What This Bill Does
This bill would award a Congressional Gold Medal, collectively, to Americans who helped rescue and aid Jews and other refugees during Nazi Germany’s Final Solution. It is a symbolic recognition of extraordinary courage and moral leadership, honoring people whose actions helped save tens of thousands of lives. The measure would not create a new federal benefits program or direct payments to the public; its main mechanism is the nation’s highest civilian legislative honor. It affects the rescued survivors’ families, historical institutions, and the Americans whose wartime service is being formally recognized.
- Awards a Congressional Gold Medal to Americans who rescued and aided Jews and other refugees during the Nazi era.
- Recognizes rescuers who helped save tens of thousands of people from almost certain death.
- Is a commemorative measure rather than a program that pays benefits or changes federal eligibility.
- Has been referred to the House Committee on Financial Services.
- Currently has 17 cosponsors.
Who This Bill Affects
If you are an ordinary American, this bill has almost no direct financial or regulatory effect on you. Its main impact is symbolic: it would formally honor a specific group of wartime rescuers and may support education, memorialization, and public awareness about the Holocaust.
See how this bill affects you — sign in for a personalized analysisOfficial Source & Bill Facts
BillBoard checks this page against public Congress.gov metadata, then adds plain-English analysis where available.
- Bill
- HR 9400
- Congress
- 119th Congress
- Official title
- To award a Congressional Gold Medal, collectively, to Americans who were active in rescuing and aiding Jews and other refugees during the period of Nazi Germany's genocidal "Final Solution" policy to murder every Jew in Europe, in recognition of their contributions, which resulted in tens of thousands of Jews and others being spared from almost certain death.
- Policy area
- Civil Rights
- Latest action
- Referred to the House Committee on Financial Services. (June 23, 2026)
- Last updated
- June 24, 2026
Who Supports & Opposes This
- Holocaust survivors and their families They would see the medal as a long-overdue public acknowledgment of the people who saved lives under extreme danger. Formal recognition can help preserve personal and family histories and affirm the moral significance of rescue efforts.
- Educators and historians They may argue that a national honor creates a lasting teaching tool about genocide, rescue, and civic courage. Congressional recognition can help keep these stories visible for future generations.
- Jewish community advocates They are likely to support the bill as a way to honor non-Jewish rescuers who stood against antisemitic persecution. The medal also reinforces the message that bystanders can choose to act during periods of mass violence.
- Fiscal conservatives They may object to Congress spending time and administrative resources on ceremonial legislation rather than economic or public-policy priorities. Even when the direct cost is limited, they can argue that such honors should be used sparingly.
- Government minimalists They may contend that Congress should avoid using federal legislation for symbolic recognition when private memorials, museums, and historical societies can commemorate these figures. Their concern is less about the honorees than about legislative bandwidth.
- Some budget watchdogs They could argue that a growing number of commemorative medals sets a precedent for Congress to expand ceremonial awards without a strong limiting principle. Their focus is on process and precedent, not on the historical importance of the rescue efforts.
Key Implications
-
““award a Congressional Gold Medal, collectively””
This means the honor is shared by a group rather than given to one person. The medal serves as a collective national recognition of all Americans who participated in rescue and aid efforts during the Holocaust.
-
““Americans who were active in rescuing and aiding Jews and other refugees””
The bill centers on U.S. citizens or Americans whose wartime actions helped protect targeted civilians. The recognition is aimed at people whose conduct provided direct assistance under extraordinary risk.
-
““during the period of Nazi Germany's genocidal ‘Final Solution’ policy””
The bill explicitly ties the medal to Holocaust history and Nazi extermination policy. That framing makes the award not just commemorative, but also a statement about the historical meaning of rescue during genocide.
-
““resulted in tens of thousands of Jews and others being spared””
This language emphasizes the scale of the rescues and the real lives preserved. It also signals that Congress views these efforts as historically significant beyond individual heroism.
Latest Status
June 23, 2026
Referred to the House Committee on Financial Services.
Related Bills
Take Action
Get more from BillBoard
Free tools to understand, respond to, and track this bill.
Ask AI about this billData sourced from api.congress.gov.