Sponsors (13)
The bill seeks to correct the historical record and protect the integrity of the Medal of Honor—validating tribal concerns and improving accountability—while risking significant backlash, administrative/legal complications, and emotional harm for veterans' families and other stakeholders.
Native American tribes and tribal communities see Congress formally acknowledge Wounded Knee as a massacre and recognize problematic Medals of Honor tied to that event, which validates tribal claims and supports reconciliation efforts.
Current and former service members benefit from reaffirmation of Medal of Honor standards, which helps protect the award's integrity and public trust in military decorations.
Veterans and their descendants are allowed to retain the physical medals even if the awards are rescinded, preserving family heirlooms and avoiding forced confiscation.
Veterans, recipients' families, and their communities may experience significant distress and strong backlash if honors are rescinded, deepening social tensions and causing emotional harm.
Congressional acknowledgment without clear remedial actions could raise expectations among tribes for follow-up measures that may not occur, leading to frustration and eroding trust in government promises.
Political controversy over reinterpreting historic military awards could consume legislative attention, provoke partisan disputes, and draw reproach from constituents who view the changes as revisionist.
Based on analysis of 3 sections of legislative text.
Removes from the official Medal of Honor rolls every Medal of Honor awarded for the December 29, 1890 Wounded Knee engagement; recipients need not return medals and retain federal benefits.
Introduced May 23, 2025 by Jill Tokuda · Last progress May 23, 2025
Rescinds every Medal of Honor that was awarded for participation in the December 29, 1890 engagement at Wounded Knee Creek and directs the military services to remove those recipients’ names from the official Medal of Honor rolls. The law states recipients are not required to return their physical medals and it preserves any federal benefits the recipients or their families receive. The text describes the Wounded Knee engagement as a massacre of many Lakota men, women, and children, notes contemporaneous criticism of the operation, and cites requests from tribal and Native organizations to revoke those awards. The change is an administrative correction to the Medal of Honor rolls rather than a criminal or benefits action.