Biden to award Liz Cheney and others with Presidential Citizens Medal
President Biden on Thursday will award the Presidential Citizens Medal to 20 individuals at the White House, including former Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.), who has been an outspoken critic of President-elect Trump and some of his allies.
The medal is awarded to U.S. citizens who have “performed exemplary deeds of service for their country or their fellow citizens,” the White House said in announcing the recipients.
Cheney will be honored for her service in Congress and on the special House committee that investigated the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, and for speaking out about the importance of democracy. Cheney campaigned with Vice President Harris ahead of November’s election.
Biden has spoken with aides about the prospect of a pardon for Cheney and other Trump critics to protect them against potential politically motivated charges.
Biden will also give the medal to Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.), who served as chairman of the Jan. 6 committee, former Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.), and former Sen. Ted Kaufman (D-Dele.).
Other recipients include Mary Bonauto, who argued for marriage equality in front of the Supreme Court as part of the Obergefell case, NBA champion Bill Bradley, former Army nurse Diane Carlson Evans and former Sen. Nancy Kassebaum (R-Kansas). He will also posthumously honor Mitsuye Endo Tsutsumi, who was among those put in an internment camp during World War II.