Less than 10 years after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, the mastermind behind the tragedy, Osama bin Laden, was killed by the U.S. Navy SEAL Team Six.
While there was plenty of military accolades with various medals and honors, the unit has yet to receive any high ranking recognition outside of the Presidential Unit Citation — a military award given to an entire unit for extraordinary heroism fighting an enemy. No Presidential Medal of Freedom, no Medals of Honor, according to public record, for any individuals in the Bin Laden Raid.
But a new bill in the U.S. House of Representatives is looking to change that.
A bipartisan bill introduced Sept. 10 by Republican U.S. Rep. Thomas Kean of New Jersey aims to award the Congressional Gold Medal to SEAL Team Six. Fellow Republican U.S. Rep. Michael Lawler of New York and Democratic U.S. Reps. Madeleine Dean of Pennsylvania and William Keating of Massachusetts are co-sponsors on the bill.