[Pages H1633-H1635]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

MIRACLE ON ICE CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL ACT

Mr. DAVIDSON. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (H.R. 452) to award 3 Congressional Gold Medals to the members of
the 1980 U.S. Olympic Men's Ice Hockey Team, in recognition of their
extraordinary achievement at the 1980 Winter Olympics where, being
comprised of amateur collegiate players, they defeated the dominant
Soviet hockey team in the historic ``Miracle on Ice'', revitalizing
American morale at the height of the Cold War, inspiring generations
and transforming the sport of hockey in the United States.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:

H.R. 452

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 ``Miracle on Ice Congressional
Gold Medal Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

Congress finds the following:
(1) The USA Olympic men's ice hockey team competed at the
1980 Winter Olympics, officially the XIII Olympic Winter
Games and known as the 1980 Lake Placid games, from February
13 to 24, 1980, in Lake Placid, New York.
(2) Team USA, comprised of collegiate players, defeated the
defending Olympic champion the Soviet Union 4-3 on February
22, 1980, in the final round of the 1980 Winter Olympics
men's hockey tournament.
(3) The 1980 USA Olympic men's hockey team roster
included--
(A) Bill Baker (Grand Rapids, MN);
(B) Neal Broten (Roseau, MN);
(C) Dave Christian (Warroad, MN);
(D) Steve Christoff (Richfield, MN);
(E) Jim Craig (North Easton, MA);
(F) Mike Eruzione (Winthrop, MA);
(G) John Harrington (Virginia, MN);
(H) Steve Janaszak (Saint Paul, MN);
(I) Mark Johnson (Madison, WI);
(J) Rob McClanahan (Saint Paul, MN);
(K) Ken Morrow (Flint, MI);
(L) Jack O'Callahan (Charlestown, MA);
(M) Mark Pavelich (Eveleth, MN);
(N) Mike Ramsey (Minneapolis, MN);
(O) Buzz Schneider (Grand Rapids, MN);
(P) Dave Silk (Scituate, MA);
(Q) Eric Strobel (Rochester, MN);
(R) Bob Suter (Madison, WI);
(S) Mark Wells (St. Clair Shores, MI); and
(T) Phil Verchota (Duluth, MN).
(4) The ``Miracle on Ice'' USA-Soviet Union final round
game aired on tape delay on February 22, 1980, from the Lake
Placid Games and drew 34,200,000 average viewers. The match
is remembered as a ``miracle'' as collegiate hockey players
defied expectations in defeating a Soviet team that won 4
consecutive gold medals dating back to 1964.
(5) Team USA defeated Finland 4-1 in its final game to win
the gold medal, its first gold medal since 1960 in men's
hockey.
(6) Herb Brooks, the last player cut from the 1960 U.S.
Olympic team that won gold at Squaw Valley, guided the 1980
team to its historic gold medal. Known as a motivator, Brooks
molded a team built around hard work, belief in oneself and
belief in teammates. He reminded his team when they played
the Soviets, ``you were born to be hockey players, everyone
one of you . . . and you were meant to be here''.
(7) The tournament occurred at a time when the United
States was struggling with rampant stagflation, high gas
prices, hostages held in Iran, and increased tensions with
the Soviet Union whose invasion of Afghanistan led to the
boycott of the 1980 Summer Olympics.
(8) The Miracle on Ice was a turning point for American
hockey. The game was named the greatest sports moment of the
20th century by Sports Illustrated.
(9) The historic win brought hockey to the front-page of
newspapers everywhere, and forever opened the door to the
National Hockey League for American-born players. The impact
of the event was far-reaching and is still being felt today.
(10) Since 1980 American interest in the sport of hockey
has increased exponentially. Registrations with USA Hockey
have increased by nearly 400 percent since 1980 from 136,000
to over 564,000, and the number of National Hockey League
players from the United States has increased from 72 in 1980
to 245 in 2024.

SEC. 3. CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDALS.

