good afternoon, everyone. as speaker of the house it is my honor to welcome mr. gleason and his beloved family. [ applause ] >> this morning -- rivers, his parents gail and mike and his brother kyle to the u.s. capitol on this historic, happy day. we come here today to honor steve gleason, a true american hero, a leader of outstanding courage and unmatched resolve who has inspired a nation and transformed the lives of millions of people living with als. steve, in accepting this gold medal, the highest honor this congress can bestow, you bring luster to this award and you bring pride to our nation. i'm very happy about the timing of today because coincidentally or not we celebrate steve's gold medal as we celebrate lsu's title victory this week. [ applause ] >> ladies and gentlemen, please rise for the presentation of the colors of the united states, the singing of our national anthem, and the retiring of the colors. >> color guard -- present! ♪ o, say can you see by the dawn's early light ♪ ♪ what so proudly we hailed ♪ at the twilight's last gleaming ♪ ♪ whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight ♪ ♪ oe'r the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming ♪ ♪ and the rockets red glare ♪ the bombs bursting in air ♪ gave proof through the night ♪ that our flag was still there ♪ ♪ o, say, does that star spangled banner yet wave ♪ ♪ o'er the land of the free ♪ and the home of the brave [ applause ] >> present. marching file. onward. >> ladies and gentlemen, please remain standing at father patrick conroy, chaplain of the u.s. house of representatives, delivers the invocation. >> let us pray. loving god of creation, through the ages you have given the world, men and women of great strength. to each of them and to each of us you offer a call to service to the world. not all respond to that call. today in this august temple of democracy we give you thanks for the gift of your servant, steve gleason. you had given steve athletic talent and a will to win that allowed him to pursue his dreams of playing football through high school, college -- go cougs -- and on sundays. that same will is now made manifest in steve's life and life's work through the gleason initiative foundation. we honor him and give you thanks for the example he is of the power of resurrection, of hope, and generosity of self in the service of those in need of healing in their lives, especially but not exclusively those suffering with als. may your healing power be more and more revealed through the efforts of steve's foundation, and may his example remind us all that no matter the obstacles life brings our way, our lives matter and can be of service to others. thank you, o god, for the life and work of steve gleason and the example he is as an authentic man for others. may our gathering here today be an inspiration for all in attendance to live our lives to your greater honor and glory. amen. >> amen. ladies and gentlemen, the honorable cedric richmond, united states representative from the second district of louisiana. >> madam speaker, to my colleagues, my louisiana family that's here and all of the distinguished guests, i am proud to join you here today for this historic event. to our guest of honor, steve gleason, to his wife and best friend, michelle, and to the entire gleason family, not just the immediate family but the team gleason family, i sak say congratulations and welcome to the united states capitol. we all know that steve is not from new orleans, but we also know that new orleans loves steve gleason, and we know that steve gleason loves new orleans. steve truly embodies the essence of new orleans. we are used to obstacles. we are used to setbacks that have come our way, from the fires in the 1800s that burned 80% of the city to the yellow fever outbreaks that followed to hurricanes betsy, katrina, rita, and the infamous bp oil spill, we are used to setbacks. we also know adversity from loving our -- from watching our beloved saints, ball call after no call after bad call after no call. some people are laughing harder than others.call after bad call call. some people are laughing harder than others.no call after bad c call. some people are laughing harder than others. but we keep fighting, we never give up, and we always, always bounce back. steve, that's exactly what you and your family represent. when you got your diagnosis, you didn't take a knee and end the play. you grabbed the ball and charged ahead, not only for you but, more importantly, for all of those affected by als. your championship of education and courage has served as an example to all people who are in need of inspiration on how to live a tireless, selfless life dedicated to a meaningful cause larger than yourself. i want everyone to ponder on the words of rosa parks, whose statue lies right there. when she said, "each person must live their life as a model for others." steve, it is without a doubt -- steve is without a doubt a stellar role model for others in this world. from the founding of the gleason initiative foundation, the team gleason house for innovative living, and his relentless effort to help pass legislation allowing als patients to access speech generation -- generating devices and advanced wheelchairs is exactly why the steven michael gleason congressional gold medal act passed unanimously. those of us in this room know that most creativity and innovation comes from times of despair, and even when life may take us down paths that we did not expect nor foresee. instead of living a life of despair you decided to take the path less traveled. through your investment in breakthrough technology that has