{{use mdy dates|date=April 2018}} {{Infobox organization | name = With Honor Action, Inc. | native_name = | native_name-lang = | image = | image_size = | image_alt = | caption = | logo = WithHonor-Action Color Logo.png | logo_size = 150 | logo_alt = | logo_caption = | abbreviation = | formation = {{Start date and age|2017}} | founders = Rye Barcott, David Gergen, <br/>Peter Dixon | founding_location = | type = 501(c)(4) nonprofit | tax_id = | registration_id = | status = | purpose = | headquarters = Washington, D.C., U.S. | services = | region_served = | num_volunteers = | num_employees = | affiliations = With Honor Fund; With Honor PAC, and With Honor Institute | website = {{URL|withhonor.org|WithHonor.org}} }}
'''With Honor Action, Inc'''. (commonly known as “'''With Honor'''”) is a U.S. 501(c)(4) social-welfare nonprofit organization that advocates for principled veteran leadership in elected office and for cross-partisan cooperation in Congress. Founded in 2017, the organization focuses on reducing political polarization by supporting veteran candidates and advancing bipartisan legislation, particularly in national security, national service, and veterans’ affairs.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news |last=Lawrence |first=Quil |date=2017-11-10 |title='Cross-Partisan' Group, With Honor, Aims To Support Veteran Candidates For Congress |url=https://www.npr.org/2017/11/10/563378701/cross-partisan-group-with-honor-aims-to-support-veteran-candidates-for-congress |access-date=2026-03-27 |publisher=NPR |language=en}}</ref>
With Honor was co-founded by Marine Corps veterans Rye Barcott and Peter Dixon, and Navy veteran David Gergen, a longtime presidential advisor.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=Rye Barcott reflects on five pieces of advice from David Gergen |url=https://www.hks.harvard.edu/centers/cpl/publications/rye-barcott-reflects-five-pieces-advice-david-gergen |access-date=2026-03-27 |website=hks.harvard.edu |language=en}}</ref>
==History== With Honor Action was established in early 2017 as part of a broader initiative known as ''With Honor,'' aimed at recruiting, supporting, and electing post-9/11 U.S. military veterans who take the With Honor Pledge to serve with integrity, civility, and courage.<ref name=":0" /> The founders cited the decline in veteran representation in Congress from more than seventy percent to below twenty percent and rising polarization as central motivations for the organization’s creation.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |last=Murphy |first=Patrick J. |date=2025-07-25 |title=Congress’s Disappearing Veteran Voices |url=https://thephiladelphiacitizen.org/more-veterans-in-congresss/ |access-date=2026-03-27 |website=The Philadelphia Citizen |language=en-US}}</ref>
Barcott, a Marine Corps veteran who served in Iraq, Bosnia, and the Horn of Africa, serves as With Honor’s chief executive officer. He has stated that the organization’s mission is rooted in the belief that the decline in veteran representation in Congress has contributed to increased dysfunction and polarization in U.S. politics.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Marine veteran's nonprofit aims to address 'polarization' in Congress |url=https://www.legion.org/information-center/news/washington-conference/2023/february/marine-veterans-nonprofit-aims-to-address-polarization-in-congress |access-date=2026-03-27 |website=The American Legion |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Cannon |first=William |date=2019-09-17 |title=Serving North Carolina |url=https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2019/09/nc-rye-barcott/ |access-date=2026-03-27 |website=Harvard Gazette |language=en-US}}</ref> Having served in the Marine Corps with current United States Representative Seth Moulton, a Democrat, and former Representative Mike Gallagher, a Republican, Barcott has cited a dedication to a “common mission” as part of the inspiration for With Honor.<ref name=":1" />
With Honor has also identified financial barriers and limited access to political networks as significant challenges facing younger veterans seeking public office.<ref name=":4">{{Cite web |date=2025-10-30 |title=With Honor Action Submits Statement for the Record Supporting the SHIPS for America Act |url=https://withhonor.org/news/ships-for-america-act/ |access-date=2026-03-27 |website=With Honor |language=en-US}}</ref> With Honor addresses these obstacles by providing early-stage support, issue education, and access to political networks.<ref name=":5">{{Cite web |date=2018-01-28 |title='With Honor' supports veterans running for Congress {{!}} Fox News Video |url=https://www.foxnews.com/video/5721131065001 |access-date=2026-03-27 |publisher=Fox News |language=en-US}}</ref>
With Honor publicly launched on Veterans Day 2017, when Barcott and Jake Wood, co-founder of Team Rubicon and a member of With Honor’s inaugural advisory board, published an op-ed in ''Time'', arguing that increasing next-generation veteran representation in Congress could serve as an antidote to political dysfunction.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Barcott |first=Rye |last2=Wood |first2=Jake |title=Why More Veterans Should Run for Office |url=https://time.com/5014163/veterans-run-for-office/}}</ref>[[File:Ryebarcott cfk.jpg|thumb|With Honor Co-Founders Peter Dixon, Rye Barcott, and David Gergen at the With Honor Action Gala for the 117th Congress, 2023.]]
