FMC, the association of Former Members of Congress

FMC Statement On Ukrainian President Zelensky's Address To Congress — FMC

Much like our former colleagues and successors from both parties in the House Chamber tonight, FMC applauds President Zelensky’s strong and inspiring leadership of Ukraine during Russia’s unprovoked assault on the sovereign nation.

Our organization remains staunchly committed to protecting the life, freedom, and security of the people of Ukraine, especially those in the Donbas region currently under a relentless onslaught of Russian missiles and drone strikes. No matter how dark the hour in Ukraine, we know they will ultimately be victorious and send a message to tyrants around the globe that freedom and democracy will always prevail.

We also stand by our NATO allies and applaud the many NATO partners who are supporting Ukraine through military assistance, humanitarian aid, and providing refuge to displaced Ukrainians. This senseless war has underscored the importance of NATO and supporting democracies worldwide.

In the days ahead, we will keep President Zelensky, the brave men and women of the Ukrainian armed forces, and millions of innocent Ukrainian civilians in our thoughts and prayers, as we continue to do our part to support their valiant fight.

FMC Statement On Ukrainian President Zelensky's Address To Congress — FMC Washington, DC — The leadership of the U.S. Association of Former Members of Congress (FMC), President, L.F. Payne (D-VA), President-Elect, Barbara Comstock (R-VA), CEO, Pete Weichlein, and COO, Sabine Schleidt released the following statement tonight on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s ...

FMC is saddened to learn of the passing of Former Member Elliott Levitas (D-GA).

During his five terms in , Levitas focused on transportation policy, specifically surrounding the FAA, and reforming government to work better for the American people.

We send our deepest condolences to his family during this difficult time.

Final Report 117th | House Select Committee on Modernization

Congratulations to Chair Derek Kilmer, Vice Chair William Timmons, and the entire membership and staff of the Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress for four years of hard work, resulting in numerous reforms that have shaped for the better!

Check out their final report here:

Final Report 117th | House Select Committee on Modernization The Official U.S. Congressional website of The House Select Committee on Modernization

2022 Former & Retiring Member House Floor Visit

For the first time in over three years, FMC was able to visit the House Chamber to give our report to .

We used the opportunity to reunite dozens of Former Members and introduce ourselves to this Congress' class of Retiring Members.

Watch the full video here:

2022 Former & Retiring Member House Floor Visit

Congratulations to Former Member Joe Kennedy III (D-MA) on being named as Special Envoy to Northern Ireland for Economic Affairs.

FMC looks forward to seeing his many successes in this important role!

Recently, we teamed up with Former Member Tom Graves' firm, Ervin Graves to put on two panels for The Shafik Gabr Foundation’s 2022 fellows.

The first panel focused on what it is like to be a woman in , so we recruited Former Member Barbara Comstock (R-VA) and Rep. Kathleen Rice (D-NY), two of the best political minds we know, for the gig!

Thank you to Congressman Rodney Davis (R-IL), Congresswoman Stephanie Murphy (D-FL), Congressman Ed Perlmutter (D-CO), and Congressman Fred Upton (R-MI) for joining us for a fantastic panel last week!

During the wide-ranging conversation, moderated by FMC Board Member & Former Senator Tim Hutchinson, the group discussed the state of and the two political parties after the recent midterms, as well as potential opportunities for bipartisanship in the 118th Congress.

FMC is heartbroken to learn of the passing of one of our longest serving Board Members, Former Member Jim Kolbe (R-AZ).

Throughout his 11 terms in , Kolbe embodied bipartisanship and public service, frequently reaching across the aisle to deliver for the people of Tucson and Southeastern .

His accomplishments are too many to name, but he was a champion for conservation, immigration reform, trade, fiscal responsibility, and a strong, smart U.S. foreign policy.

We will keep his husband, Hector and the rest of his loved ones in our thoughts and prayers during this incredibly difficult time.

Last month, Former Members Ben McAdams (D-UT) and Martha Roby (R-AL) travelled across the Atlantic to hold a week-long in Germany with several schools including TU Dortmund and Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn.

While there, the bipartisan duo got to speak with over 400 German students, officials, and members of the public about , numerous political issues, and the important bilateral relationship between our two nations.

Thank you to our partner, AmerikaHaus for all their help in making this visit a success!

Before Thanksgiving, closed out its Fall 2022 Semester with a marathon nine session virtual Congress to Campus over a two-day period for the United States Naval Academy's midshipmen.

Thank you so much to the eight Former Members who participated in this event!

FMC was incredibly saddened to learn of the loss of Congressman Donald McEachin last night.

McEachin was a leader in on combatting climate change and various environmental health issues, including the removal of lead pipes.

We send our deepest condolences to his family and loved ones.

At FMC, we understand the importance of sharing our Members’ knowledge with our allied democracies' next generation of leaders in order to help cement crucial bilateral relationships for decades to come.

That’s why we teamed up with The British Library and London Metropolitan University to create a week-long international for students in the United Kingdom, featuring Former Members Elizabeth Esty (D-CT) and Rob Woodall (R-GA).

FMC 2022 Midterms Post Election Analysis Webinar

This year’s midterm elections defied conventional wisdom, surprising many both in the U.S. and around the world. To help unpack what happened and its implications for the 118th Congress, Former Members Tom Davis (R-VA) & Martin Frost (D-TX) sat down with Josh Kraushaar earlier this week.

FMC 2022 Midterms Post Election Analysis Webinar Panelists:Hon. Martin Frost (D-TX), Former Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Chair (DCCC)Hon. Tom Davis (R-VA), Former National Republican Congress...

Ross Joins CSGE As New House Democratic Co-Chair — FMC

FMC is pleased to announce that Congresswoman Deborah Ross will serve as the new House Democratic Co-Chair for our Congressional Study Group on !

Read the full release here:

Ross Joins CSGE As New House Democratic Co-Chair — FMC Washington, DC — Today, the U.S. Association of Former Members of Congress (FMC) announced that U.S. Representative Deborah Ross (D-NC) will join FMC’s Congressional Study Group on Europe (CSGE) as its new House Democratic Co-Chair. Ross will help lead the group alongside U.S. Representative Bil...

While on the leg of their study tour, Atlantik-Bruecke’s German delegation had the opportunity to visit Toyota USA’s San Antonio plant to learn more about their U.S. operations and meet with the facility’s leadership.

Immigration was one of the top political issues this election cycle, and as a border state, sees the workings of our immigration system on a daily basis.

To learn more about this complex policy area, our high-level German delegation met with local NGOs RAICES and Texas Civil Rights Project in Austin.

FMC is saddened to learn of the passing of Former Member Carroll Hubbard (D-KY).

During his time in , Hubbard focused on issues directly affecting the economy of his Western Kentucky District.

We send our deepest condolences to his family and friends.

Happy Veterans Day to every American, including so many of our Members, who put their lives on the line and sacrificed so much to defend our nation and protect the many freedoms we enjoy daily.

Our Veterans’ patriotism and service are what makes this country so great!

Yesterday, Former Members Dennis Ross (R-FL) and Donna Shalala (D-FL) joined Deutsch-Amerikanisches Zentrum to discuss the often-divisive issue of gun policy. During the webinar, the duo passionately but respectfully explained their positions on the issue for DAZ’s students to model healthy political debate.

There are few in more committed to American energy independence than our Congressional Study Group on Germany (CSGG) Co-Chair, Congressman August Pfluger.

For his first event as CSGG Co-Chair, Congressman Pfluger met with our German delegation in to discuss U.S. energy policy.

While in Austin for our joint study tour with Atlantik-Bruecke, the delegation met with NPR’s Sergio Martinez Beltran, the Houston Chronicle’s Ed McKinley, and the Texas Tribune’s James Barragan over breakfast to learn more about the midterm elections and the issues that matter most to voters.

Last week, our Congressional Study Group on Germany teamed up with Atlantik-Brücke to bring a high-level German delegation to and in the run up to the midterm elections.

To kick off the study tour, the delegation met with Former Members Gene Green (D-TX) and Ted Poe (R-TX) for a welcome dinner.

Former Congressmen visit Bluefield State University

Last week, Former Members Nick Rahall (D-WV) and Peter Smith (R-VT) headed to Bluefield State University for our latest to show students that Democrats and Republicans can work together and to urge them to get involved civically.

Learn more about the visit here:

Former Congressmen visit Bluefield State University They hoped to fight voter apathy by getting young people involved in political discourse.

Welcome! You are invited to join a webinar: FMC Post-Election Analysis Webinar. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email about joining the webinar.

To make sense of today’s election results, next Tuesday, November 15th at 12 PM ET, we’re hosting a post-election analysis webinar featuring Former NRCC Chair Tom Davis, Former DCCC Chair Martin Frost, and Axios' Josh Kraushaar as moderator.

Register here:

Welcome! You are invited to join a webinar: FMC Post-Election Analysis Webinar. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email about joining the webinar. Panelists: Hon. Martin Frost (D-TX), Former Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Chair (DCCC) Hon. Tom Davis (R-VA), Former National Republican Congressional Committee Chair (NRCC) Moderated By: Josh Kraushaar, Axios' Senior Political Correspondent

With thousands of campaigns under their belts cumulatively, our membership has deep political knowledge of every state and Congressional District in this nation.

That’s why on Friday we joined forces with FMC Board Member and K&L Gates LLP Partner Bart Gordon (D-TN) for a pre-election panel for our stakeholders featuring Former Members Donna Edwards (D-MD), Tom Graves (R-GA), and Tim Hutchinson (R-AR).

FMC is saddened to hear of the passing of Former Member Norman Shumway (R-CA).

He was a champion for his suburban Sacramento and Northern California District, focusing on water conservation and public lands issues while in .

We send our deepest condolences to his family.

Last night, FMC was saddened to learn of the death of Former Member Romano “Ron” Mazzoli (D-KY).

