With Honor Action Releases New Research on Veterans Running for Congress

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CHARLOTTE, NC – Over the past four years, With Honor Action has closely tracked the number of veterans running for Congress and compiled a robust database. With Honor Action’s research shows an increase in the number of veterans running for the U.S. House of Representatives or the U.S. Senate in the 2022 campaign cycle, growing from 628 in 2018 to 685 in 2022. The number of veterans running for the U.S. House of Representatives has increased modestly from 2018 to 2022, going from 580 to 587.

A key area of growth is the number of post-9/11 veterans, who mainly served during the Global War on Terrorism, running for the U.S. House of Representatives. While 258 post-9/11 veterans ran for the House in 2018, 393 post-9/11 veterans ran for the House in 2022. That number increased for post-9/11 veterans running for Senate, as well, with 12 running in 2018 and 52 running in 2022.

“A new generation of bipartisan veterans is running for office and winning, which is good for Congress and the country,” said Rye Barcott, Co-Founder and CEO of With Honor Action. “The more veterans continue to serve their country out of uniform, the more effective, bipartisan, and less polarized our Congress will be.”

Importantly, With Honor Action’s research found that veterans from a range of service branches are running for the House and Senate in large numbers. Of the 684 veterans running for House and Senate in 2022, 283 served in the Army, 161 in the Navy, 108 in the Air Force, 108 in the Marine Corps, 46 in the National Guard, and 7 Coast Guard. Note that some veteran candidates belong to multiple branches of the military and have been counted multiple times in the service branch totals.

“Crisis after crisis has shown that the world needs fresh vision and leadership.  One of the best ways to rebuild public trust in our institutions — especially in Congress — is to prepare and encourage a new generation of principled veterans to take up the mantle of leadership.” said David Gergen, Co-Founder and Board Chair of With Honor Action. “What a good sign for the country that so many outstanding veterans are already answering the call.”

With Honor Action will continue to update its research and share new findings on veterans running for Congress. If you have questions about our research or would like to speak to With Honor Action CEO Rye Barcott, please reach out to Kate Constantini at constantini@withhonor.org.

With Honor Action Praises the CHIPS and Science Act

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CHARLOTTE, NC – With Honor Action praises the bipartisan CHIPS and Science Act of 2022, which was signed into law today by President Biden. The legislation passed on a bipartisan basis in the U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives earlier this month.

Despite being used in thousands of products including cars, gaming consoles, medical devices, cell phones, and our military defense systems, it is estimated that a mere 12% of the world’s chips are produced in the United States while Asia accounts for about 80% of production. The CHIPS and Science Act will reduce reliance on foreign semiconductor manufacturers by incentivising domestic manufacturing and production. This landmark legislation will ensure the U.S. remains a global competitor while securing our national security.

With Honor Action congratulates members of the For Country Caucus, a bipartisan group of veterans in Congress that With Honor Action proudly works alongside, who led efforts for passage in the House. Many elements of the CHIPS and Science Act are based on recommendations from the National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence (NSCAI), which With Honor Action and the For Country Caucus have worked to advance.

“The CHIPS and Science Act revitalizes the U.S.’s place as a global competitor in domestic semiconductor production while making historic investments in the National Science Foundation for technological research,” said Rye Barcott, CEO and Co-Founder of With Honor Action. “We’re also making sure that our service members have the weapons and systems they need in combat. This is an excellent step forward.”

With Honor Action looks forward to seeing continued investments in maintaining America’s competitive edge and future legislation further supporting our emerging technological capabilities.

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With Honor Action is a cross-partisan movement focused on supporting military veterans who want to work across the aisle and put principles before politics while serving again in Congress. With Honor Action’s advisory board includes post-9/11 veterans and Gold Star family members — Chris Howard, Ryan Manion, and Medal of Honor Recipient Florent Groberg — as well as prominent American leaders such as Secretary Robert Gates, Senator Tom Daschle, Admiral Michael Mullen, General Nadja West, and David Gergen.

With Honor Action is a 501(c)(4), which serves as the organization’s policy and social-welfare arm. With Honor has an affiliated federally registered “super PAC” called With Honor Fund.

With Honor Action Praises House Passage of National Defense Authorization Act

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CHARLOTTE, NC – With Honor Action praises the bipartisan passage of the fiscal year 2023 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) in the U.S. House of Representatives. The NDAA passed by a bipartisan vote of 329-101.

With Honor Action also congratulates members of the For Country Caucus, a bipartisan group of veterans in Congress that With Honor Action proudly works alongside, on their legislative achievements included in this year’s House version of the yearly defense bill. These provisions span three of With Honor Action’s top legislative priorities: national security, national service, and veterans affairs.

“The NDAA process is the gold standard of bipartisan legislative work. This year was no exception,” said Rye Barcott, CEO and Co-Founder of With Honor Action. “The work of the For Country Caucus will undoubtedly improve the lives of our service members, military families, and our veterans. But it will also ensure the strength and resilience of this nation by improving integration of artificial intelligence and biotechnology into our national security apparatus, boosting our federal digital workforce, and securing our critical infrastructure.”

A number of For Country Caucus members serve as members of the House Armed Services Committee, which leads the NDAA process, including: Representatives Don Bacon, Jack Bergman, Anthony Brown, Salud Carbajal, Jason Crow, Scott Franklin, Mike Gallagher, Jared Golden, Chrissy Houlahan, Kai Kahele, Elaine Luria, Seth Moulton, Jimmy Panetta, Mikie Sherrill, and Mike Waltz.

