I 

111TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 2318 

To require the Secretary of the Treasury to mint coins in commemoration 

of Robert M. La Follette, Sr., in recognition of his important contributions to the Progressive movement, the State of Wisconsin, and the 

United States. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MAY 7, 2009 

Ms. BALDWIN (for herself, Mr. OBEY, Mr. KAGEN, Ms. MOORE of Wisconsin, 

Mr. RYAN of Wisconsin, Mr. KIND, Mr. SENSENBRENNER, and Mr. 

PETRI) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee 

on Financial Services 

A BILL 

To require the Secretary of the Treasury to mint coins 

in commemoration of Robert M. La Follette, Sr., in 

recognition of his important contributions to the Progressive movement, the State of Wisconsin, and the United 

States. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Robert M. La Follette, 

5 Sr. Commemorative Coin Act’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

2 The Congress makes the following findings: 

3 (1) Robert M. La Follette, Sr., better known as 

4 ‘‘Fighting Bob’’ La Follette, was born more than 

5 150 years ago, on June 14, 1855, in Primrose, Wis6 consin. 

7 (2) Fighting Bob was elected to 3 terms in the 

8 United States House of Representatives, 3 terms as 

9 Governor of Wisconsin, and 4 terms as a United 

10 States Senator. 

11 (3) Fighting Bob founded the Progressive wing 

12 of the Republican Party. 

13 (4) Fighting Bob was a lifelong supporter of 

14 civil rights and women’s suffrage, earning respect 

15 and support from such distinguished Americans as 

16 Frederick Douglass and Harriet Tubman Upton. 

17 (5) Fighting Bob helped to make the ‘‘Wis18 consin Idea’’ a reality at the Federal and State level, 

19 instituting election reforms, environmental conserva20 tion, railroad rate regulation, increased education 

21 funding, and business regulation. 

22 (6) Fighting Bob was a principal advocate for 

23 the Seventeenth Amendment to the Constitution of 

24 the United States, which calls for the election of 

25 United States Senators by popular vote. 


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1 (7) Fighting Bob delivered an historic speech, 

2 ‘‘Free Speech in Wartime’’, opposing the public per3 secution of those who sought to hold their Govern4 ment accountable. 

5 (8) Fighting Bob played a key role in exposing 

6 the corruption during the Teapot Dome Scandal. 

7 (9) Fighting Bob and his wife, Belle Case La 

8 Follette, founded La Follette’s Weekly, now renamed 

9 The Progressive, a monthly magazine for the Pro10 gressive community. 

11 (10) Fighting Bob ran for the presidency on 

12 the Progressive ticket in 1924, winning more than 

13 17 percent of the popular vote. 

14 (11) The Library of Congress recognized Fight15 ing Bob in 1985 by naming the Congressional Re16 search Service reading room in the Madison Build17 ing in honor of both Robert M. La Follette, Sr., and 

18 his son, Robert M. La Follette, Jr., for their shared 

19 commitment to the development of a legislative re20 search service to support the United States Con21 gress. 

22 (12) Fighting Bob was honored in 1929 with 1 

23 of 2 statues representing the State of Wisconsin in 

24 National Statuary Hall in the United States Capitol. 


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1 (13) Fighting Bob was chosen as 1 of ‘‘Five 

2 Outstanding Senators’’ by the Special Committee on 

3 the Senate Reception Room in 1957. 

4 (14) A portrait of Fighting Bob was unveiled in 

5 the Senate Reception Room in March 1959. 

6 (15) Fighting Bob was revered by his sup7 porters for his unwavering support of his ideals, and 

8 for his tenacious pursuit of a more just and account9 able Government. 

10 SEC. 3. COIN SPECIFICATIONS. 

11 (a) $1 SILVER COINS.—The Secretary of the Treas12 ury (in this Act referred to as the ‘‘Secretary’’) shall mint 

13 and issue not more than 500,000 $1 coins in commemora14 tion of Robert M. La Follette, Sr., each of which shall— 

15 (1) weigh 26.73 grams; 

16 (2) have a diameter of 1.500 inches; and 

17 (3) contain 90 percent silver and 10 percent 

18 copper. 

