President Biden honors 20 Americans with the Presidential Medal of Citizenship

2025-01-02 16:03:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

US President Joe Biden will bestow the nation's second-highest civilian honor on 20 Americans at a ceremony to be held at the White House on Thursday.

This group includes lawmaker Bennie Thompson and former Republican lawmaker Elizabeth Cheney, who led congressional investigations into the January 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol. The attack on January 6 was carried out by a crowd of supporters of Mr. Donald Trump in an attempt to prevent the certification of Mr. Biden's victory in the 2020 election.

President-elect Trump, who won the 2024 election for a new term that begins on January 20, has said Mr Thompson and Ms Cheney should be jailed.

The White House's statement on Thursday's honorees noted that Cheney, a Republican, “raised her voice and stood with the opposing side of politics to defend our country and the ideals we stand for: Freedom. Dignity and Integrity".

Established in 1969, the Presidential Medal of Citizenship honors American citizens "who have performed exemplary deeds for their country or their fellow citizens."

"President Biden believes that these Americans have in common their integrity and commitment to serving others. Our country is better because of their dedication and sacrifice," the White House said in a statement.

Among those who will be honored are Mary Bonauto and Evan Wolfson, who were committed to the legalization of the right to marriage between persons of the same sex in the United States.

Frank Butler is another medal winner for his efforts to improve first aid techniques for wounded soldiers on the battlefield.

Mitsuye Endo Tsutsumi will be honored for her successful legal action against the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II.

President Biden will also honor Mrs. Eleanor Smeal for her work in leading protests for women's rights and equal pay for women.

Medals will also be awarded to former legislator Carolyn McCarthy, as well as a group of former senators: Bill Bradley, Chris Dodd, Nancy Kassebaum and Ted Kaufman.

Honorees include Diane Carlson Evans, founder of the Vietnam Women's Memorial Foundation, war zone correspondent Joseph Galloway, civil rights attorney Louis Redding and photographer Bobby Sager.

Judge Collins Seitz, Vietnam Fulbright University founder Thomas Vallely, breast cancer research activist Frances Visco and Savannah College of Art and Design founder Paula Wallace are also in the group./VOA