WWII Nurses Congressional Gold Medal Act
Introduced June 26, 2025 · Last action June 26, 2025
Plain English Summary
This bill authorizes Congress to award a single Congressional Gold Medal to collectively honor the women who served as nurses in the U.S. Army Nurse Corps and U.S. Navy Nurse Corps during World War II. The medal will be designed by the Treasury Secretary, presented by the House Speaker and Senate President pro tempore, and then permanently housed at the Smithsonian Institution with the option to display it at related military museums and memorials. The Treasury Department may also strike and sell bronze duplicate medals to recover costs.
Who benefits
WWII Army Nurse Corps and Navy Nurse Corps members (primarily deceased veterans and their families) receive collective recognition; the Smithsonian Institution receives a gold medal for its collections; the U.S. Mint Public Enterprise Fund receives revenue from bronze medal sales; military museums and memorials gain opportunities to display the medal and raise awareness of nurse contributions.
Who pays / loses
The U.S. Mint Public Enterprise Fund bears the upfront costs of designing and striking the gold medal; these costs are recovered through sales of bronze duplicates, so taxpayers bear any shortfall if duplicate sales do not cover full production costs.
Funding & Lobbying Interests
This bill imposes minimal financial cost as it authorizes cost recovery through duplicate medal sales. No private industries or lobbying groups have a financial stake in this legislation. Congressional Gold Medals are honorary recognitions funded through standard government numismatic operations. The bill's sponsors—Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Steve Daines (R-MT), and Ben Lujan (D-NM)—represent constituencies with military and veteran populations, and the bill reflects bipartisan support for honoring historical service rather than any financial interest.
Political Impact
Affected Groups
WWII Army and Navy nurses (surviving members now in their late 90s and early 100s, estimated at a small number given 73+ years since war's end); families and descendants of deceased nurses; historians and researchers; military museum visitors and the general public who may view the medal; the 67 American nurses captured as prisoners of war and the 11 Navy nurses also captured, mentioned specifically in the bill's findings.
Political Subtext
Proponents characterize this as long-overdue recognition for women who served under fire, received 50% pay of male counterparts, and initially lacked military status and benefits. The bill emphasizes specific hardships: nurses at Anzio endured deliberate enemy fire (the hospital was bombed on February 7, 1944, killing 26 including 3 nurses); 67 Army nurses spent 37 months as prisoners of war in Manila; 200+ nurses participated in dangerous field operations. Proponents note Congress corrected pay inequality in 1944 and established permanent nursing corps in 1947. Critics would likely view this as a noncontroversial historical commemoration, though some may note the limited material impact of an honorary medal for surviving and deceased service members. Non-partisan evidence supports the bill's factual claims about nurse service conditions and casualty rates, which are well-documented in military history records.
Real-World Stakes
If this bill passes, surviving WWII nurses and their families receive formal Congressional recognition through a single gold medal housed at the Smithsonian, with displays possible at military museums. This is a symbolic honor with no direct cash benefit to living recipients. Congressional Gold Medals have been awarded to groups including the Tuskegee Airmen (2007), Japanese-American internment camp survivors (2011), and various military units. In those cases, the medal served primarily as historical recognition and educational tool; the real-world impact was confined to public awareness and museum exhibitions rather than policy or financial benefits. The bronze duplicates available for purchase may generate modest revenue ($50–$150 per medal historically), which returns to the Mint's fund. The strategic outcome is visibility for often-overlooked female military service in WWII during a period when women's military roles were systematically undervalued, underpaid, and under-recognized in comparison to male counterparts.
Sponsor
Sponsor information not available.
Vote Record
No recorded votes.
Campaign Finance — Primary Sponsor
No campaign finance data available yet.
501(c)(4) disclosure: Contributions from 501(c)(4) "dark money" organizations are not required to be publicly disclosed and are not reflected in the figures above. Data sourced from FEC public disclosure filings.
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