By Todd Epp, South Dakota Broadcasters Association.
PIERRE, S.D. (SDBA) — A Senate committee reaffirms a 2021 resolution calling for the South Dakota Congressional Delegation and President Joe Biden to investigate the awarding of 20 Medals of Honor to soldiers involved in the 1890 Wounded Knee Massacre.
On a 3 to 2 vote, the Senate Military and Veterans Affairs Committee approved SR701, sponsored by Democratic Senator Shawn Bordeaux from Mission.
Bordeaux said nothing had been done since the previous resolution. He wants to make sure Congress and the President haven’t forgotten about the tragedy and the awarding of the nation’s highest award to soldiers involved in a massacre of at least 300 unarmed men, women, and children.
“I just want them (the Congressional delegation and the President) to know that South Dakota, as a legislature, supports this in the form that we did three years ago,” Bordeaux said. “So, the whole debate about whether I should have changed it, I didn’t want to go down that rabbit hole.”
While supportive of the investigation, Republican Senators Jack Kolbeck and Jim Stalzer from Sioux Falls said the new resolution was unnecessary as the Senate had not rescinded its previous resolution. The 2021 resolution passed 35 to 0.
“To me, I’m a little appalled that something hasn’t been done in pushing this to Congress (yet),” Republican Sen. Larry Zikmund said. “That was the intent.”
The resolution now goes to the full Senate for consideration.
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