The organization defines its mission as promoting and advancing principled veteran leadership in elected public service and fostering a culture of collaboration across party lines. Its activities include candidate support and advocacy, policy education, issue-based coalitions, and legislative engagement.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |title=With Honor - Cross-partisan Organization |url=https://withhonor.org/ |access-date=2026-03-27 |website=With Honor |language=en-US}}</ref>In 2022, With Honor supported its first gubernatorial candidate, Army veteran and the 63rd Governor of Maryland, Wes Moore. In 2025, it supported former For Country Caucus Vice Chair’s Mikie Sherrill successful run to become the 57th Governor of New Jersey, and the first woman veteran elected to be a governor.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-06-26 |title=For Country Caucus Endorses Bipartisan Legislation to Strengthen Nation’s Defense Against Anthrax Threat |url=https://ellzey.house.gov/2025/6/for-country-caucus-endorses-bipartisan-legislation-to-strengthen-nation-s-defense-against-anthrax-threat |access-date=2026-05-08 |website=United States Congressman Jake Ellzey |language=en}}</ref>
== ''Courage can save us'' == In June 2026, in advance of America’s 250th anniversary, Bloomsbury is scheduled to publish ''Courage Can Save US'' by Rye Barcott.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Home |url=https://couragecansaveus.com/ |access-date=2026-05-08 |website=Courage Can Save US |language=en-US}}</ref> The book profiles ten elected American leaders five Republicans and five Democrats, including nine military veterans and one former FBI agent and their paths to public service. Pulitzer Prize–winning historian Doris Kearns Goodwin wrote in an advance endorsement of the book:
“''For much of the twentieth century, military service helped shape American leadership. Nearly two-thirds of our presidents wore the nation’s uniform, and in the decades after World War II veterans held the majority of seats in Congress—an era when bipartisanship flourished. In Courage Can Save US, Rye Barcott shines a dramatic spotlight on 9 veterans and an FBI agent—men and women, Republicans and Democrats—now serving in elected office across the country. Forged in service and tested by sacrifice, their inspiring stories reveal how courage, character, and common purpose can still renew our democracy and restore hope for its future.''<ref>{{Cite book |last=Barcott |first=Rye |url=https://www.bloomsbury.com/us/courage-can-save-us-9798260200582/ |title=Courage Can Save Us |publisher=Bloomsbury |year=2026 |isbn=9798260200582}}</ref>
==Pledge== Veteran candidates endorsed by With Honor are asked to take the With Honor Pledge, committing to serve in public office with integrity, civility, and courage; to meet one-on-one with members of the other party at least once a month, and to co-sponsor bipartisan legislation at least once per year.<ref name=":2" /> The organization describes the pledge as the foundation of its approach to governance and as a mechanism for institutionalizing bipartisan engagement among its endorsed candidates.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://withhonor.org/the-pledge/|title=The Pledge|website=With Honor}}</ref>
== Congress ==
=== For Country Caucus === Following the 2018 midterm elections, veteran members of the U.S. House of Representatives supported by With Honor established<ref>{{Cite news |date=2019-03-19 |title=Opinion {{!}} Veterans can restore trust in Congress. That’s why we created a new caucus. |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/veterans-can-restore-trust-in-congress-thats-why-we-created-a-new-caucus/2019/03/19/f5b88cd4-4a5b-11e9-b79a-961983b7e0cd_story.html |access-date=2026-03-27 |work=The Washington Post |language=en-US |issn=0190-8286}}</ref> the For Country Caucus<ref>{{Cite web |title=For Country Caucus |url=https://ellzey.house.gov/for-country-caucus |access-date=2026-03-27 |website=United States Congressman Jake Ellzey |language=en}}</ref>, a bipartisan congressional caucus.<ref>{{Cite web |title=For Country Caucus |url=https://ellzey.house.gov/for-country-caucus |access-date=2026-03-27 |website=United States Congressman Jake Ellzey |language=en}}</ref> At its founding, it included nearly 20 members in the U.S. House of Representatives and was co-chaired by Representative Jimmy Panetta (D-CA), a Navy veteran and son of Leon Panetta, and Representative Don Bacon (R-NE), a retired Air Force brigadier general who served for nearly 30 years.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Trotter |first=Abigail |date=2026-03-18 |title=For Country Caucus Marks Seven Years, 200+ Bipartisan Laws Passed to Strengthen National Security, Increase National Service, and Support Veterans and Military Families |url=https://withhonor.org/news/for-country-caucus-marks-seven-years/ |access-date=2026-03-27 |website=With Honor |language=en-US}}</ref> Vice-chairs included Representative Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA), an Air Force veteran, and then-Representative Michael Waltz, an Army veteran and a former Green Beret. The caucus is currently co-chaired by Navy veteran Representative Jake Ellzey and Air Force veteran Representative Don Davis.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-05-06 |title=For Country Caucus Endorses Additional 23 Members’ NDAA Requests |url=https://ellzey.house.gov/2025/5/for-country-caucus-endorses-additional-23-members-ndaa-requests |access-date=2026-03-27 |website=United States Congressman Jake Ellzey |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":6">{{Cite web|url=https://withhonor.org/about-us/our-leadership/|title=Team|website=With Honor}}</ref>
The caucus has since expanded and continues to operate on a bipartisan basis, meeting regularly and collaborating on shared legislative priorities. Former members include New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill, North Carolina Attorney General Jeff Jackson, and former Representative Peter Meijer.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-01-07 |title=The For Country Caucus Announces 2024 Legislative Achievements |url=https://ellzey.house.gov/2025/1/the-for-country-caucus-announces-2024-legislative-achievements |access-date=2026-03-27 |website=United States Congressman Jake Ellzey |language=en}}</ref>
Each year, With Honor Action joins the For Country Caucus to clean the Vietnam Veterans Memorial<ref>{{Cite web |title=Vietnam Veterans Memorial (U.S. National Park Service) |url=https://www.nps.gov/vive/index.htm |access-date=2026-05-08 |website=www.nps.gov |language=en}}</ref>, an annual tradition begun in 2019 by then-Representative Mike Waltz, as the founding Vice Chair of the For Country Caucus. The event is regularly led by the remaining three Vietnam War veterans in Congress: Representatives Jim Baird and Mike Thompson, both Army veterans, and Representative Jack Bergman, a Marine Corps veteran.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Society |first=Ripon |date=2019-11-03 |title=“Service is Always Greater than Self.” |url=https://riponsociety.org/article/service-is-always-greater-than-self/ |access-date=2026-05-08 |website=The Ripon Society |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-05-21 |title=For Country Caucus Commemorates Memorial Day with Vietnam Veterans Memorial Cleaning |url=https://ellzey.house.gov/2025/5/for-country-caucus-commemorates-memorial-day-with-vietnam-veterans-memorial-cleaning |access-date=2026-05-08 |website=United States Congressman Jake Ellzey |language=en}}</ref>
National media coverage of the event has included CBS’s Margaret Brennan interviewing Representative Seth Moulton and Iowa Air National Guardsman Representative Zach Nunn<ref>{{Cite web |last=AOL |date=2025-10-12 |title=Read full episode transcripts of "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan" from 2025 - AOL |url=https://www.aol.com/articles/read-full-episode-transcripts-face-182938328.html |access-date=2026-05-08 |website=AOL.com |language=en-US}}</ref> ,''CNN''’s Jake Tapper interviewing West Point classmates and Army veterans, Representatives Pat Ryan and John James<ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.cnn.com/videos/politics/2023/05/28/sotu-memorial-day-vietnam-veterans-wall.cnn |title=Who will you think about on Memorial Day? Veterans reflect. {{!}} CNN Politics |date=2023-05-28 |language=en |access-date=2026-05-08 |via=www.cnn.com}}</ref>, and ''Fox''’s Bret Baier interviewing Co-Chairs Representatives Don Davis and Jake Ellzey.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Miller |first=Kaitlyn |date=2025-05-29 |title=Common Ground: Addressing U.S. Military Recruitment & Veteran Support Systems |url=https://radio.foxnews.com/2025/05/29/common-ground-addressing-u-s-military-recruitment-veteran-support-systems/ |access-date=2026-05-08 |website=FOX News Radio |language=en-US}}</ref>
==== Senate allies ==== Since at least 2023, With Honor has also engaged with a bipartisan group of U.S. Senators with backgrounds in military, foreign, and intelligence services. Members of this informal coalition have included Senators Roger Wicker (R-MS),<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-11-18 |title=Wicker: Honor Veterans by Reforming the VA |url=https://www.wicker.senate.gov/2024/11/wicker-honor-veterans-by-reforming-the-va |access-date=2026-03-27 |website=U.S. Senator Roger Wicker |language=en}}</ref> an Air Force veteran, Senator Jack Reed (D-RI),<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-03-26 |title=Reed & Young Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Promote Service & Boost Civic Engagement {{!}} U.S. Senator Jack Reed of Rhode Island |url=https://www.reed.senate.gov/news/releases/reed-and-young-introduce-bipartisan-bill-to-promote-service_boost-civic-engagement |access-date=2026-03-27 |website=www.reed.senate.gov |language=en}}</ref> an Army veteran, Senator Todd Young (R-IN), a Marine Corps veteran, and Senator Mark Kelly, a Navy veteran.<ref name=":4" /><ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.hbs.edu/competitiveness/Documents/why-competition-in-the-politics-industry-is-failing-america.pdf|title= WHY COMPETITION IN THE POLITICS INDUSTRY IS FAILING AMERICA |year=2017 |website=hbs.edu |access-date=2020-08-04}}</ref>
== Research polling == With Honor has partnered with several research organizations to conduct national polling on issues related to national service, veterans, and U.S. foreign policy. In 2021, the organization partnered with Voices for National Service<ref>{{Cite web |date=2026-01-20 |title=Voices for National Service |url=https://voicesforservice.org/ |access-date=2026-03-27 |website=Voices for National Service |language=en-US}}</ref> on a national survey that found strong support among young Americans for expanding service opportunities,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Treffeisen |first=Nate |date=2021-05-10 |title=NEW POLL FINDS NEAR UNIVERSAL INTEREST AMONG YOUNG PEOPLE IN NATIONAL SERVICE |url=https://voicesforservice.org/news/press-release/new-poll-finds-near-universal-interest-among-young-people-in-national-service/ |access-date=2026-03-27 |website=Voices for National Service |language=en-US}}</ref> with 81% of adults aged 18-24 supporting expansion through programs such as AmeriCorps.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Treffeisen |first=Nate |date=2021-05-10 |title=NEW POLL FINDS NEAR UNIVERSAL INTEREST AMONG YOUNG PEOPLE IN NATIONAL SERVICE |url=https://voicesforservice.org/news/press-release/new-poll-finds-near-universal-interest-among-young-people-in-national-service/ |access-date=2026-03-27 |website=Voices for National Service |language=en-US}}</ref>
In 2023, With Honor partnered with the research firm Ipsos to assess public attitudes towards evacuating and resettling Afghan allies who assisted U.S. forces during the war in Afghanistan. The poll found broad bipartisan support for honoring U.S. commitments, with nearly nine in ten Americans expressing support for resettlement efforts.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-10-25 |title=89% of Americans Support Keeping Our Pledge to Our Afghans Allies |url=https://withhonor.org/news/polling-support-to-keep-pledge-to-afghan-allies/ |access-date=2026-03-27 |website=With Honor |language=en-US}}</ref>
In 2025, With Honor partnered with Gallup on a national survey examining American perceptions of military veterans as political leaders.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-09-03 |title=Gallup and With Honor Institute Launch Landmark Study on Public Trust in Veterans |url=https://withhonorinstitute.org/gallup-whi-new-poll-trust-in-veterans/ |access-date=2026-03-27 |website=With Honor Institute |language=en-US}}</ref> The poll found that a majority of U.S. adults reported being more likely to vote for a candidate with prior military service than one without, a higher preference than for candidates with government or business experience.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Damask |first=Kevin |date=2025-10-11 |title=Americans Trust Veteran Political Candidates More To Unify Country |url=https://www.military.com/feature/2025/10/10/gallup-poll-americans-trust-veteran-political-candidates-more-unify-country.html |access-date=2026-03-27 |website=Military.com |language=en}}</ref> Veterans are now included in Gallup’s foundational polls as a result of the With Honor-Gallup partnership.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Gallup and With Honor Institute Launch Landmark Study on Public Trust in Veterans |url=https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/gallup-and-with-honor-institute-launch-landmark-study-on-public-trust-in-veterans-302544488.html |access-date=2026-05-08 |website=www.prnewswire.com |language=en}}</ref>
== Partnerships == With Honor Action is partnered with organizations focused on governance reform, veterans’ issues, and national security, including The Lugar Center,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Home Page |url=https://www.thelugarcenter.org/ |access-date=2026-03-27 |website=thelugarcenter.org}}</ref> the Special Competitive Studies Project, the American Legion, Travis Manion Foundation, Blue Star Families, VFW, Team Rubicon, the London Defence Conference and the Munich Security Conference. The organization also worked with several congressional commissions, including the National Commission on Military, National, and Public Service; the National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence; the Cyberspace Solarium Commission; and the National Security Commission on Emerging Biotechnology.<ref name=":3" />
== Policy works == Since establishing its advocacy arm, With Honor has supported the passage of over 200 legislative provisions, primarily related to national security, national service, and veterans’ affairs.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Laws Passed |url=https://withhonor.org/laws-passed/ |access-date=2026-03-27 |website=With Honor |language=en-US}}</ref>
In 2020, the organization led a coalition<ref>{{Cite web |title=Bipartisan Veterans and National Service Leaders Letter on CORPS-2 |url=https://withhonor.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/07.19.20-Bipartisan-Veterans-and-National-Service-Leaders-Letter-on-CORPS-2.pdf |website=WHA}}</ref> of next-generation veteran nonprofits,<ref>{{Cite web |first1=Mary |last1=Tobin |first2=Rye |last2=Barcott |title=Why Biden COVID relief plan will fuel public service in America |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2021/03/12/biden-covid-relief-plan-welcome-stimulus-public-service-column/6953629002/ |access-date=2026-03-27 |website=USA Today |language=en-US}}</ref> including Team Rubicon, the Travis Manion Foundation, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, and Student Veterans of America, to advocate for the CORPS Act, elements of which were later enacted in the American Rescue Plan Act including nearly $1 billion in funding for AmeriCorps.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Coons |first=Christopher A. |date=2020-06-16 |title=S.3964 - 116th Congress (2019-2020): CORPS Act |url=https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/senate-bill/3964 |access-date=2026-03-27 |website=congress.gov}}</ref> In partnership with the National Commission on Military, National, and Public Service, With Honor Action initiated the Inspire to Serve Act with the founding leadership of the For Country Caucus Reps. Jimmy Panetta, Don Bacon, Chrissy Houlahan, and Mike Waltz.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-05-05 |title=Congressman Panetta Introduces Comprehensive Legislation to Increase and Support Public Service {{!}} Congressman Jimmy Panetta |url=http://panetta.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-panetta-introduces-comprehensive-legislation-increase-and-support |access-date=2026-05-08 |website=panetta.house.gov |language=en}}</ref> The comprehensive bill aimed to increase service opportunities through pathways such as the military and AmeriCorps and would lay the groundwork for expanding JROTC in public high schools nationwide.<ref>{{Cite web |title=National Service & Civic Education |url=https://withhonor.org/laws-passed/national-service-civic-education/ |access-date=2026-05-08 |website=With Honor |language=en-US}}</ref>
