US Congressional Gold Medal for Professor Muhammad Yunus
On 23 September, the House of Representatives of the US Government unanimously passed the bill to award Prof. Muhammad Yunus the Congressional Gold Medal. The Congressional Gold Medal is an award bestowed by the United States Congress and is, along with the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Presidential Citizens Medal the highest civilian award in the United States. Since the American Revolution, Congress has commissioned gold medals as its highest expression of national
appreciation for distinguished achievements and contributions. Each medal honors a particular individual, institution, or event.
Per committee rules, legislation bestowing a Congressional Gold Medal upon a recipient must be co-sponsored by two-thirds of the membership of both the House of Representatives and the Senate before their respective committees will consider it.
Democrat Senator Richard Durbin from Illinois and Republican Senator Robert Bennett from Utah introduced this in the Senate and Representatives Rush Holt (D), John Carter (R) and Jim Moran (D) introduced the Bill in the House of Representatives. The bill was passed in 2009 in the Senate and the bill awarding Professor Yunus the Medal passed unanimously in the House of Representatives on 23 September 2010. 297 representatives co sponsored the bill.
During the session, Representatives Rush Holt (D-NJ), Andre Carson (D-IN), Spencer Bachus (R-AL), Jim McDermott (D-WA), and Danny Davis (D-IL) spoke on behalf of the bill. The bill will now be passed on to President Barack Obama for signing.
The award ceremony of the Congressional Gold Medal to Professor Yunus will take place in early 2011.The award will be presented in a joint ceremony of the Senate and the House, in Rotunda of the House of Congress. Professor Yunus will address the joint meeting on the occasion.
Professor Yunus has previously received the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize and 2009 Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Barack Obama. Only 7 individuals have received all three distinctions. They are Martin Luther King Jr., Elie Wiesel, Mother Teresa, Nelson Mandela, Norman Borlaug, Aung San Suu Kyi and now Muhammad Yunus.
Photo Credit: Nasir Ali Mamun
