Peter McGuire Congressional Gold Medal Act

[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 9419 Introduced in House (IH)]

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118th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 9419

To award a Congressional Gold Medal to Peter McGuire in recognition of 
           his contributions to the American Labor Movement.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            August 27, 2024

Mr. Norcross (for himself, Ms. Adams, Ms. Wild, Ms. Sanchez, Mr. Davis 
 of North Carolina, Ms. Schakowsky, Mr. Pocan, Mr. Lynch, Mrs. Trahan, 
 Mr. Kennedy, Ms. Salinas, Ms. Budzinski, and Mr. Goldman of New York) 
 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 Peter McGuire in recognition of 
           his contributions to the American Labor Movement.

    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 ``Peter McGuire Congressional Gold 
Medal Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    The Congress finds following:
            (1) Peter McGuire's advocacy for the American Labor 
        Movement led to great gains for American workers and their 
        ability to organize and collectively bargain, especially in 
        wages, worker solidarity, and the movement for the 8-hour 
        workday.
            (2) Peter McGuire is known as the ``Father of Labor Day and 
        of May Day'' for his contributions to American workers.
            (3) Mr. McGuire is recognized for building the United 
        Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America into a 
        powerful force advocating for American workers, and one of the 
        most powerful labor organizations in the world.
            (4) Within 2 years, Mr. McGuire's St. Louis carpenters 
        achieved such impressive success and wage gains that it 
        attracted the attention of carpenters across the United States.
            (5) In 1881, Mr. McGuire called for a national meeting of 
        carpenters' unions in Chicago which resulted in the formation 
        of the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America, 
        and was elected the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and 
        Joiners of America's Chief Administrative Officer.
            (6) In 1881, Mr. McGuire wrote the convention call for the 
        national conference of labor unions that established the 
        Federation of Organized Trades and Labor Unions, which, in 
        1886, reorganized into the American Federation of Labor.
            (7) Mr. McGuire was elected the first Secretary of the 
        American Federation of Labor.
            (8) Mr. McGuire advocated admirably for an 8-hour workday, 
        and his action resulted in meaningful gains for the 8-hour 
        workday movement. Mr. McGuire led impactful strikes in 1886 and 
        1890, which put the 8-hour workday on the minds of the American 
        public. The latter strike resulted in especially impressive 
        gains for workers, and one of the most successful strikes of 
        the 19th century: over 23,000 carpenters in 36 cities gained 
        the 8-hour workday, and 32,000 others gained the nine-hour 
        workday.

SEC. 3. 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 single gold medal of appropriate design in honor of Peter McGuire 
in recognition of his contributions to the American Labor Movement.
    (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, 
in consultation with the Secretary of Labor.
    (c) National Museum of American History.--
            (1) In general.--Following the award of the gold medal in 
        honor of Peter McGuire, the gold medal shall be given to the 
        Smithsonian Institution National Museum of American History, 
        where it will be available for display as appropriate and 
        available for research.
            (2) Sense of congress.--It is the sense of Congress that 
        the National Museum of American History should make the gold 
        medal awarded pursuant to this Act available for display 
        elsewhere, particularly at appropriate locations associated 
        with the American Labor Movement or the Gilded Age.

SEC. 4. DUPLICATE MEDALS.

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

SEC. 5. STATUS OF MEDALS.

    (a) National Medal.--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. 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 
under this Act.
    (b) Proceeds of Sale.--Amounts received from the sale of duplicate 
bronze medals authorized under section 4 shall be deposited into the 
United States Mint Public Enterprise Fund.
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