2011 Freedom Award

Thursday, November 17th
6:00 - 8:00pm
By invitation only
Cornerstone Members ($100) and above

C-SPAN covered this event live. To view the coverage, click here.

Deans of Congress Receive 2011 Freedom Award

Senator Daniel K. Inouye (HI) and Congressman John Dingell (MI-15) received the 19th annual Freedom Award on Thursday, November 17th during a ceremony held in the Capitol Building’s historic Statuary Hall. In attendance to congratulate the awardees were members of the U.S. Capitol Historical Society and Board of Trustees as well as colleagues from the House and Senate and many honored guests. With 108 years of combined service in the U.S. Congress, Senator Inouye and Congressman Dingell exemplify the spirit of the Freedom Award, which is to honor those who have advanced greater public understanding and appreciation of America’s representative Democracy.

Senator Inouye receives the award from Ron Sarasin, President of USCHS, and fellow Senator Thad Cochran (MS). Inouye reflected back to his first days in Congress and receiving a tour of the Capitol from Speaker of the House Sam Rayburn.


Congressman Dingell was introduced by fellow Congressman from Michigan, Fred Upton (MI-6), who presented the award along with Ron Sarasin. Dingell spoke about his “lifetime of memories” in the Capitol Building and the inspiration he receives from the men and women of the past who helped shape the “extraordinary institution” of Congress.


Speaker John Boehner (OH-8), honorary host of the event, accepted, on behalf of the U.S. House of Representatives, a historic letter recently purchased by USCHS for the House Collections. Written by Congressman Lewis Morris (CT) after witnessing the first session of Congress on November 22, 1800 in the new Capitol building, it describes the “good and modest speech” given by President John Adams.


From left: U.S. Capitol Historical Society Chairman of the Board of Trustees Tom Coleman, Senator Thad Cochran, Senator Daniel Inouye, Congressman John Dingell, Congressman Fred Upton, and U.S. Capitol Historical Society President Ron Sarasin.


Audience pays tribute to the Deans of Congress.


Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi congratulates Senator Inouye.


Senator Daniel Akaka greets Congressman Dingell.


Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman-Schultz offers her congratulations.


Senator Barbara Mikulski speaks with both Freedom Award recipients right before the ceremony.

To recognize and honor individuals and organizations who have advanced greater public understanding and appreciation for freedom as represented by the U.S. Capitol and Congress, the U.S. Capitol Historical Society initiated its Freedom Award on September 17, 1993, the eve of the 200th anniversary of the laying of the U.S. Capitol cornerstone by George Washington in 1793. This award, named for the statue that graces the Capitol's Dome, is presented annually in recognition of the dedication of recipients to freedom, democracy and representative government.
 

Senator Inouye, the most senior member of the U.S. Senate and the President Pro-Tempore, is known for his distinguished record as a legislative leader, and as a World War II combat veteran with the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, who earned the nation’s highest award for military valor, the Medal of Honor. As Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee and of the Senate Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, he has focused on defense matters that strengthen national security, and enhance the quality of life for military personnel and their families. He is the Ranking Democrat on the Commerce, Science & Transportation Committee and the Indian Affairs Committee and sits on the Rules Committee. He helped establish the Inter-parliamentary Exchange Program between the U.S. Senate and Japan’s legislature, and last month the government of Japan presented him with the Grand Cordon of the Order of the Paulownia  Flowers.  Senator Inouye is the seventh American to receive the conferral since the order was established in 1888. Senator Inouye delivered the keynote address at the 1968 Democratic National Convention, and was under consideration to become Hubert Humphrey’s vice-presidential running mate that same year. He became the first Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence in 1976 and served as the third-ranking leader among Senate Democrats as Secretary of the Democratic Conference from January 1979 through 1988. He chaired the Senate Democratic Central America Study Group to assess U.S. policy and served as Senior Counselor to the National Bipartisan Commission on Central America (also known as the Kissinger Commission). Senator Inouye has strengthened Hawaii’s infrastructure, diversified its economy, and protected and restored its natural resources. He has increased job training and employment opportunities, provided more community healthcare, and provided support services and research to help small businesses and diverse sectors, from agriculture to high technology. Senator Inouye was elected to the Territorial House of Representatives in 1954 and to the Territorial Senate in 1958. When Hawaii became a state in 1959, he was elected its first Congressman, and was re-elected to a full term in 1960. He was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1962 and is now serving his ninth consecutive term.

John Dingell is the Dean of the U.S. House of Representatives and is the longest serving Member of the House of Representatives in history. He was elected to the Congress in 1955, and has spent his career standing up for the working families of America. Building on the legacy of his father who authored Medicare and co-authored Social Security, Dingell believes in the importance of social justice for seniors, children and those less fortunate than others. He has also always fought for balance in protecting America’s economic competitiveness. As a pioneer civil rights proponent, his leadership was critical to the passage of the 1957, 1964 and 1965 Civil Rights Acts. An avid conservationist and outdoorsman, Dingell was an early environmentalist who co-authored the Federal Water Pollution Control Act, the Clean Water Act, and led the fight for full funding of these statutes to clean up the waters of our Nation, especially the Great Lakes. He also wrote the Water Quality Act, the Endangered Species Act, the 1990 Clean Air Act, Safe Drinking Water Act and authored legislation to build North America's first international wildlife refuge. Perhaps he is best known for his dedication to healthcare. Influenced by a tubercular father who had to fight for his own access to affordable healthcare, Dingell has spent his lifetime as a leading advocate for improving our health care system--presiding over the House in 1965 on the passage of Medicare, which he helped craft, and authoring the Patient’s Bill of Rights and the Affordable Care Act, the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act, the Children's Health Insurance Program, and the Mammography Quality Standards Act among others. As Chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee for 16 years and Ranking Member for 12, Dingell earned the name “America’s Watchdog” for his pursuit of waste, fraud, and abuse. His legislative and oversight leadership have left indelible marks on issues ranging from improving the quality of the blood supply, standards for the accounting profession, safety standards for generic drugs, improving consumer product safety, the sale of Conrail, trade issues, the protection of nuclear facilities, defense procurement and scores of other issues. His respect is deep for the Congress and the Members who serve in this great institution.

Click links to read more about our past Freedom Award recipients:

2010 Freedom Award - Ms. Cokie Roberts
2009 Freedom Award - Richard A. Baker, Ph.D. and The Honorable George McGovern

All Past Freedom Award recipients

For questions regarding this event, please contact Maggie Esteves, Manager, Membership Programs
at 202-543-8919 x20 or mesteves@uschs.org