I 

111TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 2317 

To authorize the President to posthumously award a gold medal on behalf 

of the Congress to 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 authorize the President to posthumously award a gold 

medal on behalf of the Congress to 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. FINDINGS. 

4 Congress makes the following findings: 

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

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


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1 150 years ago, on June 14, 1855, in Primrose, Wis2 consin. 

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

4 United States House of Representatives, 3 terms as 

5 Governor of Wisconsin, and 4 terms as a United 

6 States Senator. 

7 (3) Fighting Bob founded the Progressive wing 

8 of the Republican Party. 

9 (4) Fighting Bob was a lifelong supporter of 

10 civil rights and women’s suffrage, earning respect 

11 and support from such distinguished Americans as 

12 Frederick Douglass and Harriet Tubman Upton. 

13 (5) Fighting Bob helped to make the ‘‘Wis14 consin Idea’’ a reality at the Federal and State level, 

15 instituting election reforms, environmental conserva16 tion, railroad rate regulation, increased education 

17 funding, and business regulation. 

18 (6) Fighting Bob was a principal advocate for 

19 the Seventeenth Amendment to the Constitution of 

20 the United States, which calls for the election of 

21 United States Senators by popular vote. 

22 (7) Fighting Bob delivered an historic speech, 

23 ‘‘Free Speech in Wartime’’, opposing the public per24 secution of those who sought to hold their Govern25 ment accountable. 


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

2 the corruption during the Teapot Dome Scandal. 

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

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

5 The Progressive, a monthly magazine for the Pro6 gressive community. 

7 (10) Fighting Bob ran for the presidency on 

8 the Progressive ticket in 1924, winning more than 

9 17 percent of the popular vote. 

10 (11) The Library of Congress recognized Fight11 ing Bob in 1985 by naming the Congressional Re12 search Service reading room in the Madison Build13 ing in honor of both Robert M. La Follette, Sr., and 

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

15 commitment to the development of a legislative re16 search service to support the United States Con17 gress. 

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

19 of 2 statues representing the State of Wisconsin in 

20 National Statuary Hall in the United States Capitol. 

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

22 Outstanding Senators’’ by the Special Committee on 

23 the Senate Reception Room in 1957. 

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

25 the Senate Reception Room in March 1959. 


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1 (15) Fighting Bob was revered by his sup2 porters for his unwavering support of his ideals, and 

3 for his tenacious pursuit of a more just and account4 able Government. 

5 SEC. 2. CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL. 

6 (a) PRESENTATION AUTHORIZED.—The President is 

7 authorized, on behalf of the Congress, to posthumously 

8 award a gold medal of appropriate design to Robert M. 

9 La Follette, Sr., in recognition of his important contribu10 tions to the Progressive movement, the State of Wisconsin, 

11 and the United States. 

12 (b) DESIGN AND STRIKING.—For the purpose of the 

13 presentation referred to in subsection (a), the Secretary 

14 of the Treasury (in this Act referred to as the ‘‘Sec15 retary’’) shall strike a gold medal with suitable emblems, 

16 devices, and inscriptions, to be determined by the Sec17 retary. 

18 SEC. 3. DUPLICATE MEDALS. 

19 Under such regulations as the Secretary may pre20 scribe, the Secretary may strike and sell duplicates in 

21 bronze of the gold medal struck pursuant to section 2 at 

22 a price sufficient to cover the cost thereof, including labor, 

23 materials, dies, use of machinery, and overhead expenses, 

24 and the cost of the gold medal. 


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1 SEC. 4. STATUS AS NATIONAL MEDALS. 

2 The medals struck under this Act are national medals 

3 for purposes of chapter 51 of title 31, United States Code. 

4 SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 

5 (a) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 

6 authorized to be charged against the United States Mint 

7 Public Enterprise Fund such sum as may be appropriate 

8 to pay for the cost of the medals authorized under this 

9 Act. 

10 (b) PROCEEDS OF SALE.—Amounts received from the 

11 sale of duplicate bronze medals under section 3 shall be 

12 deposited in the United States Mint Public Enterprise 

13 Fund. 

Æ 


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