[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 35 (Tuesday, March 12, 2013)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E271]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




AWARD THE CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL TO HUMANITARIAN AND SPORTING LEGEND 
                              MUHAMMAD ALI

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                           HON. ANDRE CARSON

                               of indiana

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, March 12, 2013

  Mr. CARSON of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to reintroduce 
legislation to award the Congressional Gold Medal to Muhammad Ali in 
recognition of his contributions to our nation. I believe it is long 
past time to recognize and honor an American civil rights activist and 
sporting legend with Congress' highest honor. Over the course of his 
illustrious career, Muhammad Ali has produced some of our nation's most 
lasting sports memories. From winning a Gold Medal at the 1960 Summer 
Olympics to lighting the Olympic torch at the 1996 Summer Olympics, his 
influence as an athlete and a humanitarian has spanned over fifty 
years.
  Despite having been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in the 1980s, 
Ali has devoted his life to charitable organizations. Ali and his wife, 
Lonnie, are founding directors of the Muhammad Ali Parkinson Center and 
Movement Disorders Clinic in Phoenix, AZ and have helped raise over $50 
million for Parkinson's research. In addition to helping families cope 
with illness, Ali has led efforts to provide meals for the hungry and 
has helped countless organizations such as the Make-A-Wish-Foundation 
and the Special Olympics.
  Muhammad Ali's humanitarian efforts go beyond his charitable 
activities in the United States. In 1990 Muhammad Ali travelled to the 
Middle East to seek the release of American and British hostages that 
were being held as human shields in the first Gulf War. After his 
intervention, 15 hostages were freed. Thanks to his devotion to 
diplomatic causes and racial harmony, Ali is the recipient of many 
accolades, including being chosen as a ``U.N. Messenger of Peace'' in 
1998 and receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2005.
  Through his unyielding dedication to his sport and to struggling 
populations around the world, Muhammad Ali serves as an example of 
service and self-sacrifice for generations of Americans. The 
Congressional Gold Medal is a fitting commemoration of his life and 
work, for which he is deservingly known as ``the Greatest.''
  Mr. Speaker, I hope my colleagues will join me in recognizing one of 
our nation's most lasting and influential figures by signing on to this 
important legislation.

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