Senator Jim Justice, a Republican from West Virginia, worked around partisan divisions in the Senate to pass a bill unanimously directing the National Medal of Honor monument to a prominent location on the National Mall. The legislation honors Hershel "Woody" Williams, a late World War II Medal of Honor recipient from West Virginia, and is awaiting signature by former President Trump. According to Justice, the breakthrough came when he kept pushing for the bill despite initial opposition from both parties, citing the importance of recognizing Medal of Honor recipients as a whole. The Senate passed the bill in March, with the House approving it on August 31.
Written by the local model on 2026-09-07,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Sen. Jim Justice, R-W.Va., found a way to get something passed unanimously, despite what he rebukes as "romper-room behavior" of political polarization in the Senate.
asserted
he → find → Senate
In an interview Saturday with Fox News Digital, Justice detailed how he worked around the Senate’s bitter partisan divide to get a monument honoring late World War II Medal of Honor hero Hershel "Woody" Williams onto the National Mall.
asserted
he → detail → Mall
"I've never seen anything like this, never in my life seen anything to where it is, it is so preposterous," Justice lamented.
asserted
Justice → see → life
"You know, no one could make any sense out of what in the world is going on a lot of times.
uncertain
in → know → times
"I don't know why we don't talk to one another," he added.
asserted
he → know → one
"I don't know why we're disrespectful to one other."
asserted
we → know → one
Using good, old-fashioned dialogue, Justice's effort ultimately succeeded in getting his first Senate law passed for his late friend.
asserted
law → use → friend
The Williams National Medal of Honor Monument Location Act directs the National Medal of Honor monument to a prominent location within the Reserve on the National Mall.
asserted
Act → direct → Mall
It honors Williams, a West Virginia native who received the Medal of Honor for extraordinary heroism during the Battle of Iwo Jima and who was the last surviving World War II Medal of Honor recipient before his death in 2022 at age 98.
asserted
who → honor → age
The monument will honor Williams by name while commemorating Medal of Honor recipients as a whole.
asserted
monument → honor → whole
The House approved the measure on Aug. 31 after the Senate passed it unanimously in March.
asserted
Senate → approve → March
The legislation is now awaiting Trump’s signature.
asserted
legislation → await → signature
"We're really hopeful he's going to sign it this coming week," Justice said.
asserted
Justice → go → it
"There's been a lot to make all that happen and everything, and I can't be more proud."
Justice, describing the partisan fight in the interview, said the path to unanimous approval was anything but smooth.
asserted
path → be → approval
"I mean, we had it shot down," he said, adding, but "I just wouldn’t turn it loose."
asserted
I → mean → it
"And the reason I wouldn’t turn loose is because it was just real simple: I mean Woody’s unbelievable, or was unbelievable, that’s for sure.
asserted
that → turn → ?
But all these Medal of Honor recipients and everything, the ones we’ve lost and all those that are still living, they are so deserving."
asserted
they → lose → Honor
Justice described how the measure initially had become caught up in the same divisiveness that has locked up the Senate on a much broader range of issues.
asserted
that → describe → issues
"All we managed to do is keep a food fight going to where – because it was a Republican thing or Republican Jim Justice introducing – well, I’m telling you, if I’m a Democrat, by God, we’re not gonna let that happen and everything
asserted
that → manage → God
," he lamented.
asserted
he → lament → ?
"And then it’s just, it’s the same thing on both sides.
asserted
it → ’ → sides
Way, way, way too much for a guy that’s got white hair and wants to try to get things done
asserted
things → get → hair
Justice said the breakthrough came just before he was preparing to take the matter to the Senate floor with four Medal of Honor recipients present.
asserted
recipients → say → Honor
"I was about three feet from going into the Senate chambers," Justice recalled.
asserted
Justice → go → chambers
"And we sat down right there, you know, kind of on the steps and really just started talking."
asserted
you → sit → steps
The two serve together on the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, and Justice said he had developed a personal relationship with Heinrich over the years, including through Justice’s well-known bulldog, Babydog.
asserted
he → serve → bulldog
"I said, Martin, I don’t understand.
asserted
I → say → ?
I mean, how in the world can we do this?" Justice said.
asserted
Justice → mean → this
"And I said, Martin, you know, I’m getting ready to go on the floor, and it’s not going to be good.
asserted
it → say → floor
It’s not gonna be good for you.
asserted
It → go → you
It’s not going to good for a lot of folks and everything.
asserted
It → go → folks
A lot of people are going to be upset.
asserted
lot → go → people
A lot of people are going to be really sad."
asserted
lot → go → people
Justice said he appealed directly to Heinrich to find a way forward.
asserted
he → say → way
"And I just said, Martin, I don’t know any way to tell it other than just to tell you the truth.
asserted
I → say → truth
And you’re a good guy.
asserted
you → ’re → ?
And I don’t know why in the world we just can’t talk with one another."
asserted
we → know → one
Heinrich responded with a blunt explanation of the broader problem, Justice said.
asserted
Justice → respond → problem
"And he looked right at me, and he said, you know, people here don’t talk to one another," Justice said.
asserted
Justice → look → one
"And I really appreciate you doing that, and I’m not going to object."
asserted
I → appreciate → that
…and 27 more, not listed.
