[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 95 (Tuesday, June 10, 2008)]
[House]
[Pages H5157-H5160]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




TO AWARD POSTHUMOUSLY A CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL TO CONSTANTINO BRUMIDI

  Mr. ACKERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
Senate bill (S. 254) to award posthumously a Congressional gold medal 
to Constantino Brumidi.
  The Clerk read the title of the Senate bill.
  The text of the Senate bill is as follows:

                                 S. 254

       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 1 House and 5 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.

[[Page H5158]]

       (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 posthumous 
     presentation, on behalf of Congress, of a gold medal of 
     appropriate design to Constantino Brumidi, in recognition of 
     his contributions 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 section 5134 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.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from New 
York (Mr. Ackerman) and the gentlewoman from West Virginia (Mrs. 
Capito) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New York.


                             General Leave

  Mr. ACKERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks 
on this legislation and to insert extraneous material thereon.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from New York?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. ACKERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of S. 254 which would 
posthumously award the Congressional Gold Medal to Constantino Brumidi 
and would authorize the striking of duplicate medals for sale to the 
public.
  Mr. Speaker, for those of us who work here in the Capitol, we are 
very fortunate to be surrounded by Constantino Brumidi's genius every 
day. Brumidi's awesome, inspiring murals and frescos are remarkable as 
they are ubiquitous. Constantino Brumidi's works can be found in three 
Senate Appropriations Committee rooms, the House Appropriations 
Committee room, the Senate Democratic Policy Committee room, the 
Brumidi corridors, the Senate reception area, the Office of the Vice 
President and, of course, the Rotunda. Like his masterful works 
throughout the Capitol, Constantino Brumidi's story is uniquely 
American.
  Brumidi was born in Rome in 1805 to an Italian mother and a Greek 
father. His artistic ability was cultivated at an early age. In his 
early years, he was commissioned to paint frescos and murals in various 
Roman palaces. And then in 1849, as did so many of our ancestors, 
Brumidi, who was already an established artist in Italy and who spent 3 
years working for Pope Gregory XVI in the Vatican, migrated to the 
United States and began a new life in New York City. There he proudly 
became a naturalized American citizen in 1852.
  It was on a return trip from Mexico that Constantino Brumidi first 
saw the U.S. Capitol. It was a fortuitous twist of fate: at a time when 
Congress and President Franklin Pierce were preparing to expand the 
Capitol, a word-class Italian American artist, who just happened to be 
passing through Washington, inspired by both the freedoms and liberties 
represented by the seat of Congress and the vast open spaces in the 
Capitol that seemed to invite frescos and murals, offered his services 
to Quartermaster General Montgomery C. Meigs. Wisely, Meigs 
commissioned Brumidi to become the artist of the Capitol.
  Brumidi's first work was in the Agricultural Committee room. This 
masterpiece received such favorable attention that he was given a raise 
and tasked with painting other larger works culminating with the works 
in the Capitol Rotunda.