19 (b) LEGAL TENDER.—The coins minted under this 

20 Act shall be legal tender, as provided in section 5103 of 

21 title 31, United States Code. 

22 (c) NUMISMATIC ITEMS.—For purposes of sections 

23 5134 and 5136 of title 31, United States Code, all coins 

24 minted under this Act shall be considered to be numis25 matic items. 


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1 SEC. 4. DESIGN OF COINS. 

2 (a) DESIGN REQUIREMENTS.— 

3 (1) IN GENERAL.—The design of the coins 

4 minted under this Act shall be developed in consulta5 tion with artists from the State of Wisconsin, and 

6 shall be emblematic of the life and accomplishments 

7 of Robert M. La Follette, Sr. 

8 (2) DESIGNATION AND INSCRIPTIONS.—On 

9 each coin minted under this Act, there shall be— 

10 (A) a designation of the value of the coin; 

11 (B) an inscription of the year in which the 

12 coin is minted; and 

13 (C) inscriptions of the words ‘‘Liberty’’, 

14 ‘‘In God We Trust’’, ‘‘United States of Amer15 ica’’, and ‘‘E Pluribus Unum’’. 

16 (b) SELECTION.—The design for the coins minted 

17 under this Act shall be— 

18 (1) selected by the Secretary, after consultation 

19 with artists from the State of Wisconsin and the 

20 Commission of Fine Arts; and 

21 (2) reviewed by the Citizens Coinage Advisory 

22 Committee. 

23 SEC. 5. ISSUANCE OF COINS. 

24 (a) QUALITY OF COINS.—Coins minted under this 

25 Act shall be issued in uncirculated and proof qualities. 


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1 (b) MINT FACILITY.—Only 1 facility of the United 

2 States Mint may be used to strike any particular quality 

3 of the coins minted under this Act. 

4 (c) PERIOD FOR ISSUANCE.—The Secretary may 

5 issue coins minted under this Act only during the calendar 

6 year beginning on January 1, 2011. 

7 SEC. 6. SALE OF COINS. 

8 (a) SALE PRICE.—The coins minted under this Act 

9 shall be sold by the Secretary at a price equal to the sum 

10 of— 

11 (1) the face value of the coins; 

12 (2) the surcharge provided in subsection (b) 

13 with respect to such coins; and 

14 (3) the cost of designing and issuing the coins 

15 (including labor, materials, dies, use of machinery, 

16 overhead expenses, marketing, and shipping). 

17 (b) SURCHARGES.—All sales of coins minted under 

18 this Act shall include a surcharge of $10 per coin. 

19 (c) BULK SALES.—The Secretary shall make bulk 

20 sales of the coins minted under this Act at a reasonable 

21 discount. 

22 (d) PREPAID ORDERS.— 

23 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall accept 

24 prepaid orders for the coins minted under this Act 

25 before the issuance of such coins. 


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1 (2) DISCOUNT.—Sale prices with respect to pre2 paid orders under paragraph (1) shall be at a rea3 sonable discount. 

4 SEC. 7. DISTRIBUTION OF SURCHARGES. 

5 Subject to section 5134(f) of title 31, United States 

6 Code, all surcharges received by the Secretary from the 

7 sale of coins minted under this Act shall be deposited into 

8 the United States Mint Public Enterprise Fund. 

9 SEC. 8. FINANCIAL ASSURANCES. 

10 (a) NO NET COST TO THE GOVERNMENT.—The Sec11 retary shall take such actions as may be necessary to en12 sure that minting and issuing coins under this Act will 

13 not result in any net cost to the United States Govern14 ment. 

15 (b) PAYMENT FOR COINS.—A coin shall not be issued 

16 under this Act unless the Secretary has received— 

17 (1) full payment for the coin; 

18 (2) security satisfactory to the Secretary to in19 demnify the United States for full payment; or 

20 (3) a guarantee of full payment satisfactory to 

21 the Secretary from a depository institution whose 

22 deposits are insured by the Federal Deposit Insur23 ance Corporation or the National Credit Union Ad24 ministration Board. 

Æ 


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