[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1609 Introduced in House (IH)]







110th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1609

    To award posthumously a Congressional Gold Medal to Constantino 
                                Brumidi.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 20, 2007

  Mr. Pascrell (for himself, Mr. Renzi, Mrs. Maloney of New York, Mr. 
  Bilirakis, Mr. Space, and Mr. Mica) introduced the following bill; 
       which was referred to the Committee on Financial Services

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
    To award posthumously a Congressional Gold Medal to Constantino 
                                Brumidi.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) On July 26, 1805, Constantino Brumidi was born in Rome, 
        Italy of an Italian mother and a Greek father who inspired him 
        with a love of liberty.
            (2) While Constantino Brumidi's Greek ancestry stirred his 
        passion for liberty and citizenship, his Italian heritage 
        provided the art styles of the Renaissance and the Baroque 
        which influenced the artwork of the United States Capitol.
            (3) Constantino Brumidi became a citizen of the United 
        States as soon as he was able, embracing its history, values, 
        and ideals.
            (4) Beginning in 1855, Constantino Brumidi designed and 
        decorated one House and five Senate committee rooms in the 
        Capitol, as well as the Senate Reception Room, the Office of 
        the Vice President, and, most notably, the President's Room, 
        which represents Brumidi's supreme effort ``to make beautiful 
        the Capitol'' of the United States.
            (5) In 1865 Constantino Brumidi completed in just 11 months 
        his masterpiece, ``The Apotheosis of Washington,'' in the eye 
        of the Capitol dome.
            (6) In 1871 Constantino Brumidi created the first tribute 
        to an African American in the Capitol when he placed the figure 
        of Crispus Attucks at the center of his fresco of the Boston 
        Massacre.
            (7) In 1878 Constantino Brumidi at the age of 72 and in 
        poor health, began work on the Rotunda frieze, which chronicles 
        the history of America.
            (8) On February 19, 1880, Constantino Brumidi died at the 
        age of 74, four and a half months after slipping and nearly 
        falling from a scaffold while working on the Rotunda frieze.
            (9) Constantino Brumidi, proud of his artistic 
        accomplishments and devoted to his adopted country, said, ``My 
        one ambition and my daily prayer is that I may live long enough 
        to make beautiful the Capitol of the one country on earth in 
        which there is liberty.''.
            (10) Constantino Brumidi's life and work exemplify the 
        lives of millions of immigrants who came to pursue the American 
        dream.

SEC. 2. CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL.

    (a) Presentation Authorized.--
            (1) In general.--The Speaker of the House of 
        Representatives and the President Pro Tempore of the Senate 
        shall make appropriate arrangements for the presentation, on 
        behalf of Congress, of a gold medal of appropriate design in 
        recognition of the contributions of Constantino Brumidi to the 
        Nation.
            (2) Display of medal in capitol visitor center.--The 
        Architect of the Capitol shall arrange for the gold medal 
        presented under this subsection to be displayed in the Capitol 
        Visitor Center as part of an exhibit honoring Constantino 
        Brumidi.
    (b) Design and Striking.--For purposes of the presentation referred 
to in subsection (a), the Secretary of the Treasury (referred to in 
this Act as the ``Secretary'') shall strike a gold medal with suitable 
emblems, devices, and inscriptions to be determined by the Secretary.

SEC. 3. DUPLICATE MEDALS.

    The Secretary may strike and sell duplicates in bronze of the gold 
medal struck pursuant to section 2 under such regulations as the 
Secretary may prescribe, at a price sufficient to cover the cost 
thereof, including labor, materials, dies, use of machinery, and 
overhead expenses, and the cost of the gold medal.

SEC. 4. STATUS OF MEDALS.

    (a) National Medals.--The medals struck under this Act are national 
medals for purposes of chapter 51 of title 31, United States Code.
    (b) Numismatic Items.--For purposes of sections 5134 and 5136 of 
title 31, United States Code, all medals struck under this Act shall be 
considered to be numismatic items.

SEC. 5. AUTHORITY TO USE FUND AMOUNTS; PROCEEDS OF SALE.

    (a) Authority To Use Fund Amounts.--There is authorized to be 
charged against the United States Mint Public Enterprise Fund such 
amounts as may be necessary to pay for the costs of the medals struck 
pursuant to this Act.
    (b) Proceeds of Sale.--Amounts received from the sale of duplicate 
bronze medals authorized under section 3 shall be deposited into the 
United States Mint Public Enterprise Fund.
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