Congressman Fred Upton is applauding a vote by the U.S. House Thursday to raise money for FIRST Robotics programs around the country. He spoke to us before the vote on the Christa McAuliffe Commemorative Coin Act of 2019.
“It’s a commemorative coin,” Upton said. “We do two of these a year. This will be for the year 2021, and it should pass, should sail through.”
The legislation directs the Department of Treasury to mint and issue 350,000 $1 silver coins in commemoration of Christa McAuliffe, a teacher killed in the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster. The sales of the coin will benefit FIRST Robotics, which Upton says means more resources and opportunities for students to develop STEM skills. The bill passed the U.S. Senate in July and will now go to the president.