allowed others with als to live more sustainable lives. i am constantly inspired and reminded of the wisdom of nelson mandela when he said, "may your choices reflect your hopes, not your fears." steve's life choices serve as a reminder to all of us what happens not only when we walk by faith and hope, but also what bold and courageous leadership looks like. steve and michelle, today you all join an illustrious list of american heroes and she-roes, all trail bladers wblazers who commitment and service to others. your impact has already been felt by your family, friends, fans and strangers alike. to america you are lauded as a hero, but to new orleans and the rest of louisiana you are forever a saint. congratulations on making history with your congressional gold medals, and to all, remember, no white flags. thank you and congratulations. [ applause ] ladies and gentlemen, the honorable bill cassidy, united states senator from louisiana. >> today steve gleason receives the congressional gold medal. to help make this happen i want to thank senators john kennedy, baty murray, maria cantwell, u.s. representative steve scalise, cedric richmond, cathie mcmorris rogers. from my office, james quin, alison shoaly and black schindler. thanks to michelle and rivers in gray for their role in this journey. we know steve's story, block the punt. first game the saints had back in new orleans after hurricane katrina, it was more than a great play. it was a statement that new orleans and louisiana, the gulf coast was coming back! it became a symbol, if you will, of hope. fast forward five years later and steve is diagnosed with als, but instead of living in depression and despair, steve adopts the motto "no white flags," launches an effort to fight als through the team gleason foundation. since, team gleason has facilitated collaborative efforts to find the cause and cures of als. he has worked with microsoft to develop hardware and software to preserve the voice of the als patient which congress made available to those with als through the steve gleason enduring voices act, and team gleason has provided $10 million of direct service to over 15,000 als patients. in the als community steve gleason is a rock star. he gives hope even for those who have als. and -- and if there was ever a disease to cause hopelessness and despair, it is als. a theologian said though to resist despair we must live vitally, and to live vitally means to live with great intentionality. steve lives with intentionality and vitality. and in this he teaches us. someone is spiritually and eye motionally paralyzed believing that life has no meaning, steve is paralyzed by disease but lives with great meaning. if someone thinks that the end all is to live independently and for one's self, as steve has become more dependent he lived and lives more for others. and if someone believes that the only way to make a difference is through strength and ability, as steve has weakened he makes a greater difference than most of the strong and powerful ever will. previous congressional gold medal winners include jackie robinson, mother teresa. peoples whose accomplishments transcended their own immediate circumstances and changed society for us all. steve is the first person honored precisely because he has a disability, because of how he lives with disability, and his life serves and changes not just those who he and team gleason directly touches, but through his example in how he lives he changes life for us all. if the definition of a hero is someone who takes a terrible situation and makes it better for everyone, that is steve gleason. thank you, steve, for inspiring hope even in the face of extreme adversity and for just demonstrating how to live. thank you for being a hero. [ applause ] ladies and gentlemen, the honorable steve scalise, republican whip of the united states house of representatives from the first district of louisiana. >> welcome, everyone, especially steve gleason, michelle, the whole family, all of our friends from new orleans, and everybody who has rooted for what steve gleason represents. i was in the superdome with my wife jennifer the first game that the saints returned to new orleans after the destruction of hurricane katrina. at the time i was serving in the louisiana state house and i was on the appropriations committee, and just months before we had voted to spend over $300 million to rebuild the superdome. surprisingly, it was actually a controversial vote at the time. some were saying, "how can you spend money on a sports arena when people aren't even in their homes?" i know y'all remember that. but for most of us we knew that if the saints did come back it would encourage others to come back, and come back to new orleans they did. so the saints returned to the superdome was already a very emotional night for the strong and resilient people of new orleans, but when steve gleason blocked the atlanta falcons' punt and the ball was recovered for the first touchdown that night the announcers did not need to say a word. they just let the crowd roar, and roar we did. that blocked punt at the same site as some of the most horrible days of post-katrina gave us hope. the comeback of new orleans was pun punctuated by the action of steve gleason. we built a statue of him in front of the superdome titled "rebirth." gil manson, what you and your beloved late husband tom did to bring the saints back to new orleans gave us hope. drew brees, what you and your fellow teammates did both on and off the field gave us hope. steve gleason, what you did that night gave us hope, but you continue to inspire people to this day. not just