Sponsors (13)
The bill formally recognizes Wounded Knee and tightens standards/accountability around certain historic Medals of Honor—advancing tribal recognition and award integrity while risking veterans' backlash, family distress, legal/administrative costs, and political controversy.
Indigenous and tribal communities see Congress formally acknowledge Wounded Knee as a massacre and validate tribal calls for recognition, providing official recognition and advancing reconciliation.
Service members and the public gain stronger protection of the Medal of Honor's integrity through reaffirmed standards, helping ensure the award remains meaningful and credible.
The official removal/rescission of specific Medals of Honor tied to the 1890 action improves historical accountability by correcting the formal record.
Veterans, recipients' descendants, and veterans' organizations may strongly oppose rescinding medals, creating public backlash and emotional conflict.
Recipients' families and communities may experience controversy, distress, and harm to family history/identity if honors are rescinded.
Removing names from official rolls and rescinding historic awards raises administrative and legal questions about precedent for altering historic military honors.
Based on analysis of 3 sections of legislative text.
All Medals of Honor awarded for the Wounded Knee engagement (Dec 29, 1890) are rescinded and the recipients’ names are removed from the official Medal of Honor rolls; medals need not be returned and benefits are preserved.
Official title: To rescind each Medal of Honor awarded for acts at Wounded Knee Creek on December 29, 1890, and for other purposes.
Introduced May 23, 2025 by Jill Tokuda · Last progress May 23, 2025
Rescinds all Medals of Honor awarded for the December 29, 1890 engagement at Wounded Knee Creek and directs the relevant military service Secretary to remove those recipients’ names from the official Medal of Honor rolls. The bill finds that the Wounded Knee engagement was a massacre of Native men, women, and children and cites tribal requests that those medals be revoked, while preserving recipients’ federal benefits and allowing recipients to keep their physical medals if they choose. The law requires administrative action by the service Secretaries to update the Medal of Honor rolls but does not require the return of physical medals or change eligibility for any federal benefits tied to the individuals involved.