WASHINGTON, D.C.  –The For Country Caucus, a non-partisan group of military veterans serving in Congress and dedicated to working together in a nonpartisan way to create a more productive government, announced new leadership and a growing caucus membership for the 117th Congress. A former Brigadier General in the U.S. Air Force Rep. Don Bacon (NE-02) will rejoin the Caucus for the 117^th Congress. 

“The For Country Caucus has been a leader in advocating for bipartisan legislation among a sea of divisiveness,” said Representative Don Bacon (R-NE-02). “I am thrilled to be a part of this consensus building group once again and look forward to accomplishing great things for Nebraska and our country. Our group of veterans want to make a difference for our country and cut through all the vitriol and hyper-partisanship.”

Congressmen Van Taylor (R-TX-03) and Jared Golden (D-ME-02) will lead the caucus as co-chairs through 2022 as its ranks swell to 25 members. Congressmen Jim Baird (R-IN-04) and Salud Carbajal (D-CA-24) will serve as vice-chairs.

"Serving this country in the military gives you the skills to work as a team with Americans of different backgrounds and beliefs, for a cause greater than yourself,” said co-chairs Van Taylor and Jared Golden. “As co-chairs of the For Country Caucus, we’re honored to lead this bipartisan group of veterans as we continue to build on the foundation that’s been laid over the past two years. The mission of this caucus — to set aside political differences in the pursuit of policies that will benefit the country — has never been more important, and together we can set that example in Congress.” 

“Developed from the belief that military veterans in Congress should band together to make meaningful public policy change for our nation’s heroes and that our shared experience servicing our nation could help break down debilitating partisan barriers currently engulfing Washington, Congressman Don Bacon took the reins and lead the For Country Caucus as our first Republican Co-Chair. As we begin the 117th Congress, the For Country Caucus is in strong position to continue building on this mission because of Congressman Bacon’s stewardship. I look forward to continuing to learn from his leadership as we work together to advance commonsense legislation and civil discourse,” added Republican Co-Chair of the For Country Caucus, Rep. Taylor.  

The For Country Caucus is a group of principled military veteran members who strive to create a Congress that is less polarized, more efficient, and is trusted by Americans. Together, they share a vision of a Congress that is strategic in purpose, focused on action, and where elected officials put our country first. Members of the For Country Caucus seek a Congress where members serve with integrity, civility, and courage.

Members of the 117^th Congress For Country Caucus include Representatives Jason Crow (D-CO-06), Don Bacon (R-NE-02), Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA-06), Jack Bergman (R-MI-01), Scott Franklin (R-FL-15), Kai Kahele (D-HI-02), Mike Gallagher (R-WI-08), Mike Garcia (R-CA-25), Conor Lamb (D-PA-17), Tony Gonzales (R-TX-23), Adam Kinzinger (R-IL-16), Elaine Luria (D-VA-02), Brian Mast (R-FL-18), Peter Meijer (R-MI-03), Seth Moulton (D-MA-06), Mariannette Miller Meeks (R-IA-02), Jimmy Panetta (D-CA-20), August Pfluger (R-TX-11), Mikie Sherrill (D-NJ-11), Greg Steube (R-FL-17), and Michael Waltz (R-FL-06).

In the 116th Congress, the For Country Caucus built a strong track record and got results. The caucus and its members successfully worked to pass a number of national service-oriented provisions into law, including: 

• Fallen Heroes Family Travel Act (H.R. 3065): Authorized reimbursement to Gold Star families for the costs of transporting fallen servicemembers’ remains to a national cemetery (Became law in FY20 NDAA)
• Better Military Housing Act (H.R. 2811): Established a tenant “bill of rights” and sets minimum acceptable livability standards for military personnel and their families (Became law in FY20 NDAA)
• Widow’s Tax Repeal (H.R. 553): Phased out the Widow’s Tax (Became Law in FY20 NDAA)
• Afghan Allies Protection Act (H.R. 2796): Authorized 4,000 additional visas for Afghan allies and extended the application period to 2021 (Became law in FY20 NDAA)
• Full Military Honors Act (H.R. 1019): Authorized full military honors for veterans who were awarded the Medal of Honor or prisoner-of-war medal (Became law in FY20 NDAA)
• Childcare Resources for Surviving Family Members: Expanded financial assistance to civilian providers of childcare services for Gold Star families (Became law in FY20 NDAA)
• Meetings of Service Chiefs and Surviving Families: Enacted a requirement for senior military officials to meet with survivors of deceased service members to receive feedback on issues affecting survivors (Became law in FY20 NDAA)
• National Suicide Hotline Designation Act (H.R. 4194): Designated 9-8-8 as the universal telephone number for a national suicide prevention and mental health crisis hotline (Became Law)
• National Cyber Director Act (H.R. 7331): Established the office of the National Cyber Director within the Executive Office of the President (Became law in FY21 NDAA)
• Gold Star Families Park Pass Act (H.R. 5998): Made the National Parks and Federal Recreational Land Pass free to members of Gold Star families (Became law in FY21 NDAA)
• Legal Services for Homeless Veterans Act (H.R. 3749): Established grants for entities that provide legal services for homeless veterans (Became law in H.R. 7105)

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