To obtain and direct the placement in the Capitol or on the Capitol Grounds of a statue to honor American humanitarian and star athlete Roberto Clemente of Puerto Rico.

I 118TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION H. R. 4065 To obtain and direct the placement in the Capitol or on the Capitol Grounds of a statue to honor American humanitarian and star athlete Roberto Clemente of Puerto Rico. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES JUNE 13, 2023 Mrs. GONZA´LEZ-COLO´N (for herself, Mr. SOTO, Mr. TORRES of New York, and Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on House Administration A BILL To obtain and direct the placement in the Capitol or on the Capitol Grounds of a statue to honor American hu- manitarian and star athlete Roberto Clemente of Puerto Rico. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa- 1 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2 SECTION 1. FINDINGS. 3 Congress finds the following: 4 (1) Roberto Clemente Walker was born in San 5 Anto´n Ward, at the time a sugarcane growing com- 6 munity in Carolina, Puerto Rico, on August 18, 7 VerDate Sep 11 2014 16:51 Aug 05, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H4065.IH H4065 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB 2 •HR 4065 IH 1934, to working class parents Melchor Clemente 1 and Luisa Walker. 2 (2) Showing an early athletic talent, Clemente 3 excelled in track and field events at Vizcarrondo 4 High School, but baseball was his true passion, and 5 he began his professional baseball career in the 6 Puerto Rico Winter League at age 17. 7 (3) Scouted by the Dodgers at age 18, he spent 8 a short time in the minor leagues in that organiza- 9 tion before being drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates, 10 where he remained for his entire time in Major 11 League Baseball. 12 (4) Clemente was one of the pioneers who still 13 had to face persistent discrimination and negative 14 attitudes related to his origin and culture on and off 15 the field and in the media, but his talent and dis- 16 cipline soon spoke louder. 17 (5) He proved his mettle in the Pirates teams, 18 reaching championships in two World Series, includ- 19 ing in 1971 when he was named Most Valuable 20 Player. He was named the 1966 regular season Most 21 Valuable Player. He won 12 Gold Gloves as one of 22 the most effective, hard-throwing, and precise out- 23 fielders in the game. He won four batting titles, had 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 16:51 Aug 05, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H4065.IH H4065 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB 3 •HR 4065 IH a lifetime .317 batting average and 3,000 hits, and 1 was a 12-time member of the All-Star team. 2 (6) Clemente was an exemplary figure off the 3 baseball field as well. Having received a rare oppor- 4 tunity, he made sure that he could be of service to 5 others. 6 (7) During his rookie season, Clemente also 7 served as a member of the Marine Corps Reserve, 8 fulfilling his commitment to the Nation. 9 (8) Once he reached stardom, he would spend 10 the off-season actively supporting community efforts 11 in Puerto Rico and in neighboring countries in the 12 Caribbean region, using sports as a vehicle to moti- 13 vate the progress of communities and specially to 14 provide opportunities for social development for dis- 15 advantaged families. One of his desires was the 16 founding of a center for developing underprivileged 17 youth through sport and education. 18 (9) A man of strong family values, Clemente in 19 1964 married Vera Cristina Zabala, with whom he 20 started a family that grew with the birth of his sons 21 Roberto Jr. in 1965, Luis in 1966, and Enrique in 22 1969. Upon winning the 1971 World Series MVP, 23 he showed that strong bond and his faith when in 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 16:51 Aug 05, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H4065.IH H4065 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB 4 •HR 4065 IH his interview he sent a blessing to his children and 1 asked for one from his parents. 2 (10) After the December 23, 1972, earthquake 3 in Managua, Nicaragua, having earlier that year 4 worked in that country with an international tour- 5 nament, Roberto Clemente was a leader in efforts to 6 obtain relief supplies for the victims and mobilize 7 aid. 8 (11) Concerned over reports that this help may 9 not reach those who needed it but was instead being 10 diverted or misused, on December 31, 1972, he 11 boarded an aid flight, so that he could participate 12 directly in delivering it. 13 (12) That flight, tragically, suffered a mechan- 14 ical failure during takeoff climb and crashed into the 15 sea just off the coast, with all on board perishing. 