II 

109TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 1175 

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 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 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’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

7 Congress makes the following findings: 
2 

•S 1175 IS

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

2 ‘‘Fighting Bob’’ La Follette, was born 150 years 

3 ago, on June 14, 1855, in Primrose, Wisconsin. 

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

5 United States House of Representatives, 3 terms as 

6 Governor of Wisconsin, and 4 terms as a United 

7 States Senator. 

8 (3) Fighting Bob founded the Progressive wing 

9 of the Republican Party. 

10 (4) Fighting Bob was a lifelong supporter of 

11 civil rights and women’s suffrage, earning respect 

12 and support from such distinguished Americans as 

13 Frederick Douglass and Harriet Tubman Upton. 

14 (5) Fighting Bob helped to make the ‘‘Wis15 consin Idea’’ a reality at the Federal and State level, 

16 instituting election reforms, environmental conserva17 tion, railroad rate regulation, increased education 

18 funding, and business regulation. 

19 (6) Fighting Bob was a principal advocate for 

20 the Seventeenth Amendment to the Constitution of 

21 the United States, which calls for the election of 

22 United States Senators by popular vote. 

23 (7) Fighting Bob delivered an historic speech, 

24 ‘‘Free Speech in Wartime’’, opposing the public per-
3 

•S 1175 IS

1 secution of those who sought to hold their Govern2 ment accountable. 

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

4 the corruption during the Teapot Dome Scandal. 

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

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

7 The Progressive, a monthly magazine for the Pro8 gressive community. 

9 (10) Fighting Bob ran for the presidency on 

10 the Progressive ticket in 1924, winning more than 

11 17 percent of the popular vote. 

12 (11) The Library of Congress recognized Fight13 ing Bob in 1985 by naming the Congressional Re14 search Service reading room in the Madison Build15 ing in honor of both Robert M. La Follette, Sr., and 

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

17 commitment to the development of a legislative re18 search service to support the United States Con19 gress. 

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

21 of 2 statues representing the State of Wisconsin in 

22 National Statuary Hall in the United States Capitol. 

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

24 Outstanding Senators’’ by the Special Committee on 

25 the Senate Reception Room in 1957. 
4 

•S 1175 IS

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

2 the Senate Reception Room in March 1959. 

3 (15) Fighting Bob was revered by his sup4 porters for his unwavering support of his ideals, and 

5 for his tenacious pursuit of a more just and account6 able Government. 

7 SEC. 3. COIN SPECIFICATIONS. 

8 (a) $1 SILVER COINS.—The Secretary of the Treas9 ury (in this Act referred to as the ‘‘Secretary’’) shall mint 

10 and issue not more than 500,000 $1 coins in commemora11 tion of Robert M. La Follette, Sr., each of which shall— 

12 (1) weigh 26.73 grams; 

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

14 (3) contain 90 percent silver and 10 percent 

15 copper. 

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

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

18 title 31, United States Code. 

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

20 5134 and 5136 of title 31, United States Code, all coins 

21 minted under this Act shall be considered to be numis22 matic items. 

23 SEC. 4. DESIGN OF COINS. 

24 (a) DESIGN REQUIREMENTS.— 
5 

•S 1175 IS

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

2 minted under this Act shall be developed in consulta3 tion with artists from the State of Wisconsin, and 

4 shall be emblematic of the life and accomplishments 

5 of Robert M. La Follette, Sr. 

6 (2) DESIGNATION AND INSCRIPTIONS.—On 

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

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

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

10 coin is minted; and 

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

12 ‘‘In God We Trust’’, ‘‘United States of Amer13 ica’’, and ‘‘E Pluribus Unum’’. 

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

15 under this Act shall be— 

16 (1) selected by the Secretary, after consultation 

17 with artists from the State of Wisconsin and the 

18 Commission of Fine Arts; and 

19 (2) reviewed by the Citizens Coinage Advisory 

20 Committee. 

21 SEC. 5. ISSUANCE OF COINS. 

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

23 Act shall be issued in uncirculated and proof qualities. 
6 

•S 1175 IS

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, 2006. 

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. 
7 

•S 1175 IS

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