
by no means his only one, is his authoring the Court's opinion
in the famous case of Marbury v. Madison, decided in 1803, 2
years after he became Chief Justice. He turned what otherwise
would have been an obscure case into the fountainhead of all of
our present-day constitutional law.
The case arose out of a suit by William Marbury, who had
been nominated and confirmed as a justice of the peace in the
District of Columbia, against James Madison, whom Thomas
Jefferson had appointed as his Secretary of State. Although
Marbury had been nominated and confirmed, his commission had
not been issued by the time of the change in administration,
and James Madison refused to issue it.
Marbury contended that once he had been nominated by the
President and confirmed by the Senate, the issuance of his
commission was simply a ministerial task for the Secretary of
State who had no choice but to issue it. He brought an original
action in the Supreme Court, relying on a provision of the
Judiciary Act of 1789 which said the Supreme Court could issue
writs of mandamus to any federal official where appropriate. He
said James Madison was a public official, which no one denied,
and that a writ of mandamus, a recognized judicial writ
available to require public officials to perform their duty,
was appropriate in his case.
Marshall's opinion in Marbury v. Madison is a remarkable
example of judicial statesmanship. The Court says, yes, Marbury
is entitled to the commission; Madison is wrong to withhold it.
It says this is the sort of ministerial duty of a public
official such as Madison which can be enforced by writ of
mandamus. But the Court concludes by saying that Congress, in
granting the Supreme Court the power to issue a writ of
mandamus in a case like this, has run afoul of the original
jurisdiction provision of the Supreme Court contained in
Article Three of the Constitution.
So Madison and Jefferson are verbally chastised, but it
turns out there is nothing the Supreme Court can do about it
because Congress tried to give the Supreme Court more authority
than the Constitution would permit. The doctrine of judicial
review, the authority of federal courts to declare legislative
acts unconstitutional, is established, but in such a self-
denying way that it is the Court's authority which is cut back.
During the 34 years he served as Chief Justice, Marshall
wrote over 500 opinions, most of the important cases that the
Court decided. In Gibbons v. Ogden, decided in 1824, he wrote
the opinion adopting a broad construction of the power of
Congress under its authority to regulate interstate commerce
contained in Article One. One could name several other
important cases that he wrote, but suffice it to say that by
the time he died at the age of 81 in 1835, the Supreme Court
was a full partner in the federal government.
Oliver Wendell Holmes, himself a distinguished Associate
Justice of our court, said, ``If American law were to be
represented by a single figure, skeptic and worshiper alike
would agree without dispute that the figure could be one alone,
and that one John Marshall.'' A commemorative coin in his honor
would be a fitting way to mark the 250th anniversary of his
birth.
Thank you.
[The prepared statement of Hon. William H. Rehnquist can be
found on page 29 in the appendix.]
Chairman King. Thank you, Mr. Chief Justice.
Obviously, we know you have other engagements and you are
excused. We thank you very much for your testimony and for the
privilege of your being here today. Thank you, sir.
Justice Rehnquist. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Chairman King. Our next witness this morning will be the
Honorable Richard Armitage, Deputy Secretary of State. I will
just say before introducing Mr. Gibbons for the purpose of
introducing Mr. Armitage, that my wife went to high school with
Secretary Armitage and she still wonders where she went wrong
coming to New York and marrying me.
[Laughter.]
At least that is the way she puts it to me. Sir, I don't
know, apparently you were quite the high school star, but in
any event, as you are still obviously doing a tremendous job
for our country today and all of us are indebted to you for
that.
With that, I yield to the gentleman from Nevada, Mr.
Gibbons.
Mr. Gibbons. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
It is indeed an honor for me to be here this morning to
introduce Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage. I want to
also thank this committee for their hard work on these bills.
In an introduction of Secretary Armitage, let me indicate that
here is a gentleman who has a great international reputation,
great international respect, the respect and admiration from
many of us in Congress, in the diplomatic corps as well, for
his abilities. He has been deeply involved in Middle East
diplomacy. He has been involved and instrumental in
international policymaking worldwide. He is a Vietnam War
veteran. He has been involved in operations during the Gulf
War.
