President Joe Biden awarded 19 high-profile politicians, activists and others the Presidential Medal of Freedom, which is the country's highest civilian honor. The recipients included political powerhouses such as Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., whose House speakership overlapped with the first two years of Biden's presidency; former Vice President Al Gore, also a Democrat; Rep. James Clyburn, D-S.C., whose 2020 endorsement of Biden is often credited for delivering a major boost to his campaign; and Elizabeth Dole, a former Republican senator from North Carolina and advocate for military caregivers who was the secretary of both labor and transportation. 📷️ Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images