Garbarino, Amodei Reintroduce Resolution in Support of Columbus Day and Italian American Contributions to Society
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Congressman Andrew R. Garbarino (R-NY-02), joined by Chair of the Italian American Caucus Congressman Mark Amodei (R-NV-02), this week reintroduced a resolution expressing support for the recognition of the second Monday in October as ‘‘Columbus Day.’’ The resolution also honors the contributions of the Italian American community to our society. The two Members first introduced the Resolution during the 117th Congress.
This introduction comes as the New York City Council considers the removal of the statue of Christopher Columbus from Columbus Circle. Earlier this year, a 128-year-old Christopher Columbus statue in Central Park was vandalized. These are not isolated incidents as Progressives across the country seek to wipe Christopher Columbus from our history books.
Christopher Columbus, the son of a wool merchant, was an Italian explorer and navigator born in Genoa, Italy in 1451. On August 3, 1492, Columbus and his crew set sail from Spain in three ships: the Niña, the Pinta and the Santa Maria. On October 12, the ships made landfall, discovered the New World, connected East to West, and set a course for the creation of the United States and the Americas. Christopher Columbus has been honored for generations as a pillar of American heritage and culture and represents the intrepid spirit of the Italian-American community.
"I am incredibly proud to be Italian," said Rep. Garbarino. "Christopher Columbus was the first Italian to set foot in the Americas and, in doing so, he discovered the new world and changed the course of history. Now, on Columbus Day we recognize his contributions and those of all Italian Americans. Attempts to abolish Columbus Day are attempts to rewrite history and erase a core piece of Italian American heritage. Columbus Day is a point of great pride for our community and I am committed to making sure it is preserved for future generations."
"I am proud of my Italian roots and the contributions Italian Americans have made to our country. The explorations and discoveries of Christopher Columbus changed the course of history, and Columbus Day allows us to reflect upon and celebrate his contributions, as well as those of the generations of Italian Americans that followed," said Rep. Amodei.
Additional cosponsors of the resolution include Representatives Nick LaLota (R-NY-01), Anthony D'Esposito (R-NY-04), Marc Molinaro (R-NY-19), Nicole Malliotakis (R-NY-11), Claudia Tenney (R-NY-24), Michael Lawler (R-NY-17), Elise Stefanik (R-NY-21), Nick Langworthy (R-NY-23), Brandon Williams (R-NY-22), Jeff Van Drew (R-NJ-2), Chuck Fleischmann (R-TN-03), Doug LaMalfa (R-CA-01), and Carol Miller (R-WV-01).
The full text of the resolution can be found here.
###