Sister Simone Campbell, Leader of the Nuns on the Bus Advocacy Group, is Awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom

We’ve long admired Sister Simone Campbell, a longtime advocate for economic justice and health care policy and the leader of a band of feisty nuns who fight for the poor and challenge both the U.S. government and the Catholic church as they journey across the country as part of Nuns on the Bus. Now, President Biden has acknowledged her outstanding work to move humanity forward by giving her the nation’s highest civilian honor: the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

“For so many people and for the nation, Sister Simone Campbell is a gift from God,” Biden said of Sister Simone. “For the past 50 years she has embodied the belief in our church that faith without works is dead.” President Biden noted her role in the passage of the Affordable Care Act in 2010, as well as a series of annual Nuns on the Bus nationwide tours that Campbell led, touting health care as a right.

“Compassionate and brave, humble and strong, today Sister Simone remains a beacon of light,” said Biden. “She's the embodiment of a covenant of trust, hope and progress of a nation.”

To learn more about the incredible group of people awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom this week, including Simone Biles, Gabby Giffords, and so many more, click here.