He has taken time from his very busy schedule today to
testify on behalf of H.R. 2131, the legislation which I have
introduced to award the Congressional Gold Medal to Jose Maria
Aznar, President of the Government of Spain. Ladies and
gentlemen, H.R. 2131 is very important commemorative
legislation that recognizes a man who has been one of America's
greatest continental allies, both in times of war and peace. It
is a testament to President Aznar and his diligent efforts to
support the international community in the war on terrorism
that this bill has received broad bipartisan support of over
300 cosponsors here in Congress.
He has worked tirelessly along side President Bush and
Prime Minister Blair and our other allies to eliminate
terrorism worldwide. Like Prime Minister Blair, who was awarded
the Congressional Gold Medal last year, President Aznar shares
our dedication to freedom, democracy and prosperity around the
world.
It is for these reasons and countless other acts of courage
that my colleagues and I wish to honor President Aznar of Spain
with the Congressional Gold Medal. It is with the same degree
of honor that we welcome the testimony here today of Deputy
Secretary of State Richard Armitage, himself a remarkable world
leader in the international diplomacy arena and who is here to
speak on behalf of H.R. 2131.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank you Secretary Armitage.
STATEMENT OF RICHARD ARMITAGE, DEPUTY SECRETARY, UNITED STATES
DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Mr. Armitage. Thank you, Mr. Gibbons.
Chairman Oxley, Chairman King, Ms. Maloney, Members, it is
an honor to appear before the subcommittee today. I know
witnesses often say that when they begin testimony with varying
degrees of sincerity, but today I can truly say that it is an
honor. In fact, the Secretary of State would be here but for
the fact he is two floors up in an appropriations hearing at
the moment. He would much rather be here, I am sure.
[Laughter.]
Mr. Chairman, Washington is a city of many monuments,
including some monuments we walk past every day without really
seeing. So it may come as a surprise, and certainly a surprise
to employees of the Department of State, that a bronze Spaniard
stands watch over the main State building. The inscription on
the base of the memorial just outside our door reads, ``May
this statute of Bernardo de Galvez serve as a reminder that
Spain offered the blood of her soldiers for the cause of
American independence.''
Americans today need no reminder the Spain once again has
offered the blood of her soldiers for the cause. Today,
however, the cause is not just independence for America, but
also for Spain, for Afghanistan, for Iraq, and I would say,
indeed, today the cause is freedom itself for people all over
the world.
The modern Spanish hero who has joined this cause with so
much courage, the heir to the spirit of de Galvez, is Jose
Maria Aznar, President of the Government of Spain. He is indeed
deserving of the highest recognition our country can give him
and I strongly support awarding the Congressional Gold Medal to
President Aznar.
September 11 that was simply a tragic day in the life of
our nation. It was not, however, only our tragedy. On that day,
citizens of some 90 other nations died in the World Trade
Center alone. In the years since, terrorism has claimed
hundreds of lives in countries stretching from Morocco to
Australia. When President Aznar spoke before a joint meeting of
this Congress last month, he called terrorism a ``calculated
challenge to the values that are core to humanity, freedom,
moral decency, compassion and respect for the lives of
others.''
Indeed, Spain has dealt with that challenge for far too
long. Over the past 35 years, the terrorism organization known
as the ETA has killed more than 850 Spaniards. Of course, as we
know, President Aznar himself narrowly escaped becoming a
victim in 1995.
I suspect that his personal experience only deepened his
commitment to doing everything he could do to protect the
security of all of Spain's people. When President Bush first
visited Spain in June 2001, he made it clear that he shared
President Aznar's commitment and that Spain could count on the
full support of the United States. President Aznar in turn
offered quick and concrete support for our wounded country in
the immediate aftermath of the attacks on September 11. He has
since proven to be a sure and a steadfast ally in the global
struggle to defeat terrorism. He has expanded our intelligence
cooperation concerning al Qaeda and provided access to and
information about terrorist suspects. He has worked with the
United States and other nations to keep weapons of mass
destruction out of the hands of terrorists. Within the European
Union, he has supported the designation of terrorist
organizations and the efforts to freeze their assets. President
Aznar has also committed blood and treasure to both Afghanistan
and to Iraq, where Spanish forces continue to serve alongside
our own.
Perhaps President Aznar's greatest legacy as a world
leader, however, is not just what he has stood against, but
also what he stands for, the cause of freedom. Throughout his
tenure in office, President Aznar has advanced a constructive
and democratic vision for the future, one based on prosperity
and partnership. The President's agenda has made Spain an
important political and economic force in the world and an
important partner for the United States.
Indeed, President Aznar has helped expand and deepen the
bilateral relationship between our two nations, as well as the
broader trans-Atlantic relationship. Moreover, under his
stewardship, Spain has promoted free minds and free markets
around the world, particularly here in our own hemisphere.
Soon, President Aznar will step aside and allow others to build
on his tremendous legacy. Even his final decision underscores
for the world the true power of democratic governance.
Mr. Chairman, the Congressional Gold Medal is a fitting
honor for a great friend to the cause of freedom, for America,
for Spain and for people all over the world.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman and members for giving me the
opportunity today to offer my support and the support of the
Secretary of State for this.
[The prepared statement of Hon. Richard L. Armitage can be
found on page 17 in the appendix.]
Chairman King. Thank you, Secretary Armitage, for your
testimony. I am used to hearing your testimony at the
International Relations Committee. It was a privilege to have
you here before our subcommittee today. Again, I want to thank
you for the tremendous service you do day in and day out for
our country.
With that, we excuse the witness and the subcommittee will
stand in recess probably until approximately 11:00 a.m. We have
three votes on the House floor. We will get back here as soon
as possible. If the other panelists can stay, we would greatly
appreciate it.
The subcommittee stands in recess. Thank you.
Mr. Armitage. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
[Recess.]
Chairman King. The subcommittee will resume. I thank the
witnesses for their patience and forbearance in putting up with
the foibles of the House of Representatives's calendar and
voting schedule.
With that, I yield time to the gentlelady from Virginia,
Ms. Davis.
Ms. Jo Ann Davis of Virginia. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
First, I want to thank you for holding this important
hearing this morning, and to thank you for considering H.R.
1914, a bill that I sponsored for the Jamestown 400th
Anniversary Commemorative Coin Act. This bill is very important
to the Jamestown 400th anniversary, which is coming up in 2007.
Already planning is underway for a year-long celebration to
honor America's first permanent English settlement.
The proceeds from the sale of these commemorative coins
will go a long way towards restoring the Jamestown settlement
and preserving and promoting educational programs. I am pleased
today to introduce Deputy Secretary Steve Griles of the
Department of the Interior. Thank you, Deputy Secretary, for
being here this morning to testify before the subcommittee.
Mr. Griles is a true Virginian. He attended the University
of Richmond and Virginia Commonwealth University, and has lived
in Virginia almost his whole life. After college, Mr. Griles
joined the Virginia Department of Conservation and Economic
Development, where he rose to executive assistant director and
was responsible for the oversight of 14 state programs,
including parks, forests and mining. During his service, he
added several parks throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia. He
joined the Department of Interior from 1983 to 1989 as
Assistant Secretary and Deputy Assistant Secretary of the
Interior for Lands and Minerals Management, where he directed
national programs for management of public lands, mineral
resources and surface mining.
Putting his expertise in natural resources issues to good
use, he became senior vice president for public environmental
and marketing activities for the United Company. Most recently,
he was a principal with National Environmental Strategies.
Currently, he is back at the Department of Interior, this time
serving as Deputy Secretary, and we are grateful for his
service and for the time he is giving us this morning.
Most importantly, Mr. Griles has a personal interest in our
hearing today. Because of his strong Virginia roots, he was
appointed by Secretary Norton as a member of the Jamestown
400th Commemoration Commission. I am grateful for your
enthusiasm about this issue, Mr. Griles, and I look forward to
hearing your testimony today.
