Houston, TX – Congressman Al Green (TX-09), today, joined Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison in presenting Dr. Michael E. DeBakey with a framed copy of the bill awarding the Texas physician the Congressional Gold Medal in a Houston ceremony.  Congressman Al Green led the effort in the House to bestow our nation’s highest and most distinguished civilian award upon Dr. DeBakey.  On Friday, September 7, Dr. DeBakey’s 99th birthday, Congressman Al Green secured the 290 co-sponsors necessary to move his house bill, HR 1154, out of the Financial Services Committee and to the House floor for a vote.  On September 17, HR 1154 passed the House of Representatives by voice vote with 313 co-sponsors.  On October 2, Congressman Al Green, having attained the 290 co-sponsors on the House bill, was able to pass  S. 474, a bill sponsored and passed in the Senate by Texas Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX), to finally award a congressional gold medal to Texas medical legend, Dr. Michael E. DeBakey.  S 474 passed the House of Representatives, paving the way for the President to sign the bill into law on October 16, 2007.

After the bill was signed by the President, officials from the U.S. Mint met with sponsors of the legislation and other interested parties (e.g., family members) to discuss possible designs for the medal. Mint engravers will now prepare a series of sketches of possible designs for consideration and comment by the Commission of Fine Arts and subsequently the Secretary of the Treasury who makes the final decision on the medal’s design. This process ensures that each medal is unique, representing each individual and/or event that it has been awarded for. The legislation also provides for replicas of the medal, cast in bronze, to be sold.  After the medal is created by the Philadelphia Mint, a presentation ceremony will be held to honor Dr. Michael E. DeBakey with the Congressional Gold Medal of Honor.

"Dr. DeBakey truly is a living legend who has in some way touched all of our lives. He has operated on more than 60,000 patients in Houston alone, and has treated the very rich and the very poor, all with the same high standards of care and unwavering compassion. He has dedicated his life to saving the lives of others.   That is why I dedicated myself to introducing the House bill, passing the Senate bill and working with my colleagues to award him the Congressional Gold Medal of Honor.  It has truly been the highpoint in my Congressional career to be the original sponsor of the bill that passed the House and also to carry the Senate bill through the House.  Senator Hutchison’s hard work, consistency, and persistence truly helped us in working together to move forward as quickly as possible to honor Dr. DeBakey with our nation’s highest and most distinguished civilian award.  It was through collaborative bipartisan efforts, especially on behalf Senator Hutchison, Dr. Michael Burgess, and John Culberson, that we were able to make this happen.” stated Congressman Al Green.  “Dr. DeBakey’s life proves that not only can one person impact the world, but he can also change the world for the good of all.  He was instrumental in establishing the Mobile Army Surgical Hospitals (MASH units), and later the Department of Veterans Affairs Hospital system.   His impact on the field of medicine has been both national and international.  Dr. DeBakey has helped to establish healthcare systems in many countries across the globe including Jordan, Morocco, Russia, Saudi Arabia, and Spain.  If we did not have the Congressional Gold Medal, we would have to create one for Dr. Michael E. DeBakey for his lifetime of remarkable achievements and exceptional service.  God bless you, Dr. DeBakey.  Thank you for all you have done for all of us"

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