Pardon Our Dust
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On September 12, 2023, the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation commemorated the passing of the “250th Anniversary of the United States Marine Corps Commemorative Coin Act,” which directs the Department of the Treasury to mint coins in commemoration of the 250th Anniversary of the United States Marine Corps. The effort behind the bill was taken on as a pro bono project by McGuireWoods Consulting’s federal public affairs team. President Joe Biden signed H.R. 1096 in July.
Enactment of the bill culminated months of efforts by McGuireWoods Consulting Vice President Clayton Cox, Assistant Vice Presidents Rael Candelaria and Tyler McNeill and Research Associate Gabriel Wiedenhoever to secure the necessary sponsorship of two-thirds of the members of both houses of Congress.
At the celebratory reception, the President and CEO of the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation, Retired General James Lukeman, presented MWC team members with a commemorative brick to honor their hard work. The commemorative bricks will be placed in the Semper Fidelis Memorial Park overlooking the National Museum of the Marine Corps. MWC team members were given one brick with their names, the law’s passage date and public law number inscribed onto the surface.
The team spearheaded strategy and accompanied General Lukeman (USMC Ret.) to the Hill for meetings with pivotal members of the House Financial Services Committee and Senate Banking Committee. One of the main challenges was helping members of Congress understand the time crunch that Marine Corps Heritage Foundation was under with the 250th Anniversary of the United States Marine Corps coming up in 2025.
The strategy included direct meetings on the Hill, press outreach, and urging the Marine veteran community to urge members of Congress to cosponsor immediately. Within two months, the McGuireWoods Consulting team had secured the signatures needed for passage in each house of Congress. The bill will authorize the U.S. Mint to issue 1 million coins to commemorate the 250thanniversary of the Marine Corps. Proceeds will go towards the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation, which operates the National Museum of the Marine Corps in Quantico, Va.
“We were very pleased to take on this important pro bono project honoring the Marine Corps,” said MWC Vice President Clayton Cox. “Getting 290 House members and 70 Senators to cosponsor anything is a tall order, and I am happy we were able to help.”