He will be remembered as a champion for the people of Louisville and for his tireless work on immigration reform.

Our thoughts and prayers are with his loved ones during this difficult time.

At their core, our study tours are legislative exchanges between the U.S. and other allied democracies around the world. That’s why, we brought our group of Congressional District Directors to the beautiful Japanese Diet, as one of the last stops on our recent study tour.

A huge thank you to Japan-U.S. Friendship Commission's Paige Cottingham-Streater and Niharika Chibber Joe for partnering with us on this fantastic study tour! It brought us to new locations and the District Directors learned so much!

Along with the United States, has long been considered one of the world leaders in technology development.

That’s why while in Tokyo during our recent Congressional District Director study tour, we stopped by our Congressional Study Group on Japan’s Business Advisory Council Member, NEC Corporation’s Future Creation Hub to see some of the cutting-edge technologies they are working on!

At FMC, we are always trying to reach new audiences with our hallmark civic education program, .

That’s why on Friday, we invited Council for Christian Colleges & Universities' Washington Semester students to our offices for an hour-long program with Former Members Tim Petri (R-WI) and Jim Slattery (D-KS).

One of the reasons we chose to take our group of Congressional District Directors to Prefecture and the broader region on our recent study tour is because this region of is leading the way on alternative energy development.

While there, the group traveled to the city of to learn how the city has been transformed from one of the country’s worse pollution sites to an eco-town with robust and innovative clean energy projects.

As one of the most divisive issues in our politics today, it can be difficult to discuss gun policy in a constructive and civil manner, but Former Members Bill Enyart (D-IL) and John Shimkus (R-IL) did just that for a group of Sumners Foundation Scholars via Zoom last night.

While in the region during our recent study tour, we brought our group of Congressional District Directors to the historic Castle to better understand the culture of this region of .

In addition to being a beautiful landmark, the castle’s significance comes from its use as a location to house government soldiers during the Satsuma Rebellion in the Meiji Era.

Voting a la carte

Is ticket-splitting a relic of the past or an important factor in the upcoming midterm elections?

The Washington Examiner’s David Mark recently sat down with Former Members Shelley Berkley (D-NV) and Erik Paulsen (R-MN) to answer this question.

Voting a la carte Midterm elections may bring ticket-splitting back in force.

Given restrictions during the pandemic, the tourism industry both in the U.S. and abroad took a serious hit and is still recovering.

To help our group of Congressional District Directors better understand how the Japanese city of Kumamoto has been so successful in attracting tourists and how to translate that success back home, they met with Kumamoto’s Governor Ikuo Kabashima and the prefecture’s mascot!

One of the core goals of FMC’s Congressional Study Groups is to strengthen relationships between and allied democracies.

To achieve this, FMC regularly facilitates study tours not just for Members of Congress but also for key senior staff who help their bosses make informed policy decisions.

That’s why FMC recently teamed up with Japan-U.S. Friendship Commission to bring a group of Congressional District Directors to in the region of .

We chose Fukuoka and Kyushu because it is a Japanese hub for trade, high-tech industry, and alternative energy, giving our group a deep understanding of Japan’s approach to these important issues of the day.

One of the first meetings the group attended was with the head of Fukuoka Smart EAST Promotion Consortium Office.

The Smart EAST project is currently redeveloping an old university campus, centrally located in a desirable neighborhood, into a new high-tech smart city.

People around the world are looking to gain insight into the upcoming U.S. midterm elections and what they will mean for U.S. policy going forward.

To help our allies in better understand the U.S. political landscape, Former Members Brian Baird (D-WA) and Dave Trott (R-MI) joined DIE ZEIT's Rieke Havertz to discuss their thoughts on the midterms for AmerikaHaus' German audience.

At FMC, we are blessed to partner with an array of organizations whose innovations make the modern world possible — and NEC Corporation is no exception.

During our Congressional Study Group on ’s recent Chief of Staff study tour, the group visited NEC’s OCC Submarine Cable Facility to tour their cable distribution vessel and see firsthand how they lay cable underwater.

J.C. Watts on Breaking Ground & Breaking Bread - Pro Politics with Zac McCrary

From the football field to to running an array of businesses, Former Member J.C. Watts (R-OK) has always given his all to whatever he puts his mind to and has had incredible success.

Listen to his fascinating life story on today’s episode of Pro Politics Podcast with Zac McCrary!

J.C. Watts on Breaking Ground & Breaking Bread - Pro Politics with Zac McCrary Nobody has a political career like JC Watts. Starting quarterback at the University of Oklahoma, NFL draft pick, several years in the Canadian Football League, the first Black statewide elected official in Oklahoma, 8 years in Congress rising to C...

The Asia-Pacific region is one of the most consequential corners of the world now in terms of geopolitics and international relations.

That’s why while in our delegation of Congressional Chiefs of Staff met with Japanese Diet Member Seiji Kihara (木原 誠二) and policy staff from Prime Minister Kishida (岸田文雄)'s office to better understand recent developments.