mr. chairman , i yield myself as much time as i may consume . 
this amendment is a simple and fair amendment that would increase the maximum number of congressional gold medals that congress could award from two per calendar year to six per congress , an increase of two medals per congress . 
the reason for this amendment was best summed up by the republican rules committee member , the gentleman from georgia ( mr. gingrey ) xz4001510 last night during his questioning of chairman oxley . 
he had concerns that the bill in its current form would make members hesitate before introducing their own congressional gold medal bills until late in the first year , waiting to see if others had more noteworthy recipients , then late in the first year rushing to introduce i too share some of those concerns and believe we can address this by passing this amendment . 
this would allow for the passage of six medals over the life of a congress instead of two per year over the life of a calendar year . 
i believe that members on both sides would prefer the flexibility of having more rather than fewer possibilities to award gold medals to citizens who deserve to be bestowed with one of our nation 's highest honors . 
but this higher number does not cheapen the medal because of the high threshold needed for consideration , two-thirds of the chamber . 
foolish medal bills will not attract the support that they would need for consideration . 
finally , this amendment is needed in the most practical purpose yet . 
in the last congress we awarded five congressional gold medals . 
they went to tony blair , prime minister of great britain , dr . 
dorothy height , president of the national council of negro women , jackie robinson , the first black player in major league baseball , reverend dr . 
martin luther king , jr. , posthumously and his wife coretta scott king , the civil rights icons , and posthumously awarded to the reverend joseph a. delaine , harry and eliza briggs , and levi pearson , the leaders in our nation 's efforts to desegregate public schools that led directly to the case of brown versus the board of ed . 
additionally , we granted six medals in the 106th congress and six in the 105th congress . 
in the 106th congress we passed into law three democratic sponsored bills and three republican sponsored bills . 
they went to ronald and nancy reagan , pope john paul ii , charles schulz , john cardinal o'connor , theodore hesburgh , rosa parks . 
and in the 105th congress two democratic sponsored bills and four republican sponsored bills for medals became law . 
gerald and betty ford , the little rock 9 , nelson mandela , to the patriarch bartholomew , to mother teresa of calcutta and to frank sinatra , introduced by my colleague , the gentleman from new york ( mr. serrano ) xz4003660 . 
this amendment is about flexibility for members , the ability to debate and consider legislation over the entire congress just as we do with every other piece of legislation . 
it will not cheapen but rather enhance this most prestigious of american honors . 
in fact , the existing committee on financial services rule requiring two-thirds cosponsorship of the house for a gold medal , which by definition represents broad-based bipartisan support , prevents the awarding of frivolous and undeserved medals to groups of individuals . 
i trust that two-thirds of the house represents a solid bipartisan consensus of the will of the house and therefore believe that this acts as a check on any effort to award medals to any groups of individuals who in the opinion of the house do not deserve such award . 
i urge the acceptance of this amendment . 
mr. chairman , i reserve the balance of my time . 
