[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 24 (Tuesday, February 15, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E235]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   RECIPIENTS OF THE MEDAL OF FREEDOM

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. NANCY PELOSI

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, February 15, 2011

  Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to this year's 
recipients of the Medal of Freedom, our Nation's highest civilian 
honor; to individuals who have made our country stronger, our culture 
richer, our world more peaceful; to men and women who have helped shape 
our history and lay the foundation for a better future.
  In bestowing this honor, President Obama highlighted leaders of 
vision and courage. Each hails from a different background. Their 
fields vary, ranging from public service to civil rights, from the arts 
to athletics, from poetry to politics, from environmental activism to 
labor and business. Yet they share a common commitment to bold 
leadership, principled action, and the common good.
  In particular, I rise to recognize three recipients who I am 
privileged to call respected colleagues and friends.
  Congressman John Lewis is the conscience of the Congress, a true hero 
of our history, and an inspiration to all who serve with him and to 
every American. From the first Freedom Ride in South Carolina to a 
``Bloody Sunday'' in Selma to the well of the House, he stood for his 
own rights, and extended the blessings of liberty to others. He sought 
equality for African Americans, and secured justice for all. Through 
non-violence and courage, he advanced our most basic rights--to vote, 
to speak, to assemble. John Lewis' story is a triumph for those whose 
souls cry out for freedom. No one is more deserving of this 
recognition.
  Ambassador Jean Kennedy Smith, founder of VSA, carries forward her 
family's torch of service, offering children and adults with 
disabilities the freedom to celebrate their artistic talents, and 
ushering in an era of peace and cooperation as our Nation's envoy to 
Ireland. For more than 35 years, she has worked to empower all people 
with disabilities to reach their full potential through the arts. She 
has long believed in the power of art to inspire and to connect 
individuals and communities of different backgrounds. Through her 
passion and her commitment, Jean Kennedy Smith has lived up to her own 
words: that ``art is central to what makes us fully human.''
  John Sweeney has provided more than a strong voice for our middle 
class; he has fought for the freedom of our workers to organize, 
support their families, and earn a living wage. In California and 
nationwide, workers have never had a more resilient, more passionate 
champion than John Sweeney. His life's work is a tribute to fairness, 
equality, and opportunity for all. On behalf of working Americans--from 
the chambers of Sacramento to the halls of Washington, DC--when John 
Sweeney speaks out, America's leaders listen.
  In their lifetimes of service, today's recipients of the Medal of 
Freedom have played a central role in upholding the promise of a better 
future for all Americans and for our fellow citizens of the world. To 
them, I offer congratulations and gratitude.

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