Congress honors a WWII music educator who entertained troops
H.R. 9505 — Bonnie Eloise Rush Milam Congressional Gold Medal Act of 2026 · Filed by Brian Babin (R-TX) · 4 cosponsors · Introduced Jun 29, 2026 · Referred to committee
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What it does
This bill lets Congress give a special gold medal to Bonnie Eloise Rush Milam. She started a group called the Melody Maids. The group sang for U.S. troops during World War II, Korea, and Vietnam. The medal will be kept at the Tyrrell Historical Library in Beaumont, Texas. The government can make bronze copies and sell them to pay for the medals.
Who it affects
The bill honors a music teacher who is no longer alive. It does not cost taxpayers money because medal sales cover the cost.
One thing to notice
Bronze medal sales pay for the medals. No money comes from the general budget.
From the analysis of the bill text, linked under Primary records below.
Where it stands
4 cosponsors: 4 Republicans.
- Jun 29, 2026 — Introduced · Congress.gov: “Introduced in House”
- Jun 29, 2026 — Referred to House Committee on Financial Services · Congress.gov: “Referred to the House Committee on Financial Services”
Dates and quoted wording are Congress.gov's action record; the timeline shows status changes, not every procedural step.
Words to know
- Melody Maids — An all-girls group that sang for U.S. troops during multiple wars.
- Tyrrell Historical Library — A library in Beaumont, Texas, where the medal will be displayed.
How this was measured
Analysis — Quorum's AI read the full bill text on Jul 4, 2026; transparency and hidden-provision scores are compared against the median of 14,707 analysed bills.
Status and sponsors — Congress.gov's bill record — actions, committee referrals and cosponsors — loaded nightly. The timeline shows status changes, not every procedural action.
As of — page rendered 2026-09-23.
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