,i #aafth ,,congress #b;d ,session ,h4 ,r4 #gegh ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of ,,representatives ,july #ac1 #bjbj,mr4 ,brendan ,f4 ,boyle of ,pennsylvania introduced the following bill2 which was referred to the ,committee on ,financial ,services1 and in addition to the ,committee on the ,budget1 for a period to be subsequently determined by the ,speaker1 in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned ,a ,,bill ,to award a ,congressional ,gold ,medal to ,lieutenant ,colonel ,alexander ,vindman1 in recognition of his service to the ,united ,states and his courage to testify in the impeachment inquiry of ,president ,donald ,j4 ,trump4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,lieutenant ,colonel ,alexander ,vindman ,congressional ,gold ,medal ,act4 #b4 ,findings ,congress finds the following3 7#a7 ,on ,december #ai1 #bjai1 the ,house of ,representatives passed two articles of impeachment against ,president ,donald ,j4 ,trump for abuse of power and obstruction of ,congress4 7#b7 ,numerous public servants provided testimony to support the impeachment inquiry1 including ,lieutenant ,colonel ,alexander ,vindman1 a decorated veteran who was on the call between ,president ,trump and ,ukraine ,president ,volodymr ,zelensky on ,july #be1 #bjai1 which served as the basis for the impeachment inquiry4 7#c7 ,lieutenant ,colonel ,vindman served multiple tours of combat duty and was wounded during a tour in ,iraq1 for which he received a ,purple ,heart medal4 7#d7 ,lieutenant ,colonel ,vindman1 despite threats to his family and his career1 testified to the following on ,october #bh1 #bjai3 7,a7 ,the ,july #beth call was improper and unusual4 7,b7 ,lieutenant ,colonel ,vindman was concerned by the call3 ,i did not think it was proper to demand that a foreign government investigate a ,u4,s4 citizen1 and ,i was worried about the implications for six of the ,u4,s4 ,government's support of ,ukraine4 ,i realized that if ,ukraine pursued an investigation into the ,bidens and ,burisma1 it would likely be interpreted as a partisan play which would undoubtedly result in ,ukraine losing the bipartisan support it has thus far maintained4 ,this would all undermine ,u4,s4 national security44 7#e7 ,lieutenant ,colonel ,vindman further stated3 ,dad1 ,i'm sitting here today in the ,u4,s4 ,capitol talking to our elected professionals is proof that you made the right decision #dj years ago to leave the ,soviet ,union and come here to the ,united ,states of ,america in search of a better life for our family41 ,vindman said3 ,do not worry4 ,i will be fine for telling the truth44 7#f7 ,lieutenant ,colonel ,vindman faced unsubstantiated claims questioning his loyalty to the ,united ,states because he was born in ,ukraine and other forms of retribution4 7#g7 ,on ,february #g1 #bjai1 ,lieutenant ,colonel ,vindman was reassigned from his duties as ,director for ,european ,affairs at the ,national ,security ,council4 ,he was escorted from the ,white ,house by security4 7#h7 ,president ,trump stated on ,february #g1 #bjai3 ,well1 ,i'm not happy with him ,vindman4 ,you think ,i'm supposed to be happy with him8 ,i'm not4 ,he further accused ,lieutenant ,colonel ,vindman of being insubordinate for testifying against the ,president truthfully4 #c4 ,sense of ,congress ,it is the sense of ,congress that ,lieutenant ,colonel ,vindman-- 7#a7 is a patriot who defended ,american ideals on the battlefield and in the impeachment inquiry by telling the truth2 7#b7 faced retribution from the ,president of the ,united ,states as a result of his testimony in the impeachment inquiry2 and 7#c7 upholds the highest values of the ,united ,states and should be honored for his actions4 #d4 ,congressional gold medal 7a7 ,presentation authorized ,the ,speaker of the ,house of ,representatives and the ,president pro tempore of the ,senate shall make appropriate arrangements for the presentation1 on behalf of ,congress1 of a gold medal of appropriate design to ,lieutenant ,colonel ,alexander ,vindman1 in recognition of his service to the ,united ,states and his courage to testify in the impeachment inquiry of ,president ,donald ,j4 ,trump4 7b7 ,design and striking ,for purposes of the presentation referred to in subsection 7a71 the ,secretary of the ,treasury 7referred to in this ,act as the ,secretary7 shall strike a gold medal with suitable emblems1 devices1 and inscriptions1 to be determined by the ,secretary4 #e4 ,duplicate medals ,the ,secretary may strike and sell duplicates in bronze of the gold medal struck pursuant to section #d under such regulations as the ,secretary may prescribe1 at a price sufficient to cover the cost thereof1 including labor1 materials1 dies1 use of machinery1 and overhead expenses1 and the cost of the gold medal4 #f4 ,status of medals 7a7 ,national medals ,the medals struck pursuant to this ,act are national medals for purposes of chapter #ea of title #ca1 ,united ,states ,code4 7b7 ,numismatic items ,for purposes of sections #eacd and #eacf of title #ca1 ,united ,states ,code1 all medals struck under this ,act shall be considered to be numismatic items4 #g4 ,determination of budgetary effects ,the budgetary effects of this ,act1 for the purpose of complying with the ,statutory ,pay-,as-,you-,go ,act of #bjaj1 shall be determined by reference to the latest statement titled ,budgetary ,effects of ,,paygo ,legislation for this ,act1 submitted for printing in the ,congressional ,record by the ,chairman of the ,house ,budget ,committee1 provided that such statement has been submitted prior to the vote on passage4