Georgia
Georgia lawmakers push for Congressional Gold Medal to honor Jimmy Carter
President and Mrs. Carter receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Clinton at a ceremony at The Carter Center in Atlanta. (Photo courtesy of Carter Center)
At least half of Georgia’s congressional delegation has signed on as co-sponsors of a new bipartisan bill that seeks to posthumously honor former President Jimmy Carter.
Rep. Sanford Bishop, D-Ga., introduced the bill on Valentine’s Day to award Carter the Congressional Gold Medal. It mirrors a similar bill introduced by Rep. Bishop just months before President Carter passed away on Dec. 29, 2024.
What is H.R. 1369?
What they’re saying:
Shortly after introducing the original bill in September, Rep. Bishop commented on the bill. “Jimmy Carter embodies the best of our country’s ideals. He is a model of compassion, duty, and selfless service. Georgia is proud of this native son, a humble man from Plains, who has accomplished so much in his life,” said Rep. Bishop. “It has been a privilege to know and work with him for over 50 years. He is a devoted family man whose boundless love is reflected in the fruits of his lifetime of service and sacrifice on behalf of humankind.”
Bishop represents Plains, where Carter lived.
Georgia representatives honor President Carter
What we know:
Thirteen other members of the House of Representatives have also signed on to H.R.1369. These include Democratic Reps. Lucy McBath, Nikema Williams, and Hank Johnson. They are joined by Georgia Republicans Reps. Austin Scott, Earl “Buddy” Carter, and Jack Brian. The official title of the bill is “To award posthumously a Congressional Gold Medal to former President Jimmy Carter in recognition of his service to the Nation.”
What we don’t know:
The full text of the bill has not yet been filed. It is not clear when it will be taken up in committee.
Who was Jimmy Carter?
The backstory:
Former President Jimmy Carter, renowned for his commitment to human rights and diplomatic achievements, has left an indelible mark on both national and global stages through decades of humanitarian work following his presidency. Born on October 1, 1924, in Plains, Georgia, Carter’s early life saw him as a peanut farmer and a U.S. Navy veteran before he ventured into politics. He served as Georgia’s governor from 1971 to 1975, where his reform efforts garnered national attention. In the 1976 presidential election, Carter, a Democrat, defeated incumbent Republican Gerald Ford, capitalizing on the nation’s desire for change in the wake of the Watergate scandal.
During his presidency from 1977 to 1981, Carter focused on energy policy, environmental conservation, and international diplomacy. His most notable foreign policy success was the 1978 Camp David Accords, a landmark peace agreement between Egypt and Israel. Despite these achievements, his administration faced challenges, including domestic economic issues and the Iran hostage crisis, where 52 Americans were held captive for 444 days. These difficulties contributed to his loss in the 1980 election to Republican Ronald Reagan.
After leaving the White House, Carter dedicated himself to humanitarian efforts, establishing The Carter Center in 1982. The organization has been instrumental in promoting democracy, public health, and conflict resolution worldwide. Carter also became a key figure in Habitat for Humanity and a staunch advocate for human rights. His extensive work in international diplomacy and humanitarianism earned him the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002. Carter holds the distinction of being the longest-lived U.S. president, continuing to inspire through his lifelong dedication to service and peace.
SEE ALSO: Jimmy Carter, 39th president of the United States, dies at 100
What is the Congressional Gold Medal?
Dig deeper:
The Congressional Gold Medal, the highest civilian honor bestowed by the U.S. Congress, recognizes individuals, groups, or institutions for outstanding achievements that have significantly impacted American history and culture.
Established in 1776, the first recipient of this prestigious award was George Washington. The medal honors a wide range of accomplishments across various fields, including military service, science, politics, civil rights, and entertainment. Unlike the Presidential Medal of Freedom, which is awarded directly by the President, the Congressional Gold Medal requires a more rigorous legislative process. A bill must be passed with two-thirds support in both the House and Senate before being signed into law by the President.
Notable recipients of the Congressional Gold Medal include civil rights icon Rosa Parks, former South African President Nelson Mandela, the pioneering Tuskegee Airmen, the Apollo 11 astronauts, and the heroic 9/11 first responders. Each medal is uniquely designed to reflect the specific contributions of its recipient, underscoring the diverse achievements recognized by this esteemed honor.
The Source: This article is based on the Congressional record with additional quotes sourced from Rep. Sanford Bishop. This story is being reported out of Atlanta.
NORCROSS, GEORGIA — Geoff Duncan, former Republican lieutenant governor of Georgia, won’t stop apologizing.
He’s sorry for supporting the state’s 2019 “heartbeat bill,” which bans abortion at around six weeks, after a fetal heartbeat is detected. He’s sorry for facilitating the passage of a “constitutional carry” bill in 2022, which allows most people to carry a concealed handgun with no license or background check. He’s also sorry for opposing Medicaid expansion, arguing at the time that it was not fiscally responsible.
