[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 54 (Monday, April 16, 2012)]
[House]
[Pages H1824-H1826]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
MARK TWAIN COMMEMORATIVE COIN ACT
Mr. LUETKEMEYER. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass
the bill (H.R. 2453) to require the Secretary of the Treasury to mint
coins in commemoration of Mark Twain, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 2453
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Mark Twain Commemorative
Coin Act''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
The Congress finds as follows:
(1) Samuel Clemens--better known to the world as Mark
Twain--was a unique American voice whose literary work has
had a lasting effect on our Nation's history and culture.
(2) Mark Twain remains one of the best known Americans in
the world with over 6,500 editions of his books translated
into 75 languages.
(3) Mark Twain's literary and educational legacy remains
strong even today, with nearly every book he wrote still in
print, including The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Adventures
of Huckleberry Finn--both of which have never gone out of
print since they were first published over a century ago.
(4) In the past 2 decades alone, there have been more than
100 books published and over 250 doctoral dissertations
written on Mark Twain's life and work.
(5) Even today, Americans seek to know more about the life
and work of Mark Twain, as people from around the world and
across all 50 States annually flock to National Historic
Landmarks like the Mark Twain House & Museum in Hartford, CT,
and the Mark Twain Boyhood Home & Museum in Hannibal, MO.
(6) Mark Twain's work is remembered today for addressing
the complex social issues facing America at the turn of the
century, including the legacy of the Civil War, race
relations, and the economic inequalities of the ``Gilded
Age''.
(7) Today Mark Twain's work lives on through educational
institutions throughout the United States, such as the Mark
Twain Project at the Bancroft Library of the University of
California, Berkeley, California, and the Center for Mark
Twain Studies at Elmira College, in Elmira, New York.
SEC. 3. COIN SPECIFICATIONS.
(a) Denominations.--The Secretary of the Treasury
(hereafter in this Act referred to as the ``Secretary'')
shall mint and issue the following coins:
(1) $5 gold coins.--Not more than 100,000 $5 coins, which
shall--
(A) weigh 8.359 grams;
(B) have a diameter of 0.850 inches; and
(C) contain 90 percent gold and 10 percent alloy.
(2) $1 silver coins.--Not more than 350,000 $1 coins, which
shall--
(A) weigh 26.73 grams;
(B) have a diameter of 1.500 inches; and
(C) contain 90 percent silver and 10 percent copper.
(b) Legal Tender.--The coins minted under this Act shall be
legal tender, as provided in section 5103 of title 31, United
States Code.
(c) Numismatic Items.--For purposes of section 5134 of
title 31, United States Code, all coins minted under this Act
shall be considered to be numismatic items.
SEC. 4. DESIGN OF COINS.
(a) Design Requirements.--
(1) In general.--The design of the coins minted under this
Act shall be emblematic of the life and legacy of Mark Twain.
(2) Designation and inscriptions.--On each coin minted
under this Act there shall be--
(A) a designation of the value of the coin;
(B) an inscription of the year ``2016''; and
(C) inscriptions of the words ``Liberty'', ``In God We
Trust'', ``United States of America'', and ``E Pluribus
Unum''.
(b) Selection.--The design for the coins minted under this
Act shall be--
(1) selected by the Secretary after consultation with the
Commission of Fine Arts and the Board of the Mark Twain House
and Museum; and
(2) reviewed by the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee.
SEC. 5. ISSUANCE OF COINS.
(a) Quality of Coins.--Coins minted under this Act shall be
issued in uncirculated and proof qualities.
(b) Mint Facility.--Only 1 facility of the United States
Mint may be used to strike any particular quality of the
coins minted under this Act.
(c) Period for Issuance.--The Secretary may issue coins
minted under this Act only during the 1-year period beginning
on January 1, 2016.
SEC. 6. SALE OF COINS.
(a) Sale Price.--The coins issued under this Act shall be
sold by the Secretary at a price equal to the sum of--
(1) the face value of the coins;
(2) the surcharge provided in section 7(a) with respect to
such coins; and
(3) the cost of designing and issuing the coins (including
labor, materials, dies, use of machinery, overhead expenses,
marketing, and shipping).
(b) Bulk Sales.--The Secretary shall make bulk sales of the
coins issued under this Act at a reasonable discount.