(a) Award 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 the Congress, of 3 gold medals of appropriate
design to the members of the 1980 U.S. Olympic Men's Ice
Hockey Team, in recognition of their extraordinary
achievement at the 1980 Olympic Winter Games where, being
comprised of amateur collegiate players, they defeated the
dominant Soviet hockey team in the historic ``Miracle on
Ice'', revitalizing American morale at the height of the Cold
War, inspiring generations and transforming the sport of
hockey in the United States.
(b) Design and Striking.--For the purpose of the award
referred to in subsection (a), the Secretary of the Treasury
(referred to in this Act as the ``Secretary'') shall strike
gold medals with suitable emblems, devices, and inscriptions
to be determined by the Secretary.
(c) Disposition of Medals.--Following the award of the gold
medals under subsection (a)--
(1) one gold medal shall be given to the Lake Placid
Olympic Center in Lake Placid, NY, where it shall be
displayed as appropriate and made available for research;
(2) one gold medal shall be given to the United States
Hockey Hall of Fame in Eveleth, MN, where it shall be
displayed as appropriate and made available for research; and
(3) one gold medal shall be given to the U.S. Olympic and
Paralympic Museum in Colorado Springs, CO, where it shall be
displayed as appropriate and made available for research.

SEC. 4. DUPLICATE MEDALS.

The Secretary may strike and sell duplicates in bronze of
the gold medals struck under section 3, at a price sufficient
to cover the costs thereof, including labor, materials, dies,
use of machinery, and overhead expenses.

[[Page H1634]]

SEC. 5. STATUS OF MEDALS.

(a) National Medals.--The medals struck under 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. 6. AUTHORITY TO USE FUND AMOUNTS; PROCEEDS OF SALE.

(a) Authority To Use Fund Amounts.--There is authorized to
be charged against the United States Mint Public Enterprise
Fund such amounts as may be necessary to pay for the costs of
the medals struck pursuant to this Act.
(b) Proceeds of Sale.--The amounts received from the sale
of duplicate bronze medals authorized under section 4 shall
be deposited into the United States Mint Public Enterprise
Fund.

The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Ohio (Mr. Davidson) and the gentleman from California (Mr. Sherman)
each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Ohio.

General Leave

Mr. DAVIDSON. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members
may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks
on H.R. 452.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Ohio?
There was no objection.
Mr. DAVIDSON. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Madam Speaker, no one has done more work on this than its originator,
our esteemed colleague from the great State of Minnesota, Pete Stauber.
I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Minnesota
(Mr. Stauber).
Mr. STAUBER. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of my
legislation, H.R. 452, the Miracle on Ice Congressional Gold Medal Act.
Who can forget those words from legendary announcer Al Michaels:
``Eleven seconds. You've got 10 seconds to go. The countdown going on
right now. Morrow up to Silk. Five seconds left in the game. Do you
believe in miracles? Yes.''
Who can forget those legendary words on that Friday, February 22,
1980?
What that hockey team did for our country during that time was they
beat the most powerful team in the world. These amateurs from our
college ranks, they beat the best team in the world. They beat the best
team in the world at the 1980 Olympics in Lake Placid.
Nobody gave them a chance. In fact, that game was tape delayed
because they didn't think it was going to be significant. That was the
most powerful moment in the history of sports.
Madam Speaker, I will talk to you about the State of Minnesota. The
State of Minnesota is the ``State of Hockey.'' It is our way of life.
I am the first professional hockey player ever to be elected to the
U.S. Congress. I have two other brothers who played professional
hockey. My nephew plays with the Utah Hockey Club. Hockey is our way of
life. What this 1980 Olympic team did is unimaginable for the sport of
hockey.
Those Minnesotans from my district were Buzz Schneider, Mark
Pavelich, Bill Baker, Phil Verchota, and John Harrington. Look at the
small towns where they came from: Grand Rapids, Eveleth, Babbitt,
Virginia, and Duluth. These players grew up loving the game.
They put that USA jersey on and were coached by Herb Brooks. We all
remember the white jersey with ``USA'' on the front or a dark blue
jersey with ``USA'' on the front.
Ten days before that game, Madam Speaker, they had an exhibition
game, and they were blown out at Madison Square Garden. Yet, a few days
later, Herb Brooks had them ready. They were conditioned. They were
ready. They played as a team. Movies were made about it.
Growing up in Duluth, I had the privilege of watching many of these
players play. Mark Johnson, who scored two goals in that game, was from
the University of Wisconsin. I saw him play at the Duluth arena against
Minnesota Duluth. He was magical.
Phil Verchota, from Duluth East, came from a hardworking, blue-collar
family. He went to the University of Minnesota as a standout.
Bill Baker was from Grand Rapids. Mike Eruzione was from Boston
University as well as Jack O'Callahan. Mark Wells was from Bowling
Green. These players meant something to their communities.
In fact, it is really weird. I represent Babbitt, Minnesota. There is
a Realtor up there, and it was just last year, Madam Speaker, that I
asked the Realtor: Would you please bring me by Buzz Schneider's home,
his small home in Babbitt? I want to see where he grew up.
It is the love of hockey. It is the love of the game. I know exactly
where I was, Madam Speaker, when they won. I was at the Pine Valley Ice
Shelter in Cloquet, Minnesota. It was my first year at Bantam, and one
of our parents came running out of the Zamboni room. He had just
watched the little black-and-white TV. He said: We beat the Russians.
We beat the Russians.
I remember sitting on the bench, thinking: Why is he yelling that?
Little did I know it would be the sports moment of the century.
Little did we know, 2 days later, on that Sunday, when they played
Finland--it wasn't going to be a gimme game. They had to work hard and
they beat Finland. Remember what Coach Herb Brooks said: If you lose
this game, you are going to take it to your blankety-blank graves. They
were ready for it.
I just replayed Al Michaels' last 11 seconds of the game. It gives me
chills being from the State of Hockey, knowing these players.
Madam Speaker, it was just a little over a month ago that we brought
four of those players to Washington, D.C., on Hockey Day on the Hill to
promote this Congressional Gold Medal Act.
The night before, those players spoke to our conference. I had the
privilege of going out to dinner with them. I was sitting right next to
Captain Mike Eruzione. I remember he said: You know something, Pete.
This game changed my life.
He was either going be a member of the military, a police officer, or
a firefighter.
He said: This game changed my life. That moment changed my life. He
said: I did well in my life. He said: Pete, for the United States of
America to give our 1980 Olympic team the Congressional Gold Medal, it
is the cherry on top. We will never be able to do anything bigger than
that.

