119-HR-3497 DC Insider Whip Count Analysis
119 · HR 3497 Medal of Sacrifice Act
Crime and Law Enforcement
Medal of Sacrifice Act of 2025This bill directs the President to issue a medal of sacrifice for eligible law enforcement officers and first responders who are killed in the line of duty.The bill also...
H.R. 3497 cleared the House on Feb. 2, 2026 by voice vote under suspension, passed the Senate by unanimous consent on May 11, 2026, and was signed into law on May 28, 2026 — a classic low-friction, bipartisan recognition bill steered by Rep. Brian Mast with a Senate companion led by Sens. Lindsey Graham and Catherine Cortez Masto. [1]Library of Congress — H.R.3497 – Medal of Sacrifice Act (bill page) | Congress.…
01 · Section
Breakdown: vote pathway and party expectations
This was a consensus recognition measure; the procedural choices tell you the whip story. [2]Congressional Research Service via Congress.gov — CRS: Suspension of the Rules…
- House: Brought up under suspension of the rules; 40 minutes of debate; passed by voice vote on February 2, 2026. That combination signals broad, bipartisan buy‑in (suspension requires two‑thirds of those present). [1]Library of Congress — H.R.3497 – Medal of Sacrifice Act (bill page) | Congress.…
- House coalition: 36 cosponsors from both parties; reported by the Judiciary Committee on January 27, 2026 (H. Rept. 119‑466). Floor management came via Rep. Jim Jordan. [1]Library of Congress — H.R.3497 – Medal of Sacrifice Act (bill page) | Congress.…
- Senate: Referred to Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs and then discharged and passed by unanimous consent on May 11, 2026 — no recorded opposition. [3]U.S. Senate — Senate Floor Activity – May 11, 2026 (UC passage of H.R. 3497)
- Enrollment and presentment: Enrolled mid‑May; sent to the President and signed on May 28, 2026. [4]GPO — GovInfo: H.R. 3497 enrolled bill (BILLS-119hr3497enr)
- Substance that kept the coalition intact: the bill honors officers/first responders killed in the line of duty and includes an ineligibility carve‑out for cases with an official finding of wrongdoing, reducing ideological friction. [1]Library of Congress — H.R.3497 – Medal of Sacrifice Act (bill page) | Congress.…
02 · Section
Key legislators
Champions – not swing votes – explain the outcome; there were no public opponents recorded.
- House sponsor/chief advocate: Rep. Brian Mast (R‑FL). [5]Library of Congress — All Info – H.R. 3497 (sponsor, actions, cosponsors) | Con…
- House floor: Rep. Jim Jordan managed the suspension; Judiciary had reported the bill (H. Rept. 119‑466). [1]Library of Congress — H.R.3497 – Medal of Sacrifice Act (bill page) | Congress.…
- Senate leads: Sen. Lindsey Graham (R‑SC) introduced the companion (S.3765) with Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D‑NV) as co‑lead; they publicly celebrated unanimous Senate passage during National Police Week. [6]Library of Congress — S.3765 – Senate companion all‑info | Congress.gov
- Interest‑group signals: National Police Association endorsement; Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association praised the bill at signing; PORAC tracked the measure as supportive — all reinforcing cross‑party ease. [7]PR Newswire — PR Newswire: National Police Association endorses H.R. 3497
03 · Section
Leadership influence and procedural dynamics
Leadership alignment and low‑controversy policy enabled fast‑track procedures in both chambers.