(c) Prepaid Orders.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary shall accept prepaid orders
for the coins minted under this Act before the issuance of
such coins.
(2) Discount.--Sale prices with respect to prepaid orders
under paragraph (1) shall be at a reasonable discount.
SEC. 7. SURCHARGES.
(a) In General.--All sales of coins issued under this Act
shall include a surcharge of--
(1) $35 per coin for the $5 coin; and
(2) $10 per coin for the $1 coin.
(b) Distribution.--Subject to section 5134(f)(1) of title
31, United States Code, all surcharges received by the
Secretary from the sale of coins issued under this Act shall
be promptly paid by the Secretary as follows:
(1) One-quarter of the surcharges, to the Mark Twain House
& Museum in Hartford, Connecticut, to support the continued
restoration of the Mark Twain house and grounds, and ensure
continuing growth and innovation in museum programming to
research, promote and educate on the legacy of Mark Twain.
(2) One-quarter of the surcharges, to the University of
California, Berkeley, California, to be used for research and
education purposes.
(3) One-quarter of the surcharges, to Elmira College, New
York, to be used for research and education purposes.
(4) One-quarter of the surcharges, to the Mark Twain
Boyhood Home and Museum in Hannibal, Missouri, to preserve
historical sites related to Mark Twain and help support
programs to study and promote his legacy.
(c) Audits.--The Comptroller General of the United States
shall have the right to examine such books, records,
documents, and other data of each of the organizations
referred to in paragraphs (1), (2), (3), and (4) of
subsection (b) as may be related to the expenditures of
amounts paid under such subsection.
(d) Limitation.--Notwithstanding subsection (a), no
surcharge may be included with respect to the issuance under
this Act of any coin during a calendar year if, as of the
time of such issuance, the issuance of such coin would result
in the number of commemorative coin programs issued during
such year to exceed the annual 2 commemorative coin program
issuance limitation under section 5112(m)(1) of title 31,
United States Code (as in effect on the date of the enactment
of this Act). The Secretary of the Treasury may issue
guidance to carry out this subsection.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Missouri (Mr. Luetkemeyer) and the gentleman from California (Mr. Baca)
each will control 20 minutes.
The recognizes the gentleman from Missouri.
General Leave
Mr. LUETKEMEYER. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all
Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their
remarks and add extraneous material on this bill.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Missouri?
There was no objection.
Mr. LUETKEMEYER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
I rise today to urge Members to support H.R. 2453, the Mark Twain
Commemorative Coin Act. This legislation will allow the United States
Treasury to mint $1 and $5 commemorative coins in 2016 in recognition
of the important legacy of Mark Twain. Surcharges on the sale of the
coins will benefit four institutions that either bear Mark Twain's name
or focus on the study of his work: the Mark Twain House & Museum in
Hartford, Connecticut; the University of California, Berkeley; Elmira
College in New York; and in my congressional district, the Mark Twain
Boyhood Home and Museum in Hannibal, Missouri. The sale price of the
coins will cover all real and amortized costs of production and
marketing costs so that the entire program will be produced at no cost
to the taxpayers.
I would like to thank my colleague, Representative John Larson of
Connecticut, who first introduced this legislation in the 110th
Congress. The gentleman from Connecticut and I share an admiration for
Mark Twain, and have made it a priority to see his legislation through.
I appreciate his hard work on collecting all the signatures on his side
of the aisle.
{time} 1700
I would also like to thank the Missouri congressional delegation for
their support. When I first announced my intentions to introduce the
Mark Twain Commemorative Coin Act, all eight of my colleagues
immediately came on board to help advance this legislation.
[[Page H1825]]
I want to acknowledge the Mark Twain Boyhood Home and Museum, Dr.
Cindy Lovell, and the museum's curator, Henry Sweets, as well as their
dedicated staff, for their incredible work to promote awareness and the
appreciation of the life and works of Mark Twain.
Importantly, I would like to thank Chairman Bachus, Ranking Member
Frank, Speaker Boehner, and Majority Leader Cantor for their assistance
and cooperation in getting the bill scheduled for consideration in this
House.
A true American figure, Samuel Langhorne Clemens, better known to the
world as Mark Twain, was born and raised in Missouri amidst the turmoil
of the American Civil War. Twain's boyhood home in Hannibal, Missouri,
inspired the settings of some of his most beloved stories and helped
shape his views on violence and injustice.
