S-567-119
Message on Senate action sent to the House.
Sponsored by Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI)
What it does
This bill would award a Congressional Gold Medal, collectively, to the First Rhode Island Regiment — one of the earliest racially integrated military units in American history — in recognition of their service during the Revolutionary War. The medal would be struck by the Secretary of the Treasury and permanently housed at the Rhode Island State Library for display and research. The bill also authorizes the Mint to produce and sell bronze duplicate medals at cost-recovery prices, with proceeds returned to the U.S. Mint Public Enterprise Fund.
Who benefits
Descendants of First Rhode Island Regiment soldiers, including descendants of the African American and Indigenous soldiers who formed the regiment's core. The Rhode Island State Library, which would receive and display the medal. Historians, educators, and researchers studying early American military history and the role of Black and Indigenous soldiers in the Revolutionary War. Rhode Island's tourism and cultural heritage sector. Collectors and numismatic enthusiasts who may purchase bronze duplicates.
Who is hurt
There are no direct material harms to identifiable groups. The U.S. Mint Public Enterprise Fund bears the production cost of the gold medal, though the bill authorizes bronze duplicate sales to offset costs. Taxpayers bear any net cost not recovered through duplicate medal sales, though this amount is expected to be minimal.
Supporters argue
Supporters argue that the First Rhode Island Regiment made a historically significant and underrecognized contribution to American independence — fighting in an integrated unit at a time when slavery was legal in Rhode Island, with many soldiers having been formally freed specifically to serve. They contend that the regiment's valor at the Battle of Rhode Island on August 29, 1778, where they repelled Hessian forces, and their continued service for five years, meets the standard of extraordinary achievement that the Congressional Gold Medal is designed to honor.
Opponents argue
Opponents might argue that the Congressional Gold Medal has been awarded with increasing frequency in recent decades, potentially diluting its prestige as the nation's highest civilian honor. They could contend that commemorating a unit from 1778 — nearly 250 years after the fact — raises questions about the consistency and criteria applied to Gold Medal awards, and that limited congressional floor time and ceremonial resources could be directed toward living recipients or more recent acts of service.
Constitutional context
No significant constitutional issues are raised by this bill. Congress has broad authority to issue commemorative honors under its general legislative powers. The Appropriations Clause (Art. I, §9, cl. 7) is minimally implicated, as costs are charged to the self-sustaining U.S. Mint Public Enterprise Fund rather than a direct appropriation.
Checks and balances
Congress authorizes the medal; the Secretary of the Treasury controls the design and striking process; the Rhode Island State Library serves as the permanent custodian. No branch gains or loses meaningful power under this bill.
Historical precedent
Congress has awarded the Congressional Gold Medal to other Revolutionary War figures and units, including the Marquis de Lafayette (1824) and, more recently, the Montford Point Marines (2011) and the Women Airforce Service Pilots (2009), establishing a pattern of honoring historically underrecognized military service.