16 The loss of Roberto Clemente was traumatic across 17 the Puerto Rican and general Latino community and 18 the sports world. 19 (13) The accolades received by Clemente are 20 many, and to this day he continues to accumulate 21 recognition on his home soil and away from it, not 22 only as a sports superstar with lasting fame in that 23 endeavor, but as an example of commitment to hu- 24 manity in its times of need, even to the ultimate 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 16:51 Aug 05, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H4065.IH H4065 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB 5 •HR 4065 IH consequences. The Baseball Writers Association al- 1 most immediately waived the waiting period require- 2 ment and named Roberto Clemente Walker to the 3 Baseball Hall of Fame in 1973. The Major League 4 Baseball Roberto Clemente Award is given every 5 year to the player who best exemplifies the game of 6 baseball, sportsmanship, community involvement, 7 and the individual’s contribution to his team. The 8 Puerto Rico Winter League is now named the Ro- 9 berto Clemente Professional Baseball League. 10 (14) Roberto Clemente Walker is a hero for 11 whom respect and love is shared by all segments of 12 Puerto Rican communities in the Island and across 13 the Nation and the world. 14 SEC. 2. STATUE HONORING ROBERTO CLEMENTE WALKER. 15 (a) OBTAINING OF STATUE.— 16 (1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 2 years after 17 the date of the enactment of this Act, in consulta- 18 tion with the Committee on House Administration of 19 the House of Representatives and the Committee on 20 Rules and Administration of the Senate, and under 21 such terms and conditions as the Joint Committee 22 on the Library considers appropriate consistent with 23 applicable law, the Joint Committee shall enter into 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 16:51 Aug 05, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H4065.IH H4065 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB 6 •HR 4065 IH an agreement to obtain a statue honoring humani- 1 tarian and star athlete Roberto Clemente Walker. 2 (2) CONSIDERATION OF ARTISTS OF VARIETY 3 OF BACKGROUNDS.—In selecting an artist for the 4 statue under paragraph (1), the Joint Committee 5 shall consider artists from a variety of backgrounds, 6 including artists from the Puerto Rican community 7 and underrepresented demographic groups, and shall 8 make public announcements targeting such artists. 9 (3) DONATION.—The Joint Committee may ob- 10 tain the statue under paragraph (1) by donation, 11 subject to the laws and rules governing the accept- 12 ance of donated works of art. 13 (b) INSTALLATION.—The Architect of the Capitol, 14 under the direction of the Joint Committee on the Library, 15 shall permanently install the statue obtained under sub- 16 section (a) in an appropriate location in the United States 17 Capitol or on the Capitol Grounds, as described in section 18 5102 of title 40, United States Code. 19 (c) AUTHORIZING FUNDING WITH AMOUNTS IN CAP- 20 ITOL PRESERVATION FUND.— 21 (1) AUTHORIZATION.—Notwithstanding section 22 803 of the Arizona-Idaho Conservation Act of 1988 23 (2 U.S.C. 2083), the United States Capitol Preser- 24 vation Commission established under section 801 of 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 16:51 Aug 05, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H4065.IH H4065 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB 7 •HR 4065 IH such Act (2 U.S.C. 2081) may transfer amounts in 1 the Capitol Preservation Fund established under sec- 2 tion 803 of such Act (2 U.S.C. 2083) to the Joint 3 Committee on the Library and the Architect of the 4 Capitol for purposes of obtaining and installing the 5 statue under this Act. 6 (2) LIMITATION ON AMOUNT TRANSFERRED.— 7 The amount transferred under paragraph (1) may 8 not exceed $500,000. 9 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 16:51 Aug 05, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00007 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\H4065.IH H4065 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB