A caucus of military veterans seeks to bridge the political divide in a polarized Congress

WASHINGTON — This year’s players Army-Navy football match kept up a long tradition of each side honoring the other’s school song as the match ended. It was an acknowledgment that the future could bring moments when the opponents that day are teammates on deadlier fields.

That ethos also guides a group in the U.S. House of Representatives calling itself the For Country Caucus. Its members are veterans with extensive military experience who have united across party and ideological boundaries. At a time when bipartisan working relationships in Congress seem rare and there is little hope for change in the coming session, the caucus shows that there are still spaces where people with different views come together.

“We’re trying to lead by example, both within Congress to show our colleagues that this is possible, but also to America more broadly,” the Colorado Democrat said. Jason Crowwho is one of the outgoing caucus co-chairs.

“People are just inundated with the crazy aspects of Congress and the things that aren’t working and the people yelling and screaming,” Crow said. “We just don’t get as much attention when we’re actually working together.”

The caucus began in 2019 to bridge the divisions plaguing Washington and slow its effectiveness, he said Steve Womacka Republican caucus member from Arkansas and a retired colonel in the Army National Guard.

Bringing together people who see themselves as having a shared commitment to putting country and mission first seemed like a starting point “to maybe advance some agendas that would be good for the country,” Womack said. Deadlines, comfort with high-pressure situations and a focus on common goals create “a kind of warrior ethos,” he said.

Since then, the group has been instrumental in passing more than 100 bills. The legislation covers areas such as national security, strengthening the military, veterans’ issues, national service and supporting military families, especially those who have lost loved ones.

The caucus played a key role in getting the increase – the first in two decades – payments intended to help military families bear the additional financial costs of deployment. The caucus also pushed for a provision that would allow federal agencies to appoint military spouses to remote work positions, a move that could allow them to keep their jobs despite multiple moves.

Other recently signed legislation included a bill to continue efforts to evacuate Afghans serving in Afghanistan alongside U.S. military members, diplomats and aid workers.

One of the group’s early successes was the effort to establish the Global War on Terrorism Memorial on the National Mall. Its design is in progress.

“We are a small but mighty party that punches well above its weight,” Crow said.

Its members sit together on a number of committees and meet regularly, including a breakfast briefing twice a month. Recently, these briefings included the heads of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force and Space Force, as well as the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Other guests spoke about national service, such as the Peace Corps, AmeriCorps and Voices for National Service.

“We believe very strongly that one of the ways to bring Americans together is to get Americans working together again,” Crow said.

That doesn’t have to be in the military, he said. People can also find common ground by serving their community.

Their staffers are also meeting, and the representatives have some functions away from Capitol Hill, including washing the black granite walls at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.

Two members of the outgoing faction are retiring, the 28 others have been re-elected. The caucus expects to welcome at least five new members in the next Congress, meaning that almost 8% of the House of Representatives will be part of the caucus.

Crow, a former Army Ranger who served multiple tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, and his co-chairman, Texas Republican Tony Gonzales, a retired Navy chief petty officer, will hand the reins to Texas Republican Jake Ellzey, a former F/A petty officer. 18 pilot, and Air Force Academy alumnus Don Davis, a Democrat from North Carolina.

Edward Crawford, co-founder of the War Veterans Fund, which recruits Republican war veterans to run for Congress, has had several candidates join the caucus after winning their races.

“In a polarized world and a very polarized country, we veterans need to work with everyone,” he said. “You go into battle, black, white, Hispanic, Asian, it doesn’t matter. You’re being shot at. You work together. You cover for each other. Democrat or Republican, it doesn’t matter.”

Crawford, himself a Navy veteran, said that while his organization focuses on Republican prospects, he refers Democrats to his counterpart at a group called With Honor Action because that nonpartisan organization promotes veterans of both parties for elective office.

“We want them to be successful too,” he said. “We want both sides of the aisle to have more veterans.”

Several members already had direct military connections.

Representatives Pat Ryan, a Democrat from New York, and John James, a Republican from Michigan, were West Point classmates who once lived in the same hall. Ryan is the first West Point graduate to represent the district where the academy is located.

Ellzey flew in a squadron that provided close air support in Afghanistan to Mike Waltz, a Florida Republican and caucus member, during one of Waltz’s military deployments. Waltz, a former Green Beret, has been tapped to become President-elect Donald Trump’s national security adviser.

Crow and Womack, who were interviewed together, said they have been monitoring the debate over Pete Hegseth, Trump’s nominee to lead the Defense Department, as well as issues related to the nomination, such as veterans’ benefits and women in combat.

Womack said the nomination is the Senate’s responsibility, but if issues are raised that conflict with the caucus’ ideals, “the entire For Country Caucus will be ready to take action. I think we all know roughly where we stand when it comes to these types of topics.”

But he added: “I think it’s a little premature at this point to get too caught up in conjecture about what may or may not happen in the new Congress.”

Crow said questions about women in combat are not an issue.

“We don’t have to take a stand because it’s just the fact that women are serving in combat,” he said. “There are people in the caucus who have had this experience. So for us this is not even a question.”

He said the caucus was made up of men and women from different backgrounds, nationalities, races and political positions. The outgoing co-vice chairs are New Jersey Democrat Mike Sherrill, a former Navy helicopter pilot, and Mariannette Miller-Meeks, an Iowa Republican and Army and Army Reserves veteran whose careers include being a nurse and a doctor.

Pushing specific ideologies isn’t part of its purpose, Crow said. Finding common ground, even in the face of disagreement, is.

“We’re not going to adopt an all-or-nothing mentality because we know that when people adopt an all-or-nothing mentality, Americans end up with nothing,” he said. “That is simply not acceptable to us.”