With Honor also supported the passage of the Global War on Terrorism Memorial Location Act, which authorized the placement of a future memorial on the Reserve of the National Mall.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Global War on Terror (GWOT) Memorial |url=https://withhonor.org/case-study/the-global-war-on-terror-gwot-memorial/ |access-date=2026-03-27 |website=With Honor |language=en-US}}</ref> With Honor Action has supported bipartisan efforts to address mental health challenges, particularly among service members and veterans, through legislation focused on access to care and prevention.<ref>{{Cite web |last=dcadmin |date=2023-10-31 |title=With Honor Action and USAA Send Letter Advocating for Support of Military Families and Veterans in the FY24 NDAA |url=https://withhonor.org/news/support-of-military-families-fy24-ndaa/ |access-date=2026-05-08 |website=With Honor |language=en-US}}</ref> The organization’s first endorsed legislation was to expand and codify the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, established through legislation led by Representative Seth Moulton to create a nationwide three-digit hotline for mental health emergencies.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2026-02-11 |title=Moulton, Bipartisan Group of Lawmakers Urge HHS to Restore 988 Crisis Lifeline Services for LGBTQ+ Youth {{!}} Congressman Seth Moulton |url=http://moulton.house.gov/news/press-releases/moulton-bipartisan-group-lawmakers-urge-hhs-restore-988-crisis-lifeline |access-date=2026-05-08 |website=moulton.house.gov |language=en}}</ref> It has also supported the Brandon Act, which passed in the FY2022 National Defense Authorization Act, led by Rep. Seth Moulton, Rep. John Rutherford, Army veteran Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks, and With Honor Action ally Navy veteran Senator Mark Kelly, which improved access to mental health care for active-duty service members by allowing them to seek help through their chain of command confidentially.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Senate Passes Brandon Act to Change DoD Mental Health Policy, Pay Tribute to Fallen Arizonan and Navy Sailor Brandon Caserta |url=https://www.kelly.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/senate-passes-brandon-act-to-change-dod-mental-health-policy-pay-tribute-to-fallen-arizonan-and-navy-sailor-brandon-caserta/ |access-date=2026-05-08 |website=Senator Mark Kelly |language=en-US}}</ref>
In addition, With Honor Action has supported initiatives addressing blast overpressure exposure, including provisions in the National Defense Authorization Act and the bipartisan Blast Overpressure Safety Act, which aim to mitigate traumatic brain injuries through improved monitoring, research, and prevention measures for military personnel.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Philipps |first=Dave |date=2024-12-18 |title=Defense Bill Orders Military to Take New Action on Brain Injury |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/18/us/defense-bill-brain-injury-blast.html |access-date=2026-05-08 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}</ref>
With Honor Action supported the bipartisan ACES Act, led by Air Force veteran Representative August Pfluger, which addresses the elevated cancer risks faced by military aviators and aircrew due to occupational exposures.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-08-14 |title=SIGNED INTO LAW: The ACES Act |url=https://pfluger.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=2489 |access-date=2026-05-08 |website=Congressman August Pfluger |language=en}}</ref> The legislation established improved tracking, screening, and research to better understand and prevent service-related cancers, while ensuring earlier detection and care for those affected.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Flying Into the Unknown: The ACES Act and the Hidden Cancer Risks for Military Pilots |url=https://withhonor.org/case-study/flying-into-the-unknown-the-aces-act-and-the-hidden-cancer-risks-for-military-pilots/ |access-date=2026-05-08 |website=With Honor |language=en-US}}</ref>
With Honor Action supported and amplified the work of the House Armed Services Committee’s bipartisan Military Quality of Life Panel, partnering closely with members of the For Country Caucus to elevate service member and family needs as a top congressional priority.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Banaszak |first=Caroline |date=2024-11-01 |title=Safeguarding Sacrifice: Improving Military Quality of Life |url=https://riponsociety.org/article/safeguarding-sacrifice/ |access-date=2026-05-08 |website=The Ripon Society |language=en-US}}</ref> The organization endorsed the panel’s legislative recommendations, which focus on core challenges such as military pay and compensation, housing conditions, access to child care and health care, and support for military spouses.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-04-11 |title=Quality of Life Panel Releases Bipartisan Report |url=https://armedservices.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=1818 |access-date=2026-05-08 |website=House Armed Services Committee {{!}} Republicans |language=en}}</ref>
