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Kamala Harris among group of lawmakers looking to award Aretha Franklin the Congressional Gold Medal

The bipartisan effort was announced Tuesday

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August 21, 2018 at 5:18 p.m. EDT

Adapted from a story by The Washington Post’s Felicia Sonmez.

Less than a week after Aretha Franklin’s death, a bipartisan group of lawmakers introduced legislation to posthumously award the Congressional Gold Medal to the Queen of Soul. The award is one of the country’s highest civilian honors.

The measure would highlight how Franklin “was an example to all people in how one person’s talents can make a difference in the lives of millions of people across the globe,” the lawmakers announced in a joint news release.

Aretha Franklin fought the patriarchy with fashion, her full-figured body and her refusal to conform

Sen. Kamala D. Harris (D-Calif.), a potential 2020 Democratic White House candidate, and Sen. Orrin G. Hatch (R-Utah), one of President Trump’s staunchest defenders on Capitol Hill, joined with Michigan Sens. Debbie Stabenow (D) and Gary Peters (D) to introduce the legislation in the Senate.

“From listening to Mary Don’t You Weep, to standing in the living room dancing to Rock Steady over and over again, to hearing from the Queen herself how lucky I was to be young, gifted and black — Aretha’s songs were the soundtrack of my childhood,” Harris said in a statement. “Aretha was simply a legend. Her work and impact will be felt for generations to come, and it’s long past time Congress honor her with the Congressional Gold Medal.”

Aretha Franklin’s voice will forever be the sound of American progress

Hatch, who in addition to serving as Utah’s senior senator has been known to moonlight as a songwriter and lyricist, said Franklin’s “legacy, like her voice, will sing through the generations.”

“Through her talent, she touched the hearts of millions, lifting all of us with songs of hope and humanity,” Hatch said. “Aretha brought light, laughter and love to all who would hear. I’m grateful to play a small role in honoring the life of this remarkable artist.”

Reps. Brenda Lawrence (D-Mich.) and Douglas A. Collins (R-Ga.) introduced the measure in the House.

In 2005, Franklin, who died last Thursday at 76, was already awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President George W. Bush.