Pelosi, McCarthy to join together to give award to Zelensky

Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) are coming together to honor Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky with an award named after former President Reagan.

The pair of House leaders will present the Ronald Reagan Freedom Award to Zelensky next week in Washington, organizers announced Friday. The ceremony on Tuesday marks the grand opening of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute’s new D.C. center, which is touted as the “only presidential foundation with a permanent presence” in the nation’s capital.

Oksana Markarova, the Ukrainian ambassador to the United States, will accept the award on behalf of Zelensky amid Russia’s invasion of their country, which hit its 100th day on Friday.

The award is “bestowed upon those who have made monumental and lasting contributions to the cause of freedom,” the foundation named for the 40th president said.

Zelensky received a standing ovation from Congress when he delivered a virtual address in March.

The awards ceremony isn’t the only case of bipartisan Reagan nostalgia happening in Washington next week. On Monday, first lady Jill Biden will help unveil a new postage stamp honoring former first lady Nancy Reagan in an event at the White House.