{time} 1415

To have that captain say that to me is why it was so important that I
worked on both sides of the aisle. We got over 290 signatures to get it
onto the House floor.
There will be three Congressional Gold Medals minted, Madam Speaker.
One of them is going to go to the ice rink in Lake Placid where they
won it. One is going to go to the United States Hockey Hall of Fame in
Eveleth, Minnesota, the home of Mark Pavelich. The third one is going
to go to the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs.
We recognize that moment 45 years ago. I often wonder why we didn't
do this sooner. Why didn't we do this sooner? We should have. That
moment helped elevate the game of hockey across the United States. It
helped elevate girls' hockey across the United States. I share that my
younger brother, Rob, was the coach of the women's gold medal team in
Pyeongchang, where they won in overtime.
Being an Olympic gold medalist following these men and their careers,
they were heroes to those of us who laced up the skates. We couldn't
wait to get that USA jersey on, even playing ball hockey in the
driveway or in the street. It brought this Nation together like no
other sporting event. We needed it at that time, and these young
amateurs provided it for us.
Madam Speaker, I finish with a list of thank-yous.
First, I thank Congressman Mike Quigley, Republican Conference
Chair Lisa McClain, and Congressman Bill Keating for co-leading this
legislation with me. I thank Senators Cramer and Schumer for
spearheading the bill in the Senate. I also thank the other 293 Members
of Congress who cosponsored this bill to give these men the honor that
they deserve.
Second, I thank the National Hockey League and USA Hockey who have
been championing this cause alongside me and have been instrumental in
getting this bill onto the floor today.

[[Page H1635]]

