[Pages H1817-H1820]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

{time} 1620
LENA HORNE RECOGNITION ACT

Mr. LUETKEMEYER. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass
the bill (H.R. 1815) to posthumously award a Congressional Gold Medal
to Lena

[[Page H1818]]

Horne in recognition of her achievements and contributions to American
culture and the civil rights movement.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:

H.R. 1815

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 ``Lena Horne Recognition
Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

The Congress finds as follows:
(1) Lena Mary Calhoun Horne was born on June 30, 1917, in
Brooklyn, New York.
(2) At the age of 16, Lena Horne was hired as a dancer in
the chorus of Harlem's famous Cotton Club, where she was
introduced to such legendary jazz performers as Duke
Ellington, Cab Calloway, Count Basie, Ethel Waters, and
Billie Holiday.
(3) In 1940, Lena Horne became one of the first African-
American women to perform with an all-White band when she
toured with Charlie Barnet's jazz band as its featured
singer.
(4) Lena Horne was discovered by a Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
(MGM) talent scout and became the first Black artist to sign
a long-term contract with a major studio.
(5) Despite her extraordinary beauty and talent, Lena Horne
was often limited to minor acting roles because of her race.
(6) Scenes in which she did sing were cut out when they
were sent to local distributors in the South and studio
executives cast Ava Gardner as Julie in the film version of
Show Boat instead of Lena Horne because they did not want it
to star a Black actress.
(7) However, Lena Horne dazzled audiences and critics in a
number of films, including Cabin in the Sky and Stormy
Weather.
(8) During World War II, Lena Horne toured extensively with
the United Service Organizations (USO) on the West Coast and
in the South in support of the troops and expressed outrage
about the way Black soldiers were treated.
(9) She refused to sing for segregated audiences or to
groups in which German prisoners of war were seated in front
of African-American servicemen.
(10) During the period of McCarthyism in the 1950s, Lena
Horne was blacklisted as a communist for 7 years because of
her civil rights activism and friendship with Paul Robeson
and W.E.B. Du Bois.
(11) Although Lena Horne continued to face discrimination,
her musical and acting career flourished.
(12) In 1957, Lena Horne recorded Lena Horne at the
Waldorf-Astoria, which reached the Top 10 and became the
best-selling album by a female singer in RCA Victor's
history.
(13) Lena Horne rose to international stardom and toured
the world, sharing the stage with such names as Count Basie,
Tony Bennett, Billy Eckstein, Vic Damone, and Harry Belafonte
and also starred in musical and television specials with such
giants as Judy Garland, Bing Crosby, and Frank Sinatra.
(14) Lena Horne used her fame to become a powerful voice
for civil rights and equality.
(15) In 1963, she participated in the historic March on
Washington for Jobs and Freedom, at which Dr. Martin Luther
King, Jr. delivered his immortal ``I Have a Dream'' speech.
(16) Lena Horne also performed at rallies throughout the
country for the National Council for Negro Women and worked
with the National Association for the Advancement of Colored
People (NAACP), of which she was a member since the age of 2,
the National Council of Negro Women, the Delta Sigma Theta
sorority, and the Urban League.
(17) Through the end of the 20th century, Lena Horne
continued to entertain large audiences of all ages and
backgrounds and appeared on numerous television shows,
including Sesame Street, Sanford and Son, The Muppet Show,
The Cosby Show, and A Different World.
(18) In 1978, she was in the film adaption of The Wiz.
(19) In 1981, Ms. Horne captivated audiences with her one-
woman Broadway show, Lena Horne: The Lady and Her Music,
which enjoyed a 14-month run before going on tour and earned
her a special Tony and two Grammy awards.
(20) In 2002, 73 years after the Academy Awards were first
awarded, Halle Berry became the first Black woman to win an
Oscar for Best Actress and recognized in her acceptance
speech how Lena Horne paved the way for her and other Black
actresses.
(21) Lena Horne passed away in New York City on May 9,
2010, at the age of 92.
(22) Lena Horne was an entertainer, activist, and mother
who used her beauty, talent, and intelligence to fight racial
discrimination and injustice and rise to international
stardom.
(23) A symbol of elegance and grace, she entertained people
of all walks of life for over 60 years and broke barriers for
future generations.