because of what you did on the football field, but because of what you do now through team gleason to help others with diseases like als to achieve their full potential. of course, you are the perfect persohni personification of your motto, no white flags. through the steve gleason act which was talked about, he helped to permanently secure access to speech generating devices for people with als, giving voices back to the voiceless. think about this. he had his device he worked with microsoft to develop. incredible, american-made technology that gives people a voice, but there was a change in federal policy that stopped funding for those devices for other people. steve didn't just sit back and say, "i've already got mine." he actually took the lead to champion the effort to change law. it took an act of congress -- you've heard that saying. well, that's what we do up here, and so we got to work, inspired by steve gleason, and we passed an act of congress called the steve gleason act so now that everybody with those same debilitating diseases will not lose their voice either. so, thank you, steve, for the leadership that you took to make that happen. steve has an incredible gift for inspiration. for the people in the cities who need it most, when he blocked that punt in new orleans there was not a dry eye in the superdome. my wife jennifer and i can attest to that. but those were tears of joy. steve inspired us that night and he continues to inspire us every single day in his fight against als. i'm proud to call steve gleason my friend, and i can't think of anyone who deserves the congressional gold medal more than steve. congratulations to you, my friend. [ applause ] ladies and gentlemen, the honorable patty murray, assistant democratic leader of the united states senate from washington. >> as a voice here in congress for the great state of washington i am very honored to congratulate steve gleason on being awarded the congressional gold medal. they don't just give these out, you know. the congressional gold medal is awarded only to the most uncommon people who show incredible bravely, dedication and determination to advance their field, their country and all human kind. steve is undoubtedly an uncommon person. from an early age he was an uncommon athlete. in high school in spokane steve won back-to-back league mvp awards playing football and went on to play both football and baseball at washington state university, my alma mater -- go cougs -- to help lead the cougars to the first rose ball ball -- rose bowl in 67 years. as you heard, steve showed uncommon persistence in the nfl helping new orleans heal after the devastation of hurricane katrina and bringing hope back to a city that had been through so much, as perfectly demonstrated in that iconic blocked punt during the saints' first game back in the superdome. and when steve was diagnosed with als in 2011, he showed uncommon bravery, insisting there would be no white flags and he would not only fight the disease but push for all people living with als to thrive. since 2011 steve has raised awareness about als and championed research efforts to improve the lives of others who are living with the disease, and time and time again he has displayed the uncommon hope, perseverance, strength and kindness that gives him -- makes him such a worthy recipient of the congressional gold medal. as a result of steve and team gleason's dedication, today people with als are more independent than ever, thanks to cutting-edge speech and movement technology steve pushed for and helped to innovate. and beyond his tremendous advocacy work steve has shown that no matter the challenge or obstacle, when we refuse to give up there's nothing we cannot overcome. washington state could not be more proud of steve because he is not just an uncommon man, he is an inspiration to all of us. i'm so proud to be here today to help celebrate this outstanding national recognition. thank you, steve. thank you to michelle and gail and the entire team gleason for all of your work to fight als and exemplify what it means to never give up. congratulations, steve. this is a richly deserved honor. [ applause ] ladies and gentlemen, mr. ben schneider of lord huron. ♪ ♪ there's a river that winds on the river ♪ ♪ i'm gonna see where it leads ♪ oh, there's a mountain that no man has mounted ♪ ♪ i'm gonna stand on the peak ♪ out there is a land where time don't command ♪ ♪ wannabe the first to ride ♪ no time for pondering why i'm a wandering ♪ ♪ to the ends of the earth would you follow me ♪ ♪ there's a world that was meant for our eyes to see ♪ ♪ ♪ to the ends of the earth would you follow me ♪ ♪ if you won't i'm gonna say my goodbyes to you ♪ ♪ ♪ ooooh ♪ ♪ ooooh, oh, oh ♪ ♪ over there's an island where all things are silent ♪ ♪ i'm gonna whistle a tune ♪ over there's a desert that's size can't be measured ♪ ♪ i'm gonna count all the dunes ♪ ♪ out there's a world that calls for me, girl ♪ ♪ heading out into the unknown ♪ wayfaring strangers and all kinds of danger ♪ ♪ please don't say i'm going alone ♪ ♪ to the ends of the earth would you follow me ♪ ♪ ♪ there's a world that was meant for our eyes to see ♪ ♪ to the ends of the earth would you follow me ♪ ♪ ♪ if you won't i'm going to say my goodbyes to you ♪ ♪ yeah, yeah, yeah ♪ [ applause ] ladies and gentlemen, the honorable kevin mccarthy, republican leader of the united states house of representatives. >> good afternoon. it is an honor to be here. i'm not from louisiana and i'm not from washington. i am just a great admirer. it is an honor to be here to present steve gleason with the congressional gold medal, an award as