SEAL Team Six Congressional Gold Medal Act

Congress finds the following:

(1) On September 11, 2001, terrorists hijacked four U.S. planes, with two crashing into the Twin Towers, one into the Pentagon, and one in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, which was believed to be targeting the United States Capitol. Along with thousands of injuries, the official death toll was 2,977 people.

(2) Immediately following the attacks, President George W. Bush launched the Global War on Terror, and the FBI’s top priority became the prevention of future terrorist strikes.

(3) The perpetrators of 9/11 were part of a terrorist organization named al-Qaeda, led by Osama bin Laden. On October 10, 2001, bin Laden was added to the newly launched Most Wanted Terrorist List, claiming responsibility for the attacks in 2004.

(4) In 2011, SEAL Team Six carried out a surgical raid on the compound where Osama bin Laden was in hiding, a mission dubbed Operation Neptune Spear.

(5) Two stealth Black Hawk helicopters took off from Afghanistan on May 1, 2011, to fly to the compound in Abbottabad, carrying a group of 23 Navy SEALs, an interpreter, and a combat dog. When the door opened, the SEALs breached the building, met with resistance, but completed their mission. Bullet shrapnel from the firefight lodged in the handle of a pair of bolt cutters carried by one of the SEALs, but no casualties or injuries were sustained by the SEALs.

(6) The sheer bravery of SEAL Team Six was exemplified in the success of this mission, and their actions were pivotal for the safety and security of the United States.

(7) Osama bin Laden’s defeat marked a significant victory in the U.S.-led effort to disrupt, dismantle, and defeat al-Qaeda. For the families of 9/11 victims, bin Laden’s defeat gave a sense of justice.

(8) Due to SEAL Team Six’s success, critical intelligence about bin Laden and al-Qaeda was collected, allowing the United States to further the campaign against terrorism.

(9) The United States is indebted to SEAL Team Six, and to express this gratitude, these service members will be awarded the Congressional Gold Medal for the service they performed for our country.