H.R. 754 (115^th): Anwar Sadat Centennial Celebration Act

H.R. 754 awards the Congressional Gold Medal to the late Egyptian President Anwar Sadat for the centennial of his birth.

The Congressional Gold Medal is the highest civilian award bestowed upon an individual by Congress.

Anwar Sadat was born on December 25, 1918 in Mit Abu El Kom, Monufia, Egypt. President Sadat was the third President of Egypt, serving from October 15, 1970 until his assassination on October 6, 1981. His leadership established lasting peace between Israel and Egypt by expunging previous hostilities toward Israel and becoming the first Arab leader to officially recognize Israel as a nation-state. In a series of meetings arranged by former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and held at Camp David, Sadat and former Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin negotiated the peace treaty that came to be known as the Camp David Accords.

The summary below was written by the Congressional Research Service, which is a nonpartisan division of the Library of Congress, and was published on Dec 14, 2018.

Anwar Sadat Centennial Celebration Act

This bill directs Congress to arrange for the posthumous award of a Congressional Gold Medal to Anwar Sadat, the former President of Egypt, in recognition of his achievements and efforts to attain comprehensive peace in the Middle East.

Such medal shall be presented to: (1) the widow of Anwar Sadat, Jehan Sadat, or her next of kin; and (2) a representative of the government of Egypt.