I want to thank you again, Mr. Chairman, for your
consideration of H.R. 1914, the Jamestown 400th Anniversary
Commemorative Coin Act.
Chairman King. Secretary Griles?
STATEMENT OF J. STEVEN GRILES, DEPUTY SECRETARY, UNITED STATES
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Mr. Griles. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, Ms. Maloney and
Congresswoman Davis. It is always nice to be with fellow
Virginians, and also today to appear before your committee to
present the Department of Interior's views on H.R. 1914, the
issuance of a coin to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the
Jamestown settlement. The Department of Interior strongly
supports the enactment of this bill.
Mr. Chairman, in 2007 the people of the United States and
many of our friends from around the world will come together to
commemorate the 400th anniversary of the first permanent
English settlement in America in 1607, the settlement of
Jamestown in the Commonwealth of Virginia. More than just our
nation's birthplace, Jamestown is a point of origin on this
continent for many of the principles and the precepts that
distinguished America, including our representative government,
where the oldest legislative body in the new world first
convened in Jamestown in 1619.
Jamestown represented free enterprise. The Jamestown colony
was a private venture, the first stock investment in America.
Jamestown represented cultural diversity. It was the site where
Europeans, Africans, and Virginia Indians first came together,
foreshadowing America's unique character as a nation of diverse
groups.
The commemoration in 2007 will provide all Americans a
great opportunity to recall what our nation is and how it
began, reflect on our continuing opportunity and obligations to
make the promise of freedom real for all Americans and for all
people around the globe.
As Congresswoman Davis said, I am a Virginian and I am
testifying on behalf of the Department, but I also am pleased,
as she said, to serve as one of the 16 members appointed by
Secretary Norton to the Jamestown 400th Commemoration
Commission. That Commission, Mr. Chairman, has slated some 13
events that they are going to celebrate in the year 2007, and
the proceeds from this coin will go a long ways to helping
promote and pay for that great celebration. Every 50 years, we
have had a celebration at Jamestown. We have had presidents; we
have had the Queen of England; and in 2007 we hope that the
next celebration will have as well distinguished visitors.
So with the passage of this bill, we, the Department of
Interior and the people of America can have a great celebration
for 2007.
Thank you for your time.
[The prepared statement of Hon. J. Steven Griles can be
found on page 19 in the appendix.]
Chairman King. Thank you, Mr. Secretary.
I am right now approaching this next assignment with great
trepidation. I know that Congressman Murtha wanted to introduce
the Commandant of the Marine Corps. For me to come between Jack
Murtha and you, I will have to incur his wrath right or wrong,
but apparently he is still testifying at the Appropriations
Committee. Is that the latest we heard? Okay.
General Mundy, I know how much Jack Murtha wanted to
introduce you today. I know the tremendous regard he has for
you. I know the tremendous regard he has for the Marines in
which he served so well, as you did, and also as General
Christmas did who is also with us here today, and I certainly
want to acknowledge his presence and thank him for being here.
General Mundy, you served this country well. You were the
Commandant of the Marine Corps. That speaks for itself. I
always feel that if you are introducing someone who was
Commandant of the Marine Corps, everything else is superfluous
and extraneous after that.
So with that, let me just welcome you to the subcommittee,
thank you for your appearance here today, and ask you to begin
your testimony.
STATEMENT OF GENERAL CARL E. MUNDY, JR., USMC RETIRED, 30TH
COMMANDANT OF THE MARINE CORPS
General Mundy. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Rest assured, there
is no offense at not being introduced. After a while, one gets
tired of hearing your achievements recounted, but you did it
very nicely and I appreciate that.
It is a privilege to be before your committee this morning
to testify about your support for a coin in commemoration of
the 230th anniversary of the Marine Corps, which comes up next
year. Had Congressman Murtha been here this morning, I would
have wanted to express, and will for the record, deep
appreciation to him for having introduced initially this
legislation, as well as to the other Marine members of the
House who together were able to acquire, as you know I believe,
some 310 signatures in support of this particular bill. They
were representatives Houghton, Evans, Gilchrest, Snyder and
Kline.