                              {time}  1530

  There is no work in the Capitol more impressive or more renowned than 
``The Apotheosis of Washington.'' Brumidi completed the fresco in 11 
months at the end of the Civil War, soon after the new dome was 
completed. This absolutely stunning work soars 180 feet above the 
Rotunda floor. To compensate for the distance from the floor to the 
ceiling, Brumidi, who spent years mastering depth and scale, painted 
15-foot tall figures so that the work could be appreciated from the 
Rotunda floor.
  Another Brumidi masterpiece, ``The Frieze of American History,'' 
appears just underneath the dome and spans the entire 360 degrees of 
the Capitol Rotunda. The frieze, which initially looks to be carved or 
sculpted, as all who view it believe it to be three dimensional, was, 
in actuality, meticulously painted with the use of scaffolding. While 
Brumidi first sketched a design of the frieze in 1859, Congress did not 
authorize work to begin on this piece until 18 years later, in 1877.
  The work masterfully displays America's history, beginning with the 
landing of Christopher Columbus and continuing to the discovery of gold 
in California. While many visitors to the Capitol have seen Brumidi's 
genius in the frieze over the years, they may not realize that he 
nearly lost his life while painting it. While working on a figure of 
William Penn, 76-year-old Brumidi fell from the scaffolding, but saved 
himself by clinging to the rung of a ladder for 15 long minutes before 
he was rescued. While he subsequently ascended the scaffolding once 
more to continue his work, he died a few months later in 1880. It took 
two additional artists and 73 years to finish the masterpiece that 
Constantino Brumidi first began.
  Mr. Speaker, Constantino Brumidi's service to the Capitol, and our 
country, span the administration of six, six Presidents: Franklin 
Pierce, James Buchanan, Abraham Lincoln, Andrew Johnson, Ulysses S. 
Grant, Rutherford B. Hayes. On and on, Brumidi worked. All of us here 
in the Capitol that have the privilege of working in this living 
museum, as well as the millions of visitors that tour our building each 
year, who admire and relish Brumidi's works, but precious few know the 
story of the artist of the Capitol.
  In addition to awarding Constantino Brumidi with the Congressional 
Gold Medal, S. 254 directs the Architect of the Capitol to display the 
gold medal as an exhibition in the new visitor's center dedicated to 
Brumidi's life and work. I believe such an exhibit is long past due and 
would be to the benefit of future generations of Americans who come to 
see the Capitol and admire the brilliant works of Constantino Brumidi, 
reminding us yet again that we are a Nation built by immigrants.
  Mr. Speaker, Constantino Brumidi was a great son of Italy and a great 
American. His achievements are a

[[Page H5159]]

