Provided by Marine Corps Heritage Foundation
The Marine Corps Heritage Foundation has thanked the 67 Senators and 240 House Representatives who have already signed on or committed to co-sponsor the 250th Anniversary of the United States Marine Corps Commemorative Coin Act. The legislation, which must pass by the end of June, would instruct the U.S. Mint to issue more than one million coins to commemorate 250 years of Marine Corps history, raise funds and support future education, historical, and cultural programs.
The legislation has reached the necessary threshold of 67 co-sponsors in the Senate. To reach the 290 House member threshold, 50 additional members of the House Representatives are needed as co-sponsors. Because Congress is limited to authorizing a maximum of two coins per calendar year, it is imperative that the bill is passed by the June 2023 deadline.
“We are grateful for Senators and Representatives who have stepped up as co-sponsors in Congress to show their support for the generations of Marines who have served their country while upholding the Corps’ motto of Semper Fidelis,” said Major General James W. Lukeman, USMC (Ret), president and CEO of the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation. “While we are close, we are not there yet. Today, we are calling for more House members to join their colleagues in co-sponsoring this important legislation before the June 2023 deadline to ensure the coins are minted. Funding from these coins will allow us to educate all generations – past, present, and future – about the Corps’ rich and storied history.”
The legislation would authorize the Department of Treasury to mint 50,000 five-dollar coins, 400,000 one-dollar coins, and 750,000 half-dollar coins. Taxpayers incur no cost when commemorative coins are issued, as funds are only disbursed to the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation after the U.S. Mint has sold enough to reimburse the cost of designing and issuing the coins.
“The 250th Anniversary of the Marine Corps is a truly historic milestone, and this legislation provides an avenue, at no cost to taxpayers, for the American public to become part of the celebration,” said Maj. Gen. Lukeman. “As the Marine Corps moves to secure our Nation’s future, our Foundation seeks to preserve, showcase, and educate the public on the history, tradition, and unique culture of the Marine Corps.”
The bipartisan legislation was formally introduced in February by a quartet of Marine Corps Veterans serving in Congress – Rep. Jack Bergman (R-MI), Rep. Seth Moulton (D-MA), Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), and Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-AK).
About the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation:
Dedicated to the preservation and promulgation of Marine Corps history, the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation was established in 1979 as a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization. The Foundation supports the historical programs of the Marine Corps in ways not possible through government funds. The Foundation provides grants and scholarships for research and the renovation, restoration and commissioning of historical Marine Corps artifacts and landmarks. The Foundation secured the necessary funding for the construction of the National Museum of the Marine Corps and Heritage Center, located in Triangle, Virginia, and continues to expand programs at the National Museum of the Marine Corps and beyond its walls. For more information, visit MarineHeritage.org.
