Edward F. Snyder Peace Award

The Edward F. Snyder Award for National Legislative Leadership in Advancing Disarmament and Building Peace is presented annually to an outstanding member of Congress who has displayed leadership in advancing legislative priorities consistent with those advocated by the Friends Committee on National Legislation.

Edward Snyder served the Friends Committee on National Legislation for 35 years, as a Legislative Secretary from 1955 until 1962, then as Executive Secretary until 1990.

• 2023: Rep. Sara Jacobs (CA-51), for powerful leadership to advance peace, end endless war, reform security assistance, protect civilians from harm, and prevent atrocities.
• 2022: Sen. Tim Kaine (VA), for his bipartisan efforts to reassert Congressional war powers, which is critical to reining in the use of force abroad, preventing the escalation and expansion of conflicts, and forging a path to end forever war.
• 2021: Sen. Todd Young (IN), for his work to bring an end to endless war.
• 2020: Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (NY), for her work to bring an end to nearly two decades of endless war, prevent new wars, and reduce the suffering of those affected by violent conflict.
• 2019: Rep. Ann Wagner (MO), for her persistent leadership on genocide and atrocities prevention.
• 2018: Rep. Ro Khanna (CA), for his courageous work to prevent war with North Korea, end U.S. support for the Saudi-led war in Yemen, and strengthen U.S. diplomacy abroad.
• 2017: Rep. Keith Ellison (MN), for standing against discrimination and protecting international diplomacy with Iran.
• 2016: Sen. Ed Markey (MA), for leadership on nuclear disarmament and nonproliferation.
• 2015: Sen. Richard Durbin (IL), for successfully organizing Senate support for the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action to peacefully resolve the dispute over Iran’s nuclear program; leading the effort to increase U.S. humanitarian and resettlement support for Syrian refugees; and advancing criminal justice reform through bipartisan action.
• 2014: Sen. Chris Murphy (CT), for supporting a diplomatic resolution to the dispute over Iran’s nuclear program.
• 2013: Sen. Jeff Merkley (OR), for promoting a sensible strategy for ending the U.S. war in Afghanistan and for leading this effort for successive years in the U.S. Senate.
• 2012: Sen. Richard Lugar (IN), for his exemplary leadership in promoting nuclear weapons reductions and disarmament.
• 2011: Rep. Jim McGovern (MA) and Rep. Walter Jones (NC) received this award for their leadership in promoting a sensible strategy to end the war in Afghanistan.
• 2010: Sen. Maria Cantwell (WA), for addressing the most serious threat to life on our planet and a growing driver of violent conflict, and for her efforts to build peace and to restore a right relationship with the earth.
• 2009: Rep. William Delahunt (MA), for his leadership in seeking to end the Iraq war, achieve Middle East peace, support the United Nations, and address the problem of climate change.
• 2008: Rep. Wayne Gilchrest (MD), for his commitment to US diplomatic engagement with Iran and throughout the Middle East, and to the protection of the environment.
• 2007: Rep. John Lewis (GA), for his commitment to non-violent resistance, both in his work with the civil rights movement and his opposition to the Iraq war.
• 2006: Sen. Joe Biden (DE), for leadership in advancing policy language prohibiting the U.S. from negotiating a permanent United States military presence in Iraq, and confirming that the United States does not intend to exercise control over the oil resources of Iraq.
• 2005: Rep. Lynn Woolsey (CA), for providing visionary leadership in declaring that War Is Not the Answer in Iraq, beginning a conversation in Congress on strengthening U.S. tools for Peaceful Prevention of Deadly Conflict through SMART Security, and serving as a consistent and outspoken voice for reductions in military spending, active pursuit of arms control and disarmament, and reduced oil consumption through renewable energy development.
• 2004: Reps. Frank Wolf (VA) and Donald Payne (NJ), for their bipartisan leadership in addressing the humanitarian and security crisis in Sudan’s western region of Darfur .
• 2003: Sen. Russ Feingold (WI), for casting the lone vote in the Senate against the USA Patriot Act and his opposition to the use of military force against Iraq.
• 2002: Posthumously to Sen. Paul Wellstone (MN), following his tragic death in October of that year, who “raised the level of congressional debate on a wide spectrum of issues, giving voice to perspectives and experiences previously ignored in the public policy arena.”
• 2001: Rep. Barbara Lee (CA), for her courageous, solitary vote against authorization of a U.S. military invasion of Afghanistan.
• 2000: Rep. Thomas A. Allen (ME), for “leading the opposition in the House of Representatives against deployment of a national missile defense system and urging negotiations with North Korea as an alternative to military confrontation.”
• 1999: Rep. Tom Campbell (CA), for “raising the level of congressional debate, before and during the NATO bombing of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, by invoking the War Powers Resolution of 1973 in Congress and by filing suit in federal court.”
• 1999: Rep. Dennis J. Kucinich (OH), for “challenging the inflated military budget and proliferation of weapons of war through his consistent votes to reduce military spending and supporting a wide range of programs to advance the concerns of poor and low-income Americans, including, but not limited to, his support for low-income housing and food programs.”
• 1998: Sen. James Jeffords (VT), for “working actively for ratification of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty and the Law of the Seas Convention and opposing expansion of NATO and further expansion of this military alliance.”
• 1997: Rep. Cynthia A. McKinney (GA), for “working to reduce the threat of weapons globally and promoting international cooperation and diplomacy, particularly through her efforts to open congressional dialogue and strengthen economic and political ties with the peoples of Africa.”
• 1996: Sen. Patrick Leahy (VT), for “working to reduce the threat of weapons globally and promoting a more peaceful and just world through his support for an Arms Trade Code of Conduct.”
• 1995: Sen. Mark O. Hatfield (OR), for “challenging the militarization of U.S. foreign policy, advocating reductions in current global realities.”
• 1994: Rep. Ron Dellums (CA), for “advocating reductions in military spending, working to reverse the arms race, and promoting diplomatic solutions in a time of conflict.”
• 1993: Rep. Elizabeth Furse (OR), for cosponsoring legislation which banned research and development of a new generation of low-yield nuclear weapons, or “mini-nukes.”