great source of pride for Italian Americans, and S. 254 would bestow 
Brumidi, and the Italian American community, with the recognition the 
artist's great contributions so rightly deserve.
  Special thanks are due to Representative Bill Pascrell from New 
Jersey, the main sponsor of this bill that we have before us in the 
House today.
  And I'd like to acknowledge the hard work and dedication of somebody 
who visits us here in the gallery today, Mr. Speaker, Joseph Grano, 
who's the president of the Constantino Brumidi Society, for his long 
and tireless efforts on this behalf.
  Mr. Speaker, this is a great day for those who love fine art, 
creativity, American history, and who appreciate the contributions of 
Italian American immigrants and all immigrants for the culture and 
history of our country.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mrs. CAPITO. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of S. 254, a bill to 
award a Congressional Gold Medal honoring the great artistic work of 
Constantino Brumidi on this great Capitol building. The bill was 
introduced by Senator Enzi and has 99 cosponsors in the Senate, and in 
the House, a companion bill was introduced by our colleague, Mr. 
Pascrell, which has 307 cosponsors.
  As we've heard much of Mr. Brumidi's history, he created artworks in 
the House of Representatives Chamber, many committee rooms, the 
President's Room, the Senate Chamber, and throughout the corridors of 
the Capitol. His most famous work within these halls is ``The 
Apotheosis of George Washington,'' which appears on the Capitol dome in 
the Rotunda. Mr. Brumidi painted these hallowed halls, and in so doing, 
he depicted the narrative that is the vivid history of these United 
States.
  Born in Italy in 1805, Constantino Brumidi studied at the Italian 
Academy of the Arts. In 1852, at the age of 47, he emigrated to America 
and devoted the rest of his years completing frescoes, sculptures, and 
paintings in the Capitol Building.
  The story of Constantino Brumidi is important not only because he was 
the artist who gave life to these walls, but because his story is the 
American story. He was an immigrant to this country, and he used the 
skill that he had to contribute what he could. In the process, he, like 
millions of others, built this country into what it is today. 
Immigrants built this Nation's building, constructed its factories, fed 
its people, and when called upon, defended its sovereignty. Men and 
women from this great Nation's inception contributed whatever they 
could to make this Nation better.
  Constantino Brumidi contributed his talents as an artist. And now, 
because of his efforts, we and all who walk through the Capitol may see 
not only his talent but this country's history and be filled with the 
same sense of awe and hope that filled those who walked these halls 
before us. That, ladies and gentlemen, is a wonderful gift.
  On February 19, 1880, at the age of 74, Constantino Brumidi died 
four-and-a-half months after falling from a scaffolding while working 
on the Rotunda frieze that chronicles the history of America. He spent 
his entire time in this country contributing and attempting to fulfill 
his life's goal. He 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.''
  As we stand here today and walk these halls, it is clear to all that 
Constantino Brumidi accomplished his goal.
  This bill awards Constantino Brumidi the Congressional Gold Medal for 
his contribution. The medal will be displayed in the Capitol Visitor's 
Center as part of a display honoring his work.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge the bill's immediate passage.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. ACKERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 6 minutes to the sponsor of the 
bill, Bill Pascrell of New Jersey.
  Mr. PASCRELL. Mr. Speaker, I am very proud to stand in strong support 
of S. 254, or H.R. 1609 in the House, to award this posthumous 
Congressional Gold Medal to Constantino Brumidi which would be 
displayed in the Capitol Visitor's Center. This American immigrant was 
the creator of some of the most beautiful works of art in the United 
States Capitol Building.
  As the sponsor of the House version of this bill and as cochair of 
the Congressional Italian American delegation, this is an issue very 
close to me, Mr. Speaker.
  Now, these things don't happen in a vacuum. I want to express my 
sincere gratitude to Senator Enzi and Senator Clinton, to Congresswoman 
Carolyn Maloney, to Congressman John Mica, to Congressman Zack Space 
and Gus Bilirakis, and my very close friend Gary Ackerman, John 
Sarbanes, Michael Burgess, and Rick Renzi for their tireless work in 
garnering support for this worthy initiative.
  If it were not for the diligent advocacy efforts of the Constantino 
Brumidi Society, the American Hellenic Educational Progressive 
Association, and the National Italian American Foundation, we would not 
be standing here today. It's as simple as that.
  Born in Rome of Italian and Greek heritage in 1805, Constantino 
Brumidi trained in drawing, painting and sculpture at Rome's 
prestigious Accademia di San Luca.
  In 1840, this rigorous artistic training was put on display when 
Brumidi and several other artists were commissioned to restore the 
richly decorated frescos in the Vatican Palace.
  He immigrated to the United States in 1852, with nothing in his 
pocket, and when he died, he had nothing in his pocket. His only 
objective was to come here and become an American citizen, and he did 
that in 5 years. He gave it all, as you walk through this beautiful 
edifice of freedom that everyone knows all over the world.
  In 25 years, from 1854 to 1879, he decorated the Capitol with murals 
and frescos. His frescos in this Capitol were probably the first true 
frescos to be painted in the United States of America.
  Brumidi believed that the classical architecture of the Capitol 
Building required real fresco, like the palaces of Augustus and Nero, 
and the baths of Titus and Livia at Rome, and the admired relics of the 
painting at Herculaneium and Pompei.
  His art drew heavily on his training and experience in Rome, 
incorporating the history and symbols of the United States into his 
classical repertoire. His most significant influences included ancient 
Greek and Roman wall paintings and Raphael's classical decoration in 
the Vatican.
  Although he's often called the Michelangelo of the Capitol, this 
immigrant who came here and gave everything to this country, Brumidi 
perhaps should be called the Raphael of the Capitol, since it was 
Raphael who was his greatest inspiration.
  Brumidi's creations in the Capitol Building include his masterpiece, 
the allegorical fresco, ``The Apotheosis of Washington,'' in the 4,664-
square foot canopy over the eye of the dome, 180 feet above the floor 
of the Rotunda. He also painted the extensive frescos in the Brumidi 
corridors throughout this Capitol.
  His last years were spent painting the historic scenes in the Rotunda 
frieze, even carrying out his own historic research for his work.
  Outside of his work in this Capitol, he also was well-connected in 
the Catholic church. His commissions included altar pieces and murals 
in important cathedrals in Mexico City, New York City, Washington, 
Baltimore, and Philadelphia.
  The consummate American, Brumidi is reported to have remarked: ``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 which there is 
liberty.''
  Sadly, at the time of his death in 1880, as I said, he was penniless. 
Following his death, his work was roundly criticized by the artistic 
establishment of his day. However, the 1970s, not that far long ago, 
brought a renewed appreciation for Victorian architecture and 
decoration and the growth of the historic preservation, and work was 
done to restore Brumidi's art to its former glory. Today's scholars are 
able to fully comprehend the full extent of his talent.
  Even though he is long gone, it is imperative that we fully recognize 
the transcendental beauty, the intricate grace he brought to the 
building that we stand in and that we work in every day.
  There is widespread bipartisan support for this initiative. You heard 
how many cosponsors in the Senate, as my