storied, significant and special as any trophy in professional sports. it takes a rare combination of character and grit to be presented congressional's top award for service. less than 200 americans have received the congressional gold medal. that is far fewer than the presidential medal of freedom. that makes steve a member of an elite group, an all-pro team some could say. the first individual to receive this award was general george washington. today the first professional football player to win it grew up in the state of washington. i think steve has a lot in common with the father of our country. like washington, steve never quits and he inspires others to fight for a cause greater than yourself. president washington once said the harder the conflict, the greater the triumph. i'm sure, steve, you would tell us the same. als is a very difficult condition. it is a cruel disease that paralyzes the body. but those fighting als surely want us to know that this condition cannot take away their fighting spirit. it will never diminish their will and determination. though finding a cure may be difficult, the difficulty will only make the triumph of discovering one all the greater. with this incredible organization, team gleason, steve is leading the charge to making a difference in the lives of thousands of americans. so remember this, independence seemed like a distant stream in 1776. when washington's army had not won a single battle against the british, washington refused to wave the white flag. with courage and confidence in his soldiers, he surprised the hessians at the battle of trenton, giving the american cause a pivotal victory. i often find inspiration from washington's grit in the early years of the revolution. that is why i have a painting of him crossing the delaware hanging in my office. i think it captures a moment in time that tells as many fundamental truths about what it means to be an american. steve shares with washington an ability to overcome adversity. his motto? no white flags. it emphasizes that life's limitations cannot hold someone back from achieving their full potential. he deserves this award for all of the hope he has created in the lives of others. earlier i said the congressional gold medal is like a sports trophy. in fact, it is a lot like the lombardi trophy, the mvp and a super bowl ring all rolled up into one. like a super bowl ring, it is unique. steve's award was specially made and features him in his saints' jersey and trees in the background to pay homage to his home state. like the mvp award, it recognizes outstanding long-term accomplishments. steve has raised awareness about als through his foundation for eight seasons and counting. his work funds groundbreaking research and provides invaluable speech technology to als patients, allowing them to communicate with their loved ones and retain more of their own independence. like the lombardi trophy, it can't be won without teamwork. steve has an incredible team sitting right with him right today. beside him, michelle, an amazing family, river and baby daughter grey. this awards to them as well. steve, on behalf of a proud and grateful nation, thank you for all you do for individuals with als. you have set an amazing example of dignity, courage and perseverance for all-americans. may god continue to bless you. simply put, the world is a better place because of you. congress is proud, the nation is proud and we thank you and bless you for your life, for your work and, most importantly, your strength and courage. god bless. [ applause ] ladies and gentlemen, the honorable charles e. schumer, democratic leader of the united states senate. >> well, thank you to speaker pelosi, leader mcconnell, leader mccarthy and so many others including the great drew brees. now, i'm told today is drew's birthday. i wouldn't recommend that anyone celebrate their birthday visiting congress. but, drew, we're more than happy to have you. seriously, it is an honor to join with all of you today to celebrate the extraordinary steve gleason by awarding him the congressional gold medal. only 163 people have ever received this honor, george washington, nelson mandela, mother teresa, and now steve gleason. now rebirth, that's the name on the statue outside the superdome in new orleans, showing steve's famous blocked punt against atlanta. of course, that famous play did more than swing the momentum to the saints against the rival falcons. that play inspired hope in a city beset by tragedy. after such devastation it gave everyone reason to cheer. but today we're not here to honor steve for his heroics on the football field, but to recognize his truly heroic life off the field, a life spent helping those who struggle with als and other degenerative diseases experience a rebirth of their own. i know the disease. my dearest uncle mortgage,, a well-known obstetrician in new york, struggled with als for three years before he passed. as many as 30,000 people have als in the united states. half of those affected die within three years of diagnosis. it can strike anyone at any time, which is what happened to steve. in the face of a disease so awful, a stroke of fate so cruel for such an active person, steve could have simply cursed the darkness. many of us would have simply asked, "why me." but instead of cursing the darkness, steve chose to light a candle. he chose to inspire and help others who are braving als just like he is. as steve himself has said, most people with als don't have the resources to rebuild their lives on their own, but thanks to the work of team gleason thousands of patients now have access to groundbreaking technology