The organization engaged directly with panel leaders, Representatives Don Bacon and Chrissy Houlahan, both Air Force veterans, to help shape and promote policy solutions to strengthen recruitment and retention in the all-volunteer force. The group has also highlighted quality-of-life reforms as central to national security, citing issues such as food insecurity, inadequate housing, and gaps in mental and maternal health care as urgent areas for bipartisan action, and supported efforts to translate the panel’s findings into provisions of the Servicemember Quality of Life Improvement and National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2025, which included a targeted 10% pay raise for junior enlisted service members to fight food insecurity, which disproportionately impacts junior enlisted service members and their families.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Hungry in the Military Food Insecurity Among Military Families in the U.S |url=https://mazon.org/wp-content/uploads/MAZON-Military-Hunger-Report-April-2021.pdf |website=Mazon}}</ref> In 2024, the organization conducted a demonstration on the National Mall, highlighting food insecurity in the military by planting 325 U.S. flags in the ground, each representing 1,000 service members and military families experiencing food insecurity.<ref>{{Cite web |last=III |first=Leo Shane |date=2024-09-24 |title=Food insecurity among military families unacceptable, advocates say |url=https://www.militarytimes.com/news/pentagon-congress/2024/09/24/food-insecurity-among-military-families-unacceptable-advocates-say/ |access-date=2026-05-08 |website=Military Times |language=en}}</ref>
In the lead-up to the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, the organization helped establish the Evacuate our Allies Coalition, which advocated for the relocation and resettlement of Afghan nationals who assisted U.S. forces. The group’s efforts contributed to the largest expansion of the Special Immigrant Visa program in its history in 2024.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Home |url=https://www.evacuateourallies.org/home |access-date=2026-03-27 |website=evacuateourallies.org |language=en-US}}</ref>
With Honor Action helped advance U.S. biotechnology policy through its work supporting the establishment of the National Security Commission on Emerging Biotechnology<ref>{{Cite web |title=Home |url=https://www.biotech.senate.gov/ |access-date=2026-05-08 |website=Biotech |language=en-US}}</ref>, collaborating with bipartisan For Country Caucus members to help create the commission in 2021 to assess how emerging biotech will shape national security and Department of Defense operations. Building on the commission’s 2025 recommendations , the organization has continued to work alongside congressional partners to translate the commission’s findings into legislation, culminating in the inclusion of 17 With Honor Action–supported provisions in the Fiscal Year 2026 National Defense Authorization Act.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Biotechnology Breaks Through in FY 2026 National Defense Authorization Act |url=https://www.biotech.senate.gov/press-releases/biotechnology-breaks-through-in-fy-2026-national-defense-authorization-act/ |access-date=2026-05-08 |website=Biotech |language=en-US}}</ref>
With Honor Action has advocated for strengthening U.S. support for democratic allies and partners, including Ukraine and Taiwan, through bipartisan legislative initiatives and alliance-building efforts. In response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the organization supported multiple spending packages providing tens of billions of dollars in military and humanitarian aid, as well as legislation such as the REPO for Ukrainians Act<ref>{{Cite web |last=bcoblentz |date=2024-04-19 |title=Experts on the REPO Act: A good deal for the United States and for Ukraine |url=https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/ukrainealert/experts-on-the-repo-act/ |access-date=2026-05-08 |website=Atlantic Council |language=en-US}}</ref> , which allowed governments to seize and sell Russian assets held in western banks to support Ukrainian rebuilding efforts financially, and the Abducted Ukrainian Children Recovery and Accountability Act<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-12-19 |title=Bipartisan bill to reunite abducted Ukrainian children with family becomes law |url=https://www.northernnewsnow.com/2025/12/19/bipartisan-bill-reunite-abducted-ukrainian-children-with-family-becomes-law/ |access-date=2026-05-08 |website=Northern News Now |language=en}}</ref>, which increases U.S. federal government support to identify and return kidnapped Ukrainian children who were taken to Russia or Russian-controlled territories.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-09-20 |title=Ukrainian Parliament Awards U.S. Bipartisan Delegations in Kyiv |url=https://apnews.com/press-release/pr-newswire/kyiv-united-states-government-6b7db1323a1513907c9397a8cc454339 |access-date=2026-05-08 |website=AP News |language=en}}</ref>
For their work supporting Ukraine, Rye Barcott and former U.S. Senator Rob Portman were awarded the Ukrainian Certificate of Merit by the Ukrainian Parliament during a 2024 bipartisan congressional visit to Kyiv.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-09-20 |title=Ukrainian Parliament Awards U.S. Bipartisan Delegations in Kyiv |url=https://apnews.com/press-release/pr-newswire/kyiv-united-states-government-6b7db1323a1513907c9397a8cc454339 |access-date=2026-05-08 |website=AP News |language=en}}</ref>
It has also supported measures reinforcing the NATO alliance, including congressional affirmations of U.S. commitment, such as the NATO Support Act, which prohibits U.S. withdrawal from NATO without congressional approval, and initiatives such as the NATO Innovation Fund<ref>{{Cite web |title=About |url=https://www.nif.fund/about/ |access-date=2026-05-08 |website=Nato Innovation Fund |language=en-US}}</ref>, a $1 billion fund administered by NATO to support tech startups, and the Baltic Security Initiative, a Department of Defense program to support NATO’s eastern flank nations, to strengthen collective defense and deterrence.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Raufoglu |first=Alex |date=2026-02-05 |title=US Congress Approves Funds For Baltics As Russia Tests NATO's Eastern Flank |url=https://www.rferl.org/a/us-congress-funds-baltics-russia-nato-eastern-flank/33669734.html |access-date=2026-05-08 |work=Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |language=en}}</ref>
