WASHINGTON
- Sen. Chuck Grassley and Rep. Tom Latham said today that a resolution they introduced in the Senate and the House to honor Dr. Norman Borlaug with a Congressional Gold Medal will now go to the President to be signed into law. Grassley introduced the resolution in the Senate in February and it passed the Senate in September. Latham sponsored the resolution in the House of Representatives and it passed earlier today.
"Dr. Borlaug is an extraordinary man and I'm proud that he calls Iowa home," Grassley said. "He has saved more lives than any other person in history and he is being honored appropriately with the Congressional Gold Medal. The House and the Senate did a great job to get this to the President to honor this exceptional man."
"Dr. Norman Borlaug is an American superhero that few people have heard of," said Congressman Latham during his floor speech on the House floor. "Dr. Borlaug's work and leadership gave the world's poorest people access to food, ensuring that children -- who would have been victims of malnutrition -- could thrive. He is well deserving of this high honor and tribute."
According to the Office of the Clerk of the House of Representatives, the Congressional Gold Medal has been given s
ince the American Revolution and is Congress’ highest expression of appreciation for distinguished achievements and contributions. Some of the recipients include George Washington, Betty and Gerald Ford, the Red Cross and Rosa Parks.
Borlaug grew up in rural Cresco and attended the University of Minnesota where he received his bachelor's, masters and Ph.D. He worked in Forestry and Microbiology before he started his work developing crops that increased yields and resisted disease.
Borlaug's advancements in crop production helped him become known as the "Father of the Green Revolution." The Green Revolution was a time when drastically increased crop yields over a short period of years helped alleviate world hunger.
Borlaug's work in agriculture saved hundreds of millions of people from famine and starvation. In 1970 he was given a Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts and is still the only person to receive this honor from working in agriculture. It is said that Borlaug saved more lives than any other person in history.
Today Borlaug is Chairman of the Council of Advisors for the World Food Prize. The World Food Prize presents a $250,000 award each October at an international ceremony in Des Moines, to the Laureate who has made an exceptional achievement similar to Borlaug's breakthrough forty years ago.
The measure will go directly to President Bush for his signature. Congress will then commission the U.S. Mint to design and create a medal specifically honoring Dr. Borlaug. The tradition ensures that each medal is unique, representing each individual and/or event that it has been awarded for. The medal design will take several months and the actual award presentation is expected to take place sometime in 2007.