I appear before you today at the request of the Commandant
of the Marine Corps, General Mike Hagee, who asked me to convey
his respects and his regrets that he is unable to be here
personally to convey to you and the members of the committee
his wholehearted support for H.R. 3277. In his necessary
absence, he asked me as a former Commandant to represent him,
and that is a privilege which I am delighted to do.
I appear also today as a representative of the Marine Corps
Heritage Foundation, which is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit
organization dedicated to the preservation and chronicling of
Marine Corps history through scholarly research, education and
outreach to the American public about the contributions of our
Corps to our nation's history and to its freedom. I am
privileged, you have already mentioned Lieutenant General Ron
Christmas who is one of the true heroes of our Corps. He bears
the second-highest decoration for bravery in combat for his
heroism during the battle for Hue City in Vietnam in 1968. Ron
is the president of the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation.
On November 10, 2005, the Marine Corps will mark its 230th
anniversary. The creation of the Corps of Marines in 1775
actually predates the establishment of our republic. For well
over two centuries, the story of the Corps has been one of
contribution, sacrifice and service, as our hymn would put it,
in every clime and place where we could take a gun on behalf of
the nation.
It is a story built around the immutable Corps values of
honor, courage and commitment; a story of personal sacrifice
and gallantry; of innovation and unconquerable fighting spirit
in protecting the United States of America during times of war;
and of quiet service at home and abroad in times of peace. It
is a story worth telling, and it is a legacy worth preserving.
It is a story best summarized perhaps by our Corps's motto,
semper fidelis, or ``always faithful.''
Along with the millions of men and women past and present
who have worn the eagle golden anchor that marks us as Marines,
I am enormously pleased that this committee is considering a
way to recognize and pay tribute to the legacy of our nation's
Corps of Marines by minting and issuing a commemorative silver
dollar coin to mark the occasion of our 230th anniversary.
As an adjunct benefit to the honor itself, in 2001 the
Congress authorized the construction of a Marine Corps Heritage
Center at Quantico, Virginia. This project, now under
development, is a public-private partnership of the Marine
Corps and the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation, the nonprofit
organization of which I spoke earlier.
The Heritage Center will be a multipurpose facility
dedicated to historical displays for public viewing,
curatorship, storage of artifacts, scholarly research, and
educational outreach and associated activities. At its essence,
the Center will be dedicated to preserving and chronicling the
legacy of the United States Marine Corps. It will also tell the
story of our great nation from its humble beginnings until
today, through the eyes of the Marines who lived it.
Construction costs for the Heritage Center are being
underwritten solely from private sector sources. A
congressional tribute to the 230th anniversary of the Corps by
authorizing the issuance of this commemorative silver dollar
coin would generate surcharge proceeds at no net cost to the
taxpayers. Such proceeds would provide valuable monies toward
the private sector effort to generate construction funding for
the Heritage Center. The center will begin its construction in
just a couple of months and is expected to open shortly after
the corps's 230th anniversary during 2006.
Mr. Chairman and members of your committee, again speaking
for General Hagee and for the Heritage Foundation, I
respectfully urge you to favorably report out this legislation
to authorize the issuance of a commemorative silver dollar coin
marking the 230th anniversary of the United States Marine
Corps.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
[The prepared statement of Carl E. Mundy, Jr. can be found
on page 23 in the appendix.]
Chairman King. Thank you, General Mundy, for your testimony
on behalf of H.R. 3277. Certainly if there has ever been a
worthy bill, this is it, for years of gallantry and bravery by
the United States Marine Corps.
I want to thank you for your testimony. I want to thank
General Christmas for being here as well, and thank him for his
years of service to our country.
With that, General you are excused. You are certainly
welcome to stay. We are going to go to hopefully a very quick
vote, and get these through. So I will now declare the
committee in recess to allow the subcommittee to set up for the
markup.
Thank you, General.
[Whereupon, at 11:14 a.m., the subcommittee was adjourned.]
A P P E N D I X
March 10, 2004
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