FILE – In this May 14, 2015, file photo, former astronaut and U.S. Sen. John Glenn, D-Ohio, left, answers questions with his wife Annie Glenn during an interview with The Associated Press at the Ohio Statehouse in Columbus, Ohio. The state House unanimously approved a resolution on Wednesday, April 11, 2018, urging Congress to recognize Glenn and his widow with a Congressional Gold Medal. (AP Photo/Paul Vernon, File)
April 11, 2018 - 9:11 PM
COLUMBUS, Ohio - A proposal aimed at getting late astronaut John Glenn and his wife, Annie, a congressional medal has cleared its first major legislative hurdle in their home state of Ohio.
The state House unanimously approved a resolution on Wednesday urging Congress to recognize Glenn and his widow with a Congressional Gold Medal.
The resolution says the honour is justified because the Glenns inspired a generation of Americans, gave back to the country through public service and "made our nation a better place."
John Glenn died in 2016 at age 95. He was the first American to orbit Earth, a longtime Democratic U.S. senator and founder of a public affairs college at Ohio State University.
Annie Glenn, 98, overcame a debilitating stutter to become a leading advocate for Americans with communicative disorders.
News from © The Associated Press, 2018