The Mark Twain Boyhood Home and Museum in Hannibal commemorates the
childhood of a man who grew up to be one of the most recognized names
in literature. The museum opened its doors in 1912 and was designated a
National Historic Landmark in 1962. I would also like to recognize the
museum for its upcoming 100th anniversary, a milestone which will be
celebrated on May 15.
Twain would eventually move to Hartford, Connecticut, where he
settled and began to work on what would become his most famous work,
``The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.'' Hartford is home to the Mark
Twain House & Museum, dedicated to educating people across the Nation
and around the world about Twain, his works, and the time period in
which he lived.
In New York, Elmira College breathes new life into the history of
Mark Twain, offering fellowships for research on the author. Elmira
College also hosts a Mark Twain conference and provides tours of
Twain's study, where he sought refuge to write several short stories
and some of his most famous novels. The Mark Twain Project at the
Bancroft Library of the University of California, Berkeley houses the
Mark Twain papers, an extensive archive of virtually every document in
Twain's hand known to survive.
The bill we consider today honors the legacy of a great American and
will benefit the institutions that continue to spread awareness and
educate the public of his great accomplishments and contributions to
society. I urge my colleagues to join me in passing this legislation,
which is cosponsored by 298 of our colleagues.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
House of Representatives, Committee on Ways and Means,
Washington, DC.
Hon. Spencer Bachus,
Chairman, Committee on Financial Services, Washington, DC.
Dear Chairman Bachus: I am writing concerning H.R. 2453,
the ``Mark Twain Commemorative Coin Act,'' which is scheduled
for floor action the week of April 16, 2012.
As you know, the Committee on Ways and Means maintains
jurisdiction over matters that concern raising revenue. H.R.
2453 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. 2453, 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.
____
House of Representatives, Committee on Financial
Services,
Washington, DC, April 13, 2012.
Hon. Dave Camp,
Chairman, Committee on Ways and Means, Washington, DC.
Dear Chairman Camp: I am writing in response to your letter
regarding H.R. 2453, the Mark Twain Commemorative Coin Act,
which is scheduled for Floor consideration under suspension
of the rules on Monday, April 16, 2012.
I wish to confirm our mutual understanding on this bill. As
you know, section 7 of the bill establishes a surcharge for
the sale of commemorative coins that are minted under the
bill. I acknowledge your committee's jurisdictional interest
in such surcharges as revenue matters and appreciate your
willingness to forego action by the Committee on Ways & Means
on H.R. 2453 in order to allow the bill to come to the Floor
expeditiously. Also, I agree that your decision to forego
further action on this bill will not prejudice the Committee
on Ways and Means with respect to its jurisdictional
prerogatives on this or similar legislation. Therefore, I
would support your request for conferees on those provisions
within your jurisdiction should this bill be the subject of a
House-Senate conference.
I will include this exchange of letters in the
Congressional Record when this bill is considered by the
House. Thank you again for your assistance and if you should
need anything further, please do not hesitate to contact
Natalie McGarry of my staff at 202 225 7502.
Sincerely,
Spencer Bachus,
Chairman.
Mr. BACA. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
I want to recognize the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Luetkemeyer) for
his efforts on this meaningful legislation.
I rise today in support of H.R. 2453, the Mark Twain Commemorative
Coin Act. This legislation calls for the U.S. Mint to produce a coin in
2016--I state, in 2016--designed to honor Mark Twain's contribution to
American history. William Faulkner once called Mark Twain ``the father
of American literature.''
One of America's most beloved authors, Mark Twain's life and legacy
have left a lasting mark on our Nation. Mark Twain, whose real name is
Samuel Clemens, was beloved by many for his wit and sharp satire. Twain
worked as a steamboat pilot and a reporter before finding success as a
writer.
His hometown of Hannibal, Missouri, later became the setting for his
most famous novels, ``The Adventures of Tom Sawyer'' and ``The
Adventures of Huckleberry Finn,'' which all of us have seen throughout
our lives as young kids. We still love seeing it every time we see
this. Twain's other well-known works of fiction include ``The Prince
and the Pauper'' and ``A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court.''
H.R. 2453 directs the U.S. Mint to produce a $1 and a $5
commemorative coin in 2016 and, I state, at no cost to the taxpayers.
