Michigan SOS Jocelyn Benson to receive Presidential Citizens Medal
(CBS DETROIT) - Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson will receive the Presidential Citizens Medal, the nation's second-highest civil award, at the White House on Friday.
Benson is one of 12 people receiving the medal. Other recipients include Capitol and Washington D.C. police officers, election workers, and Arizona House Speaker Rusty Bowers.
The ceremony will be hosted on the two-year anniversary of the Jan. 6, 2021, attack at the U.S. Capitol. Supporters of former President Donald Trump pushed through Capitol doors in an attempt to prevent Congress from certifying Biden's election win.
In a statement on Thursday, Benson said she was honored to receive the medal.
"As the heroes who stood guard over the nation's electoral votes at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, can attest, defending every voice and every vote requires courage and commitment to country, our Constitution, and the will of the American voters," Benson said in the statement.
"This extraordinary recognition affirms in me the hope that we will emerge out of this moment with a democracy that has not only prevailed, but is stronger, healthier, and more robust than ever before. That is what I fight for, what I have hope for, and what I have confidence that all of us working together – coming together across party lines and all else that could divide us – can achieve."
The award was first introduced in 1969 under then-President Richard Nixon. Previous recipients included Hank Aaron, Gen. Colin Powell, Muhammad Ali and Ruby Bridges.