In an interview on CBS’s “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 groups in Congress that’s known for doing constructive work and passing legislation that matters for the nation.

In a political environment that favors cable TV culture wars and quick soundbites, no side wins but one group certainly loses: the American people. The For Country Caucus was created to help address the divisive political polarization tearing our nation apart, and it was founded on the belief that men and women who share the common bond of serving in uniform understand that much more unites us as a nation 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 often to determine policy objectives, debate legislation, and hear from high-level speakers on important issues. Speakers have ranged from Cabinet secretaries, and foreign heads of state to CEOs, 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 three key buckets of enduring bipartisan focus for the Caucus, and Caucus members participate in service activities together, including cleaning the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall, “rucking the reserves,” (in which military reserve members walk long distances to maintain their readiness), boxing meals for troops deployed overseas, and visiting Afghan and Ukrainian refugees in the United States.

To be sure, With Honor and the For Country Caucus recognize that these collective activities will not entirely alleviate the poisonous partisanship corroding American democracy. Creating a place of trust where Members of both parties can freely debate and exchange ideas, however, is the first step in the right direction.

Declining Public Trust in Congress 1953 – 2019

Healthy, vibrant debate is good, when conducted civilly by men and women of integrity. From that debate comes the courage to stand together, often in defiance of political pressures, to get things done for the American people.