that helps restore dignity to their lives, and in 2018 as a result of his advocacy the steve gleason act was signed into law granting better access to speech-generating devices to americans with diseases like als, helping these patients until the day when, god willing, we find a cure. ten years after katrina a few organizations wanted to put together a retrospective, so they asked prominent residents of new orleans to write letters to their addressed city. let me close with a sample of what steve wrote. he wrote, "like this city's levees in 2005, my invincible body has failed me. but like the residents of a city built five feet below sea level, i chose to be an idealist. when the world sees tragedy, idealists see opportunity. when the world folds its hands, idealists double down. when the world retreats, idealists reinvent. we must be steadfast, maniacal idealists," so steve wrote. our country could use a few more idealists and our world could use a few more steve gleasons. today we honor the one we have with us. congratulations, steve. god bless you and your family. [ applause ] ladies and gentlemen, the honorable mitch mcconnell, republican leader of the united states senate. >> well, of course, when we think of steve gleason we are transported back to the superdome on that monday night. as others have noted, that epic blocked punt was a redemptive moment for the entire city. steve didn't single handedly rebuild new orleans that night, but every single american knew at that moment the big easy was coming back. who could have predicted that? steve grew up in spokane. he went undrafted in the nfl. what if he hadn't snuck into the saints' practice squad? what a reminder that god has plans for each of us that we never could have imagined. to block a punt you have to put your body on the line. you may not even get the glory of running the ball into the end zone yourself, but your extraordinary effort puts everyone around you in a better position to succeed. of course, that's what steve gleason is still doing every single day. one of the paradoxes in medicine is that medical issues are so personal and so private, and yet progress requires awareness. it takes awareness to develop technology to help people live their lives to the fullest. it takes awareness to find cures. it takes people like steve and families like the gleasons who are willing to be open about their challenges and carry the torch. after all, it was another famous athlete, lou gehrig, whose battle with als introduced the public to this illness. so i don't think any of us will be shocked at future generations looking back and think, how fitting that it was another great athlete, an american hero, who changed the course of this disease for so many and ultimately helped to end it. we know steve is a practicing catholic and the catholic tradition emphasizes asking for prayers and for help from the saints. it emphasizes that we are not alone. others are rooting for us. the saints have paved the way. well, steve, that's just what you mean to so many people. you are paving the way. you are cheering them on. they've got their saint all right, number 37 to be precise. so, steve, your congress thanks you, your country thanks you. it is an honor to present you this medal and place you in this historic company where you belong. [ applause ] ladies and gentlemen, the honorable nancy pelosi, speaker of the united states house of representatives. >> it is my honor to join our distinguished leadership of the congress of the united states, the louisiana delegation, the washington state delegation, for this very special event. i want to thank each of you for being here to make it extra especially for all of us, especially for steve. i want to acknowledge drew brees. i know it is your birthday but i understand it is also baylan's birthday to you. happy birthday to you. you share a birthday with martin luther king, today is his birthday as well. happy birthday to you. we are honored you are in the capitol to share your birthday. welcome do the commissioner, roger goodell. thank you for being here. thank you so much for the benson family contribution to sports in america. i'm especially pleased to welcome former commissioner paul tagliabou and his wife who is here. he has just been selected i guess is the word to be in the football hall of fame. congratulations, paul tagliabou. while we were coming in here i met the wall family, three little boys. they traveled 16 hours from mississippi. they just recently lost their father, little boys. welcome to all of you as well. thank you for making the effort to be here. also recognize all of our guests from the nfl and also steve -- who dat -- from new orleans. anyone here from new orleans? who dat! [ applause ] >> it is an honor -- it is fitting that we honor steve gleason in statuary hall, this pantheon of great americans who are immortalized in bronze. i would like to acknowledge addie barkin who taught many of us in congress about als. he took is a father with young children. these stories are so, so compelling and the fact that steve gleason has made life better for so many people, he's a great american bhwhose very ne is synonymous with hope. the hope you restored to a city devastated by hurricane katrina -- i won't go into the football things because they've been appropriately addressed. the hope you give with those living with als and to their families and the hope you instill in all of our hearts as you have turned adversity into opportunity. as you had said, from adversity heroes are born. you are truly one of them. for nine years steve has lived each day in a tribute to his motto, "no white