Pelosi Remarks at Congressional Gold Medal Ceremony Honoring Arnold Palmer
Washington, D.C. – Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi delivered remarks at a Congressional Gold Medal ceremony honoring Arnold Palmer. Below are the Leader's remarks:
"Good morning. Mr. Speaker, Leaders Reid and McConnell, my colleagues in the House and Senate; today when Congress bestows the Congressional Gold Medal on Arnold Palmer we will be honoring a living legend. He is an icon of American sports, and a success in all of his endeavors – a humanitarian, a businessman, a philanthropist. He personifies the American dream, the idea that anyone can travel as far as their talent will carry them and we thank him for his service in the Coast Guard for protecting that American dream for all Americans.
"Born to humble beginnings and raised in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, Arnie rose from blue collars roots, becoming the King, the ‘King of Golf.' As King of Golf he raised up ‘Arnie's Army.' As King he always demonstrated sportsmanship, courtesy, and friendship to fans and competitors alike. What better statement than to have Jack Nicklaus here to testify to that?
"As Arnie's Army followed him through the course, he taught everyone about perseverance and discipline. He taught us that you can be six strokes ahead and still lose, but you can be six strokes behind and still win. As he said he ‘always made a total effort, even when the odds seemed entirely against me. I never quit trying; I never felt that I didn't have a chance to win.' That's how Arnold Palmer played and that's how he always lived – with total effort, with grit and determination, with tenacity, ability, and the will to win.
"Arnold Palmer hit his peak at the very moment when television started bringing golf and sports directly into America's living rooms. The blend of the emergence of televised sports and Arnold Palmer's personal charisma extended golf's fan base and expanded the number of Americans interested in playing the game. In his prime, Arnie became one of few American golfers to travel beyond the shores to showcase his talent. For years, Americans stopped participating in the British Open, allowing the British to hold on to the notion that they were superior in the game – that was their view of it – just because they had invented it. But when Arnie went back to the Open, he went back and he won it, forever putting that idea to rest, and he changed the game.
"The Congressional Gold Medal is a tribute to Arnold Palmer's total effort beyond the golf course. It's about the work he did to attract young people to golf, young people who would never the opportunity economically, in any way exposure, to have access to the game. It's about the children he helped by his support of the March of Dimes and the patients treated at Arnold Palmer hospitals in Orlando and Latrobe. And as my colleague, Joe Baca, who was a leader in helping making today possible said ‘a great humanitarian.' It's about his character on and off the greens and the fairways. As Arnie has said himself: ‘success in golf depends less on strength of body than upon strength of mind and character.'
"Arnold Palmer's success in life is a reflection of his stringing in mind, character, and spirit. He is simply the best. For being the best, for his contributions and achievements, it is a privilege to join my colleagues in awarding Arnold Palmer the highest honor Congress can bestow, the Congressional Gold Medal. We do so with great pride, and gratitude, and happy birthday greetings to Arnold Palmer."