Biden to Honor Key Figures in January 6th Investigation with Presidential Citizens Medal
President Joe Biden is preparing to award the esteemed Presidential Citizens Medal to Liz Cheney and Bennie Thompson, the congressional leaders who were pivotal in investigating the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. This violent insurrection was incited by supporters of Donald Trump, who has openly called for their incarceration.
The medal ceremony is set to take place this Thursday at the White House and will recognize a total of 20 honorees. Among those being celebrated are advocates for marriage equality, a pioneering figure in the treatment of injured service members, and two of Biden’s longtime friends, former Senators Ted Kaufman (D-Del.) and Chris Dodd (D-Conn.).
As stated by the White House, “President Biden believes that these individuals exemplify fundamental decency and a commitment to serving others. Their dedication and sacrifices have significantly improved our nation.”
In a previous ceremony last year, Biden honored those who played crucial roles in defending the Capitol during the riots and those who upheld democratic principles during the tumultuous 2020 presidential election, which Trump tried—and failed—to overturn.
Cheney, a former Republican representative from Wyoming, and Thompson, a Democrat from Mississippi, led the House committee that investigated the insurrection. Cheney has since indicated her intention to back Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris in the upcoming 2024 election, even campaigning alongside her, much to Trump’s displeasure. Biden is also considering the possibility of granting preemptive pardons to Cheney and others targeted by Trump.
Despite winning the 2024 election and preparing for his inauguration on January 20, Trump continues to spread false claims about the 2020 election results and has expressed his intention to pardon the January 6 rioters once he takes office again.
In an interview with NBC’s “Meet the Press,” Trump remarked, “Cheney has committed an unforgivable act, along with Thompson and the members of the so-called select committee of political thugs and creeps,” falsely alleging that they had “deleted and destroyed” evidence.
“They should honestly be jailed,” he claimed.
Biden will also acknowledge attorney Mary Bonauto, who played a central role in the fight for same-sex marriage legalization, along with Evan Wolfson, a key advocate in the marriage equality movement.
Other distinguished honorees include Frank Butler, who set new standards for combat injury tourniquets; Diane Carlson Evans, a Vietnam War Army nurse and founder of the Vietnam Women’s Memorial Foundation; and Eleanor Smeal, an activist for women’s rights and equal pay from the 1970s.
Additional recipients of the medal will be photographer Bobby Sager, academics Thomas Vallely and Paula Wallace, and Frances Visco, who heads the National Breast Cancer Coalition.
Among the former lawmakers being honored are ex-Senator Bill Bradley (D-N.J.), Nancy Kassebaum—the first woman to represent Kansas—and Carolyn McCarthy (D-N.Y.), who became an advocate for gun safety following the tragic deaths of her son and husband.
Biden will also posthumously recognize four individuals: Joseph Galloway, a former war correspondent known for his coverage of a pivotal battle in Vietnam; civil rights advocate and attorney Louis Lorenzo Redding; former Delaware state judge Collins Seitz; and Mitsuye Endo Tsutsumi, who challenged the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II.
The Presidential Citizens Medal, established by President Richard Nixon in 1969, is the second highest civilian honor in the United States, following the Presidential Medal of Freedom. It is awarded to those who have demonstrated exemplary service to their country or fellow citizens.
