To authorize the President, in conjunction with the 40th anniversary of the historic and first lunar landing by humans in 1969, to award gold medals on behalf of the United States Congress to Neil A. Armstrong, the first human to walk on the moon; Edwin E. ‘Buzz’ Aldrin, Jr., the pilot of the lunar module and second person to walk on the moon; Michael Collins, the pilot of their Apollo 11 mission’s command module; and, the first American to orbit the Earth, John Herschel Glenn, Jr.
The Congress finds that--
(1) as spacecraft commander for Apollo 11, the first manned lunar landing mission, Neil A. Armstrong gained the distinction of being the first man to land a craft on the moon and first to step on its surface on July 21, 1969;
(2) by conquering the moon at great personal risk to safety, Neil Armstrong advanced America scientifically and technologically, paving the way for future missions to other regions in space;
(3) Edwin E. ‘Buzz’ Aldrin Jr., Jr., joined Armstrong in piloting the lunar module, Eagle, to the surface of the moon, and became the second person to walk upon its surface;
(4) Michael Collins piloted the command module, Columbia, in lunar orbit and helped his fellow Apollo 11 astronauts complete their mission on the moon;
(5) John Herschel Glenn Jr., Jr., helped pave the way for the first lunar landing when on February 20, 1962, he became the first American to orbit the Earth; and
(6) John Glenn’s actions, like Armstrong’s, Aldrin’s and Collins’s, continue to greatly inspire the people of the United States.
(a) PRESENTATION AUTHORIZEDresentation Authorized- The President is authorized to present, on behalf of the Congress, to Neil A. Armstrong, Edwin E. ‘Buzz’ Aldrin, Jr., Michael Collins, and John Herschel Glenn Jr., Jr., each a gold medal of appropriate design, in recognition of their significant contributions to society.
(b) DESIGN AND STRIKINGesign and Striking- For purposes of the presentation referred to in subsection (a), the Secretary of the Treasury shall strike gold medals with suitable emblems, devices, and inscriptions, to be determined by the Secretary.
SEC. 6. AUTHORITY TO USE FUND AMOUNTS; PROCEEDS OF SALE.
(a) Authority To Use Fund Amounts- There is authorized to be charged against the United States Mint Public Enterprise Fund, such amounts as may be necessary to pay for the costs of the medals struck pursuant to this Act.
(b) Proceeds of Sale- Amounts received from the sale of duplicate bronze medals authorized under section 4 shall be deposited into the United States Mint Public Enterprise Fund.
Passed the Senate July 20, 2009.
Attest:
Secretary.
111th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 951
AN ACT
To authorize the President, in conjunction with the 40th anniversary of the historic and first lunar landing by humans in 1969, to award gold medals on behalf of the United States Congress to Neil A. Armstrong, the first human to walk on the moon; Edwin E. ‘Buzz’ Aldrin, Jr., the pilot of the lunar module and second person to walk on the moon; Michael Collins, the pilot of their Apollo 11 mission’s command module; and, the first American to orbit the Earth, John Herschel Glenn, Jr.
U.S. Congress - Text of S.951 as Engrossed in Senate New Frontier Congressional Gold Medal Act
