With Honor Action Praises Plan to Expand National Service

CHARLOTTE, NC – With Honor Action expresses support for Voices for National Service’s proposal to expand national service and urges its inclusion in the final American Rescue Package as a way to bolster COVID-19 response efforts. Over 21,400 AmeriCorps members currently work on COVID-19 response, a number that would increase dramatically under the $1 billion Voices for National Service proposal.

“National service is a local imperative, and never in recent memory have local communities needed more support than during the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Rye Barcott, With Honor Action CEO and Co-Founder. “A significant expansion of national service opportunities through the American Rescue Package will send a strong, bipartisan signal to Americans that more help is on the way.”

Barcott sent letters to both President Biden and House and Senate leadership expressing his support for the expansion of national service through the American Rescue Package.

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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 George Shultz, Secretary Robert Gates, Admiral Michael Mullen, Michèle Flournoy, 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 Presents Principles Before Politics Award to Rep. Adam Kinzinger

CHARLOTTE, NC – With Honor Action – a cross-partisan movement dedicated to promoting and advancing principled veteran leadership in order to reduce polarization – announced Rep. Adam Kinzinger (IL-16) as the recipient of the Principles Before Politics Award.

“On behalf of With Honor Action, I’m honored to present Congressman Adam Kinzinger with the Principles Before Politics Award,” said Admiral Michael Mullen, 17th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and With Honor Action Advisory Board Member. “This award encapsulates the tough decisions that Congressman Kinzinger has made during his career in service to the United States.”

The With Honor Action Principles Before Politics Award is bestowed annually to an individual who, in service to our nation, demonstrated three values that inspire the With Honor Pledge: integrity, civility, and courage. Elected in 2010, Rep. Kinzinger is serving his 6th term in Congress and represents Illinois’s 16th congressional district. Prior to then, he earned a commission in the U.S. Air Force and flew KC-135 Stratotankers in several theaters, including Iraq and Afghanistan. Congressman Kinzinger currently serves on the House Energy and Commerce and Foreign Affairs committees while continuing to serve as a Lieutenant Colonel in the Air National Guard.

“Congressman Kinzinger is deeply committed to honoring his Oath of Office and to upholding our nation’s Constitution,” said Rye Barcott, With Honor Action CEO and Co-Founder. “This conviction has guided him through his career as a U.S. Air Force pilot, as a Lieutenant Colonel in the Air National Guard, and as a Member of Congress. Congressman Kinzinger’s actions serve as a model for those who want to foster a government that works for and is trusted by the American people.”

Congressman Kinzinger is the second recipient of the With Honor Action Principles Before Politics Award. In 2019, the award was given to Charlene and John Lugar who accepted it on behalf of the late U.S. Senator Richard Lugar, a U.S. Navy veteran.

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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 George Shultz, Secretary Robert Gates, Admiral Michael Mullen, Michèle Flournoy, 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.

Statement from Rye Barcott, With Honor Action CEO and Co-Founder

CHARLOTTE, NC – With Honor Action released the following statement:

“With Honor condemns the acts of violence and desecration against the peaceful transfer of power that occurred in the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021. We are grateful that the democratic process outlined in the Constitution was affirmed by members of both political parties in the wake of this turmoil.

“The Constitution is clear and definitive, as were the results of our presidential election. We look forward to working with President-elect Joe Biden and his administration on priorities that can unify our nation and break the debilitating partisanship that arrests our politics.”

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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 George Shultz, Secretary Robert Gates, Admiral Michael Mullen, Michèle Flournoy, 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 Passage of Bipartisan Defense Spending Bill

CHARLOTTE, NC – With Honor Action applauds Congress for the passage of the bipartisan National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for fiscal year 2021. In October 2020, With Honor Action sent a letter to the Chairmen and Ranking Members of both the House and Senate Armed Services Committees stressing bipartisan cooperation and advocating for specific provisions that would ensure that our servicemembers have the resources needed to continue defending our nation.

“Our government has a fundamental obligation under the Constitution to ensure America is protected,” said Rye Barcott, With Honor Action CEO and Co-Founder. “I’m pleased to see Congress work together on a law that bolsters our national security, strengthens our civic education, and improves the livelihoods of our servicemembers and their families.”

