This may be one of the reasons why:
In the past five years, the U.S. Mint has produced 2.4 billion Presidential $1 coins. Most are stored by the Federal Reserve, and production was suspended about a year ago.
And we're paying to store all those coins that nobody wants.
So, if production was suspended "about" a year ago, what's up widdis ..
Equipment would have to be bought or overhauled ...
As Libertas wrote, though, what's the point? The lawmakers are said to be "more intrigued with the idea of using different metal combinations in producing coins." I'll bet they are -- pot metal's worth nothing.