U.S. Route 20 between Newport, Ore., and New England would be designated as the National Medal of Honor Highway under bipartisan, bicameral legislation introduced this week by U.S. Rep. Mike Kelly (R-PA).
“Covering more than 3,000 miles, U.S. Route 20 is America’s longest highway,” Rep. Kelly said on Tuesday. “By designating U.S. Route 20 as the National Medal of Honor Highway, we commemorate all 3,515 recipients of the award, both living and passed.”
The congressman on May 9 sponsored H.R. 3149 with seven original cosponsors, including U.S. Rep. Brian Higgins (D-NY). U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) on May 9 sponsored his chamber’s bill, S. 1478, with 11 original cosponsors, including U.S. Sens. Joni Ernst (R-IA) and Todd Young (R-IN).
“I’m proud to have worked closely with veterans in Oregon and nationwide in the grassroots movement to designate America’s longest continuous highway — which spans from the Pacific to the Atlantic — as the National Medal of Honor Highway,” said Sen. Wyden. “Designating U.S. Highway 20 as the National Medal of Honor Highway would provide a permanent and deserved recognition of America’s heroes, and I’ll keep fighting tooth and nail alongside veterans to drive this bill past the finish line.”
Legislatures and governors in all 12 states through which U.S. Highway 20 passes have designated their state Medal of Honor Highways covering 100 percent of the 3,365-mile Medal of Honor Highway across America, according to information provided by the lawmakers, and those 12 states account for about 62 percent of all 3,516 Medal of Honor awards presented since the Civil War.
The bill is supported by the Bend Heroes Foundation, the Military Officers Association of America, the American Legion, the Legion of Valor, the Military Order of the Purple Heart, Vietnam Veterans of America, and the Medal of Honor Historical Society of the United States.
“It’s my sincere hope that the millions of Americans who travel the highway each year — from Bend to Chicago to Erie to Boston — will take a moment to reflect on 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.”