Washington, July 1 (FN Agency) President Joe Biden named 17 new recipients of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the United States’ highest civilian recognition, including the late lawmaker John McCain, the White House said on Friday. The medal is awarded to individuals who have made “exemplary contributions to the prosperity, values or security of the United States, world peace or other significant societal, public or private endeavors,” the White House said in a statement.
McCain was posthumously awarded the medal following a decades-long career in both chambers of the US Congress, as well as a 2008 presidential run as the Republican Party nominee, the statement said. Other recipients include late Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, Olympic gymnast Simone Biles, prominent Greek Orthodox leader Alexander Karloutsos and actor Denzel Washington, the statement said. “President Biden has long said that America can be defined by one word: possibilities. These seventeen Americans demonstrate the power of possibilities and embody the soul of the nation – hard work, perseverance, and faith,” the statement added. The awards will be presented at the White House on July 7, according to the statement.