Help make it Law
On March 14, 2023, Senators Van Hollen (D-MD) and Sullivan (R-AK) introduced United States Foreign Service Commemorative Coin Act. On May 18th, 2023, Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D-VA) introduced the House companion bill H.R.3537 with a bi-partisan group of co-sponsors. This bipartisan, revenue neutral legislation calls on the Secretary of the Treasury to mint a coin to commemorate the upcoming 100th anniversary of the United States Foreign Service.
In honoring this important centennial, the coin will recognize a century of Foreign Service contributions to American diplomacy, from the passage of the Rogers Act in 1924 to the first entry classes in 1925 to today. It will also commemorate the sacrifice made by the 320 of its members who gave their lives while serving, and the many more who continued to serve in the face of a range of dangers.
The sale of the coins will support the modernization of ADST’s invaluable foreign affairs oral history collection, its curation and the sharing of United States diplomatic history via oral history, books, social media and other means. ADST is spearheading the effort to get the necessary two thirds co-sponsorship of the S.789 and H.R.3537, United States Foreign Service Commemorative Coin Act in both Houses with the backing and support of AFSA, DACOR and all our sister foreign affairs organizations.
Dear Foreign Service Members and Friends,
We are writing with an urgent request for your help in getting the 67 cosponsors we need for passage in the Senate and the 290 in the House – by the end of June. We need constituent help – your help – to get your senators to cosponsor Senate Bill S789, and your representatives to co-sponsor the companion bill H.R.3537, the United States Foreign Service Commemorative Coin Act, bipartisan legislation that calls on the Secretary of the Treasury to mint a coin to commemorate the upcoming 100th anniversary of the United States Foreign Service and to recognize a century of Foreign Service contributions to American diplomacy.
ADST, with the backing of AFSA and our sister Foreign Affairs organizations, sought and got the support of Senators Chris Van Hollen and Dan Sullivan. We promised them to help get the support needed for passage of Senate Bill S789 ––two-thirds of both houses–– by this June. So we are asking for your help right now to get as many cosponsors from both parties as possible, as soon as possible. Please contact your senators and representative to urge them to cosponsor S.789 and H.R.3537 now.
Getting 67 senators and 290 representatives to co-sponsor this bill is a challenge, but TOGETHER WE CAN DO IT. Constituent mail on this kind of bill makes a critical difference. If you have a personal connection with your senator, please use it for this cause.
Here are resources to make it as easy as possible:
1. A template text of a constituent message you can personalize and send to your representatives: Senate template, House template
2. A link to the Van Hollen press release and within it a link to the text of S.789: Press Release
3. Resources to help in contacting your Member of Congress:
Find your Representative and Senators
Senate phone directory (all numbers are preceded by (202) 22x-xxxx)
List of Senate email contacts and addresses
Senator addresses are:
[Senator Name]
United States Senate
[Room #] [Building Name] Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
4. ADST Flyer for 100th Foreign Service Anniversary Coin bill Advocacy
5. Statements of support:
Amb. Kenneth Quinn, statement of support
General Dunford, Commandant Marine Corps (2015)