Rep. Mike Kelly, U.S. Representative for Pennsylvania's 16th District | Twitter Website
Rep. Mike Kelly, U.S. Representative for Pennsylvania's 16th District | Twitter Website
On December 17, 2024, President Joe Biden signed into law a bill led by U.S. Representative Mike Kelly (R-PA) and U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) to designate U.S. Route 20 as the National Medal of Honor Highway.
In Pennsylvania's 16th Congressional District, U.S. Route 20 runs through Erie County. The highway extends coast-to-coast from Massachusetts to Oregon. This follows its passage in the U.S. House in December 2024 after legislatures and governors in all 12 states along the route designated their sections as Medal of Honor Highways.
"This bipartisan, bicameral legislation honors the extraordinary sacrifice, courage, and devotion exhibited by every single Medal of Honor recipient," said Rep. Kelly. "We owe them a debt we can never repay. Designating this highway is just one way and we can cement their legacy in American history."
The Medal of Honor is the nation's highest military award for valor, presented by the president in Congress' name to service members who distinguish themselves “through conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of life above and beyond the call of duty.”
Redesignating U.S. Highway 20 — the longest continuous highway in the United States — as the “National Medal of Honor Highway” would honor each state's current and future Medal of Honor recipients, as well as recipients from any state who travel on it.
Legislatures and governors across all 12 states along U.S. Highway 20 have designated their sections as state Medal of Honor Highways, covering all 3,365 miles across America. These states account for about 62 percent of all 3,519 Medal of Honor awards presented since the Civil War. Naming U.S. Highway 20 as the “National Medal of Honor Highway” ensures that recipients from all states and territories are honored.
The legislation has support from organizations such as Bend Heroes Foundation, Military Officers Association of America, American Legion, Legion of Valor, Military Order of the Purple Heart, Vietnam Veterans of America, and the Medal of Honor Historical Society of the United States.
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