- Chamber control context: Mike Johnson retained the Speakership in the 119th Congress; in the Senate, Republicans hold the majority with John Thune as Majority Leader and Chuck Schumer as Minority Leader. Measures like this generally face minimal friction under any control split. [8]AP News — AP: Mike Johnson narrowly reelected House Speaker for the 119th Congr…
- House procedure: Suspension of the rules is designed for consensus bills — limited debate, no floor amendments, two‑thirds threshold. Leadership uses it to clear non‑controversial items quickly. [2]Congressional Research Service via Congress.gov — CRS: Suspension of the Rules…
- Senate procedure: Unanimous consent means any single senator could have objected; none did. Discharging committee and passing by UC reflects leadership and cloakroom agreement to move without consuming floor time. [9]U.S. Senate — Senate glossary – unanimous consent and related procedures
- Executive posture: President Trump signed H.R. 3497 on May 28, 2026, consistent with a pro‑recognition stance toward law enforcement/service honors. [10]White House — White House: President signed H.R. 3497 into law (May 28, 2026)
04 · Section
Assessment: likelihood of passage and confidence
Ex‑post, the bill became law with no recorded opposition; ex‑ante the procedural choices already implied easy passage.
- House outlook at call‑up (Feb. 2, 2026): Very strong. Suspension + voice vote indicates leadership confidence of well over two‑thirds support. [1]Library of Congress — H.R.3497 – Medal of Sacrifice Act (bill page) | Congress.…
- Senate outlook (May 11, 2026): Very strong. UC passage and committee discharge without objection show no active resistance across the conference/caucus. [3]U.S. Senate — Senate Floor Activity – May 11, 2026 (UC passage of H.R. 3497)
- Bottom line: Became law on May 28, 2026; no recorded nays anywhere; this would have cleared even under tighter partisan atmospherics. Confidence: high. [10]White House — White House: President signed H.R. 3497 into law (May 28, 2026)
Time to enactment
374days
House cosponsors
36members
05 · Section
Core source set
Primary references for votes, procedures, and sponsorship.
- Congress.gov bill page, All Info, and Congressional Record excerpts for House actions and debate. [1]Library of Congress — H.R.3497 – Medal of Sacrifice Act (bill page) | Congress.…
- Senate.gov daily floor activity and Congressional Record digest for UC passage and committee discharge. [3]U.S. Senate — Senate Floor Activity – May 11, 2026 (UC passage of H.R. 3497)
- GovInfo enrolled bill for final text as sent to the President. [4]GPO — GovInfo: H.R. 3497 enrolled bill (BILLS-119hr3497enr)
- White House notice of presidential signature (May 28, 2026). [10]White House — White House: President signed H.R. 3497 into law (May 28, 2026)
- CRS/official glossaries for suspension/UC procedure. [2]Congressional Research Service via Congress.gov — CRS: Suspension of the Rules…
- Senate companion and sponsor/lead confirmations (S.3765; Graham/Cortez Masto releases). [6]Library of Congress — S.3765 – Senate companion all‑info | Congress.gov
- Leadership context (Speaker; Senate leaders). [8]AP News — AP: Mike Johnson narrowly reelected House Speaker for the 119th Congr…
- Interest‑group endorsements (NPA, FLEOA, PORAC). [7]PR Newswire — PR Newswire: National Police Association endorses H.R. 3497
Sources cited
- [1] H.R.3497 – Medal of Sacrifice Act (bill page) | Congress.gov Library of Congress
- [2] CRS: Suspension of the Rules – House practice (R48591/R48650 family) Congressional Research Service via Congress.gov
- [3] Senate Floor Activity – May 11, 2026 (UC passage of H.R. 3497) U.S. Senate
- [4] GovInfo: H.R. 3497 enrolled bill (BILLS-119hr3497enr) GPO
- [5] All Info – H.R. 3497 (sponsor, actions, cosponsors) | Congress.gov Library of Congress
- [6] S.3765 – Senate companion all‑info | Congress.gov Library of Congress
- [7] PR Newswire: National Police Association endorses H.R. 3497 PR Newswire
- [8] AP: Mike Johnson narrowly reelected House Speaker for the 119th Congress AP News
- [9] Senate glossary – unanimous consent and related procedures U.S. Senate
- [10] White House: President signed H.R. 3497 into law (May 28, 2026) White House
Discussion