Bill > S1915

This bill aims to rescind the 20 Medals of Honor awarded to U.S. 7th Cavalry soldiers for their actions during the Wounded Knee Massacre on December 29, 1890, a tragic event where approximately 350-375 Native Americans, including many unarmed women and children, were killed. The bill provides extensive historical context, highlighting that the engagement was an unwarranted and disproportionate use of military force against a tribal community led by Lakota Chief Spotted Elk. Citing resolutions from Native American tribes and leaders who condemned the massacre, the bill argues that these Medals of Honor dishonor the integrity of the nation's highest military decoration. Under the bill, the Secretary of the relevant military branch would remove the names of the medal recipients from the Medal of Honor Roll, though recipients would not be required to return their medals, and no existing benefits would be denied. The legislation emphasizes that the Medal of Honor should recognize extraordinary acts of bravery and service, not actions that resulted in the mass killing of innocent people, and seeks to acknowledge the historical injustice committed against the Great Sioux Nation.

Military Affairs and Security

https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/1915/all-info