I 118TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION H. R. 2655 To award a Congressional Gold Medal to Captain James Arthur Lovell, Jr., (USN–Ret), in recognition of his service to our Nation and most notably, his leadership, bravery, and general significance to the advance- ment of United States space exploration. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES APRIL 17, 2023 Mr. SCHNEIDER introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Financial Services A BILL To award a Congressional Gold Medal to Captain James Arthur Lovell, Jr., (USN–Ret), in recognition of his serv- ice to our Nation and most notably, his leadership, brav- ery, and general significance to the advancement of United States space exploration. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa- 1 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 3 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Captain James A. 4 Lovell, Jr., Congressional Gold Medal Act’’. 5 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 6 Congress finds the following: 7 VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:18 Apr 21, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2655.IH H2655 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB 2 •HR 2655 IH (1) In 1952, James A. Lovell, Jr., graduated 1 from the Naval Academy and served with distinction 2 in the U.S. Navy as a fighter pilot, later making im- 3 portant contributions as a test pilot. 4 (2) As a crew member for the Gemini 7 mission 5 and Commander for the Gemini 12 mission, Lovell 6 played a critical role in these missions which were 7 critical steps towards making the later Apollo lunar 8 missions possible. 9 (3) On December 21, 1968, Apollo 8 launched 10 from Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39A, 11 destined for lunar orbit. Lovell, William Anders, and 12 Frank Borman became the first humans to reach 13 the Moon’s orbit; Apollo 8 successfully completed ten 14 orbits around the Moon and safely returned to 15 Earth on December 27, 1968. 16 (4) On April 11, 1970, Apollo 13, commanded 17 by Lovell, with Jack Swigert as command module 18 pilot and Fred Haise as lunar module pilot, 19 launched from Kennedy Space Center Launch Com- 20 plex 39A with the intention to be the third mission 21 in history to land humans on the Moon. 22 (5) Two days into the mission, an explosion oc- 23 curred, depleting the command module’s air tanks, 24 and leaving the ship with disruptions in water, elec- 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:18 Apr 21, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2655.IH H2655 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB 3 •HR 2655 IH tricity, fuel, and light supplies, with support and 1 guidance from ground personnel, Lovell, Haise, and 2 Swigert had to modify the ship’s life support sys- 3 tems and change Apollo 13’s course to circle around 4 the Moon before heading back to Earth. 5 (6) Lovell handwrote the orientation calcula- 6 tions transferring them from the command module 7 to the lunar module guidance system allowing the 8 ship to stay on the correct trajectory. 9 (7) The three astronauts aboard Apollo 13 sur- 10 vived on rations of water in freezing temperatures 11 for four days in the lunar module while the ship 12 traveled back towards Earth. 13 (8) On April 17, 1970, in large thanks to 14 Lovell’s leadership and NASA’s ingenuity, Apollo 13 15 reentered Earth’s atmosphere and safely splashed 16 down in the Pacific Ocean after a treacherous and 17 uncertain journey back to Earth. 18 (9) The bravery, skill, and courage of the Apol- 19 lo 13 astronauts, under the extraordinary leadership 20 of Captain Lovell united the American people and 21 reinvigorated interest in the Nation’s space program. 22 (10) President Nixon awarded Lovell, Haise, 23 and Swigert with the Presidential Medal of Freedom 24 for their heroic work. 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:18 Apr 21, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2655.IH H2655 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB 4 •HR 2655 IH (11) Lovell went on to have a successful busi- 1 ness career, becoming the CEO of Bay-Houston 2 Towing Company, President of Fisk Telephone Sys- 3 tems, Executive Vice President of Centel Corpora- 4 tion in Chicago, and starting a restaurant with his 5 family in Lake Forest, Illinois. 6 (12) Throughout his life, Lovell was a strong 7 and effective advocate for science, the study of 8 space, and the power of space exploration. 9 (13) Lovell continues to be an example of 10 strength and wisdom in his community and through- 11 out the country. 12 SEC. 3. CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL. 13 (a) PRESENTATION AUTHORIZED.—The Speaker of 14 the House of Representatives and the President pro tem- 15 pore of the Senate shall make appropriate arrangements 16 for the presentation, on behalf of the Congress, of a gold 17 medal of appropriate design in commemoration of Captain 18 James Arthur Lovell, Jr., in recognition of his service to 19 our Nation and most notably, his leadership, bravery, and 20 general significance to the advancement of United States 21 space exploration. 22 (b) DESIGN AND STRIKING.—For the purposes of the 23 presentation referred to in subsection (a), the Secretary 24 of the Treasury (hereafter in this Act referred to as the 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:18 Apr 21, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2655.IH H2655 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB 5 •HR 2655 IH ‘‘Secretary’’) shall strike a gold medal with suitable em- 1 blems, devices, and inscriptions, to be determined by the 2 Secretary. 3 SEC. 4. DUPLICATE MEDALS. 4 The Secretary may strike and sell duplicates in 5 bronze of the gold medal struck pursuant to section 3 at 6 a price sufficient to cover the cost thereof, including labor, 7 materials, dies, use of machinery, and overhead expenses. 8 SEC. 5. STATUS OF MEDALS. 9 (a) NATIONAL MEDALS.—The medal struck pursuant 10 to this Act is a national medal for purposes of chapter 11 51 of title 31, United States Code. 12 (b) NUMISMATIC ITEMS.—For purposes of sections 13 5134 and 5136 of title 31, United States Code, all medals 14 struck under this Act shall be considered to be numismatic 15 items. 16 SEC. 6. AUTHORITY TO USE FUND AMOUNTS; PROCEEDS OF 17 SALE. 18 (a) AUTHORITY TO USE FUND AMOUNTS.—There is 19 authorized to be charged against the United States Mint 20 Public Enterprise Fund such amounts as may be nec- 21 essary to pay for the costs of the medals struck pursuant 22 to this Act. 23 (b) PROCEEDS OF SALE.—The amounts received 24 from the sale of duplicate bronze medals authorized under 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:18 Apr 21, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2655.IH H2655 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB 6 •HR 2655 IH section 3 shall be deposited into the United States Mint 1 Public Enterprise Fund. 2 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:18 Apr 21, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\H2655.IH H2655 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB