Public Affairs Events : CSPAN : November 29, 2024 11:30pm-12:00am EST : Free Borrow & Streaming : Internet Archive (2025)

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[inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] >> the c-span's "washington journal," our live forum involving you to discuss the latest issues in politics and policy. coming up saturday morning,

talking about the state of small businesses in the u.s. and a discussion on how education policy could change under the incoming trump administration with ed choice's president and ceo. join the conversation saturday morning on c-span, c-span now, or online at c-span.org. >> on monday, a view of ukraine's going war with russia and u.s. and nato support from the council on foreign relations, watch live at 1:00 p.m. eastern. >> c-span is your unfiltered view of government. we are funded by these television companies and more, including comcast. >> oh, you think this is just a community center?

no, it's way more than that. >> comcast is partnering with community centers so students can from low income families can get the tools th need to be ready for anything. comcast supports c-span as a public service, along with these other television providers, giving you a front row seat to democracy. >> up next, president biden honors 19 recipients of the presidential medal of freedom. nancy pelosi, al gore, and john kerry were among those honored. the presidential medal of freedom is among the highest honors -- is the highest honor awarded to civilians who have made significant contributions to the u.s. >> distinguished guests, the president of the united states.

["hail to the chief" players] [applause] distinguished guests, the recipient of the presidential medal of freedom, michael r. bloomberg. [applause] elizabeth dole. gregory j. boyle. james e. clyburn. phil donahue. rena evers accepting on behalf

of medgar wiley evers. al gore. clarence b. jones. john forbes carry -- john forbes kerry. bonnie lautenberg accepting on behalf of frank r. lautenberg. kathleen genevieve ledecky. opal lee. ellen ochoa.

nancy dalessandro -- nancy d'ale xandro pelosi. jane rigby. teresa romero. judy shepard. gail lynn canon accepting on behalf of james francis thorpe. and michelle yeoh.

♪ distinguished guests, the president of the united states. [applause] ["hail to the chief" playing]

president biden: please have a seat. i think i told my buddy john kerry for the first two years they played "hail to the chief," i looked around and asked, where the hell is he? thank you for joining us for one of our favorite events at the white house. 61 years ago, president kennedy established the presidential medal of freedom.

in the first class of recipients was a great american writer, eb white. years after receiving the metal, he received a letter from someone and replied, "relentless curiosity, inventiveness, ingenuity, trouble." i can only hope these same traits will allow us to claw your way out. hang onto your hats, hang onto your hope. tomorrow is another day. today, we have another extraordinary honor to bestow on the nation's highest civilian honor, 19 people whose relentless curiosity, ingenuity, and hope have cut their faith

for a better tomorrow. we see that faith in father gregory boyle. i always worried when i was in public school that we were going to go to jesuit colleges. they said, you guys are too liberal. thank god for the jessies. [applause] the service reminds us of the power of redemption, rehabilitation, and our obligation where others have been condemned or counted out. thank you for your amazing

grace. some of you today i know from personal experience that you wish you never had to do an event like this one without a piece of your soul having been gone. judy shepard, it has been 25 years since you last spoke with your beloved matthew. your son galvanized a movement and his name protects lgbtq americans. your advocacy is a reminder we must give hate no safe harbor and we must turn pain into purpose and you have done just that. thank you. [applause] today, we honor medgar evers and his family, an army veteran who worked tirelessly to andy

segregation to deliver the promise of liberty to all americans, a patriot who was gunned down by white supremacist, but his spirit endorsed. joining us is his daughter who was just eight years old when she walked out and saw her father in the driveway, taken from her 4 days before father's day. i want to thank her for her work to seek justice for medgar and for forging her own civil rights legacy. in 2021, i signed one of the most important laws of my presidency, making the first federal holiday since martin luther king jr. day. the first person i handed the pen to was opal lee, the grandmother of the movement that helped make it possible.

