[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 7578 Introduced in House (IH)]
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116th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 7578
To award a Congressional Gold Medal to Lieutenant Colonel Alexander
Vindman, in recognition of his service to the United States and his
courage to testify in the impeachment inquiry of President Donald J.
Trump.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
July 13, 2020
Mr. Brendan F. Boyle of Pennsylvania introduced the following bill;
which was referred to the Committee on Financial Services, and in
addition to the Committee on the Budget, 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 Lieutenant Colonel Alexander
Vindman, in recognition of his service to the United States and his
courage to testify in the impeachment inquiry of President Donald J.
Trump.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Vindman
Congressional Gold Medal Act''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:
(1) On December 19, 2019, the House of Representatives
passed two articles of impeachment against President Donald J.
Trump for abuse of power and obstruction of Congress.
(2) Numerous public servants provided testimony to support
the impeachment inquiry, including Lieutenant Colonel Alexander
Vindman, a decorated veteran who was on the call between
President Trump and Ukraine President Volodymr Zelensky on July
25, 2019, which served as the basis for the impeachment
inquiry.
(3) Lieutenant Colonel Vindman served multiple tours of
combat duty and was wounded during a tour in Iraq, for which he
received a Purple Heart medal.
(4) Lieutenant Colonel Vindman, despite threats to his
family and his career, testified to the following on October
28, 2019:
(A) The July 25th call was ``improper'' and
``unusual''.
(B) Lieutenant Colonel Vindman was concerned by the
call: ``I did not think it was proper to demand that a
foreign government investigate a U.S. citizen, and I
was worried about the implications for six of the U.S.
Government's support of Ukraine. I realized that if
Ukraine pursued an investigation into the Bidens and
Burisma, it would likely be interpreted as a partisan
play which would undoubtedly result in Ukraine losing
the bipartisan support it has thus far maintained. This
would all undermine U.S. national security.''.
(5) Lieutenant Colonel Vindman further stated: ``Dad, I'm
sitting here today in the U.S. Capitol talking to our elected
professionals is proof that you made the right decision 40
years ago to leave the Soviet Union and come here to the United
States of America in search of a better life for our family.'',
Vindman said: ``Do not worry. I will be fine for telling the
truth.''.
(6) Lieutenant Colonel Vindman faced unsubstantiated claims
questioning his loyalty to the United States because he was
born in Ukraine and other forms of retribution.
(7) On February 7, 2019, Lieutenant Colonel Vindman was
reassigned from his duties as Director for European Affairs at
the National Security Council. He was escorted from the White
House by security.
(8) President Trump stated on February 7, 2019: ``Well, I'm
not happy with him [Vindman]. You think I'm supposed to be
happy with him? I'm not.'' He further accused Lieutenant
Colonel Vindman of being ``insubordinate'' for testifying
against the President truthfully.
SEC. 3. SENSE OF CONGRESS.
It is the sense of Congress that Lieutenant Colonel Vindman--
(1) is a patriot who defended American ideals on the
battlefield and in the impeachment inquiry by telling the
truth;
(2) faced retribution from the President of the United
States as a result of his testimony in the impeachment inquiry;
and
(3) upholds the highest values of the United States and
should be honored for his actions.
SEC. 4. CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL.
(a) Presentation Authorized.--The Speaker of the House of
Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate shall make
appropriate arrangements for the presentation, on behalf of Congress,
of a gold medal of appropriate design to Lieutenant Colonel Alexander
Vindman, in recognition of his service to the United States and his
courage to testify in the impeachment inquiry of President Donald J.
Trump.
(b) Design and Striking.--For purposes of the presentation referred
to in subsection (a), the Secretary of the Treasury (referred to in
this Act as the ``Secretary'') shall strike a gold medal with suitable
emblems, devices, and inscriptions, to be determined by the Secretary.
SEC. 5. DUPLICATE MEDALS.
The Secretary may strike and sell duplicates in bronze of the gold
medal struck pursuant to section 4 under such regulations as the
Secretary may prescribe, at a price sufficient to cover the cost
thereof, including labor, materials, dies, use of machinery, and
overhead expenses, and the cost of the gold medal.
SEC. 6. STATUS OF MEDALS.
(a) National Medals.--The medals struck pursuant to this Act are
national medals for purposes of chapter 51 of title 31, United States
Code.
(b) Numismatic Items.--For purposes of sections 5134 and 5136 of
title 31, United States Code, all medals struck under this Act shall be
considered to be numismatic items.
SEC. 7. DETERMINATION OF BUDGETARY EFFECTS.
The budgetary effects of this Act, for the purpose of complying
with the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010, shall be determined by
reference to the latest statement titled ``Budgetary Effects of PAYGO
Legislation'' for this Act, submitted for printing in the Congressional
Record by the Chairman of the House Budget Committee, provided that
such statement has been submitted prior to the vote on passage.
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