With Honor fights polarization in Congress by supporting principled veterans of both parties who take the With Honor Pledge to serve with integrity, civility, and courage. We work alongside the House’s bipartisan For Country Caucus and a bipartisan group of Senators to pass critical legislation in national security, national service, and veterans’ affairs.
With Honor’s affiliated political action committees help elect next-generation veterans and national security professionals across party lines who take the With Honor Pledge. We have helped elect more than 50 Members of Congress of both parties, four governors, and numerous veterans to other offices across the nation.
- I will be honest.
- I will use the power of my office only for the service of my constituents and my country.
- I will work to bring civility to elected office.
- I will participate in a cross-partisan veterans caucus.
- I will meet with a Member from an opposing party one-on-one at least once a month.
- I will join with colleagues on both sides of the aisle on at least one piece of substantial legislation each year, and co-sponsor additional pieces.
Why Principled Veteran Leaders?
Veteran representation in Congress has declined...
Since 1973, the share of military veterans in Congress has declined steeply, from a high-mark of nearly three-quarters of Congress to just below one-fifth today.
...and Congress is the least trusted public institution in America.
Americans know that extreme partisanship has corroded our national legislature. Congress no longer tackles our country’s biggest issues, and, as a result, public confidence in Congress has plummeted over the last fifty years.Those who served in uniform and are now willing to put country before party share strengths and experience from which we can all benefit.
We seek a stronger democracy with more veterans of both parties who take the With Honor Pledge to serve with integrity, civility, and courage.
31 out of 45 U.S. Presidents were military veterans
What Makes Principled Veterans Effective Legislators?
Cross-Partisanship
Veteran lawmakers, especially when screened as candidates by an organization like With Honor, are likelier than their non-veteran counterparts to work across the aisle, research suggests. For example, veterans who have taken the With Honor pledge often score within the top quarter on The Lugar Center’s Bipartisan Index, which measures how often a member crosses the aisle to sponsor or co-sponsor legislation. For additional insights, see this research article by former West Point Professor, Joseph G. Amoroso
Service
The most effective lawmakers are motivated by a service ethos. Every veteran served. All veterans took an oath to sacrifice, even to the point of sacrificing their lives, in the line of duty.
Work Ethic
Military service often requires grueling hours in training and on missions. Such service instills in those who serve the value of hard work and a respect for perseverance to accomplish goals. These values are crucial in the halls of Congress, where each House member serves hundreds of thousands — and most Senators serve millions — of constituents, and these lawmakers face many competing demands each day.
National Security
Many veterans who become policymakers have uniquely informed perspectives on national security, having put their lives on the line for their country. Veteran policymakers tend to have a narrower set of conditions under which they support military intervention, research has found, but when they support intervention, they also tend to support a significant commitment of resources to ensure military success. To learn more. read Choosing Your Battles: American Civil-Military Relations and the Use of Force by Peter Feaver and Christopher Gelpi.
Leadership
Nearly every U.S. military veteran has received leadership training and real-world leadership experience, often at a very young age and sometimes in the crucible of combat. Learn more about the benefits of military leadership training and experience in this essay by Colonel Miguel Howe, which focuses on post-9/11 veterans.
Diverse Backgrounds
Veterans serve with Americans from all walks of life, on missions that matter. Military service instills in them an appreciation of our diverse nation and how that diversity nourishes our strength. Discover the U.S. military’s evolving demographic profile.