The United States Government honors hundreds of individuals each year with certificates and medals. Each branch and agency has its own, some better known than others. The Congress is no different. It has four awards that it bestows: the Congressional Gold Medal, the Congressional Award Program, the Medal of Merit, and the U.S. Senate Productivity Award. You may be surprised not to see the popularly known Congressional Medal of Honor. This is because, it is not a Congressional medal at all; it is a military medal, given by the President in the name of the Congress. Each of these medals and awards are discretionary, depending on either the members of Congress themselves or the will and desires of the program enrollees themselves.

Congressional Gold Medal of Honor

The first award is the Congressional Gold Medal of Honor - more commonly known as the Congressional Gold Medal - the nation's highest and most distinguished civilian award. First awarded in 1776 to General George Washington, there have been over one hundred medals awarded. There have been two two-time winners - Major General Winfield Scott (1814, 1848) and John Horn, Jr (1874, 1904). Major General Zachary Taylor was awarded this special distinction three times: in 1846, 1847, and 1848.The medal has been awarded to individuals and groups from all walks of life. It was originally awarded to military leaders for achievement in battle, but became a civilian medal after the Medal of Honor was instituted. The medal is presented both for singular acts of exceptional service and for lifetime achievement. Congressional legislation is required to make the medal, and needs at least two-thirds of the House of Representatives to sponsor the legislation to the House of Representatives Committee on Financial Services Subcommittee on Domestic Monetary Policy, Technology, and Economic Growth and 67 Senators to sponsor it to the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. Once the legislation is past, the Congress commissions the U.S Mint to design and create the medal. This ensures that each medal is unique, representing each individual and/or event that it has been awarded for. The legislation provides for duplicate copies of the medal to be cast in bronze for sale, on occasion.

Congressional Award Program

The second award is the Congressional Award Program. This program is its subsequent awards are focused at youth ages 14 to 23 and those who work with youth. It was established in 1979 to "promote initiative, achievement and excellence". There are six levels of recognition that can be won: Congressional Award Certificates in bronze, silver or gold; and Congressional Award Medals, also in bronze, silver and gold. The program is self designed and revolves around four areas: voluntary service, personal development, physical fitness and expedition/exploration. A minimum number of hours must be completed in each category over a certain length of time to win an Award. Each enrollee is required to make a proposal of what they are going to achieve and to keep a record of what they do. Awards are rewarded based on these records.

In addition to the youth program, there are opportunities for adults as mentors and activity coordinators. There are also three awards dedicated to the adults who work with them. They are the Leadership Award, the Horizon Award and the Excellence in Art Education Award. The Leadership Award is awarded to individuals in "recognition of their extraordinary contributions to the nation’s youth." The Horizon Award is awarded to individuals to "recognize their contributions to expanding opportunities for young people, either through their actions or by the example set by their life s successes." And the Excellence in Art Education Award is used to recognize schools with exceptional arts programs.

Medal of Merit

Lastly, the Medal of Merit and the U.S. Senate Productivity Award are both given at the discretion of individual Congress members. Both awards are privately funded, and there are no set criteria for winning them. The Medal of Merit, also known as the Medal for Merit, was established in 1942 by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. It was to honor civilian citizens of the United States and their allies for their exceptional service during World War II. Now it is used by individual Congress members to recognize the achievements of their constituents as they see fit. The U.S. Senate Productivity Award is awarded to organizations and businesses for productivity, customer service and other areas that they specify. Each Senator may award one each year.