The simple price of the coin will cover the cost of production. In
addition, the sale of the coin will generate revenue for the benefit of
four of Mark Twain's institutions: the Mark Twain House & Museum in
Hartford, Connecticut; the Bancroft Library at the University of
California, Berkeley; Elmira College in New York; and the Mark Twain
Boyhood Home and Museum in Hannibal, Missouri.
I urge my colleagues to support this responsible legislation as the
recognition of one of America's greatest authors and humorists, Mark
Twain.
I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. LUETKEMEYER. Mr. Speaker, I don't have any further speakers at
this time, and continue to reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. BACA. I yield the balance of my time to the gentleman from
Connecticut, John Larson, one of our leaders.
Mr. LARSON of Connecticut. Thank you, Mr. Baca of California, and I
thank the Hartford-Hannibal connection. I want to thank Representative
Luetkemeyer for his tireless work and effort in making this bill
possible for the great institutions that both he and Representative
Baca have illuminated and to stand here today and talk about the
literary genius of Mark Twain and to see the institutions that will
benefit from this--and, as Representative Baca points out, at no cost
to the American public--enriching Americans all across this great
Nation, I daresay around the globe, from the visits at these great
institutions, whether it be in Hartford, whether it be in Hannibal,
whether it be in Elmira or at Berkeley in California, all of whom will
benefit directly from Mark Twain.
I'm glad that we're having a voice vote, because I wouldn't want to
put what Mark Twain had to say about Members of Congress to a test here
on the floor. But as my good friend and colleague Joe Baca has pointed
out, the great works of Mark Twain stand throughout the ages. Of
course, there's nary a person who hasn't read ``Huckleberry Finn'' or
``Tom Sawyer'' and, as mentioned, ``A Connecticut Yankee in King
Arthur's Court.'' Well,
[[Page H1826]]
we like to refer to it as, ``A Connecticut Red Sock in King Arthur's
Court.''
But, nonetheless I, would be remiss if I didn't thank Jeffrey
Nichols, the executive director at the Mark Twain House in Hartford,
Connecticut, and those on the entire board there, who have worked
tirelessly to make sure that we are able to perpetuate the great legacy
of Mark Twain in his literature, in his humor and his satire. It is a
gift for the country that everyone should have the opportunity to
enjoy.
Just this last year, the house adjoining the Twain house in Hartford
is the home of Harriet Beecher Stowe, and we had the members of the
Congressional Black Caucus, who came to Hartford to participate in a
discussion about race. Of course, even today, as both Mark Twain and
the whole issue of ``Huckleberry Finn'' and ``Tom Sawyer'' continue to
come under literary discussion and debate, it also focuses on an
important issue that the Nation needs to continue to face, and that's
the whole issue of humanity as it relates to how man deals with man and
the whole issue of racism. There was no stronger proponent in this
Nation than Samuel Clemens. Mark Twain was just incredible in terms of
his gift, his literary genius, a great ambassador abroad for this
country, and heralded on this shore and all across the globe as a
humanitarian, and we are so proud.
I again want to thank Representative Luetkemeyer for his efforts to
make this possible. I know that in Hartford and in Hannibal, Elmira,
and Berkeley, people are very pleased that this will continue to
benefit them and allow this great treasure in this great person of
literature, American literature, to continue to enjoy the vast
reputation and legacy that all Americans ought to enjoy.
Mr. BACA. I have no further speakers, and I yield back the balance of
my time.
Mr. LUETKEMEYER. Mr. Speaker, I just want to close with a few
thoughts here.
Again, I thank the gentleman from Connecticut for his hard work in
helping to put this together, as well as the gentleman from California
(Mr. Baca) for his help today.
It's interesting. When I was the director of tourism for the State of
Missouri, we found out just how big an icon Mr. Twain was. Mark Twain
not only is an icon who is recognized around the United States, but he
is one of the few icons that people from other countries recognize
about our country.
{time} 1710
If you travel to Hannibal, Missouri, you can see the influence in the
surroundings there and the stories that he told, and what kind of an
influence it had on him as a youth and the stories as they unfolded.
It's quite something.
Again, with that, Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Luetkemeyer) that the House suspend the
rules and pass the bill, H.R. 2453, as amended.
The question was taken.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
Mr. BACA. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further
proceedings on this question will be postponed.
____________________