Leadership
To see the full membership of the For Country Caucus and read more about their accomplishments, please visit their website
Read more about the For Country CaucusIn an interview on Face The Nation, former Secretary of Defense and With Honor Action Advisory Board Member Robert Gates recognized the For Country Caucus as one of the entities giving him hope for the future.
In less than five years, the Caucus has quickly become one of the few bipartisan platforms in Congress for doing constructive work and passing legislation that matters for the nation.
In a political environment that favors cable news culture wars and quick soundbites, there are no winners and one certain loser: the American people. The For Country Caucus was founded as a remedy to the divisive political polarization tearing our nation apart, with the belief that men and women who share the common bond of having served in uniform understand there is so much more that unites us than divides us.
The For Country Caucus puts that belief into practice.
On an individual basis, and as part of the With Honor pledge, Caucus members commit to meeting with at least one member of the opposing party every month. As a group, members meet frequently to determine policy objectives, debate legislation, and hear from high-level speakers on important issues. Guests have ranged from cabinet ministers, CEOs, and heads of state, to entrepreneurs, non-profit leaders, and military and intelligence personnel on the frontlines of our nation’s most pressing national security matters.
National service is one of the three key buckets of enduring bipartisan focus for the For Country Caucus, and the Caucus participates in service together. Activities have ranged from cleaning the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall, rucking the reserve, boxing meals for troops deployed overseas, and visiting Afghan and Ukrainian refugees in the U.S.
Neither With Honor Action nor the For Country Caucus are so naive as to think these meetings will entirely alleviate the poisonous partisanship corroding American democracy. However, creating a place of trust where Members can freely debate and exchange ideas is the first step in the right direction.
Declining Public Trust in Congress 1953 – 2019
Healthy, vibrant debate is good, when conducted in a civil way by men and women of integrity. From that debate comes the courage to stand together, often in defiance of political demands, to get things done for the American people.