WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Senate unanimously passed bipartisan legislation to award U.S. Capitol Police Officer Eugene Goodman the Congressional Gold Medal. The legislation was introduced in January by U.S. Senators Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Chris Coons (D-DE), Thom Tillis (R-NC) and Ben Cardin (D-MD). Goodman confronted rioters in the Capitol on January 6, 2021, delaying their access to the Senate chamber and protecting the lives of those inside.
“We all watched footage of Officer Eugene Goodman putting his own life at risk to save ours,” said Brown. “What was already a tragic day could have been worse if he had not bravely led the violent mob away from the Senate chamber. Bestowing Officer Goodman with a Congressional Gold Medal to honor his commitment and courage on January 6th is one important way we can thank him for his service on that day and every day.”
The Senators’ legislation has also been cosponsored by Senators Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), John Boozman (R-Ark.), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Bob Casey (D-Pa.), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), James Risch (R-Idaho), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Mitt Romney (R-Utah), Tom Carper (D-Del.), Tim Scott (R-S.C.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Todd Young (R-Ind.), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), Jon Tester (D-Mont.), James Lankford (R-Okla.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.), Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Richard Burr (R-N.C.), Ben Sasse (R-Neb.), Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), John Hoeven (R-N.D.), Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Mark Warner (D-Va.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.), Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Angus King (I-Maine), Mike Braun (R-Ind.), and Pat Toomey (R-Pa.).
Companion legislation was introduced in the House by Representatives Charlie Crist (D-Fla.), Emanuel Cleaver (D-Mo.), and Nancy Mace (R-S.C.).
The full text of the bill can be found here.