The President and members of the House and Senate give out a number of awards to citizens or members of the military. In addition, Senators themselves are often recipients of awards and honors. This page provides links to information about these awards and to lists of award recipients.
Awards Given to Senators
Some awards Senators receive are informal, such as the Golden Gavel award, which is given to junior Senators who preside over the Senate chamber for 100 or more hours.
Since the American Revolution, Congress has commissioned gold medals as its highest expression of national appreciation for distinguished achievements and contributions by individuals or institutions.
The Presidential Medal of Freedom is considered the highest civilian award of the U.S. government. Honorees are selected solely by the President, and their accomplishments are in wide-ranging fields, including public service, journalism, entertainment, sports, and business.