[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 106 (Friday, July 29, 2005)]
[Senate]
[Pages S9517-S9518]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. ENZI:
  S. 1597. A bill to award posthumously a Congressional gold medal to 
Constantino Brumidi; to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban 
Affairs.
  Mr. ENZI. Mr. President, it is a special pleasure for me, as an 
Italian American to introduce legislation to the Senate that will mark 
the 200th anniversary of the birth of Constantino Brumidi.
  As I introduce this legislation, I do so to recognize not only 
Constantino Brumidi, but all those who have come to our shores to 
pursue a dream and share in the blessings of liberty and freedom that 
is our birthright as American citizens.
  For Constantino Brumidi, there was no higher honor or greater calling 
than to be an American citizen. It was a title he sought and then 
signed with pride on some of his best work.
  That experience is by no means unique to Constantino Brumidi. The 
same call that he heard to come to America continues to be heard every 
day as more and more people from all over the world come to the United 
States in the pursuit of a dream and the freedom that marks our way of 
life.
  For my own family, it wasn't all that long after Constantino Brumidi 
left for America that my own ancestors heard the call for freedom and 
came here as well. Just like Constantino Brumidi they left the beauty 
of Italy--its mountains and its sunny shores--to come and be a part of 
the great adventure that is the United States.
  That is my background, and when I came to Washington to serve in the 
Senate, I found a renewed sense of purpose and inspiration every time I 
walked through the corridors of the Capitol Building and saw 
Constantino Brumidi's artwork so prominently and proudly displayed. 
This is a special place and if you walk through these halls late at 
night you can almost hear the whispers of the past and the hushed 
echoes of the voices of our Founding Fathers and past Senators and 
Representatives as they debated and discussed the issues of the day. 
Statuary Hall, home to so many of our Nation's heroes particularly 
draws you near as the Chamber's historical record calls to mind the 
legends of our past--Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln, Adams and 
Franklin.
  That is when it hits you--that the story of the United States isn't a 
random series of events, but the result of the vision and heartfelt 
commitment of those who played an active role in our history. As an 
Italian American it gives me a great sense of pride to know that one of 
those great Americans was Constantino Brumidi.
  The history books tell us that Constantino Brumidi was born in Rome 
of Italian and Greek heritage. He had a great talent for painting that 
revealed itself at an early age, and it was already beginning to earn 
him a reputation as one of Europe's great artists when he heard a 
different call--a call to make beautiful the home of democracy and 
liberty--the United States of America.
  One day, after completing a commission, Constantino Brumidi stopped 
in Washington, DC, to visit the Capitol on his way home. Looking at its 
tall, blank walls and empty corridors, he must have felt the excitement 
and inspiration only an artist facing an empty canvas can know. On that 
day he began what was more than an assignment for him--it was a labor 
of love--as he brought to life the great moments in American history 
for all to see on the walls and ceiling of this great building. His 
efforts were destined to earn him the title of America's Michelangelo.
  There aren't many quotes that are attributed to Constantino Brumidi, 
but one that appears on the marker where he is buried is a beautiful 
expression of his love for our country:
  ``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.''
  That is the philosophy that guided Constantino Brumidi's hand as it 
fired his imagination and inspired his creations in the Capitol. 
Imagine what he would think if he could walk these corridors today. He 
would see that his beautiful work has stood the test of time and gained 
the appreciation and admiration of countless visitors to our shores and 
our Capitol Building. He would see that it continues to thrill the 
millions who flock here every year. I believe he would be both proud 
and

[[Page S9518]]

humbled to be the center of such attention.
  It is only fitting that over the years Constantino Brumidi has become 
a symbol of all those who came to the United States in pursuit of a 
dream that we all too often take for granted. It was freedom and 
liberty that drew Constantino Brumidi to our land and it is what 
continues to draw us together, American, Italian, Greek, Irish and 
every other nationality you can name to make this world a better place 
for us all to live.
  Throughout the Capitol, each carefully planned stroke of Brumidi's 
brush will continue to remind us that we are blessed and truly 
fortunate to live in a land of promise and opportunity where we are all 
called to greatness. Constantino Brumidi dared to be great and he will 
be forever remembered for the gifts and talents he shared with us.
  The legislation I am introducing today will ensure that the legacy he 
left us all as Americans is never forgotten. Constantino Brumidi wanted 
one thing--to be forever remembered as an Artist Citizen of the United 
States--the home of liberty that he loved. We must all ensure his story 
continues to be told so that it may continue to serve as a source of 
inspiration and encouragement to all those who come to our shores that 
any one of them can make a difference in the world by making the most 
of the opportunities that are available to them here in America.
                                 ______