Washington, D.C. —U.S. Senator Joe Donnelly Friday announced his support for bipartisan legislation that would award a Congressional Gold Medal to the brave Foot Soldiers who marched from Selma to Montgomery, AL during March of 1965 and served as a catalyst for the historic Voting Rights Act of 1965.
The House unanimously passed this bill on Wednesday and Donnelly announced that he will participate in a civil rights pilgrimage to Alabama as part of a congressional delegation March 6-8, 2015.
“I am proud to support bipartisan legislation that would recognize the extraordinary sacrifice made by the heroic men and women who risked their lives and helped spark landmark change: voting rights for all Americans,” Donnelly said. “These courageous and determined Foot Soldiers continue to be an inspiration, and I am honored that I will get a chance to commemorate their fight for justice and equality on behalf of Hoosiers during a civil rights journey on the 50thAnniversary of Bloody Sunday. Many Hoosiers were pivotal in fighting for civil rights, and this is an important opportunity to pay tribute to everyone who advanced voting rights and equal rights for all Americans.”
The bipartisan bill Donnelly is co-sponsoring was introduced Thursday night by U.S. Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ), Jeff Sessions (R-AL), Chuck Schumer (D-NY), and Richard Shelby (R-AL) and would bestow the highest civilian honor, the Congressional Gold Medal, on the Foot Soldiers who participated in Bloody Sunday, Turnaround Tuesday, or the final Selma to Montgomery Voting Rights March in March 1965. The Foot Soldiers helped inspire Congress to pass the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which President Lyndon Johnson signed into law on August 6, 1965.
Donnelly and a congressional delegation will participate in civil-rights-related events in Birmingham, Selma, Marion, and Montgomery from March 6-8. The delegation is being organized by Faith and Politics Institute, a bipartisan, interfaith nonprofit.
