Marshals coin set for House floor vote (Updated)

The U.S. House of Representatives is expected to approve legislation on Thursday (Dec. 15) that could raise $5 million to support artifact and document preservation at the U.S. Marshals Museum.

HR 886, the United States Marshals Service 225th Anniversary Commemorative Coin Act, recently reached 299 cosponsors, 9 more than the 290 needed to advance the bill to the House floor.

U.S. Reps. Mike Ross, D-Prescott, and Steve Womack, R-Rogers, made floor speeches Tuesday (Dec. 13), with the floor vote considered a formality. (See below for the video of the speeches in support of the coin legislation.)

“Today is a good day for Fort Smith and the Marshals Museum,” Womack said during a Wednesday morning interview. “I want to personally thank Mike Ross, who took a personal interest in helping me. He is responsible for many of the (sponsor) signatures. … Imagine sitting down with 290 people up here and explaining this. It was a pretty heavy lift.”

The commemorative coin is scheduled to be minted in 2014 to coincide with the 225th anniversary of the establishment of the Marshals Service. It would be available in three denominations, a $5 gold coin, a $1 silver coin and a half-dollar clad coin. The coins would be the first commemorative coin to honor the United States Marshals Service.

Language in the coin bill provides that $5 million from coin sales is to fund “the preservation, maintenance, and display of artifacts and documents.” Revenue from coin sales will also go to the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association, the National Law Enforcement Museum, and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. 

In January 2007, the U.S. Marshals Service selected Fort Smith as the site for the national museum. The cost to build the 50,000-square-foot museum — including exhibit work — is estimated as high as $50 million. To date, museum officials have raised a little more than $9.1 million toward the construction of the museum. The Museum Board approved in June 2009 a design for the museum.

“To say that we are elated is an understatement,” said Jim Dunn, president and CEO of the U.S. Marshals Museum, when asked about Wednesday’s vote. “We are extremely pleased that we are taking this giant step.”

Dunn, who was traveling Wednesday to Washington, said he plans to soon visit with U.S. Sens. John Boozman, R-Ark., and Mark Pryor, D-Ark., on pushing the legislation in the Senate. The coin legislation now has 35 Senate sponsors, with 67 needed for floor passage. Dunn said Pryor — the sponsor of the Senate bill — and Boozman are aggressively pushing for sponsors.

“They are hard at work and we are confident they will close this for us sometime next year,” Dunn said.

An official statement from the Museum noted: “The Museum and Foundation Boards of Directors recognize the hard work and commitment of Rep. Womack in making this day possible. Rep. Mike Ross provided invaluable assistance in getting this bill approved by the House. Senator Pryor and Senator Boozman have assured us that they will do everything possible to see that this legislation gains approval in the Senate.”

In written remarks, Womack cited the connection between the history of Fort Smith and the history of the U.S. Marshals Service.

“Fort Smith was, for many years, the seat of justice not only for the Western District of Arkansas, but Indian Territory as well.  More marshals and deputies have been killed in the line of duty out of the Western District of Arkansas than any other district in the country.  Most were killed riding out under famed Judge Isaac C. Parker – immortalized by the novel “True Grit” and the movies by the same name,” Womack noted.

Womack said the coin also will “serve as a token of our appreciation and a symbol of their sacrifice” for the more than 250 U.S. Marshals who died in the line of duty.