House Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi is receiving the highest civilian honor from President Biden at the White House Friday afternoon, the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Pelosi is receiving the honor alongside 18 others, including former vice president Al Gore, Oscar-winning actress Michelle Yeoh, former senator and Secretary of State John Kerry, former senator and Secretary of Transportation Elizabeth Dole, Olympic swimmer Katie Ledecky, journalist Phil Donahue, and philanthropist and former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg.
The Medal of Freedom is bestowed on "individuals who have made exemplary contributions to the prosperity, values, or security of the United States, world peace, or other significant societal, public or private endeavors," according to the White House.
"President Biden often says there is nothing beyond our capacity when we act together," the White House says in a release. "These nineteen Americans built teams, coalitions, movements, organizations, and businesses that shaped America for the better. They are the pinnacle of leadership in their fields. They consistently demonstrated over their careers the power of community, hard work, and service."
In a tweet about the award this morning, Pelosi said, "Freedom is the vision of our founders, the goal of our men & women in uniform, & our promise to our children. With reverence for freedom & respect for all who have received it, I am deeply honored & forever grateful to accept the Presidential Medal of Freedom."
Biden's last round of Medal of Freedom recipients in 2022 included soccer champion and Olympic gold medalist Megan Rapinoe, actor Denzel Washington, and Olympic gymnast Simone Biles. A posthumous medal was also awarded to Apple co-founder Steve Jobs.
President Biden himself received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Barack Obama before they both left office in early 2017.
If you want to tune in to the ceremony, you can do so here or on C-Span starting at 1:30 pm Pacific Time.
Folks, it's my honor to present the nineteen extraordinary Americans who will join me at the White House this afternoon to receive our nation's highest civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom. pic.twitter.com/hkzP3ng5BU
— President Biden (@POTUS) May 3, 2024
Top image: Nancy Pelosi, Former Speaker of the US House of Representatives attends the 49th Edition Of 'Cernobbio Forum' Hosted By The European House-Ambrosetti on September 01, 2023 in Cernobbio, Italy. (Photo by Pier Marco Tacca/Getty Images)
