Sponsors (13)
The bill formalizes acknowledgement and revocation of Medals of Honor tied to Wounded Knee—advancing historical accountability and improved relations with Native communities—while risking reputational harm to families, legal challenges, administrative costs, and public controversy.
Indigenous tribal communities and the public gain official acknowledgment and formal revocation of Medals of Honor tied to the Wounded Knee massacre, restoring historical accountability for past wrongdoing.
Native American groups are likely to see improved trust and a stronger government-to-community relationship because the measure responds to longstanding requests to address the Wounded Knee honors.
Federal records are clarified by removing the names of rescinded awards from the official Medal of Honor rolls, making the historical record clearer for researchers and the public.
Veterans, their descendants, and communities tied to the individuals whose awards are rescinded risk reputational harm and the loss of family or regional heritage narratives.
The rescission may trigger legal challenges from families or descendants contesting retroactive alteration of honors, generating litigation costs and administrative burdens for the government.
The measure could provoke political and social controversy, deepening divisions over historical interpretation and producing public debate rather than broad consensus.
Based on analysis of 3 sections of legislative text.
Rescinds all Medals of Honor awarded for the Dec 29, 1890 Wounded Knee engagement and directs removal of those names from the official Medal of Honor rolls.
Rescinds every Medal of Honor awarded for the December 29, 1890 engagement at Wounded Knee and requires the relevant Secretary to remove the recipients' names from the official Medal of Honor rolls. The measure leaves physical medals with recipients or their heirs if they choose to keep them and explicitly preserves any federal benefits the recipients receive.
Introduced May 23, 2025 by Jill Tokuda · Last progress May 23, 2025