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President Joe Biden awards the Medal of Freedom to former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi during a ceremony in the East Room of the White House in Washington, DC, on May 3, 2024. Mr. Biden awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor, to 19 people, including political leaders, civil rights icons and other influential cultural icons.
Washington
CNN
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President Joe Biden on Friday awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honor, to 19 Americans. The diverse list includes Mr. Biden’s prominent political allies, celebrities, civil rights leaders and even former political opponents-turned-financial supporters.
The list included two of Biden’s key allies in the House: former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and South Carolina Representative Jim Clyburn.
Pelosi became the first woman to become Speaker of the House in 2007, and when she returned to the position in 2019, she made history by leading the Democratic opposition to former President Donald Trump. She was also instrumental in securing many of Biden’s signature bills. During the first two years of her presidential administration she passed through Congress.
“On January 6th, Nancy stood up against violations and defended democracy. Along with her husband Paul, they stood up to extremism with absolute courage, physical courage,” Biden said at Friday’s ceremony. ”
He added, “I predict…history will remember you, Nancy, as the greatest Speaker of the House of Representatives.”
Clyburn is credited with attracting black voters in the state to support Biden in the 2020 primary. The victory in South Carolina added momentum to Biden’s bid to win the Democratic nomination and eventually become president. Mr. Clyburn has since served as a key ally of the president in Congress and on the campaign trail.
“I can say this without fear of contradiction,” Biden said Friday. “If it wasn’t for Jim, I wouldn’t be standing here as president accepting these awards.”
The list also included former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who was seeking the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination, which Biden would eventually win. Bloomberg quickly endorsed Biden after his withdrawal, pledging $100 million to support Biden’s campaign in Florida.
Also honored was actress Michelle Yeoh, the first Asian woman to win the Academy Award for Best Actress.
The medal is awarded to “persons who have made exemplary contributions to the prosperity, values, security, and world peace of the United States, or to other important social, public, or private endeavors,” according to a statement from the White House. It is said that Biden himself is an award recipient, receiving the medal from then-President Barack Obama at the end of his administration.
The honorees that Biden recognized on Friday included a number of current and former public officials, including former Republican Sen. Elizabeth Dole, the first woman to represent North Carolina in the Senate, and the widow of the late Sen. Bob Dole. ing.
Mr. Biden also brought together former Vice President Al Gore, who has been a prominent activist in the fight against climate change since leaving public office, and John Kerry, who served as climate change envoy and Massachusetts senator during the Biden administration. He also paid tribute to the former Secretary of State. public service.
Biden noted that Gore won the popular vote in the 2000 presidential election but lost to George W. , has accepted the results of the disputed presidential election.”
“It was amazing to me, Al, what you did,” Biden said, casually referring to former President Donald Trump’s refusal to do the same 20 years later. “And I won’t go into that,” the president added.
After introducing Kerry, who lost to Bush in the 2004 election, Biden said he believed “the last two people I introduced should have been on this podium.”
Biden also presented the award to three posthumous recipients, including Medgar Evers, who served in World War II and then led the fight against racism until his assassination in 1963. Frank Lautenberg, New Jersey’s longest-serving senator and known for his environmental activism, and Jim Thorpe, a legendary early 20th century multi-sport star and the first Native American to win an Olympic gold medal.
Recipients included many people involved in the civil rights movement, including activist and lawyer Clarence B. Jones, who helped draft Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech. . Opal Lee, educator and activist who helped make Juneteenth a federal holiday. Judy Shepherd founded an organization named after her son Matthew, who was murdered in one of the country’s most notorious anti-gay hate crimes.
Other honorees include Delaware astronomer Jane Rigby, Ellen Ochoa, the first Hispanic woman in space, Katie Ledecky, the most decorated female swimmer in history, and journalist and legendary TV talk show host. These include Phil Donahue, a Jesuit Catholic priest, Greg Boyle, and United Farm President. worker Teresa Romero;
“President Biden has often said that if we act together, nothing is beyond our capabilities. These 19 Americans are leading the charge in the teams, coalitions, and movements that will shape America for the better.” , organizations, and businesses that are the pinnacle of leadership in their fields,” the White House said in a statement.
Biden last awarded a large number of medals to 17 people in 2022, a list that included athletes, activists and politicians alike. That year’s honorees included gymnast Simone Biles, the late Sen. John McCain, and former congresswoman Gabby Giffords, who was seriously injured in a 2011 assassination attempt and became a gun control advocate. It was.
This article and heading have been updated with additional developments.
