U.S. President Joe Biden on Thursday introduced the nation’s highest civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, to 17 folks, together with gymnast Simone Biles, the late John McCain, the Arizona Republican whom Biden served with within the Senate, and gun-control advocate Gabby Giffords.
“Right this moment, she provides to her medal depend,” Biden mentioned as he launched Biles, a former foster baby whose 32 Olympic and World Championship medals make her essentially the most adorned U.S. gymnast in historical past.
“I don’t understand how you’re going to search out room,” for an additional medal, Biden joked. The 25-year-old is an advocate for athletes’ psychological well being, foster care youngsters and sexual assault victims. She’s additionally the youngest individual to ever obtain the medal, Biden mentioned.
The Democratic president, who took workplace at a essential level in the course of the coronavirus pandemic, additionally honored Sandra Lindsay, the Queens, New York, nurse who was the primary individual to be vaccinated towards COVID-19 outdoors of medical trials throughout a stay tv look in December 2020.
It was the primary time Biden had awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. His recipient listing included each dwelling and deceased honorees, a few of them representing varied phases of the president’s life, from the Catholic nuns who taught him as a boy rising up in Claymont, Delaware, to Republican lawmakers he served with within the Senate to a school professor like his spouse, Jill, to advocates of tightening entry to firearms.
Biden launched Giffords as “some of the brave folks I’ve ever identified.”
The previous Arizona congresswoman based the group named Giffords to marketing campaign for an finish to gun violence and restrictions on entry to weapons. The Democrat virtually died after she was shot within the head in January 2011 throughout a constituent occasion in Tucson.
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Biden famous that he not too long ago signed essentially the most sweeping gun-control laws in a long time — although he and others would love much more restrictions — and credited Giffords and households like her personal whose lives have been altered by gun violence for serving to to make it occur.
“She’s the embodiment of a single signature American trait: by no means, ever quit,” Biden mentioned.
Biden additionally acknowledged former Republican Sens. Alan Simpson of Wyoming and John McCain of Arizona, recalling a much less partisan period of Washington by which members of various events would argue over points in the course of the day after which meet over dinner at night time.
McCain died of mind most cancers in 2018. He spent greater than 5 years in captivity in Vietnam whereas serving within the U.S. Navy. He later represented Arizona within the Home and Senate, and was the 2008 Republican presidential nominee, competing towards Democrats Barack Obama and Biden.
Biden mentioned he didn’t admire the political competitors, however “I by no means stopped admiring John … I knew his honor, his braveness and dedication.”
The 17 folks receiving honors “have overcome vital obstacles to realize spectacular accomplishments within the arts and sciences, devoted their lives to advocating for essentially the most weak amongst us, and acted with bravery to drive change of their communities, and internationally, whereas blazing trails for generations to come back,” the White Home mentioned.
Biden himself is aware of what it’s prefer to obtain the medal. Then-President Obama honored Biden’s a long time of public service by awarding him a Presidential Medal of Freedom “with distinction” throughout a ceremony shortly earlier than they left workplace in January 2017.
Biden closed the ceremony by declaring, “That is America.”
The opposite 13 medal recipients are:
- Sister Simone Campbell, a member of the Sister of Social Service and a former govt director of NETWORK, a Catholic social justice group.
- Julieta Garcia, a former president of the College of Texas at Brownsville. Garcia was the primary Latina to turn out to be a school president, the White Home mentioned.
- Fred Grey, one of many first Black members of the Alabama Legislature after Reconstruction. He was a outstanding civil rights lawyer who represented Rosa Parks, the NAACP and Martin Luther King Jr. and, at age 91, continues to observe legislation.
- Steve Jobs, the co-founder, chief govt and chair of Apple Inc. He died in 2011.
- Father Alexander Karloutsos, the assistant to Archbishop Demetrios of America. Karloutsos has endorsed a number of U.S. presidents, the White Home mentioned. Biden mentioned he’s “one among my expensive buddies.”
- Khizr Khan, a n immigrant from Pakistan, Khan’s Military officer son was killed in Iraq. Khan gained nationwide prominence, and have become a goal of Donald Trump’s wrath, after talking on the 2016 Democratic Nationwide Conference.
- Diane Nash, a founding member of the Scholar Nonviolent Coordinating Committee who organized a number of the most vital twentieth century civil rights campaigns and labored with King.
- Megan Rapinoe, the Olympic gold medalist and two-time Girls’s World Cup soccer champion who captains the OL Reign within the Nationwide Girls’s Soccer League. She is a outstanding advocate for gender pay equality, racial justice and LGBTQI+ rights. Biden mentioned she is the primary soccer participant to obtain the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
- Simpson, who served within the Senate with Biden and has been a outstanding advocate for marketing campaign finance reform, accountable governance and marriage equality. Biden referred to as Simpson the “actual deal” and joked that “he by no means takes himself too severely nor takes me severely.”
- Richard Trumka, who had been president of the 12.5 million-member AFL-CIO for greater than a decade on the time of his August 2021 dying. He was a previous president of the United Mine Staff.
- Wilma Vaught. A brigadier common, Vaught is without doubt one of the most adorned ladies in U.S. navy historical past, breaking gender obstacles as she has risen via the ranks. When Vaught retired in 1985, she was one among solely seven feminine generals within the Armed Forces.
- Denzel Washington, a double Oscar-winning actor, director and producer. He additionally has a Tony award, two Golden Globes and the Cecil B. DeMille Lifetime Achievement Award. He’s a longtime spokesperson for the Boys & Women Golf equipment of America. Washington couldn’t attend Thursday’s ceremony after testing constructive for COVID-19, the White Home mentioned. Biden mentioned Washington will obtain his medal “when he’s in a position to get right here.”
- Raul Yzaguirre. A civil rights advocate, Yzaguirre was president and CEO of the Nationwide Council of La Raza for 30 years.
© 2022 The Canadian Press