Below, find a detailed list of these twenty-three particular, substantive bipartisan provisions:

Investing in the Future of Defense
  1. National Digital Reserve Corps
  2. Pilot Program on Cybersecurity Training for Veterans and Military Spouses
  3. U.S. Digital Service Academy
  4. CISA Leadership Act
  5. Space National Guard Establishment Act
  6. DHS Roles & Responsibilities in Cyberspace
  7. Establishment of Critical Technology Security Centers
  8. Support for Research and Development of Bioindustrial Manufacturing Processes
  9. Designation of Systemically Important Critical Infrastructure
  10. Sense of Congress on Taiwan Defense Relations
Supporting Service Members, Veterans, and their Families
  1. Onward to Opportunity Act
  2. The Post-Widows Tax Repeal SBP Open Enrollment for Service-Disabled Veterans Act
  3. Exclusion of Basic Allowance for Housing income from Basic Needs Allowance
  4. Military Housing Transparency and Accountability Act
  5. VA Same Day Scheduling Act
  6. U.S. Israel Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Collaborative Research Act
  7. Supporting Education Recognition for Veterans during Emergencies (SERVE) Act
  8. Get Rewarding Outdoor Work (GROW) Act
  9. Study on Incidence and Mortality of Cancer Among Former Aircrew
  10. Report on Adverse Childhood Events in Servicemembers
Encouraging National Service and Civic Engagement
  1. Expanding opportunities for Junior Reserve Officer Training Program participation
Honoring our Wartime Promises to Afghan Allies
  1. Extension and Modification of the Afghan Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) Program
  2. Expansion of the Afghan SIV Program to Include Combat Wounded Afghan Allies
You can read more about these provisions here.

With Honor Action Endorses Bipartisan Civics Secures Democracy Act

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CHARLOTTE, NC – With Honor Action is proud to endorse the bipartisan Civics Secures Democracy Act, which was reintroduced by Senators Chris Coons (D-Del.) and John Cornyn (R-Texas). The legislation would expand access to civic education by investing $1 billion in educational programming around history and civics across K-12 and higher education. The legislation is led by Senators Angus King (I-Maine), Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) and Bill Cassidy (R-La.), in addition to Senators Coons and Cornyn.

“Strong civic education is a pillar of democracy. The bipartisan Civics Secures Democracy Act is an important piece of legislation to enhance civic education for young Americans across the country. As an organization that supports bipartisan veterans in Congress, With Honor Action is pleased to endorse the Civics Secures Democracy Act. Thanks to Senators Chris Coons and John Cornyn for their leadership initiating it,” said Rye Barcott, Co-Founder and CEO of With Honor Action.

With Honor Action Sends Letter to House and Senate Leadership About National Security Commission on Emerging Biotechnology

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CHARLOTTE, NC – With Honor Action sent a letter to House and Senate leadership today about the urgent need to appoint the final four commissioners to the National Security Commission on Emerging Biotechnology (NSCEB).

The establishment of this commission was an outgrowth of an effort championed by two bipartisan, veteran Members of the For Country Caucus – Representatives Mike Gallagher and Seth Moulton. This commission follows in the footsteps of other bipartisan commissions that addressed emerging national security challenges, including the Cyber Solarium Commission and the National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence.

The Senate and House Armed Services Committee Chairs and Ranking Members have selected eight commissioners for the NSCEB, but the full power of the commission cannot be realized until House and Senate leadership appoint the final four commissioners.

“I am writing to encourage you to appoint your commissioners as soon as practical, so that the NSCEB can begin their vital work in earnest,” writes Rye Barcott, Co-Founder and CEO of With Honor Action, to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy.

Barcott goes on to write, “I appreciate your consideration of the above request – your robust support of the National Security Commission on Emerging Biotechnology will pay generational dividends for American national security.”

With Honor Action Praises Bipartisan Passage of Army Rangers Veterans of World War II Congressional Gold Medal Act

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CHARLOTTE, NC – ​​With Honor Action praises the bipartisan passage of the United States Army Rangers Veterans of World War II Congressional Gold Medal Act. About 16 million Americans served in the US military during World War II. Just 7,000 were Rangers. They were known for spearheading invasions from Africa to D-Day in Normandy and liberating many prisoners from Nazi concentration camps. As of 2021 only 19 World War II Army Rangers were living.

“Thank you to the bipartisan For Country Caucus members and veterans for driving this legislation forward in the House and making it possible for us to honor our brave World War II Army Rangers,” said Rye Barcott, CEO and Co-Founder of With Honor Action. “Their selfless service and courage on the battlefield merit the long overdue Congressional Gold Medal and our nation’s enduring gratitude. Sua sponte.”

The majority of For Country Caucus (FCC) members, which With Honor Action works alongside, contributed to the passage. FCC members Congressman Jason Crow (CO-06), Congresswoman Marianette Miller Meeks (IA-02), and Congressman Mike Waltz (FL-06) introduced the bipartisan bill in the House of Representatives.

“As a 24-year Army veteran, I am thrilled to see our bipartisan resolution has now passed both chambers of Congress and is ready to become law. The brave young men who served in the first Ranger Battalions served their country with honor and courage,” said Miller-Meeks. “The Congressional Gold Medal is the least we can do to honor the legacy of these heroes. We will never forget their service and sacrifice.”

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