“I’m sorry for those positions and any harm that they may have done,” Duncan told me.
Duncan first rose to prominence as one of the Republicans who resisted President Donald Trump’s attempt to overturn Joe Biden’s narrow 2020 win in Georgia. Duncan has been speaking out against what he calls Trump’s “toxic” and “dangerous” Republican Party since leaving office in 2023, and even endorsed Kamala Harris and spoke at the Democratic National Convention in 2024. After being excommunicated from the Georgia Republican Party in January 2025, Duncan switched parties in August. He is now running for governor as a Democrat in what will be one of the most closely watched races in the midterms.
Georgia Tech didn’t let the weekend get away.
The No. 2 Yellow Jackets were flying high with a 13-game win streak heading into the weekend showdown against No. 3 North Carolina. The Tar Heels took the first two games, but Tech salvaged the finale 5-2 on Sunday.
htiw eht eht pets stops llams detluser sgniknar ,llarevo sessol ni ni gnippilf dniheb ,kcab a .ALCU hceT htroN .oN roF aniloraC ,)CCA 5-61 1 7-23(
hcihw pot eht eht naht ekat desiar .m.p no fo erom .noillim ,puhctam si ni sah sucof evif reggib stifeneb ta ta sa rehtona launna dna wolleY yadseuT tsiurT ehT gnirpS )CES kraP .oN stekcaJ erachtlaeH aigroeG ,cissalC s’nerdlihC atnaltA 7 5 5-31 ,9-23( 5.4$
hcihw pot emit eht eht eht taht smaet deknar ni ni ni .evif tsrif htob nageb era gnirpS s’tI ,cissalC ,3002
sniw pot ot ot hguorht siht eht eht eht eht s’taht maet trats trats ecnis ecnis eludehcs nosaes-raluger .deknar deknar revo stnenoppo no ffo tsom tsal sti sti si si ni evah semag emag raey-tsrif yltnerruc tiderc ecnerefnoc hcaoc .yrutnec tseb tseb dna tsniaga a a wolleY ehT ehT hceT .yesmaR semaJ stekcaJ aigroeG 93 ,1102 0102 ,51 01
niw niw saw koot ot .oN-neht eht eht eht eht peews ,kaerts .seires degavlas revo no no no ffo fo puhctam ssol sgninni ni .elanif dedne thgie gnimoc erofeb erofeb dna dna a a CNU ehT hceT hceT raT etatS nrehtuoS s’yadrutaS htroN sleeH aigroeG yadirF adirolF aniloraC lirpA lirpA 11-9 2-5 5 4-41 41 9-31
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – No. 2 Georgia Tech got back to its winning ways, defeating No. 3 North Carolina (33-7-1, 15-6 ACC) by a final score of 5-2 from Boshamer Stadium in Chapel Hill, N.C. The Yellow Jackets (32-7, 16-5 ACC) held UNC in check from the third inning on, using 6.1 scoreless innings from Caden Gaudette and Mason Patel to salvage the series and collect its 10th Top 15 victory of the season for this first time this century.
After both teams traded runs in the first inning, the Jackets struck for three runs on three hits in the third. The inning started with a leadoff double from Drew Burress who was quickly brought to the plate by a single from Jarren Advincula. Vahn Lackey drew a walk off a full count before Kent Schmidt connected for an RBI double, bringing in Advincula for what would become the game-winning run. Lackey made it a three-run inning when he scored on an RBI groundout by Ryan Zuckerman. UNC would work the bases loaded and score a run in the bottom of the inning before Gaudette entered the game and induced an inning ending groundout. UNC wouldn’t get another runner into scoring position until the eight inning as Gaudette and Patel slammed the door on any potential comeback.
QUICK HITS: TEAM
- The Jackets improve to 32-7, the best start to a season since 2010. Tech is 16-5 in ACC play, the best start since 2011.
- Tech has won 32 of its first 39 games for only the 6th time in the program’s 131 seasons: 2010, 2003 2002, 1997, 1993 and now 2026.
- James Ramsey owns the best record by any GT head coach in his first season through 39 games (32-7).
- The Jackets improve to 8-1 in nationally televised games this season.
- Tech has now won 10 games over Top 15 opponents for the first time this century.
- Tech has scored 417 runs through their first 39 games. It’s the most runs Georgia Tech has recorded after 39 games in the program’s 131-year history and the most runs any Power 4 team has scored through 39 games in the BBCOR era (since 2011).
- The Jackets scoring average now stands at 10.7 runs/game this season. The program record is 10.3, set back in 1984.
- GT is outscoring its opponents 417-174, that +243 margin is the highest through 39 games in program history.
- The bullpen delivered 6.1 scoreless innings, marking the 15th scoreless outing of the season and second of the weekend.
QUICK HITS: THE BATS
- Junior Drew Burress produced his 17th multi-hit game of the season, going 2-for-5 with a double and two runs scored.