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 posthumous
presentation, on behalf of the Congress, of a gold medal of
appropriate design in commemoration of Lena Horne in
recognition of her achievements and contributions to American
culture and the civil rights 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.

SEC. 4. DUPLICATE MEDALS.

The Secretary may strike and sell duplicates in bronze of
the gold medal struck pursuant to section 2 under such
regulations as the Secretary may prescribe, at a price
sufficient to cover the cost thereof, including labor,
materials, dies, use of machinery, and overhead expenses, and
the cost of the gold medal.

SEC. 5. STATUS OF MEDALS.

(a) National Medals.--The 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 section 5134 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 pursuant to this Act.
(b) Proceeds of Sale.--Amounts received from the sale of
duplicate bronze medals authorized under section 3 shall be
deposited into the United States Mint Public Enterprise Fund.

The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Missouri (Mr. Luetkemeyer) and the gentleman from New York (Mr. Meeks)
each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Missouri.

General Leave

Mr. LUETKEMEYER. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all
Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their
remarks and add extraneous material to this bill.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Missouri?
There was no objection.
Mr. LUETKEMEYER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 1815,
the Lena Horne Recognition Act, introduced by the gentleman from
Florida (Mr. Hastings).
This legislation, cosponsored by 308 Members, seeks to authorize the
striking and awarding of a Congressional Gold Medal in recognition of
the indomitable spirit and overwhelming voice of the great singer Lena
Horne.
Few singers have captured the imagination, the ear, and the spirit of
the country as did Lena Horne in her magnificent career. Fewer still
did that while waging a tireless battle for civil rights through the
1940s, 1950s, and 1960s. Ms. Horne was perhaps the top nightclub singer
of that era, but still found time to come here for Dr. Martin Luther
King's March on Washington--and she was also at an NAACP rally in
Jackson, Mississippi, alongside Medgar Evers on the weekend he was
assassinated.
From her earliest performing days--at 16, in 1933, at the famous
Cotton Club--until her very last performance in a Duke Ellington
tribute album in 2000, her performances riveted audiences. She won a
handful of Grammy awards and a Tony award, and she was nominated for
other Tonys and for an Emmy as well as a large number of personal
achievement and civil rights awards.
Lena Horne appeared multiple times on all of the big television
variety shows of the fifties and sixties, and of course, later in her
career, hosted her own long-running, one-woman show on Broadway. She
also acted in numerous films, including ``Stormy Weather,'' in which
she performed what many thought to be her signature song of the same
name. Sadly, despite her ability and her beauty, she never landed a
starring role.
Mr. Speaker, Lena Horne's magnificent voice and steadfast fight for
civil rights make her a worthy recipient of the Congressional Gold
Medal. I salute her, and congratulate the gentleman from Florida for
his effort on this legislation. I urge its immediate passage, and
reserve the balance of my time.

House of Representatives,

Committee on Ways and Means,

Washington, DC, April 16, 2012.
Hon. Spencer Bachus,
Chairman, Committee on Financial Services, Rayburn House
Office Building, Washington, DC.
Dear Chairman Bachus: I am writing concerning H.R. 1815,
the ``Lena Horne Recognition Act,'' which is scheduled for
floor action the week of April 16, 2012.

