Findings

The Congress makes the following findings: (1)A native of New Jersey, Jerry Lewis is a gifted comedian and has been a fixture in the entertainment community for more than 5 decades. (2)Born Joseph Levitch on March 16, 1926, in Newark, New Jersey, Jerry Lewis began his career by performing in local nightclubs. (3)With his hope of breaking into show business fading, Jerry Lewis was encouraged by his fellow comedians to continue his act, and soon thereafter, he formed a show business partnership with Dean Martin that would skyrocket both to fame. While performing with Martin in New York City, the pair was approached by a motion picture executive who offered them a contract with Paramount Pictures. They went on to make 16 major motion pictures during their 10-year partnership. (4)Jerry Lewis' talent and enthusiasm kept America laughing during some of the most turbulent periods in our history, World War II, the Cold War, and the assassinations of President John F. Kennedy and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. One of the most successful performers in show business, Jerry Lewis has received worldwide acclaim for his unique ability and style with both comedy and drama. He has been the star of stage, screen, radio, television, print, and recordings. He is considered among the elite in the history of comedy. (5)But aside from his comic persona, Jerry Lewis has been an active champion for the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) since the early 1950s. In 1966, he began the Jerry Lewis MDA Labor Day Telethon, an annual television program that benefits children and adults affected by muscular dystrophy and related neuromuscular diseases. Now in its 42nd year, the show, which is broadcast on some 200 stations nationwide, including Puerto Rico, and worldwide on the Internet, raises tens of millions of dollars annually. (6)Jerry Lewis summed up why he devotes so much of his time and energy to this cause with the words: I shall pass through this world but once. Any good, therefore, that I can do or any kindness that I can show to any human being let me do it now. Let me not defer nor neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again.. (7)Jerry Lewis has received numerous awards for his outstanding service to our Nation. He was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for his dedication to the Muscular Dystrophy Association. (8)In June of 1978, the communications industry honored Jerry Lewis with the National Association of Television Program Executives Award of the Year for his humanitarian efforts in raising funds to combat neuromuscular diseases. Among his numerous awards are induction into the French Legion of Honor as Legion Commander, the Murray-Green Award for Community Service, the highest honor that the AFL–CIO bestows upon an individual, the American Medical Association Lifetime Achievement Award, and the Governor's Award (Emmy) from the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. (9)In September of 1976, the United States Senate unanimously adopted a resolution expressing their appreciation of his philanthropic endeavors and in particular his fight to find a cure for muscular dystrophy. In February 2001, Jerry Lewis led a delegation of MDA scientists and clients to testify before a subcommittee of the United States Senate resulting in the introduction and subsequent passage of the MD-Care Act (Public Law 107–84; 115 Stat. 823), a first step toward securing a dramatic boost in Federal funding for research into all forms of muscular dystrophy. (10)Joining the ranks of distinguished congressional gold medal recipients would be a fitting accolade to this consummate entertainer, world-renowned humanitarian and living legend who has served for some 5 decades as National Chairman of the Muscular Dystrophy Association.