Jill Vogel, Editorial Intern

Rep. Mark Souder (R-IN) has introduced a bill before Congress to replace Franklin Delano Roosevelt's profile on the dime with that of Ronald Reagan. Known as the Ronald Reagan Dime Act, the bill currently has 89 co-sponsors, 12 of whom are House members from California. Souder says that Reagan represents conservative values and is a contemporary figure with whom people identify, whereas FDR is an icon of a past era. Many Democrats disagree, arguing that FDR is a timeless representative of U.S. values and that Reagan has already been honored in multiple other ways. Rep. James McGovern (D-MA) has introduced an opposing bill, which has so far garnered 80 co-sponsors. FDR is particularly appropriate for the dime, because he was a supporter of the March of Dimes campaign, says McGovern. Souder replies that the bullet that struck Reagan in the 1981 assassination attempt was flattened to the approximate size of a dime.

Though under no obligation to heed Congress, the U.S. Mint has historically responded to congressional motions for currency change. The cost of the design adjustment, however, may discourage its implementation: between $30,000 and $80,000. There has even been speculation that, in a nod toward bipartisanship, both designs will be minted in tandem or rotated.