[[Page H5160]]

good friend from West Virginia pointed out how many, 307, right here in 
the House of Representatives. What great testimony.
  I urge my colleagues, Mr. Speaker, to support this legislation and to 
remember the background of this individual, his Italian and his Greek 
heritage, and think of all the immigrants when we think of Brumidi and 
his contributions.
  Mrs. CAPITO. Mr. Speaker, I yield as much time as he would consume to 
the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Bilirakis).
  Mr. BILIRAKIS. Thank you very much.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today with great pride in support of Senate bill 
254 to posthumously award Constantino Brumidi the Congressional Gold 
Medal. We have just heard from the previous speakers the life and times 
of this inspired artist with whom I'm very proud to share the same 
Greek heritage.
  Many walk through the halls of Congress, but do not know much about 
the man who dedicated most of his professional life to beautifying it.
  Constantino Brumidi, a Greek and Italian immigrant, came to America 
in search of freedom and opportunity. What he accomplished rivals most 
any immigrant success story. Constantino Brumidi's life and work 
exemplify the lives of millions of immigrants who came to pursue the 
American dream.

                              {time}  1545

  Soon after becoming an American citizen, Brumidi was commissioned to 
decorate the structure which houses the greatest democratic institution 
in world history. This feat is a testament both to Brumidi's resolve, 
and our great Nation's willingness to embrace those who want to share 
in the American dream.
  I would also love this award to be accompanied with a statue that 
would adorn the Capitol Visitors Center. That's why I have introduced 
H.R. 1313. A statue of Brumidi, along with a Congressional Gold Medal, 
will serve as a shining example of American ideals and inspire people 
everywhere who wish to embrace freedom.
  While it has taken over 130 years, it is never too late for the 
installment of this Gold Medal in recognition of the contributions of 
Constantino Brumidi to the Nation. Congratulations, and I urge all my 
colleagues to support this bill.
  Mr. ACKERMAN. Mr. Speaker, at this time, I yield 3 minutes to the 
gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. Maloney).
  Mrs. MALONEY of New York. I thank my good friend and colleague from 
the great State of New York for his hard work on this and so many 
endeavors. And I rise today, as the cochair and cofounder on the 
Congressional Caucus on Hellenic Issues, in strong support of S. 254, 
to award posthumously a Congressional Gold Medal to Constantino 
Brumidi.
  I'm so pleased to join 307 of my colleagues here in this legislative 
body. We were led so well by our colleague and good friend, 
Representative Pascrell. And we acknowledge the hard work of 
Congressman Pascrell and also the Hellenic Caucus and the Italian-
American Caucus in getting the necessary cosponsors.
  Brumidi was the son of a Greek father and an Italian mother. He fled 
Rome and immigrated to the United States in 1852. From 1868 to 1879, he 
was a resident in my congressional district of New York City. And while 
he was there, he painted 43 murals at St. Stephen's Church, which is in 
my district, and scholars come from around the world to study his work 
there, and here in the Capitol.
  He is most famous, however, for his artistic achievement here in our 
great Capitol. ``The Apotheosis of George Washington'' on the dome in 
the Rotunda is one of the highlights of his brilliant work. He was 
called the Michelangelo of the Capitol.
  He worked flat on his back on wooden scaffolding through the intense 
summer temperatures, and he created masterpieces throughout our 
Capitol. His artwork can be found in the Chamber, the House of 
Representatives Chamber, several committee rooms, the President's Room, 
the Senate Reception Room, and truly throughout the corridors of our 
Capitol. I am thrilled that we are recognizing such an outstanding 
artist and an important contributor to the history of art and the 
history of our Nation.
  The Capitol building is special because of its beautiful architecture 
and priceless artistic treasures. Without Brumidi's influence, tours of 
the Capitol simply would not be certainly as beautiful or interesting 
to Americans. He is truly deserving of the honor we are bestowing upon 
him. Like many immigrants, he has brought many treasures to our 
country.
  I thank all my colleagues on both sides of the aisle for their 
important work in bringing this legislation to the floor.
  Mrs. CAPITO. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. ACKERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from New York (Mr. Ackerman) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the Senate bill, S. 254.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the Senate bill was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

                          ____________________