Washington (December 16, 2020) – Senators Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), along with Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), and Shelley Moore Capito (D-W.V.) applauded U.S. Senate passage of their bipartisan legislation (S.2054) to posthumously award the Congressional Gold Medal to J. Christopher Stevens, Glen A. Doherty, Tyrone Woods and Sean Smith in recognition of their service to and defense of the United States of America. Stevens, Doherty, Woods and Smith were killed in the attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya in September 2012.

 

Christopher Stevens, a member of the Career Foreign Service, was serving as United States Ambassador to Libya during the attack. Doherty, a former combat-decorated Navy SEAL, was a native of Winchester, Massachusetts. Woods, a native of Portland, Oregon was also a former combat-decorated Navy SEAL. Smith, a native of San Diego, had served in the Air Force where he was awarded the Air Force Commendation Medal.

 

“The bravery of Glen Doherty, Tyrone Woods, Sean Smith and Ambassador Stevens must be remembered and honored. Our diplomats, armed forces, and all who proudly serve our country overseas deserve our utmost respect, recognition, and gratitude. I am honored to have led the effort that will honor them as the American heroes we know them to be,” said Senator Markey. “The Congressional Gold Medal is the highest honor the legislative branch can bestow upon any individual, and I look forward to awarding them and their families with this rare distinction that will honor their legacy for generations to come. I urge the House of Representatives to prioritize the bill’s swift passage.”

 

“Honoring our fallen fellow Americans, who were murdered during a terrorist attack in our nation’s consulate in Benghazi, commemorates not only their legacy but also their sacrifice,” said Senator Rubio. “We owe Ambassador Stevens, Navy SEALS Doherty and Woods as well as Airman Smith a great debt of gratitude. I am proud to have joined Senator Markey in introducing this bipartisan bill and urge the members of the House to quickly pass it and send it to the President’s desk for signature.” 

 

A copy of the legislation can be found HERE.

 

“Passage in the U.S. Senate of legislation to honor the four brave Americans who lost their lives in the Benghazi terrorist attack with a Congressional Gold Medal is a tremendous honor for our family,” said the Doherty family. “We will remember these men always as patriots and true heroes who gave their lives for the safety and protection of other Americans. We thank Senator Markey, Senator Rubio, Senator Duckworth and so many other leaders in the U.S. Senate who supported this effort.”

 

“The passage of S.2054 brings overwhelming joy and gratitude to my heart. But it only happened through the efforts of so many others,” said Cheryl Croft Bennett, mother of Tyrone Woods. “The family of Navy SEAL Tyrone S. Woods is forever grateful to Senator Ed Markey, the initial sponsor of this resolution in 2015 that was created to honor these four courageous Americans who devotedly served and willingly sacrificed their lives for their country.  We owe our special gratitude to the persistence of Sen. Markey’s office and the bi-partisan support of 67 other senators, including Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley, from Tyrone’s home state of Oregon, for the passage of this bill. These four patriots embody the best of the American spirit and deserve this recognition by Congress as a testament to their noble sacrifices and outstanding legacies of service to our Nation. My son would be honored and humbled by this esteemed recognition, but I also know his reaction would be, ‘I was just doing my job and protecting others.’ Like Tyrone that night in Benghazi, we were never going to give up our pursuit of achieving passage of this resolution. To each senator who co-sponsored this resolution, you have my heartfelt and sincere appreciation.  Also, I extend my special appreciation to K&L Gates law firm for their unflagging efforts and to my dear friends, Kate Doherty Quigley and Glen’s mother, Barbara, for their continued friendship and love. To each and every person who contributed to supporting S.2054, you can rest assured that you have done your duty to ensure that the legacies of these four beloved Americans will never be forgotten.”