Beyond Europe, With Honor Action has backed legislation aimed at countering threats from the Chinese Communist Party and supporting Taiwan, including efforts to improve foreign military sales processes through the TIGER Act<ref>{{Cite web |last=Fin |first=John Ramming Chappell, Kate |date=2025-07-29 |title=The Silver Shield Act: A Bill to Track Misuse of American Weapons |url=https://www.justsecurity.org/117989/silver-shield-act-american-weapons/ |access-date=2026-05-08 |website=Just Security |language=en-US}}</ref> and the Taiwan Cybersecurity Resiliency Act, which expands joint cybersecurity training and defense coordination.<ref>{{Cite web |last=dcadmin |date=2023-12-18 |title=2024 National Defense Authorization Act Priorities |url=https://withhonor.org/news/2024-legislative-priorities-2/ |access-date=2026-05-08 |website=With Honor |language=en-US}}</ref>
It has also supported broader congressional efforts to address risks from Chinese-linked technology platforms and infrastructure, including legislation that forced divestment of CCP control of TikTok over concerns about CCP access to U.S. user data<ref>{{Cite news |last=Coaston |first=Jane |date=2024-04-01 |title=Opinion {{!}} What the TikTok Bill Is Really About, According to a Leading Republican |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/01/opinion/mike-gallagher-tiktok-sale-ban.html |access-date=2026-05-08 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}</ref>, and prohibitions on U.S. firms engaging with Huawei<ref>{{Cite web |last=Rubbert |first=Emma |title=U.S. TikTok Ban: National Security and Civil Liberties Concerns |url=https://jsis.washington.edu/news/u-s-tiktok-ban-national-security-and-civil-liberties-concerns/ |website=University of Washington}}</ref> and biotech firms with connections to the CCP.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-05-10 |title=BIOSECURE Act {{!}} Select Committee on the CCP |url=http://chinaselectcommittee.house.gov/media/bills/biosecure-act |access-date=2026-05-08 |website=chinaselectcommittee.house.gov |language=en}}</ref>
With Honor Action helped to initiate and support the bipartisan SHIPS for America Act, led by Senators Todd Young and Mark Kelly, which aims to revitalize the U.S. maritime industry by expanding domestic shipbuilding capacity, strengthening the maritime workforce, and improving supply chain resilience for national and economic security.<ref>{{Cite web |last=dcadmin |date=2025-10-30 |title=With Honor Action Submits Statement for the Record Supporting the SHIPS for America Act |url=https://withhonor.org/news/ships-for-america-act/ |access-date=2026-05-08 |website=With Honor |language=en-US}}</ref>
==Press== With Honor’s advocacy work has been covered extensively by national media and international media, including on NPR,<ref>{{Cite news |last=Lawrence |first=Quil |date=2017-11-10 |title='Cross-Partisan' Group, With Honor, Aims To Support Veteran Candidates For Congress |url=https://www.npr.org/2017/11/10/563378701/cross-partisan-group-with-honor-aims-to-support-veteran-candidates-for-congress |access-date=2026-03-27 |publisher=NPR |language=en}}</ref> Fox News,<ref>{{Cite web |date=2018-01-28 |title='With Honor' supports veterans running for Congress {{!}} Fox News Video |url=https://www.foxnews.com/video/5721131065001 |access-date=2026-03-27 |publisher=Fox News |language=en-US}}</ref> ''TIME,''<ref>{{Cite web |last=Vesoulis |first=Abby |title=The Number of Veterans in Congress Is Near an All-Time Low. The Midterms Might Change That |url=https://time.com/5445761/military-veterans-midterms/ |website=Time}}</ref> ''The Atlantic.''<ref>{{Cite web |last=Brownstein |first=Ronald |date=2018-01-25 |title=A New Group Wants to Elect More Veterans—From Both Parties |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2018/01/veterans-may-be-the-only-americans-still-putting-country-before-party/551420/ |access-date=2026-03-27 |website=The Atlantic |language=en}}</ref> ''The Washington Post,''<ref>{{Cite news |date=2018-08-01 |title=Opinion {{!}} Veterans in Congress know what it means to put country first |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/veterans-in-congress-know-what-it-means-to-put-country-first/2018/07/31/b9dedb84-9505-11e8-a679-b09212fb69c2_story.html |access-date=2026-03-27 |work=The Washington Post |language=en-US |issn=0190-8286}}</ref> ''Stars and Stripes,''<ref>{{Cite web |title=Lawmakers, veterans group place flags on National Mall to raise awareness for troops without enough food |url=https://www.stripes.com/veterans/2024-09-24/military-food-lawmakers-national-mall-15287622.html |access-date=2026-03-27 |website=Stars and Stripes |language=en}}</ref> ''Military Times,''<ref>{{Cite web |last=Shane |first=Leo III |date=2023-10-25 |title=Poll shows strong support for action to help Afghan allies resettle |url=https://www.militarytimes.com/news/pentagon-congress/2023/10/25/poll-shows-strong-support-for-action-to-help-afghan-allies-resettle/ |access-date=2026-03-27 |website=Military Times |language=en}}</ref> C-SPAN,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Rye Barcott on Role of Veterans in Public Office |url=https://www.c-span.org/program/washington-journal/rye-barcott-on-role-of-veterans-in-public-office/648336 |publisher=C-SPAN}}</ref> and SiriusXM.
