President Joe Biden will award Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., and former Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., who served as chair and vice chair of the now-defunct House of Representatives committee, with the Presidential Citizens Medal during a ceremony at the White House Thursday.
The medal is the second-highest civilian award in the United States, behind only the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
The inclusion of Thompson and Cheney on the list of honorees comes amid threats from President-elect Donald Trump to discipline former members of the Jan. 6 House committee that conducted an 18-month investigation into his role in the riot of January 6, 2021. the Capitol.
In a December interview with NBC News’ “Meet the Press,” Trump said former members of the committee, including only two Republicans — Cheney and former Rep. Adam Kinzinger, R-Ill. – “have to go to jail.”
In the same interview, Trump also outlined his plans to pardon the rioters convicted for their role in the attack on the Capitol that day.
Thompson has dismissed the idea that Trump could jail members of the commission, telling reporters on Capitol Hill in December that the commission has done nothing “that violates the law.”
In a lengthy statement following Trump’s “Meet the Press” interview, Cheney also denounced the president-elect’s comments, saying, “Donald Trump’s suggestion that members of Congress who later investigated his illegal and unconstitutional actions should be jailed is a continuation of his attack on Trump. the rule of law and the foundations of our republic.”
Republicans in the House of Representatives have also attacked Cheney for her role on the committee. Rep. Barry Loudermilk, R-Ga., called for an investigation into the former congresswoman’s role on the Jan. 6 committee, alleging she engaged in witness tampering.
Thompson has also suggested he would accept a preemptive pardon from the president before he leaves office if Biden were to offer one.
“Are [Biden’s] privilege. If he offered it to me or other members of the committee… I would accept it, but it is his choice,” Thompson told CNN last month.
President Joe Biden will honor more than a dozen Americans at the medal ceremony, including activists for marriage equality and civil rights.
Two well-known sources had previously told NBC News that Biden and his senior aides had discussed issuing preemptive pardons to those who could be targeted by Trump in his next administration.
Thompson and Cheney are among more than a dozen Americans Biden will honor on Thursday. Other recipients include former Sens. Chris Dodd of Connecticut, Bill Bradley of New Jersey, Nancy Kassebaum of Kansas and Ted Kaufman of Delaware.
Several veterans, marriage equality activists, women’s rights activists and civil rights advocates will also be honored.
This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
