Hoyer Statement Congratulating Presidential Medal of Freedom Recipients

WASHINGTON, DC - House Democratic Whip Steny H. Hoyer (MD) released the following statement today after President Obama selected Rep. John Dingell, Ethel Kennedy, and the late Rep. Edward Roybal as recipients of the Presidential Medal of Freedom:

"There are few legislators of our era as deserving of the Presidential Medal of Freedom as Rep. John Dingell.  I was proud to nominate him for our nation’s highest civilian honor, and I am proud to call him my friend.  The longest serving Member of Congress in our history, John has been at the forefront of some of the most important campaigns for civil rights, equal opportunity, health care, and environmental protection over the past sixty years. Though he will be retiring in January, his legacy will surely inhabit the halls of Congress for generations to come as Members continue to be inspired by his service and his achievements. 

“A lifelong advocate for greater access to quality, affordable health care for seniors and for all Americans, John presided over the historic passage of legislation to create Medicare in 1965, and he was instrumental in passing the Affordable Care Act in 2010.   John was a strong supporter of civil rights legislation in the 1960’s, including the Civil Rights Act and the Voting Rights Act that broke down the walls of segregation, and he has continued to champion efforts to expand opportunities so that all our people have an equal shot at achieving the American Dream.  Having served as a second lieutenant in the Army, he knows firsthand the importance of standing with America’s veterans and supporting our troops in uniform.  He fought for clean air and safe drinking water as Chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee, and he has worked tirelessly to keep auto industry jobs here in the United States and bring new manufacturing investment to his home state of Michigan and to communities across the country.   I join in thanking President Obama for selecting John for this award, which was earned not by his notable longevity in office but by the extraordinary accomplishments he has achieved over the course of that tenure.  

"I also join in congratulating the other recipients of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, extraordinary leaders in government, science, the arts, and the law.  Among them are the late Rep. Edward Roybal, who co-founded the Congressional Hispanic Caucus and NALEO and with whom I served in Congress, as well as Ethel Kennedy, a close friend who has fought for causes of justice and human rights and carried on the work she shared with her late husband, Robert F. Kennedy.  I look forward to celebrating with John, Ethel, and all the recipients and their families as they are presented with their medals at the White House.”