[[Page H1819]]

As you know, the Committee on Ways and Means maintains
jurisdiction over matters that concern raising revenue. H.R.
1815 contains a provision that provides for the sale of
duplicate medals, and thus falls within the jurisdiction of
the Committee on Ways and Means.
However, as part of our ongoing understanding regarding
commemorative coin and medal bills and in order to expedite
this hill for floor consideration, the Committee will forgo
action. This is being done with the understanding that it
does not in any way prejudice the Committee with respect to
the appointment of conferees or its jurisdictional
prerogatives on this or similar legislation in the future.
I would appreciate your response to this letter, confirming
this understanding with respect to H.R. 1815, and would ask
that a copy of our exchange of letters on this matter be
included in the Congressional Record during floor
consideration.
Sincerely,
Dave Camp,
Chairman.
____

House of Representatives,

Committee on Financial Services,

Washington DC, April 13, 2012.
Hon. Dave Camp,
Chairman, Committee on Ways and Means, Longworth House Office
Building, Washington, DC.
Dear Chairman Camp: I am writing in response to your letter
regarding H.R. 1815, the Lena Horne Recognition Act, which is
scheduled for Floor consideration under suspension of the
rules on Monday, April 16, 2012.
I wish to confirm our mutual understanding on this bill.
The bill contains a provision for a charge for the sale of
duplicate medals. I understand your concern with provisions
that raise revenue and accordingly would fall under the
jurisdiction of the Committee on Ways and Means. However,
this bill is not expected to raise revenue.
Further, I appreciate your willingness to forego action by
the Committee on Ways and Means on H.R. 1815 in order to
allow the bill to come to the Floor expeditiously. I agree
that your decision to forego further action on this bill will
not prejudice the Committee on Ways and Means with respect to
its jurisdictional prerogatives on this or similar
legislation. Therefore, I would support your request for
conferees on those provisions within your jurisdiction should
this bill be the subject of a House-Senate conference.
I will include this exchange of letters in the
Congressional Record when this bill is considered by the
House. Thank you again for your assistance and if you should
need anything further, please do not hesitate to contact
Natalie McGarry of my staff.
Sincerely,
Spencer Bachus,
Chairman.

Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Today, I rise to speak in favor of H.R. 1815, the Lena Horne
Recognition Act, introduced by my good friend and colleague from the
great State of Florida, Congressman Alcee Hastings, to honor and
posthumously award the Congressional Gold Medal, one of our Nation's
highest civilian awards, to the great Lena Horne.
Lena Horne is known to many as a uniquely talented performer who
dazzled audiences on stage and on the silver screen. She was a symbol
of elegance and grace; and she entertained people of all walks of life
for over 60 years and broke barriers for future generations, winning
numerous awards and accolades as a trailblazing African American female
performer.
When I think of just yesterday that Major League Baseball, during
that era, honored Jackie Robinson--a pioneer and professional baseball
player--it's a breakthrough. But during that same period of time, Lena
Horne was on the entertainment stage with such grace during a time when
it was difficult for her as an African American to travel--places to
stay, places to eat--but yet always with that elegance, with that
grace, with her beauty, she would perform and entertain but stay true
to herself, understanding that she was going to have a better tomorrow
for those who followed in her path. She was a trailblazer, making it
easier for people to follow.
If you think about the times that we had during that period, you had
to be extra special. That's who she was. I can recall, even as my
mother sat, she had to smile, because as soon as you said the name, my
father would smile because of the beauty and the glory of Lena Horne.
Anytime you heard Lena Horne on the radio, he would stop to listen to
her voice. And when she was on television later, everything else in the
house had to halt so that we could watch the elegant Lena Horne.
So when we think about the prejudice and discrimination that she had
throughout her life but how she persevered and ultimately used her
talent and fame to become a powerful voice for the civil rights
movement and equality, it is for those reasons I congratulate my
friend, Alcee Hastings, for bringing this bill forward.
Lena Horne lived in New York. In fact, a good friend of mine, a good
personal friend of mine, lives in her old home now that's been
landmarked and designated in Addisleigh Park, Queens, which is the
heart of my district.
So, Mr. Speaker, today I call on my colleagues to join me in voting
in favor of H.R. 1815, to award the elegant, the beautiful Lena Horne
the Congressional Medal of Honor for her outstanding accomplishments
and her contributions to American culture and society.
I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. LUETKEMEYER. Mr. Speaker, we have no further speakers at this
time. I will continue to reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Florida (Mr.
Hastings) such time as he may consume.
Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. I thank my good friend for yielding the
time, he and Mr. Luetkemeyer for bringing the measure forward.
I especially want to acknowledge Chairman Spencer Bachus and Ranking
Member Barney Frank, as well as their respective staffs, for helping us
in this matter. And a special shout-out to Tim Scott. Like Ms. Hayworth
helped you with Raoul Wallenberg, Tim and Jennifer DeCasper, from his
office, helped me to gain the number of signatures, as well as to
acknowledge my young staffer, Erin Moffet, who learned an awful lot
about Lena Horne along the way.
Mr. Speaker, obviously I'm in strong support of H.R. 1815, the Lena
Horne Recognition Act, a bill to posthumously honor Lena Horne with a
Congressional Gold Medal in recognition of her many achievements and
contributions to American culture and the civil rights movement.
I personally felt that I could not allow time to pass without
honoring the life and legacy of Ms. Horne, who passed away on May 9,
2010, at the age of 92. Throughout her lifetime, Ms. Horne used her
talent and fame to become a powerful voice for civil rights and
equality.
It was quite a journey to get this legislation to the floor given the
requirement that at least 290 Members of the House must cosponsor the
bill. I introduced this bill on May 10, 2011, with the support from 23
other Members, and I'm proud to say today that there are now 308
bipartisan cosponsors, and the measure is also offered in the United
States Senate.
While asking my colleagues to support this legislation to award Lena
Horne with the Congressional Gold Medal, I was, in some respects, a
little disappointed to see that too many people, both Members and
staff, were not aware of who this remarkable woman was.
I hope that we can pass H.R. 1815 today and that the Senate will then
subsequently pass this legislation and the President will sign this
bill into law so that Lena Horne's legacy will finally be given the
recognition it rightly deserves by posthumously awarding her with the
Congressional Gold Medal. I know her daughter and members of the
family--her daughter, Gail Lumet Buckley, I promised that I would call
when it passed, and I shall.
Lena Horne was the recipient of the Kennedy Center Honor for her
lifetime contribution to the arts in 1984, and in 1989 she received a
Lifetime Achievement Grammy Award. She has two stars on the Hollywood
Walk of Fame for her work in both motion pictures and recording.
Additionally, she has a footprint on the International Civil Rights
Walk of Fame at the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Site.
Although these and other monumental awards and honors were bestowed
upon her, Ms. Horne's life was not a story of smooth sailing. Her life
was too often plagued by stormy weather, which ironically was the title
of her signature song and one of the major films that she starred in.
Footnote there: I was in the third grade in Jersey City, New Jersey,
and my mother let me stay out of school to see my first motion picture,
and I have a memory of it today that stayed with me throughout that
time.
Born on June 30, 1917, in Brooklyn--not in Queens, Gregory--Lena Mary

[[Page H1820]]

Calhoun Horne broke racial barriers through her career as a singer,
dancer, and actress for 60 years.