- He has scored 51 runs this season, one shy of Vahn Lackey for the most on the team. Burress has scored 201 runs over his career, tied with Danny Payne (2005-07) for the 11th most in Georgia Tech history.
- He becomes the first Yellow Jacket in the BBCOR era to record 200+ runs over a career.
- Junior Kent Schmidt went 2-for-4 with a go-ahead RBI double and a shift-beating bunt.
- He leads the team with 26 RBI in ACC play and has delivered 35 for the season.
- Schmidt has now collected extra base hits in three straight games for the first time this season and third time in his GT career.
- He finishes the series with a .500 average, going 4-for-8 with two doubles, a home run, three RBI, two runs scored and three walks
- Junior Jarren Advincula recorded his 24th multi-hit game of the season, going 2-for-5 with an RBI and a run scored.
- He leads the ACC with 68 hits this season, averaging 1.7 hits per game and putting him on pace for 94 hits over the course of the regular season. With potential postseason games, that would put him in striking distance of being the first 100-hit player at GT since 2005 (Wes Hodges & Tyler Greene).
- He drove in his 45th RBI of the season, the third most on the team behind Vahn Lackey and Ryan Zuckerman.
- Junior Ryan Zuckerman became the first Jacket to reach 50 RBI when he drove in Lackey for the fourth run of the game.
- Sophomore Caleb Daniel came off the bench in the 5th inning and blooped an RBI double, it was his 24th RBI of the season and his 5th as a pinch hitter.
QUICK HITS: THE ARMS
- Sophomore Jackson Blakely made his sixth consecutive weekend start, pitching 2.2 innings with two earned runs allowed and three strikeouts.
- He has only allowed runs in only three of his eight appearances this season (37.1 innings) this season.
- His ERA stands at 2.65, the lowest among all starting pitchers on the roster.
- R-junior Caden Gaudette made his team-leading 16th appearance of the season and 2nd of the weekend, pitching 2.1 scoreless innings.
- He entered the game with a two-run lead (4-2) and the bases loaded with two outs before inducing an inning ending groundout to short.
- Gaudette lowers his ERA to 2.86 in 22.0 innings of work.
- The man they call “Rock” pitched a total of 3.1 innings this weekend, allowing only one hit with four strikeouts.
- He has now pitched as many innings this season as he had in his previous two years combined (22.0) while allowing less than half as many earned runs (7 in 2026, 15 in 2024-25) and exactly half as many hits (12 in 2026, 24 in 2024-25).
- Mason Patel got the ball to start the 6th inning, keeping the score at 5-2 for the final four frames and collecting his fourth save of the season.
- Since recovering from an injury that saw him miss 20 days, Patel has made six appearances out of the bullpen, pitching 13.2 scoreless innings with a victory and four saves.
- Over the last two seasons, Patel has made 29 appearances out of the bullpen, posting 12 wins and nine saves.
- This was his longest relief appearance of the season (4.0 innings) after pitching at least 3.0 innings in 15 of his 23 appearances during his All-American season last year.
Up Next
Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate. Tuesday at 7 pm at Truist Park. Tickets are available HERE with all proceeds benefiting the Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center of Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta.
Full Steam Ahead
Full Steam Ahead is a $500 million fundraising initiative to achieve Georgia Tech athletics’ goal of competing for championships at the highest level in the next era of intercollegiate athletics. The initiative will fund transformative projects for Tech athletics, including renovations of Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field (the historic home of Georgia Tech football), the Zelnak Basketball Center (the practice and training facility for Tech basketball) and O’Keefe Gymnasium (the venerable home of Yellow Jackets volleyball), as well as additional projects and initiatives to further advance Georgia Tech athletics through program wide-operational support. All members of the Georgia Tech community are invited to visit atfund.org/FullSteamAhead for full details and renderings of the renovation projects, as well as to learn about opportunities to contribute online.
For the latest information on the Georgia Tech baseball team, follow us on X (@GTBaseball), Facebook, Instagram (@gt_baseball) or visit us at www.ramblinwreck.com.
-
New York10 minutes agoHarvey Weinstein’s Third Trial on Rape Charge Opens in Manhattan
-
Detroit, MI40 minutes agoMan jumps into action to save girlfriend in crash involving teen driver fleeing MSP
-
San Francisco, CA52 minutes agoSanta Rosa: The 1906 earthquake almost lost to history
-
Dallas, TX59 minutes agoJohnston scores twice, Stars hold off Wild in Game 2 to even West 1st Round | NHL.com
-
Boston, MA1 hour agoBetween Providence And Boston Is A Vibrant Massachusetts Town Bursting With Diverse Entertainment – Islands
-
Denver, CO1 hour agoMinnesota Timberwolves vs Denver Nuggets Apr 20, 2026 Game Summary
-
Seattle, WA1 hour agoAthletics Beat Mariners in Seattle 6-4
-
San Diego, CA1 hour agoEl Cajon crisis unit opens, bringing county’s total to eight