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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 George Shultz, Secretary Robert Gates, Admiral Michael Mullen, Michèle Flournoy, 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 Announces Legislative Accomplishments in First Two Years

Charlotte, NC – With Honor Action fights polarization in Congress in part by working alongside the veteran, cross-partisan For Country Caucus (FCC) of veterans in the U.S. House and initiating, advancing, and passing into law bipartisan efforts that matter for our nation and world. With Honor Action supported and helped pass into law the following pieces of bipartisan legislation:

National Security and U.S. Competitiveness:

  • Strengthened America’s cybersecurity by enacting several of the recommendations from the Cybersecurity Solarium Commission’s final report, including the establishment of a National Cyber Director, the development of a strategy to secure government emails, the evaluation of the need to organize a Cyber Reserve Force, and the creation of a Joint Cyber Planning Office.
  • Reaffirmed strong congressional support for the North American Treaty Organization (NATO), which is critical to achieving United States national security interests and defense objectives around the world.
  • Countered foreign adversaries at home and abroad by codifying Huawei’s place on the Commerce Department Entity list; addressing foreign talent recruitment programs, and requiring the disclosure of foreign funding sources to obtain federally funded research awards.
  • Required the President to continue to report to Congress regarding the legal and policy frameworks for the use of military force and related national security operations.

National Service and Civic Education:

  • Increased funding for national service programs by $1 billion to increase living allowances for those who serve and deploy needed support to communities impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • Established a new Ready Reserve Corps within the U.S. Public Health Ready Reserve Corps to aid in our response to the coronavirus and future public health emergencies.
  • Provided medical malpractice liability protection for volunteer health care workers supporting COVID-19 response efforts, so that doctors can volunteer their skills and help alleviate the public health workforce shortage during this crisis.
  • Expanded STEM and Civic Education in America’s High Schools through the Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Program.

Veterans Affairs:

  • Reduced the tax burden for approximately 67 thousand Gold Star families by ensuring they can continue to receive all of the survivor benefits they are entitled to.
  • Provided paid parental, family caregiving and medical leave to America’s more than 2.1 million civil servants.
  • Increased basic pay by 3.1% for all active duty servicemembers, the largest pay increase in a decade.
  • Combated sexual assault in the military by increasing the number of lawyers available to ensure sexual assault survivors receive adequate help throughout the legal process.
  • Eliminated the widow’s tax, which previously prevented more than 65,000 surviving spouses of fallen soldiers from receiving their full survivor benefits, saving these families an average of approximately $12,000 per year.
  • Expanded childcare services and financial resources to surviving family members of servicemembers who die in the line of duty.
  • Ensured greater interoperability between the Department of Defense and the VA’s electronic health systems.
  • Extended full military honors at the funerals of recipients of Medals of Honor and former prisoners of war.
  • Provided legal services to veterans with outstanding warrants or fines, child support matters, license revocations, as well as specific assistance for women veterans and their families.
  • Reimbursed state licensure and certification costs for military spouses, so they can continue their careers after their spouse changes duty stations.
  • Allowed free access to America’s National Parks and federal recreation sites for families of servicemembers who have died in the line of duty while serving in the military.

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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, Gen. 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 Applauds Significant, Bipartisan 2020 Accomplishments

CHARLOTTE, NC – With 2020 nearing its end, With Honor Action is pleased to see Congress work in a bipartisan manner to strengthen our nation as we emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic. Earlier this year, Congress established a Public Health Ready Reserve Corps that will allow qualified medical professionals to respond to the pandemic and other health emergencies in the future. In addition, Congress provided liability protections for volunteer health workers who are supporting our nation’s efforts during this global crisis.

Another piece of legislation that passed both chambers of Congress and is on the president’s desk is the Legal Services for Homeless Veterans Act that will provide homeless veterans, and those at-risk, access to legal services. These changes in law will support veterans who are struggling to make a transition from military duty to civilian life.

This year, military veteran Members of Congress placed a renewed focus on national service in several pieces of legislation. Making it easier for Americans to serve their country—both in and out of uniform—is an idea that is gaining bipartisan support among bipartisan leaders in both chambers of Congress. As the 117th session of Congress begins in the new year, we urge Congress to keep the flame of national service burning brighter than ever before so that our fellow countrymen and women have more opportunities to serve the nation they love.

“Military veterans in Congress worked together on legislation that is and will continue to help our country respond to the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Rye Barcott, With Honor Action CEO and Co-Founder. “Recently, Congress came together to pass the annual defense spending bill that will strengthen our nation and provide resources to the men and women who protect it. While this year has been too tough for too many Americans, we’re pleased to see bipartisan progress in Congress as there is much work to be done in the 117th session.”

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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 George Shultz, Secretary Robert Gates, Admiral Michael Mullen, Michèle Flournoy, 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.

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