Actor Denzel Washington, who was also due to be honored, was unable to attend Thursday’s ceremony, but Mr. Biden said he would present him with the award later. The Presidential Medal of Freedom is the nation’s highest political honor, awarded to those who have made notable contributions to the United States, to world peace, or to “significant social, public, or private endeavors.” “The week of the Fourth of July reminds us of what brought us together so long ago and still binds us, binds us at our best,” Mr. Biden said on Thursday. “What we’re striving for – we the people, doing everything we can to make sure that the American idea, the cause of freedom, shines like a sun to light the future of the world. That’s the soul of our nation. They we are As Americans. And that’s what we see — an extraordinary, extraordinary group of Americans here on this stage that I’m honored to recognize today with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, our nation’s highest civilian award.” The president took time to recognize each recipient individually, sharing their contributions to the country and the world, starting with Biles. “When we see her compete, we see unmatched, unmatched strength and determination, grace and boldness,” the president said. “A trailblazer and a role model, when she stands at the podium, we see what she is — sheer courage to turn personal pain into a greater cause, to stand up and speak for those who cannot stand up for themselves. Today, he adds 32 medals to that — how are you going to find room? — 32 Olympic and world championship medals.” President Biden presents the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Simone Biles during a ceremony in the East Room at the White House July 7, 2022. KEVIN LAMARQUE / REUTERS The president also had words of praise for McCain, with whom he served in the Senate. Mr. Biden recalled his first meeting with McCain when he was a Senate military aide and said he encouraged McCain to run. McCain’s widow, Cindy McCain, accepted the award on his behalf. “We used to argue on the Senate floor. But then we’d go and have lunch together afterwards, as you remember,” Mr Biden said. “We’ve run against each other, which I didn’t like, on tickets for the highest office in the land. I ran for vice president, he ran for president. I never stopped admiring John. I never said anything negative about him in my life, because I knew his honor, his courage and his commitment”. Vice President Kamala Harris and running mate Doug Emhoff were also in attendance Thursday, along with other government officials such as GOP Rep. Liz Cheney. President John F. Kennedy established the award in the 1960s. Mr. Biden received the award himself while serving as vice president from former President Barack Obama in 2017. Here is the full list of honorees: Simone Biles One of the most accomplished female athletes of all time, Biles has advocated for the mental health and safety of athletes, as well as victims of sexual abuse. He testified on Capitol Hill last year about Larry Nassar, the former USA Gymnastics doctors convicted of sexually assaulting hundreds of women and girls. Sister Simone Campbell A member of the Sisters of Social Service, Campbell advocates for immigration reform and economic justice. Juliet Garcia Garcia is the former president of the University of Texas at Brownsville. Gabrielle Giffords Giffords is a former member of Congress who survived an assassination attempt in 2011 and has since dedicated her life to preventing gun violence. Fred Gray Gray is a civil rights attorney who represented Rosa Parks, the NAACP, and Martin Luther King Jr. Steve Jobs Jobs, who revolutionized global communication and computing as co-founder of Apple, died in 2011. Father Alexandros Karloutsos Karloutsos was a former Vicar General of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America and has advised many US presidents. Khizr Khan Khan is the Gold Star father who criticized Trump in a speech at the 2016 Democratic convention. Sandra Lindsay Lindsay is a nurse from New York who served on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic.
John McCain A Navy aviator, McCain was held as a prisoner of war for years in Vietnam and went on to serve as a congressman and senator for decades. He was the Republican Party’s presidential nominee in 2008 and died in 2018. Diane Nash Nash organized key civil rights campaigns during segregation. Megan Rapinoe
Rapinoe, an Olympic gold medalist and World Cup champion as a member of the US Women’s National Soccer Team, has advocated for gender pay equity and LBGTQ+ rights.
Alan Simpson Simpson was a US senator from Wyoming for 18 years. Richard Trumka Trumka led the AFL-CIO, the nation’s largest labor coalition, for more than a decade before he died last year. Wilma Vaught Brigadier General Wilma Vaught broke barriers for women in the military and was one of only seven female generals in the Armed Forces when she retired in 1985, according to the White House. Raúl Yzaguirre A civil rights advocate, Yzaguirre was the US ambassador to the Dominican Republic under former President Barack Obama.