WASHINGTON (AP) — A bill was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives on Tuesday to award Congressional Gold Medals to the 1980 “Miracle on Ice” Olympic hockey team that defeated the heavily favored Soviet Union in Lake Placid, New York, at a period of high tension during the Cold War.
Congressman Pete Stauber, R-Minn., introduced the Miracle on Ice Congressional Gold Medal Act along with co-sponsors Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., Mike Quigley, D-Ill., and Bill Keating, D-Mass.
“What they did for our country at that moment, I’ll never forget,” Stauber said in a phone interview. “It’s one of the defining sports moments in my lifetime, and I am so proud that we can give this Congressional Medal to each member of that Olympic team to say thank you for the memories we will never forget as a nation.”
The plan would be for the creation of three medals: one to go on display at the U.S Hockey Hall of Fame in Eveleth, Minnesota, another at the Lake Placid Olympic Center and the third at the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Museum in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
Stefanik, whose district includes Lake Placid, said the team “taught our nation how to believe in miracles."
“(The) community is proud to be home of this historic and inspiring event, and as we work to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the 'Miracle on Ice,' this legislation honors our Olympic victors for their legendary achievement,” Stefanik said.
Keating said the victory “remains a timeless symbol of teamwork and unity in the face of adversity.” Quigley called the medals “yet another chance to show the world where we stand in the fight for freedom.”
Stauber, who was 13 at the time before going on to play at Lake Superior State and a handful of years professionally in the minors, and his staff have been working with USA Hockey to get this to the House floor for consideration. USA Hockey executive director Pat Kelleher urged fans to contact their congressional representatives to voice support for the measure, which is expected to be debated for consideration only after the election in the lame duck session of congress.
“I don’t think anybody really has to think about whether they support it or not,” Stauber said. “I hope all 535 members of congress reach the conclusion yes they deserve it and then the president signs it.”
Commissioner Gary Bettman said the NHL enthusiastically supports the bill, calling the 1980 team's run “perhaps the most memorable and impactful achievement in the history of athletics.”
The deaths of players in recent years, Mark Wells in May and Mark Pavelich in 2021, along with coach Herb Brooks in 2003, have added urgency to the process.
“The timing for all of us is of the essence because we want these members to be able to cherish and appreciate this during their lifetime,” Stauber said. “I think that bestowing this highest honor upon them is important.”
Stauber said he was going to work as hard as he can to pass the legislation “the sooner the better.” Feb. 22 marks the 45th anniversary of the Americans upsetting the Soviets 4-3 on the way to Olympic gold on home ice days later with a victory against Finland to close out the medal round.
“We’re going to push it, I’m going to push it as hard and as fast as I can so we can celebrate in Lake Placid with the remaining living members of that team that gave us that glorious moment in February of 1980,” Stauber said.
AP NHL: https://www.apnews.com/hub/NHL
FILE - In this Feb. 22, 1980, file photo, the U.S. hockey team celebrates with goalie Jim Craig after a 4-3 victory against the Soviet Union in a medal round match at the the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, N.Y. (AP Photo/File)
President-elect Donald Trump's billionaire ally Elon Musk played a key role this week in killing a bipartisan funding proposal that would have prevented a government shutdown, railing against the plan in a torrent of more than 100 X posts that included multiple false claims.
The X owner, an unelected figure, not only used his outsize influence on the platform to help sway Congress, he did so without regard for the facts and gave a preview of the role he could play in government over the next four years.
“Trump has got himself a handful with Musk,” John Mark Hansen, a professor of political science at the University of Chicago, said in an email. “Trump’s done this kind of thing before, blowing up a bill at the last minute. This time, though, it looks like he was afraid of Musk upstaging him. Now there’s a new social media bully in town, pushing the champion social media bully around.”
Hansen added: “We’ll see what Musk’s influence is when he runs up against reality — like when he proposes cutting off ‘wasteful’ spending for other people but not NASA contracts for Space-X.”
Musk’s objections to the 1,547-page omnibus bill included misinformation about congressional salaries, federal funding and public health preparedness, among other topics.
He alleged that the plan included a 40% raise for lawmakers. But the maximum pay increase possible through the proposal would have been 3.8%, according to the Congressional Research Service.
One way that members of Congress can receive a pay raise is through automatic adjustments that go into effect unless denied by law. Most members make $174,000 per a year after their last increase of 2.8% in 2009. Congressional leadership is the exception, with the Speaker of the House earning the most at $223,500 annually.
The rejected bill struck a section from a previous appropriations act that denied members of Congress this automatic pay raise. A maximum increase of 3.8% would have bumped their annual salary by about $6,600, to approximately $180,000 annually.
Musk also shared a post from another user that falsely claimed the bill provided $3 billion in funding for a potential new stadium for the NFL's Washington Commanders, commenting: “This should not be funded by your tax dollars!”
The bill included a provision to transfer control of the land that houses RFK Stadium from the federal government to the District of Columbia. That transfer is necessary to pave the way for the Commanders to possibly build a new stadium in the franchise's old home — though the team is still considering other locations.
However, no such funding is provided by the bill. It states, in fact, that the federal government “shall not be responsible for payment or any costs or expenses” that the District of Columbia incurs after the transfer is complete aside from responsibilities related to specific environmental issues.
District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser addressed false claims about the stadium's funding on Thursday, calling them “frustrating.”
“It was stated that the C.R. contains $3 billion for a stadium,” she said at a press conference. "All wrong. There are no federal dollars related to the transfer of RFK and in fact, the legislation does not require or link at all to a stadium.
Bowser added that she has reached out to the Trump administration to correct misinformation about this issue.
In a third post, Musk incorrectly claimed that “We're funding bioweapon labs in this bill!”
The plan provided funds for up to 12 regional biocontainment research laboratories, not facilities for creating bioweapons. It stipulates that among their uses, the labs will conduct biomedical research to prepare for biological agents such as emerging infectious diseases.
A spokesperson for Musk did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the Associated Press.
Some members of Congress expressed dismay that Musk had disseminated misinformation about the bill.
“I love you Elon but you need to take 5 seconds to check your sources before highlighting bottom feeders looking for clicks,” Rep. Dan Crenshaw, a Texas Republican, wrote on X.
In a hastily convened Thursday evening vote, the House rejected a new Trump-backed bill whittled down to 116 pages, with the bill failing 174-235. Dozens of Republicans joined Democrats in opposition.
The House finally approved a third spending deal Friday evening, and the Senate followed suit early Saturday. President Joe Biden planned to sign it into law later Saturday.
Trump led Republicans into the longest government shutdown in history in his first term during the 2018 Christmas season, and interrupted the holidays in 2020 by tanking a bipartisan COVID-relief bill and forcing a do-over.
FILE - Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, left, and Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump attend a campaign event at the Butler Farm Show, Oct. 5, 2024, in Butler, Pa. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)
FILE - President-elect Donald Trump listens to Elon Musk as he arrives to watch SpaceX's mega rocket Starship lift off for a test flight from Starbase in Boca Chica, Texas, Nov. 19, 2024. (Brandon Bell/Pool via AP, File)
