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Shown Here: Introduced in House (03/20/2007)
110th CONGRESS 1st Session
H. R. 1609
To award posthumously a Congressional Gold Medal to
Constantino Brumidi.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
March 20, 2007
Mr. Pascrell (for
himself, Mr. Renzi,
Mrs. Maloney of New York,
Mr. Bilirakis,
Mr. Space, and
Mr. Mica) introduced the following
bill; which was referred to the Committee
on Financial Services
A BILL
To award posthumously a Congressional Gold Medal to
Constantino Brumidi.
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 one House and five 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.
(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
presentation, on behalf of Congress, of a gold medal of appropriate design in
recognition of the contributions of Constantino Brumidi 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 sections 5134 and 5136 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.