flags." his refusal to surrender his fight has helped thousands of people win theirs. in a fight against a disease that robs people of their speech, steve has helped give so many back their voices. it is really important to know how grateful we should be to steve. thank you, steve, for providing cutting-edge equipment to tens of thousands with neuro muscular diseases or injuries. thank you for ensuring passage of key laws to ensure access to speech-generating devices for those living with als. thank you for developing eye-tracking technology for those who are paralyzed, and thank you for mobilizing the largest als research project for people living with als are front and center of the action. of course, steve's most beautiful achievements are rivers and gray, and we are thrilled that rivers is with us today. hi, rivers. we're also touched by the beautiful video journals that steve has recorded for his children which will serve as an immortal reminder of his boundless love. steve's story reminds us that we are all just one accident, one incident, one diagnosis, one phone call away from just life-changing situations and needing quality, affordable health care. all-americans have the right to health care including technologies, equipment and care services that help them live happy, healthy and meaningful lives. you are making that possible. sometimes -- i too am a catholic, and as you know faith, hope, charity. lots of people ask me, where is hope? i say hope is where it always has been, sitting right there between faith and charity. faith that steve has, and sitting between that, faith, hope and the goodness of others. truly steve's faith and goodness have given many people hope, hope in a better future for those with als and for those struggling in the face of adversity. as steve has said in his words, "if we have a purpose in life beyond being a cog in the human machine, mine is to help inspire people. i would like to motivate the world." indeed, you have. steve, you have indeed motivated the world. congratulations on this award. it was a symbol of your courage and the courage of all who refuse to give up or give in to adversity. now it is time for us to present the congressional gold medal for steve gleason. steve, if you would come forward. [ applause ] [ applause ] ladies and gentlemen, mr. steven michael gleason. hi there, everyone. thank you, speaker pelosi, leaders mcconnell, schumer and mccarthy, senators cassidy and murray, representatives richmond and scalise, and all members of congress. also, thank you for coming to d.c. and speaking today. just so everyone knows, today is drew's birthday. so, drew, let me wish you a very capitol happy birthday, brother. this award from the elected officials who represent the people of the united states of america is a sub lime honor for me, but i feel that more importantly i feel that this ought to represent some joy, encouragement for the tens of thousands of extraordinary families currently enduring life with als. also, the millions of extraordinary people in this country living with disabilities or other illnesses and, more broadly, all of you ordinary humans who experience adversity, tragedy or anguish. no one is immune from anguish, tragedy or adversity, not even elected officials, nfl players or even the most holy saints. i suppose i don't see my story as a football story or even an als story but rather a human story. the truth is that we all experience pain in our lives, but i believe that the problems we face are our opportunity and to find our human purpose. i believe that adversity is our opportunity to keep exploring because we will all face pain and tragedy, but it is clear to me that beyond the human capacity of imagination our greatest strength as a species has been our ability to bravely share our weaknesses and vulnerabilities with each other. doing that we're able to understand each other's issues and collaborate together to solve problems and overcome many obstacles. while sharing one's weaknesses may not be common practice for people, especially for politicians in an election year -- wink, wink -- sharing my weaknesses was entirely critical for me to play eight years in the nfl, and it has been unquestionably critical to my survival and purpose for the past nine years living with a disease as dreadfully beautiful as als. i am grateful to the literally thousands of people who have directly up lifted me, both emotionally and physically in my 42 years. most importantly, i am grateful to my parents for instilling in me many of the values i have used to be successful and, of course, my wife michelle. this is not the life we imagined and it has not been easy, but through communication and through compassion, we have worked to make this existence. in addition to having the understanding that i had to share my weaknesses to survive, i'm fortunate to have the motivation and the reason to live. our son rivers and our daughter gray, they give me purpose, the purpose of lifetime. some of you may disagree, but i believe there has been no greater time in history to be human. at the same time i don't think anyone here or anyone watching will disagree that we as a country and, more appropriately, we as a global species face enormous challenges in the coming decades of the 21st century. challenges like exploring and colonizing other planets or thoughtfully solving climate change or the challenges of genetically engineering super humans or positively harnessing the seemingly miraculous power of artificial intelligence so people's disabilities are turned into super abilities. these challenges provide us with exponential opportunity as