I 

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. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. FINDINGS. 

4 Congress finds the following: 

5 (1) On July 26, 1805, Constantino Brumidi 

6 was born in Rome, Italy of an Italian mother and 

7 a Greek father who inspired him with a love of lib8 erty. 

9 (2) While Constantino Brumidi’s Greek ances10 try stirred his passion for liberty and citizenship, his 


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1 Italian heritage provided the art styles of the Ren2 aissance and the Baroque which influenced the art3 work of the United States Capitol. 

4 (3) Constantino Brumidi became a citizen of 

5 the United States as soon as he was able, embracing 

6 its history, values, and ideals. 

7 (4) Beginning in 1855, Constantino Brumidi 

8 designed and decorated one House and five Senate 

9 committee rooms in the Capitol, as well as the Sen10 ate Reception Room, the Office of the Vice Presi11 dent, and, most notably, the President’s Room, 

12 which represents Brumidi’s supreme effort ‘‘to make 

13 beautiful the Capitol’’ of the United States. 

14 (5) In 1865 Constantino Brumidi completed in 

15 just 11 months his masterpiece, ‘‘The Apotheosis of 

16 Washington,’’ in the eye of the Capitol dome. 

17 (6) In 1871 Constantino Brumidi created the 

18 first tribute to an African American in the Capitol 

19 when he placed the figure of Crispus Attucks at the 

20 center of his fresco of the Boston Massacre. 

21 (7) In 1878 Constantino Brumidi at the age of 

22 72 and in poor health, began work on the Rotunda 

23 frieze, which chronicles the history of America. 

24 (8) On February 19, 1880, Constantino 

25 Brumidi died at the age of 74, four and a half 


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1 months after slipping and nearly falling from a scaf2 fold while working on the Rotunda frieze. 

3 (9) Constantino Brumidi, proud of his artistic 

4 accomplishments and devoted to his adopted coun5 try, said, ‘‘My one ambition and my daily prayer is 

6 that I may live long enough to make beautiful the 

7 Capitol of the one country on earth in which there 

8 is liberty.’’. 

9 (10) Constantino Brumidi’s life and work exem10 plify the lives of millions of immigrants who came to 

11 pursue the American dream. 

12 SEC. 2. CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL. 

13 (a) PRESENTATION AUTHORIZED.— 

14 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Speaker of the House of 

15 Representatives and the President Pro Tempore of 

16 the Senate shall make appropriate arrangements for 

17 the presentation, on behalf of Congress, of a gold 

18 medal of appropriate design in recognition of the 

19 contributions of Constantino Brumidi to the Nation. 

20 (2) DISPLAY OF MEDAL IN CAPITOL VISITOR

21 CENTER.—The Architect of the Capitol shall arrange 

22 for the gold medal presented under this subsection 

23 to be displayed in the Capitol Visitor Center as part 

24 of an exhibit honoring Constantino Brumidi. 


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1 (b) DESIGN AND STRIKING.—For purposes of the 

2 presentation referred to in subsection (a), the Secretary 

3 of the Treasury (referred to in this Act as the ‘‘Sec4 retary’’) shall strike a gold medal with suitable emblems, 

5 devices, and inscriptions to be determined by the Sec6 retary. 

7 SEC. 3. DUPLICATE MEDALS. 

8 The Secretary may strike and sell duplicates in 

9 bronze of the gold medal struck pursuant to section 2 

10 under such regulations as the Secretary may prescribe, at 

11 a price sufficient to cover the cost thereof, including labor, 

12 materials, dies, use of machinery, and overhead expenses, 

13 and the cost of the gold medal. 

14 SEC. 4. STATUS OF MEDALS. 

15 (a) NATIONAL MEDALS.—The medals struck under 

16 this Act are national medals for purposes of chapter 51 

17 of title 31, United States Code. 

18 (b) NUMISMATIC ITEMS.—For purposes of sections 

19 5134 and 5136 of title 31, United States Code, all medals 

20 struck under this Act shall be considered to be numismatic 

21 items. 

22 SEC. 5. AUTHORITY TO USE FUND AMOUNTS; PROCEEDS OF 

23 SALE. 

24 (a) AUTHORITY TO USE FUND AMOUNTS.—There is 

25 authorized to be charged against the United States Mint 


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1 Public Enterprise Fund such amounts as may be nec2 essary to pay for the costs of the medals struck pursuant 

3 to this Act. 

4 (b) PROCEEDS OF SALE.—Amounts received from the 

5 sale of duplicate bronze medals authorized under section 

6 3 shall be deposited into the United States Mint Public 

7 Enterprise Fund. 

Æ 


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