Remove the Stain Act
This bill, titled the Remove the Stain Act, would rescind every Medal of Honor awarded for acts at Wounded Knee Creek on December 29, 1890. It directs the appropriate military Secretaries to remove the names of the recipients from the official Medal of Honor Roll and states that no one is required to return the medal, and that the rescission does not deny any federal benefits. The bill also lays out findings describing the historical context of the Wounded Knee Massacre and argues that awarding Medals of Honor for those acts undermines the integrity of the award. It was introduced in the 119th Congress by Rep. Tokuda (and co-sponsors) and referred to the House Committee on Armed Services; no further action is noted in the text provided. In short, the bill seeks to formally revoke the Medal of Honor status for those awarded for actions at Wounded Knee and to acknowledge the event as a disqualifying context for the nation’s highest military award.
Key Points
- 1Short title: This act is named the “Remove the Stain Act.”
- 2Scope of rescission: Requires rescission of every Medal of Honor awarded for acts at Wounded Knee Creek, Lakota Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, SD, on December 29, 1890.
- 3Administrative action: The applicable Secretaries (Army, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard) must remove the names of the affected individuals from the official Medal of Honor Roll.
- 4Medal ownership and benefits: Recipients are not required to return the medals, and the act does not deny any federal benefits.
- 5Foundational rationale: The bill contains extensive findings about the Wounded Knee Massacre, the nature of the Medal of Honor, and arguments that presenting such medals for those acts undermines the award’s integrity.