TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — President Joe Biden today honored two Arizonans with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor: Former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and former Senator John McCain, who received the honor posthumously.
Giffords has become a well known national figure in the fight for gun control following a mass shooting in Tucson on January 8, 2011. She founded Giffords, an organization dedicated to ending gun violence.
During the ceremony, her work was credited, saying "lives will be saved and America will be safer."
McCain, who died of brain cancer in 2018, spent more than five years in captivity in Vietnam while serving in the U.S. Navy. He later represented Arizona in both houses of Congress and was the Republican presidential nominee in 2008. Biden said McCain was a “dear friend” and "a hero.”
As noted during the presentation: McCain was "respected around the world. He was an eternal optimist who believed in consensus, and putting country first. His legacy continues to challenge us to cherish integrity and serve with courage and conviction."
“We ran against each other, which I didn't like, on tickets for the highest on the highest office in the land, " President Biden said. “I never stopped admiring John. Never said a negative thing about him in my life because I knew his honor, his courage and his commitment.”
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Anne Simmons is the digital executive producer for KGUN 9. Anne got her start in television while still a student at the University of Arizona. Before joining KGUN, she managed multiple public access television stations in the Bay Area and has worked as a video producer in the non-profit sector. Share your story ideas and important issues with Anne by emailing anne.simmons@kgun9.com or by connecting on Instagram, Twitter or LinkedIn.