juneteenth is a day of profound weight and power to remember the original sin of slavery and the extraordinary capacity to merge the most painful moments with a better vision of ourselves to make history, not erase it. we are a better nation because of you. thank you. [applause] born in philadelphia, the cradle of our democracy, dr. clarence jones gave words to a movement that generated freedom for millions of people. letting freedom ring, dr. clarence b jones, thank you, dr. jones.

before social media and clickbait news, the power of personal story all across america helped change hearts and minds through honest and open dialogue through thousands of daily conversations and spoke to our better angels. i wish you were still speaking there, pal. [applause] from finance committee are to philanthropy, michael bloomberg has revolutionized our economy, transformed how we consume information, changed us, challenged us as well to solve the toughest challenges from gun violence to climate change, and as mayor, he rebuilt the city of new york after 9/11, sharing our experience of resilience as a nation and a beaker of the

world. thank you, mr. mayor. [applause] i first met katie ledecky in 2012. i thought, my god, what an athlete. she won her first olympic goal at age 15. she has won 10 olympic medals. 21 world championship titles, became the greatest female swimmer of all time. she continued to compete this summer at age 27, which some say is old. [laughter] age is just a number, kid. [laughter] i can't wait to welcome you back to the white house with more

medals. [applause] jim thorpe, a one-of-a-kind champion. i grew up hearing from my grandpa. he was an all-american at santa clara paying -- playing football back in 1905, and i grew up always hearing about jim thorpe. i'm serious. not just a great ballplayer, the greatest athlete of all time. he talked about him all the time. in 1912, he became the first native american athlete to win an olympic gold medal. professional football player, professional baseball player, basketball player. he showcased unparalleled athleticism, crossing into racial barriers and the power of perseverance, shear will, and a determination. thank you to jim's oldest living grandchild for accepting this

medal on his behalf. [applause] i used to go to sleep in scranton thinking, i wish i could meet him. incredible. anyway. i will get carried away here. for most of the american dream to be successful, in what ever and ever -- whatever endeavor you choose on earth, for dr. ellen ochoa it is a dream from the heavens, her dream from the heavens. the granddaughter of mexican immigrants ellen is the first hispanic woman to go to space, ushering in a new age of space exploration. and proving what it means for every generation to dream, to reach for the stars come and get there. i tell you what, you are getting there, kid. thank you so much. [applause]

dr. jane rigby, the daughter of my home state of delaware, i might add. she is not the only person person receiving this medal. it's not just because she is from delaware. she is a groundbreaking astrophysicist in charge of the most powerful telescope ever launched into space. did you ever see some of the images? they are breathtaking. millions of light-years away. she is a longtime advocate of inclusivity in the sciences. by piecing together everything she has done and by making sure that the grand story of the universe and unlocking the secrets of the galaxy, dr. rigby sparks a sense of wonder deep in ourselves. you ought to see the photographs. some of those telescopes. it is mind-boggling to me.

for embodying the american dream and helping americans which there is also, i want to honor a good friend of mine that is not here today. and army veteran from new jersey, the longest serving senator that i served with. frank is remembered as a tireless advocate for consumers in public health and safety. bonnie, thank you for being here to except the metal on his behalf. [applause] grace embodies an essential truth about america. we are a nation of immigrants where everybody deserves to be treated with dignity and respect. she made life better for thousands of farmworkers putting food on our table, all of them. protecting them from extreme heat, securing overtime pay, she shows what it means to be a champion for dignified work. when i ran the first time in 1972, the u.s. senate, she was organizing farmworkers in the state of delaware. guess what?

