I 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 3998 

To award a Congressional Gold Medal to the United States Women’s Soccer 

Team in recognition of their extraordinary contributions and commitment 

to soccer, women’s sports, inclusion, and pay equity. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JULY 25, 2019 

Mrs. BEATTY (for herself and Mr. GRIJALVA) introduced the following bill; 

which was referred to the Committee on Financial Services, and in addition to the Committee on House Administration, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such 

provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 

A BILL 

To award a Congressional Gold Medal to the United States 

Women’s Soccer Team in recognition of their extraordinary contributions and commitment to soccer, women’s 

sports, inclusion, and pay equity. 

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 ‘‘U.S. Women’s Na5 tional Soccer Team Congressional Gold Medal Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

7 The Congress finds the following: 


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1 (1) The United States Women’s National Soc2 cer Team (USWNT) has represented the United 

3 States in women’s soccer internationally since 1985. 

4 (2) The USWNT has gained international rec5 ognition as the most successful Women’s World Cup 

6 team, winning four Women’s World Cup titles, be7 ginning with the first Women’s World Cup in 1991. 

8 The USWNT has participated in every Women’s 

9 World Cup, placing no lower than third place and 

10 reaching the final five times. 

11 (3) The USWNT won the gold medal in the 

12 first Olympic women’s soccer tournament in 1996, 

13 as well as gold medals in the 2004, 2008, and 2012 

14 Olympic Games. 

15 (4) The USWNT has consistently been placed 

16 at the top of the FIFA Women’s World Rankings 

17 and holds the record for the longest period leading 

18 the ranking, from March 2008 to December 2014. 

19 (5) The 2019 USWNT team, coached by Jill 

20 Ellis, is composed of goalkeepers Adrianna Franch, 

21 Ashlyn Harris, and Alyssa Naeher; defenders Abby 

22 Dahlkemper, Tierna Davidson, Crystal Dunn, Ali 

23 Krieger, Kelley O’Hara, Becky Sauerbrunn, and 

24 Emily Sonnett; midfielders Morgan Brian, Julie 

25 Ertz, Lindsey Horan, Rose Lavelle, Allie Long, and 


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1 Samantha Mewis; and forwards Tobin Heath, Carli 

2 Lloyd, Jessica McDonald, Alex Morgan, Christen 

3 Press, Mallory Pugh, and Megan Rapinoe. Lloyd, 

4 Morgan, and Rapinoe served as team co-captains. 

5 (6) The USWNT won the 2019 Women’s World 

6 Cup, defeating the Netherlands in the championship 

7 game by a score of 2 to 0 on July 7, 2019. 

8 (7) As the team celebrated on the field, chants 

9 of ‘‘Equal Pay’’ were reported in the stadium. This 

10 reaction from the crowd was prompted by growing 

11 awareness and media coverage of the pay inequities 

12 experienced by the USWNT compared to their male 

13 counterparts. 

14 (8) The efforts of USWNT regarding wage in15 equity, in tandem with their continued success on 

16 the field, have advanced our Nation’s dialogue sur17 rounding complicated issues such as gender equity. 

18 (9) The USWNT also serves as a powerful and 

19 visible advocate of the LGBTQ community in ath20 letics. 

21 (10) Their work on these issues sets a powerful 

22 example to young women across the globe, particu23 larly women athletes, to stand up for equal treat24 ment. 


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1 SEC. 3. CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL. 

2 (a) PRESENTATION AUTHORIZED.—The Speaker of 

3 the House of Representatives and the President pro tem4 pore of the Senate shall make appropriate arrangements 

5 for the presentation, on behalf of the Congress, of a gold 

6 medal of appropriate design to the United States Women’s 

7 National Team, in recognition of their extraordinary con8 tributions and commitment to soccer, women’s sports, in9 clusion, and pay equity. 

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

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

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

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

16 (c) SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION.— 

17 (1) IN GENERAL.—Following the award of the 

18 gold medal under subsection (a), the gold medal 

19 shall be given to the Smithsonian Institution, where 

20 it shall be available for display as appropriate and 

21 made available for research. 

22 (2) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of 

23 Congress that the Smithsonian Institution should 

24 make the gold medal received under paragraph (1) 

25 available for display elsewhere, particularly at other 


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1 appropriate locations associated with women’s soc2 cer. 

3 SEC. 4. DUPLICATE MEDALS. 

4 The Secretary may strike and sell duplicates in 

5 bronze of the gold medal struck pursuant to section 3 

6 under such regulations as the Secretary may prescribe, at 

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

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

9 and the cost of the gold medal. 

10 SEC. 5. STATUS OF MEDALS. 

11 (a) NATIONAL MEDALS.—The medals struck pursu12 ant to this Act are national medals for purposes of chapter 

13 51 of title 31, United States Code. 

14 (b) NUMISMATIC ITEMS.—For purposes of section 

15 5134 of title 31, United States Code, all medals struck 

16 under this Act shall be considered to be numismatic items. 

Æ 


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