[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 160 (Thursday, October 2, 2008)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2200]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               SPEAKER PELOSI RECEIVES THE KNIGHT'S CROSS

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. JOHN B. LARSON

                             of connecticut

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, October 2, 2008

  Mr. LARSON of Connecticut. Madam Speaker, I rise today to share with 
our colleagues the remarks made by the Italian Ambassador, the 
Honorable Giovanni Castellaneta, as he awarded you with the Knight's 
Cross. The Knight's Cross is the supreme decoration of the Order of 
Merit o the Republic of Italy and, as the highest ranking Italian-
American in our Nation's history, it is an honor which you richly 
deserve. I urge all of our colleagues to join me in congratulating you 
on the receipt of this high tribute from such an important ally and in 
thanking the Ambassador for recognizing the historic role you have 
played in the American story.

Ambassador Giovanni Castellaneta's Remarks Villa Firenze, September 16, 
                                  2008

       ``..il vivere libero (...) propone onori e premii mediante 
     alcune oneste e determinate ragioni, e fuora di quelle non 
     premia ne onora alcuno''. Those are the words of the great 
     Italian thinker, Nicolo Machiavelli. Translation: ``living 
     free (...) offers honors and rewards for certain honest and 
     specific reasons, and outside of these, honors and rewards 
     none.'' For Machiavelli rewarding merit, and not noble birth 
     or riches--is the basis for ``living free.'' It is the very 
     foundation of democracy, where the merits of individuals are 
     affirmed unhindered and contributes to the progress of the 
     Nation.
       There are no doubts of the merits of the Honorable Speaker 
     of the House, Nancy Pelosi, garnered over the years of her 
     public and political engagement. Years in which she emerged 
     in the United States as a prominent political figure and a 
     foremost representative of Italianicity.
       The roots of her political inclinations are clear. Speaker 
     Pelosi was born to a family with a long history in political 
     life. I recall seeing a picture of Nancy in the arms of her 
     father, Thomas D'Alessandro, on the campaign trail that would 
     lead him to the U.S. Congress representing the State of 
     Maryland.
       He handed down his passion for politics to his children: 
     Thomas D'Alessandro III followed in his footsteps in 
     Baltimore, serving also as Mayor from 1967 to 1971.
       It was then to be Nancy's turn. With such a background, how 
     could she not heed the call? Her father's bloodline and her 
     Italian genes could lead nowhere else. This legacy was merged 
     with the wholly Italian sentiment of building a fine family 
     (her husband Paul, whom she met at Georgetown University, the 
     five wonderful children, Nancy Corinne, Christine, 
     Jacqueline, Paul and Alexandra) always supporting her 
     decision to go into public service and embark on a career 
     that would prove stellar. Let me mention two moments in that 
     process:
       (1) Her designation in the Fall of 2002 as House Minority 
     Leader for the Democrats, the first woman in U.S. history to 
     hold this post.
       (2) Her current position as Speaker of the U.S. House of 
     Representatives which, according to many, makes her the most 
     powerful woman in the United States and perhaps in the world.
       I think the history of the D'Alessandro-Pelosi family is 
     especially meaningful, mainly because it exemplifies and 
     underlines the great contribution that Italians in America 
     have made to the political edifice of this great country.
       It is a contribution that is part of the Italian gene: 
     political beings ``par excellence'' from the birth of 
     politics. The Romans took their lessons from the Greeks, 
     transformed it into an art form, and passed it on genetically 
     to the Italians of later generations. In the beginning I 
     cited Machiavelli: Is it any wonder that the founder of 
     modern political science was an Italian?
       Once in America, Italians adapted their calling and 
     penchant for politics to this country, one they helped build 
     in the thousand assemblies and congresses of the towns, 
     cities, and states of this great Nation. A vocation that 
     generations of Italian-Americans have knowingly and naturally 
     expressed also in Washington, in Congress, wherever politics 
     is spelled with a capital P.
       The Pelosi family is one example of how millions of Italian 
     Americans have given their talent and their calling to help 
     build its democratic conscience.
       Mark Twain used to say that ``history never repeats itself 
     but it does rhyme a lot.'' And history will certainly 
     continue the rhyme with the D'Alessandro-Pelosi family. 
     Nancy's father, Thomas, also received the distinction that I 
     will be bestowing upon her this evening. For two members of 
     the same family to be awarded the highest decoration of the 
     Republic of Italy is rare indeed.
       And the similarities do not stop there. The D'Alessandro 
     lived on Albemarle Street in Baltimore. Tonight we find 
     ourselves on Albemarle Street in Washington, so in a way we 
     are reconnecting to Nancy Pelosi's childhood.
       I would lastly remind of the profound meaning that the 
     bestowal of this honor holds for my country. It is an 
     expression of appreciation that Italy extends, tonight in the 
     person of Speaker Nancy Pelosi, to all the Italian-Americans 
     that continue to feel a strong bond with their country of 
     origin and whose personal and professional lives are animated 
     by the ``Italian spirit'' that sets us apart.
       Now wherefore, on behalf of the President of the Republic 
     and of all the people of Italy, I hereby induct Nancy 
     Patricia D'Alessandro Pelosi into the Order of Merit of the 
     Republic of Italy (OMRI) with the degree of ``Knight of the 
     Grand Cross'' that recognizes merits to the Nation in the 
     sciences, letters, economics and public service and in 
     activities with social, philanthropic and humanitarian 
     purposes, as well as far-reaching and distinguished 
     contributions while in public and military service.

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