Spokane native Steve Gleason is close to receiving one of the nation’s top honors.
The U.S. House today [Thursday] voted to present the former Washington State and New Orleans Saint football player with the Congressional Gold Medal.
Gleason’s playing career ended when he was diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, or Lou Gehrig’s Disease. He later formed an organization, Team Gleason, to find a cure for ALS.
The bill has already passed the Senate. Its House sponsor, New Orleans Democrat Cedric Richmond, made a case for a man he called a ‘Whodat [HOO-dat] son’ on the House floor.
“Steve is a selfless individual who has used his life to raise awareness of ALS and who has been instrumental in developing technology in order to combat this disease. He has done so much that has tangibly improved peoples’ lives now and will continue to do so for years to come," Richmond said.
Richmond thanked Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Washington) and Sen. Patty Murray (D-Washington), along with colleagues from the Louisiana delegation, for their support of the bill. It now needs only a presidential signature to become law.