{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.daines.senate.gov/2024/09/10/daines-joins-house-and-senate-leadership-in-presenting-congressional-gold-medal-to-families-of-13-service-members-killed-at-abbey-gate-in-afghanistan/", "Daines\u00a0Joins House and Senate Leadership\u00a0in Presenting\u00a0Congressional Gold Medal\u00a0to Families of\u00a013 Service Members Killed at Abbey Gate in Afghanistan", "2024-09-10", "2024", "2024-09", "Republican", "Senate", "MT", "Steve Daines", "D000618", "www.daines.senate.gov", "daines", "https://www.daines.senate.gov/news/press-releases/", "scraper", "Daines Bill Posthumously Awards Congressional Gold Medal to Fallen Service Members\n\nU.S. SENATE \u2013 U.S. Senator Steve Daines today joined House Speaker Mike Johnson, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell for a Congressional Gold Medal ceremony in the Capitol Rotunda that honored the 13 American service members who were killed in the terrorist attack at Abbey Gate during the withdrawal from Afghanistan. Daines introduced the bill to honor these brave men and women with the Congressional Gold Medal and today their families were presented with the medal. Read Senator Daines\u2019 remarks at the ceremony below.\n\nDownload photos here and watch Daines\u2019 full remarks here.\n\nDaines\u2019 remarks as prepared for delivery:\n\nSpeaker Johnson, Leader Jeffries, Leader Schumer, Leader McConnell, members of the Cabinet, honored guests and most of all, to our Gold Star families of the 13 fallen, thank you for being here. We are honored by your presence.\n\nI\u2019m U.S. Senator Steve Daines from Montana.\n\nI am a husband, a father, and a grandfather.\n\nI am also the son of a U.S. Marine.\n\nIn raising me, my dad taught me the motto of the Marine Corps: \u201cSemper Fi.\u201d\n\nAlways Faithful.\n\nHe also taught me the values of service and sacrifice to our great country.\n\nThe values my Marine Corps dad instilled in me were my motivation to honor the memories of those who served.\n\nThose values are what inspired me to introduce the legislation awarding Congress\u2019 highest honor to the 13 brave servicemembers who sacrificed for our country on August 26, 2021, at Abbey Gate.\n\nI remember that day well. It was a beautiful summer day in Montana.\n\nMy wife and I were in my pickup, traveling across the western part of our state headed to an event when the news broke on the radio.\n\nMy immediate response was to call my dad.\n\nMy father is 85 and my mom is 82, and they both live in Montana.\n\nSo I called my dad\u2019s cell phone. My dad is a tough Marine, but he didn\u2019t pick up the phone. My mom did.\n\nI said, \u201cMom, have you heard the news of what happened in Afghanistan?\u201d\n\nMy mom said, \u201cWe heard it. Your dad\u2019s heard it.\u201d\n\nI said, \u201cCan I talk to Dad?\u201d\n\nShe said, \u201cHe can\u2019t talk right now.\u201d\n\nTo the families here today, the loved ones you lost at Abbey Gate represent the values of service and sacrifice to a cause bigger than themselves.\n\nI know each of you each played an important role in instilling those values in your sons and daughters.\n\nAnd for that reason they represent the best of our country.\n\nAnd because of the important role you played in their lives, you represent those values too.\n\nAnd therefore each one of you represent the best of our country as well.\n\nAs we stand here today, it is impossible for me to understand the pain of your loss. I\u2019ve never had to go through what you are going through.\n\nBut I do know when pain runs so deep, words are often inadequate.\n\nWith that in mind, I will speak to the rest of the audience here today: My fellow members of Congress, others who are guests and those who may be watching:\n\nIt was their duty to serve.\n\nIt is our duty to remember.\n\nIn proclaiming the first Memorial Day in 1868, General John Logan wrote:\n\n\u201cLet us raise above them the dear old flag they saved;\n\n\u201clet us in this solemn presence renew our pledge to aid and assist those whom they have left among us\n\n\u201ca sacred charge upon the Nation\u2019s gratitude \u2014 the soldier\u2019s and sailor\u2019s widow and orphan.\u201d\n\nIt is our duty to remember the service, the sacrifice and the faithfulness of the 13 brave men and women who fell that day but it is also our duty to remember their loved ones as well.\n\nBecause in remembering and honoring the memory of the fallen, we provide their families comfort.\n\nToday is an important step on that journey.\n\nThe 13 who fell will join such distinguished heroes as George Washington, Winston Churchill, Harry Truman and Ronald Reagan in receiving the Congressional Gold Medal.\n\nOn behalf of a grateful nation, we thank your sons and daughters for their service.\n\nAnd we thank you for the values and character you instilled in them that led them to give the last full measure of devotion.\n\nIt led them into harm\u2019s way for the cause of freedom and the country they loved.\n\nThere is no higher calling.\n\nThere is no greater service.\n\nThere is no greater sacrifice.\n\nThank you for being here today. God bless you. And may God bless the United States of America.\n\nBackground:\n\nOn August 26, 2021, during the final days of the Afghanistan withdrawal, a ISIS-K suicide bomber attacked the Hamid Karzai International Airport, tragically leaving 13 U.S. service members dead.\n\nThe following service members made the ultimate sacrifice that day. Their bravery and courage will never be forgotten.\n\nMarine Staff Sgt. Taylor Hoover\n\nMarine Sgt. Johanny Rosario Pichardo\n\nMarine Sgt. Nicole Gee\n\nMarine Cpl. Hunter Lopez\n\nMarine Cpl. Daegan Page\n\nMarine Cpl. Humberto Sanchez\n\nMarine Lance Cpl. David Espinoza\n\nMarine Lance Cpl. Jared Schmitz\n\nMarine Lance Cpl. Rylee McCollum\n\nMarine Lance Cpl. Dylan Merola\n\nMarine Lance Cpl. Kareem Nikoui\n\nNavy Petty Officer Third Class Maxton Soviak\n\nArmy Staff Sgt. Ryan Knauss\n\nDaines introduced the bill to honor the servicemembers in September 2021 after the deadly attack. Read the legislation here.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:43:57Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.daines.senate.gov/2024/09/10/daines-joins-house-and-senate-leadership-in-presenting-congressional-gold-medal-to-families-of-13-service-members-killed-at-abbey-gate-in-afghanistan/"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.4331811107695103, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}