Finally, I thank the players of the ``Miracle On Ice'' team: Bill
Baker from Grand Rapids, Minnesota; Neal Broten from Roseau, Minnesota;
Dave Christian from Warroad, Minnesota; Steve Christoff from Richfield,
Minnesota; Jim Craig from North Easton, Massachusetts; Michael Eruzione
from Winthrop, Massachusetts; John ``Bah'' Harrington from Virginia,
Minnesota; Steve Janaszak from White Bear Lake, Minnesota; Mark Johnson
from Madison, Wisconsin; Rob McClanahan from St. Paul, Minnesota; Ken
Morrow from Flint, Michigan; Jack O'Callahan from Charlestown,
Massachusetts; the late Mark Pavelich from Eveleth, Minnesota; Mike
Ramsey from Minneapolis, Minnesota; Buzz Schneider from Babbitt,
Minnesota; Dave Silk from Scituate, Massachusetts; Eric Strobel from
Rochester, Minnesota; the late Bob Suter from Madison, Wisconsin; the
late Mark Wells from St. Clair Shores, Michigan; Phil Verchota from
Duluth, Minnesota; and, finally, the legendary and late Coach Herb
Brooks from St. Paul, Minnesota, one of the best coaches ever in the
game of hockey.
Madam Speaker, I am excited to vote on this bill shortly. I thank
these young men for creating the most memorable moment in sports
history and demonstrating to the world the unwavering strength of the
American spirit.
Mr. SHERMAN. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Madam Speaker, I join in applauding the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr.
Stauber). I thank the gentleman from Minnesota, and I rise in support
of his bill. I can't possibly do justice to the passion and the
eloquence that the gentleman brought to this floor just a minute ago.
Madam Speaker, we vote today to honor the young men who reinspired a
country at the height of the Cold War. The legislation awards three
Congressional Gold Medals, as the gentleman from Minnesota outlined.
They are going to three different locations. This is the highest
civilian award, and it makes that award to the members of the 1980 U.S.
Olympic men's ice hockey team, whose victory marked a pivotal moment in
American sports history.
On February 13, 1980, the U.S. hockey team historically defeated the
Soviet Union 4-3 at the Lake Placid Winter Games. Prior to their
victory, the talented, yet untested U.S. team was deemed an underdog.
Many of them were college players. They were, on average, 22 years old.
They had played together only a few months.
Leading up to the game, the U.S. players took part in a 7-month
training program designed to confront a Soviet team that many
considered to be the best conditioned hockey team in the world.
However, through steadfast commitment, grit, hope, and determination,
the U.S. team emerged victorious and established a much-needed sense of
national pride across this country.
Even decades later, I hope that these themes can continue to inspire
us to confront the difficult challenges that we face as a nation today.
The events of the ``Miracle On Ice'' serve as a critical reminder of
the importance of rising to meet the challenges of our time through
steadfast commitment and grit.
Madam Speaker, I applaud Mr. Stauber, who spoke with such passion and
such knowledge, and the other sponsors of this bill. I urge my
colleagues to support this measure, and I reserve the balance of my
time.
Mr. DAVIDSON. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Madam Speaker, I rise to support H.R. 452. The bill awards
Congressional Gold Medals to honor the 1980 U.S. Olympic men's hockey
team.
Madam Speaker, it can't be stated any better than Mr. Stauber did. It
was such a beautiful, impassioned speech from someone who has lived so
much of hockey.
Yet, the quote from Coach Herb Brooks that sticks out to me is:
``Great moments are born from great opportunity.''
We all know the line. It is an unforgettable one. They seized the
moment at a time when I was too young to really comprehend what it
meant. When you watch it later in life, as a guy who enlisted in the
Army during the Cold War, to see moments like that that move the Nation
and unite us, you see what sports can do.
At the same time, the Soviet Union had a hockey team that was
dominant on the ice. They seemed insurmountable, but our American
athletes showed that they were not. It showed the hope and optimism
that it was possible within our country that we could defeat
insurmountable odds. The coach and that team deserve the credit.
Madam Speaker, I am glad that we are taking this opportunity to honor
them with a Congressional Gold Medal. These 20 men played with
everything they had. They outskated, outplayed, and just fought harder,
leaving everything on the ice to win that victory.
Madam Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to support the bill, and I
reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. SHERMAN. Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
Madam Speaker, this legislation awards three Congressional Gold
Medals to members of the 1980 U.S. Olympic men's hockey team, whose
hard work and commitment inspired a country at the height of the Cold
War. I hope that, in recognizing this victory, their legacy will
continue to inspire us and to unify a country that faces significant
divisions.
Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I yield
back the balance of my time.
Mr. DAVIDSON. Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
Madam Speaker, in closing, I reiterate the importance of the 1980
Olympic men's ice hockey team uniting during such a challenging and
turbulent period in American history. Their unforgettable victory
solidified the Nation's legacy of excellence, both on the ice and on
the global stage.
We owe these men a great debt of gratitude for transforming and
shaping the landscape of American hockey and, broadly, sport itself
over these past four decades.
Madam Speaker, I thank Congressman Stauber for his leadership and all
of my colleagues for helping advance this important measure.
Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Davidson) that the House suspend the rules and
pass the bill, H.R. 452.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

____________________