Republican representative Marjorie Taylor Greene is sponsoring a bill to grant Kyle Rittenhouse the Congressional Gold Medal, which is the highest honor the legislative branch can give.
The medal is given to people deserving of the “highest expression of national appreciation for distinguished achievements and contributions by individuals or institutions” and has been bestowed since the American Revolution.
Rittenhouse was tried and faced charges of first-degree intentional homicide, attempted 1st-degree intentional homicide, and 1st-degree reckless homicide, among others.
Aged 17 at the time, Rittenhouse shot three men, killing two and injuring another during protests that emerged after the police shooting of Jacob Blake.
Rittenhouse pleaded not guilty, claiming he had acted in self-defense after traveling across state lines, armed with an AR-style semi-automatic rifle, to protect local businesses and provide medical assistance during the protests.
Now, GOP congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene apparently wants to award Rittenhouse with a Congressional Gold Medal for his actions which include ‘protecting the community of Kenosha, Wisconsin, during a Black Lives Matter (BLM) riot on August 25, 2020,’ Newsweek reports.
Greene reportedly introduced the bill on November 23, 2021, before the legislation was referred to the Committee on Financial Service and the Committee on House Administration.
The outcome of Greene’s proposed bill will later be determined.
In addition to the potential award, Rittenhouse also met with another prominent member of the GOP today: namely, the former president Donald Trump, who called him a “nice young man”. The two met at the Mara Lago Residence in Florida.
Meanwhile, many Democrats expressed disappointment in the not-guilty verdict while some Republicans, including Greene, celebrated the teenager’s acquittal.
The bill likely won’t succeed, as it would need the support of two-thirds of both chambers of Congress, which are controlled by Democrats.