== Advisory board members ==
* Robert Gates<ref name=":6" /> * Nadja West<ref>{{Cite web |title=LTG(R) NADJA WEST |url=https://withhonor.org/team-member/ltgr-nadja-west-2/ |access-date=2026-03-27 |website=With Honor |language=en-US}}</ref> * H. R. McMaster<ref>{{Cite web |title=LTG(R) H.R. MCMASTER |url=https://withhonor.org/team-member/ltgr-h-r-mcmaster/ |access-date=2026-03-27 |website=With Honor |language=en-US}}</ref> * Michael Mullen<ref name=":0" /> * Tom Daschle<ref name=":5" /> * Jane Holl Lute<ref>{{Cite web |title=With Honor Endorses Nine Next-generation Veterans for Congress |url=https://www.politico.com/f/?id=00000161-2893-d52c-abe3-68d3c0110002#:~:text=Gold%20Star%20family%20members%E2%80%94J.%20D.,David%20Gergen%2C%20and%20Mich%C3%A8le%20Flournoy.&text=environment%20of%20shutdowns%2C%20partisan%20entrenchment,policy%20and%20social%2Dwelfare%20arm.&text=I%20will%20always%20speak%20the,interest%20above%20my%20self%2Dinterest.&text=integrity.&text=country.&text=I%20will%20respect%20my%20colleagues,to%20bring%20civility%20to%20politics.&text=campaign%20that%20lie%20about%20or%20baselessly%20attack%20the%20character%20of%20my%20opponent.&text=I%20will%20attend%20and%20participate%20in%20a%20cross%2Dpartisan%20veterans%20caucus.&text=I%20will%20defend%20the%20rights,aisle%20and%20find%20common%20ground.&text=I%20will%20meet%20with%20someone,at%20least%20once%20a%20month.&text=legislation%20each%20year%2C%20and%20co%2Dsponsor%20additional%20pieces.&text=%23%23%23%20Visit%20www.withhonor.org%20to%20learn%20more. |website=Politico}}</ref> * Mack McLarty<ref name=":7">{{Cite press release |publisher=With Honor Action |title=With Honor Action Welcomes New Leadership of the For Country Caucus for the 119th Congress and Announces New Advisory Board Members |url=https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/with-honor-action-welcomes-new-leadership-of-the-for-country-caucus-for-the-119th-congress-and-announces-new-advisory-board-members-302350751.html |access-date=2026-03-27 |agency=PR Newswire |language=en}}</ref> * Barbara Mikulski<ref>{{Cite web |title=Senator Barbara Mikulski Receives First-Ever Lifetime Achievement Award From Leading Women’s Group |url=https://nationalpartnership.org/news_post/senator-barbara-mikulski-receives-first-ever-lifetime-achievement-award-from-leading-womens-group/ |access-date=2026-03-27 |website=National Partnership for Women & Families |language=en-US}}</ref> * Rob Portman<ref name=":7" /> * Mike Bezos<ref>{{Cite web |title=Co-Founder and Co-Chair, Bezos Family Foundation {{!}} Aspen Ideas |url=https://www.aspenideas.org/speakers/mike-bezos |access-date=2026-05-08 |website=Aspen Ideas Festival |language=en-US}}</ref> * Dana Born<ref name=":8">{{Cite web |title=Advisory Board |url=https://withhonor.org/about/advisory-board/ |access-date=2026-05-08 |website=With Honor |language=en-US}}</ref> * Bill Conway * Tucker Eskew<ref>{{Cite web |last=Eskew |first=Tucker |title=The culture wars have polarized Americans–but a growing civic repair movement believes it can reverse the damage |url=https://fortune.com/2023/07/19/culture-wars-polarized-americans-growing-civic-repair-movement-politics-tucker-eskew/ |access-date=2026-05-08 |website=Fortune |language=en}}</ref> * Doug Foshee<ref>{{Cite web |title=My Mentors and Me |url=https://www.aapg.org/articles/my-mentors-and-me/ |access-date=2026-05-08 |website=AAPG {{!}} Advancing Petroleum Geosciences Since 1917 |language=en-US}}</ref> * Florent Groberg<ref>{{Cite web |title=Supporting Our Afghan Allies: Fulfilling a Twenty-Year Promise |url=https://withhonor.org/case-study/supporting-our-afghan-allies-fulfilling-a-twenty-year-promise/ |access-date=2026-05-08 |website=With Honor |language=en-US}}</ref> * Christopher Howard<ref>{{Cite web |title=With Honor Action |url=https://www.influencewatch.org/non-profit/with-honor-action/ |access-date=2026-05-08 |website=Influence Watch |language=en-US}}</ref> * Bob Sternfels<ref name=":7" /> * Frances Townsend<ref name=":8" />
=== Deceased board members ===
* Dirk Kempthorne<ref name=":3" /> * Henry Kissinger<ref name=":0" /> * John Warner<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-07-23 |title=Press Release Archives - Page 15 of 18 |url=https://withhonor.org/post-type/press-release/ |access-date=2026-03-27 |website=With Honor |language=en-US}}</ref> * David Gergen<ref name=":1" /> * Madeleine Albright * George Shultz
==References== {{reflist}} {{Authority control}} Category:Political organizations based in the United States Category:2017 establishments in North Carolina Category:American organizations established in 2017