americans and as humans, because if we can keep exploring, share our weaknesses with each other and compassionately collaborate to solve problems our human potential is boundless. if we can work to understand and solve each other as problems and each other as pain compassionately, then truly all things are possible. thank you again to the people of the united states of america, a nation i'm so proud to live in, for this unbelievable honor. have a wonderful day. [ applause ] >> ladies and gentlemen, mr. drew brees. >> there are significant moments in our lives that we remember both tragedy and triumph. we remember exactly where we are and the emotions that we felt. we all remember where we were on 9/11 and the pain, shock and anger that ensued. many of us remember february 7, 2010, when the saints won super bowl xliv. and the sheer elation which accompanied that moment. january 6, 2011, was also one of those moments. i have riding on our team bus having just arrived in seattle to play the seahawks in a wild card playoff game. i was sitting in the first row as i always did with the assistant head coach next to me and the head coach shawn paten directly across the aisle. i texted my wife brittany to let her know we had landed safely and then noticed an e-mail pop up from steve gleason. three minutes later with tears rolling down my face i looked at joe in the seat next me and choked steve gleason had been diagnosed with als. we were both in shock, numb to the core of all the people on earth steve is the last person to ever deserve something like this. this is not fair, this is not fair. steve was as smart and raw and honest as he could be in that e-mail detailing his diagnosis but also acknowledging that he was scared and frustrated. but at the end steve said and i quote, i promise to fight and believe and expect the extraordinary and smile and laugh and cry and love our lives for every breath that lives mine my body. please, please help me do that until i'm 109. i'm betting on you, steve. for the 13 years i've known steve if i were to sum up his attitude, his tenacity, his mantra, it would be it's not a matter of if we will accomplish the goal, it's when. it's not a matter if he will block the punt, it's when. it's not a matter if the saints win the super bowl. it's when. it's not if we develop the technology and innovation to improve the life of als patients. it's when. it's not if we create legislation to create better care for all those suffering. it's when. and it's not a matter of if we find a cure for als. it's when we find a cure for als. i mention those moments in our lives that we will always remember, both tragedy and triumph. it's either one or the other, but in very rare cases there are those events that turn from tragedy into triumph. that is how i would describe the last nine years since steve's diagnosis. there is no person on earth with the strength, courage, passion and tenacity to overcome all obstacles and make the lasting impact that steve has made. steve, you are an inspiration. you are a source of strength to so many especially me. a true american hero. people have said today's my 41st birthday, it's my 41st birthday, and quite honestly there's no place we'd rather be than here with you right here, right now. [ applause ] and there's no person more deserving of this incredible ha honor, the congressional gold medal than you steve. god bless you, michelle, baby girl at home. we love you, congratulations. [ applause ] >> ladies and gentlemen, please remain standing at barry black delive delivers. >> let us pray. oh, god of hosts you stretch out the heavens like a curtain. we praise you for this opportunity to honor steven michael gleeson. lord, we thank you for his exemplary excellence as an athlete but even more for his willingness to use his personal pain to bless and inspire others. inspired by his transparent and triumphant life teach us to face lives challenges with courage and perseverance. remind us that the real power to live well comes from you. though we suffer, may we never be crushed. though we sometimes don't know what to do, may we never give up. though we get knocked down, may we keep getting up so that we may also be examples of redemptive living. hasten the day when the saints go marching in and there will be no more sadness, sorrow, sickness, or pain. bring your servant, steve, safely to that day when he will hear you say, well-done good and faithful servant. you have been faithful over a few things. i will make you ruler over many things. enter into the joys of your lord. we pray in your majestic name, amen. [ applause ] >> ladies and gentlemen, please remain in your seats for the departure of the official party. [ applause ] >> with the iowa caucuses just days away we take a look at the history of the first in the nation iowa caucuses sunday at 3:00 p.m. eastern on american history tv. >> the carter campaign creates this sense that something's going on in iowa and manages i think partly on the follow-up to apple's story about 1972 to convince the national media that what happens in iowa is going to matter and uses iowa as a springboard, as a way to say this guy from georgia you've never heard of is in fact a viable candidate because a bunch of people in iowa who had never heard of him either voted for him. >> a discussion on the history of the iowa caucuses sunday at 3:00 p.m. eastern on american history tv on c-span 3. next week, live coverage of the house debate and vote to limit u.s. military action against iran. california democratic representatives barbara lee and rokh khanna have introduced legislation to block federal funding from being used