President Joe Biden will award the second-highest civilian medal to former Rep. Liz Cheney and Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-MS).
“The Presidential Citizens Medal is awarded to citizens of the United States of America who have performed exemplary deeds of service for their country or their fellow citizens. President Biden believes these Americans are bonded by their common decency and commitment to serving others. The country is better because of their dedication and sacrifice,” the White House said in a statement.
The statement said Cheney stands for “freedom,” “dignity,” and “decency.”
“Throughout two decades in public service, including as a Congresswoman for Wyoming and Vice Chair of the Committee on the January 6 attack, Liz Cheney has raised her voice—and reached across the aisle—to defend our Nation and the ideals we stand for: Freedom. Dignity. And decency,” the statement said. “Her integrity and intrepidness remind us all what is possible if we work together.”
In its description of Thompson, the White House statement said: “Born and raised in a segregated Mississippi, as a college student inspired by the Civil Rights movement, Bennie Thompson volunteered on campaigns and registered southern Black voters. That call to serve eventually led him to Congress, where he chaired the House January 6th Committee—at the forefront of defending the rule of law with unwavering integrity and a steadfast commitment to truth.”
Others receiving the medal include Mary Bonauto, an attorney activist who fought to legalize same-sex marriage; women’s rights activist Eleanor Smeal; Diane Carlson Evans, an Army nurse during the Vietnam War; and National Breast Cancer Coalition President Frances Visco.
In an interview with NBC’s Kristen Welker, President-elect Donald Trump argued that those responsible for deleting files relating to January 6, 2021, should face legal consequences. “Cheney did something that’s inexcusable, along with Thompson and the people on the un-select committee of political thugs,” he said. “They deleted and destroyed all evidence… In a civil case, you go to jail.”
A report released by Rep. Barry Loudermilk (R-GA) and the House Administration on Oversight Subcommittee calls for an FBI investigation into Cheney for violating a U.S. code that “prohibits any person from procuring another person to commit perjury.”
