It took a tad longer than expected, but a bill to honor President Ronald Reagan on what would have been his 100th birthday has cleared its final hurdle in Congress.
The Senate approved the legislation, sponsored by Rep. Elton Gallegly, R-Calif., late Tuesday after a senator who had blocked the bill for two months agreed to allow a vote.
Sen. Russell Feingold, D-Wis., had put the measure on hold because of a dispute over an unrelated amendment that he wanted to offer.
The Ronald Reagan Centennial Commission Act will create an 11-member panel that will plan and carry out activities celebrating the former president's 100th birthday on Feb. 6, 2011.
Feingold thought the Reagan bill was an appropriate vehicle for his amendment, which would have established commissions to examine the mistreatment of German-, Italian- and other European-Americans during World War II.
A Senate Republican blocked Feingold's amendment, however, and he in turn blocked the Reagan bill. Feingold eventually relented and allowed the Senate to vote on the measure.
"When it became apparent that some senators were not going to allow my bipartisan measure to be added, I decided it was more important to pass the bill to commemorate our 40th president," Feingold said in a statement released by his office.
Feingold said he was pleased the bill had passed and "was glad to support it."
The legislation now goes to President Obama, who is expected to sign it into law.
Gallegly noted that the bill cleared both the House and the Senate with bipartisan support.
"The bipartisan support for the commission says a lot about how President Reagan's impact on U.S. and international affairs continues to be felt today," he said. "President Reagan inspired greatness in the nation he loved. Celebrating his life and accomplishments is a celebration of America."
Reagan, who was president from 1981 to 1989, died in 2004. He was 93.
The commission will make recommendations to Congress on ways to honor Reagan, such as special stamps or coins. No federal money can be spent on the commission or its activities.
A statue of Reagan will be unveiled in the U.S. Capitol's Rotunda on June 3. Former first lady Nancy Reagan is expected to attend.
Reagan's presidential library is in Simi Valley, just north of Los Angeles.
(E-mail Michael Collins of Scripps Howard News Service at collinsm(at)shns.com.)
(Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service, http://www.scrippsnews.com)
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