i won. thank you for all you do. [applause] over four decades, and on and off the screen, michelle yeoh has shattered stereotypes and glass ceilings to enrich and enhance american culture. herbals transcend gender, culture, and languages. from marshall -- martial arts to science fiction, to show us what we all have in common. as the first age and ask her to win an oscar as best actress she bridges cultures not only to entertain, but inspire and open hearts. that's huge. congratulations. [applause]

another inspiration, not just to me, but to bob dole was elizabeth dole. you are a trailblazer, the first woman in nearly every public service you held over four decades serving in the u.s. senate. she is a fierce advocate for military families and their caregivers. she is a true partner and her beloved bob was a dear friend i miss dearly. he was a friend come as you know. i love him. thank you. [applause] elizabeth, a significant debt of gratitude. throughout a defining career in public service, this guy, al gore has demonstrated a love of country and showed the world how to lead. i worked with al gore when he was a senator and when he was vice president. after winning the popular vote he accepted the outcome of the presidential election for the sake of unity and trust in our

institutions. that, to me, was amazing what you did. i won't go into that. al's has continued to serve by leading a global movement to fight climate crisis, earning him a nobel prize in 2007. [applause] al, we will remember you for many reasons. among them will be your honesty, integrity, and the legacy of your services. thank you. [applause] i have served and worked closely as senator and vice president and then as president with this guy, john. john kerry. [applause]

we were friends when he was secretary of state. in my administration he led efforts across the globe as the first special presidential envoy for climate. throughout six decades of service to the nation, john, as a soldier, senator, statement, john kerry was a patriot of the highest order. i can personally attest that my dear friend has as much moral courage in his pursuit of american politics as he did physical courage earning him a silver star in vietnam. you are the real deal john, the real deal, pal. [applause] the last two guards should both be standing here at this podium. the bold daughter of a congressman and mayor of baltimore. nancy pelosi grew up knowing the power of purpose in politics, a historic figure as the first woman speaker and health representative, she used her

superpowers to pass some of the most significant laws in our nations history. on january 6 nancy stood in the breach and it defended a democracy with her husband paul. they stood up to extremism with absolute physical courage. nancy is a brilliant tactical, principal leader. her accomplishments are overwhelming. i predict, and i have said this for a while, history will remember nancy as of the greatest speaker of the house of representatives. [applause] we have had great speakers, nancy, but i love you, kid. you are the best. if america ever ceases to be

good, america will cease to be great. that is one of jim clyburn's favorite quotes. always grounded in faith, family, and service, jim has guided south carolina and our country with a steady hand over the last half-century. i can say this without fear of contradiction. i would not be standing here as president making these awards if not for jim. i mean this sincerely. neither of us would be standing here without emily clyburn, a woman of enormous character that we all miss. we are a great nation, because we have people like jim and emily clyburn and our honorees today, all of them. my fellow americans, jim is the best. thank you. [applause]

what i had to keep doing when writing these introductions is make them shorter and shorter and shorter because there is so much more to say about each of them. but we would be here for 12 hours. as you all enough -- but you all know how incredible they are, an incredible group of people. ladies and gentlemen, my fellow americans, i congratulate the presidential medal recipients and their families. i will make sure we provide the presidential metals and put them around your necks. thank you very much. [applause] >> michael r. bloomberg. [applause]

from the son of a bookkeeper and secretary to a visionary business leader and public servant, michael bloomberg epitomizes american industry and innovation. revolutionized the financial information industry with the bloomberg terminal and bloomberg news modernized to the way information is reported and received by the public. as a three term mayor of new york city transform schools, transportation, public health, and more. as of the, his contribution on everything from gun safety to climate change remind us of our responsibility to our communities, our country, and the world. [applause]

gregory j. boyle. [applause] inspired by his jesuit teachers, father greg boyle has dedicated his life to healing and hope. as a young priest assigned to one of los angeles's most underserved parishes he founded homeaway industries, now the largest gang rehabilitation and reentry program in the world that has helped thousands of angelenos turned their lives around, connecting them to jobs, counseling, and a warmhearted community where all are welcomed and cherished. answering jesus's call to serve father greg is a testament to america's enduring grace. [applause] james e clyburn.

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