II 

109TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 1174 

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

of 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 SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JUNE 7, 2005 

Mr. FEINGOLD (for himself and Mr. KOHL) introduced the following bill; 

which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs 

A BILL 

To authorize the President to posthumously award a gold 

medal on behalf of 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 150 years 

7 ago, on June 14, 1855, in Primrose, Wisconsin. 
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•S 1174 IS

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

2 United States House of Representatives, 3 terms as 

3 Governor of Wisconsin, and 4 terms as a United 

4 States Senator. 

5 (3) Fighting Bob founded the Progressive wing 

6 of the Republican Party. 

7 (4) Fighting Bob was a lifelong supporter of 

8 civil rights and women’s suffrage, earning respect 

9 and support from such distinguished Americans as 

10 Frederick Douglass and Harriet Tubman Upton. 

11 (5) Fighting Bob helped to make the ‘‘Wis12 consin Idea’’ a reality at the Federal and State level, 

13 instituting election reforms, environmental conserva14 tion, railroad rate regulation, increased education 

15 funding, and business regulation. 

16 (6) Fighting Bob was a principal advocate for 

17 the Seventeenth Amendment to the Constitution of 

18 the United States, which calls for the election of 

19 United States Senators by popular vote. 

20 (7) Fighting Bob delivered an historic speech, 

21 ‘‘Free Speech in Wartime’’, opposing the public per22 secution of those who sought to hold their Govern23 ment accountable. 

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

25 the corruption during the Teapot Dome Scandal. 
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1 (9) Fighting Bob and his wife, Belle Case La 

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

3 The Progressive, a monthly magazine for the Pro4 gressive community. 

5 (10) Fighting Bob ran for the presidency on 

6 the Progressive ticket in 1924, winning more than 

7 17 percent of the popular vote. 

8 (11) The Library of Congress recognized Fight9 ing Bob in 1985 by naming the Congressional Re10 search Service reading room in the Madison Build11 ing in honor of both Robert M. La Follette, Sr., and 

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

13 commitment to the development of a legislative re14 search service to support the United States Con15 gress. 

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

17 of 2 statues representing the State of Wisconsin in 

18 National Statuary Hall in the United States Capitol. 

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

20 Outstanding Senators’’ by the Special Committee on 

21 the Senate Reception Room in 1957. 

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

23 the Senate Reception Room in March 1959. 

24 (15) Fighting Bob was revered by his sup25 porters for his unwavering support of his ideals, and 
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1 for his tenacious pursuit of a more just and account2 able Government. 

3 SEC. 2. CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL. 

4 (a) PRESENTATION AUTHORIZED.—The President is 

5 authorized, on behalf of the Congress, to posthumously 

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

7 La Follette, Sr., in recognition of his important contribu8 tions to the Progressive movement, the State of Wisconsin, 

9 and the United States. 

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

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

12 of the Treasury (in this Act referred to as the ‘‘Sec13 retary’’) shall strike a gold medal with suitable emblems, 

14 devices, and inscriptions, to be determined by the Sec15 retary. 

16 SEC. 3. DUPLICATE MEDALS. 

17 Under such regulations as the Secretary may pre18 scribe, the Secretary may strike and sell duplicates in 

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

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

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

22 and the cost of the gold medal. 

23 SEC. 4. STATUS AS NATIONAL MEDALS. 

24 The medals struck under this Act are national medals 

25 for purposes of chapter 51 of title 31, United States Code. 
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1 SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 

2 (a) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 

3 authorized to be charged against the United States Mint 

4 Public Enterprise Fund such sum as may be appropriate 

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

6 Act. 

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

8 sale of duplicate bronze medals under section 3 shall be 

9 deposited in the United States Mint Public Enterprise 

10 Fund. 

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