Bipartisan legislation sponsored by U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) and passed this summer by the U.S. Senate to award a former New Orleans NFL football star and ALS advocate with the Congressional Gold Medal is gaining momentum in the U.S. House of Representatives.
The Stephen Michael Gleason Congressional Gold Medal Act, S. 2652/H.R. 5499, has garnered a total of 56 cosponsors in the House, which must approve the bill by the end of the month in order for it to become law, according to Sen. Cassidy’s office. Supporters of the legislation include U.S. Reps. Steve Scalise (R-LA) and Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA).
“I know that when people learn about Steve’s work and the difference he is making, they support this bill, and I urge the House to pass it this month,” Sen. Cassidy said on Dec. 3.
Gleason, a Spokane, Wash., native, played as a safety with the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League (NFL) through the 2007 season. He was diagnosed with ALS in January 2011, also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease, or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord, according to the ALS Association. Gleason and his wife Michel have had two children since his diagnosis.
“Following his diagnosis, Steve Gleason has become a hero for all Americans as he finds hope and meaning in overcoming disability and creating greater opportunity for others who are disabled,” said Sen. Cassidy. “His work has changed lives for the better.”
Sen. Cassidy sponsored S. 2652 on April 11 and it passed the Senate with unanimous consent on June 14. The bill would bestow Gleason with the Congressional Gold Medal, the highest civilian honor awarded by Congress.
Gleason would be recognized for his work through the Gleason Initiative Foundation to provide individuals with neuromuscular diseases or injuries with support and assistance; his leadership in spurring a large, coordinated ALS research project; and his advocacy for federal legislation that would provide ALS sufferers with access to speech-generating devices, according to the senator.
Some of the previous recipients of the Congressional Gold Medal include Mother Teresa, Rosa Parks, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Coretta Scott King, Orville and Wilbur Wright, Thomas Edison, Robert Frost, Bob Hope, Walt Disney, Roberto Clemente, Sir Winston Churchill, Jesse Owens, Frank Sinatra, Jackie Robinson, and Jack Nicklaus.
“The Senate unanimously supported legislation to honor Steve with the Congressional Gold Medal, and I thank my House colleagues for working to build support for this legislation in their chamber,” Sen. Cassidy said.
H.R. 5499, introduced on April 12 by U.S. Rep. Cedric Richmond (D-LA), is under consideration by the U.S. House Financial Services Committee.