{time} 1630

Ms. Horne got her start at the age of 16 when she was hired as a
chorus dancer at Harlem's famous Cotton Club. Then, at 19, she made her
Broadway debut in dancing a feature role in ``Dance With Your Gods.''
Her path to stardom then led her to tour with Charlie Barnett's jazz
band in the early 1940s, when she became one of the first black women
to tour with an all-white band.
A few years later, after starting her career as a singer and a
dancer, Ms. Horne was discovered by a Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer talent scout,
and moved to Hollywood to be an actress, becoming the first black
artist to sign a long-term contract with a major studio.
Even given her extraordinary beauty and elegance and talent, she was
often limited to minor acting roles because of her race. Among many
lost opportunities was the role of Julie in the film adaptation of
``Show Boat.''
Ms. Horne had previously played this role in an adaptation of act 1
of ``Show Boat'' that was featured in the 1946 film ``Till the Clouds
Roll By.'' But due to the Motion Picture Production Code not allowing
the depiction of interracial relationships in film, the distinguished
and famous Ava Gardner was cast in this role instead of Lena Horne.
Her fame in films was also limited due to the fact that during that
time, many films were shot so that scenes in which black performers
were featured could be easily edited out for Southern audiences. Even
facing such discrimination, Ms. Horne's perseverance allowed her to
overcome such obstacles and led her to dazzle audiences and critics in
a number of major films.
Her lead roles included those in the musical ``Cabin in the Sky'' and
the box office hit ``Stormy Weather,'' where Ms. Horne's remarkable
performance of the title song in ``Stormy Weather'' became one of her
most notable songs throughout her career. On her last tour, I saw her
in Ft. Lauderdale, and she sang three iterations of that song; and the
last one, indeed, as she said, was the most powerful. These two roles
increased her visibility as well as sealed her legacy in the music and
film industry.
The struggle for equal and fair treatment became an inseparable and
increasingly political part of Ms. Horne's life even outside of the
film industry. She toured extensively with the United Service
Organizations in support of U.S. troops during World War II, where she
was a major critic of the unfair treatment of black soldiers. Outspoken
on the issue, Ms. Horne refused to sing for segregated audiences or to
groups in which German prisoners of war were seated in front of the
black U.S. servicemen.
Due to her civil rights activism on issues such as these, as well as
her friendship with Paul Robeson and W.E.B. DuBois, Ms. Horne found
herself blacklisted during the period of McCarthyism.
While she continued to face discrimination in the film industry in
the fifties, her career flourished in television and on nightclub
stages across the country. During this time, she returned to her roots
as a vocalist and established herself as a major recording artist.
In 1957, she recorded ``Lena Horne at the Waldorf-Astoria,'' which
became the best-selling album by a female singer in RCA Victor's
history. Ms. Horne used the talent and fame she achieved through such
acclaims to become a powerful voice for civil rights and equality. In
1963, she participated in the historic March on Washington for Jobs and
Freedom at which Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered his immortal ``I
Have a Dream'' speech.
She also performed at rallies throughout the country for the National
Council for Negro Women, and worked with the National Association for
the Advancement of Colored People, the NAACP, of which she was the
cover girl for their monthly bulletin at age 2.
Following her blacklisting from film in the fifties and
disillusionment with the industry, Ms. Horne only returned to the
screen three more times following the McCarthyism era, one of which was
the film adaptation of ``The Wiz,'' in which she was cast as Glinda the
Good Witch.
Then in 1981, Ms. Horne finally received the big break she had waited
for her whole life, a one-woman Broadway show. ``Lena Horne: The Lady
and Her Music'' was the culmination of her triumphs and struggles. It
enjoyed a 14-month run before going on tour and earned her a special
Tony award for distinguished achievement in theater and two Grammys.
At the age of 80, Ms. Horne made the following statement, which I
believe appropriately captures her legacy; and, Gail, this one is for
you.
She stated that:

My identity is very clear to me now. I am a black woman.
I'm free. I no longer have to be a credit. I don't have to be
a symbol to anybody. I don't have to be a first to anybody. I
don't have to be an imitation of a white woman that Hollywood
sort of hoped I'd become. I'm me, and I'm like nobody else.

Mr. Speaker, Lena Horne was an extraordinary woman who refused to
give up her dreams because of the color of her skin, and used her
beauty, talent, elegance, and intelligence to fight racial
discrimination. Her perseverance and accomplishments are truly
inspirational, having taught us all how to weather the stormy periods
of our lives.
I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of H.R. 1815, the Lena Horne
Recognition Act, so that we may honor the life and legacy of Ms. Lena
Horne with a Congressional Gold Medal and through this recognition
inspire others with her story.
Someone wrote today, what do Lena Horne and Jack Nicklaus and Raoul
Wallenberg have in common? It's my hope that what they will have in
common today is each will be recognized for their distinguished
achievements and heroic acts on behalf of our society.
Mr. LUETKEMEYER. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I
reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I yield back
the balance of my time.
Mr. LUETKEMEYER. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Luetkemeyer) that the House suspend the
rules and pass the bill, H.R. 1815.
The question was taken.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and
nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further
proceedings on this question will be postponed.

____________________