first of all , mr. speaker , let me point out that this is a motion with instructions , so it does not go back to the committee on financial services , it would automatically come back to the floor . 
secondly , i want to applaud the gentleman from delaware , who sponsored this legislation . 
the concept behind the gold medal , the highest award that the congress can provide , has historically been given , historically , to an individual . 
the first individual was george washington , even before the declaration of independence . 
historically that was the case . 
in the first 123 years of the existence of our country , only 45 medals were given out , all of them to individuals . 
since that time , we have had a tenfold increase in the next subsequent 100 years . 
and the gentleman from delaware is right , we need to reform the system . 
there is bipartisanship in the existing system because it involves 290 cosponsors , so everybody gets an opportunity to weigh in on the importance of the medal . 
there is an opportunity now with commemorative coins to honor groups as opposed to the individual medal . 
so the gentleman from delaware needs to be congratulated on forward-looking reforms , just as he did in the commemorative coin program . 
this is an effort , really , to gut these reforms , this so-called motion to recommit , and that is why i oppose it . 
we had extensive debate during general debate , as well as the two amendments offered by my friend from new york , and so i would ask that the motion to recommit be defeated ; that we pass this legislation ; and then get on to the work of defining two medals each year , a maximum of two medals each year , four for the congress , to honor individuals who have had extraordinary contributions to our country . 
let us go back to what the original intent of the founding fathers was in this gold medal . 
i think it is important to do so . 
