Friday, December 14, 2018
FMC Democracy and Civics Co-Chairs Kennedy, Davis Join Mullin, Rochester To Talk Civics In Historic Boston
“Congress To Campus” will talk about American democracy through four Members of Congress
(Washington, D.C.) – As part of FMC’s American Democracy and Civics Initiative, U.S. Rep. Joe Kennedy (D-MA) will host three of his fellow Representatives on Monday, December 17th, at a high school in the hometown of his grandfather, Robert F. Kennedy, and his great-uncle, President John F. Kennedy. The Representatives will also speak at several other Boston area schools and the Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the U.S. Senate, named for another of Rep. Kennedy’s great uncles.
Kennedy and U.S. Rep. Rodney Davis (R-IL), who are co-chairs of the FMC Congressional Study Group on American Democracy and Civics, will be joined at Brookline High School, in Brookline, Mass. by U.S. Reps. Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) and Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE). The delegation will travel as part of the Congress to Campus program, the flagship civics program of FMC, an association of former Members of Congress.
“At a time when it seems Congress and government are hopelessly divided, we rebuild faith in our institutions through conversations with each other in our communities,” said Kennedy. “Congress to Campus demonstrates FMC’s commitment to strengthening our democracy and engaging future generations of Americans in that process. By bringing a few of my closest friends in Congress to our Commonwealth, we can show how to bridge partisan divides and work towards our common goals. I am grateful to Congressman Davis, Congresswoman Blunt Rochester, and Congressman Mullin for joining us and look forward to great discussions at our local high schools and universities.”
“Bipartisanship starts with respecting where we all come from,” said Mullin. “We all make decisions based on our life experiences and the way we were raised. Regardless of if you’re a Republican or a Democrat, what matters at the end of the day is how much you love our country.”
The delegation will also visit four other schools in the Boston area on Monday and Tuesday. Congress To Campus brings former and current Members of Congress in contact with students throughout the country to help answer questions about our government and to instill an interest in Civics.
“I’m always excited to showcase the bipartisanship and friendships that exist in Congress because it’s something that doesn’t always make the 24-hour news cycle,” said Davis. “As a result, many Americans don’t know that more than 70 percent of the bills signed into law this Congress have been bipartisan and that we get along. What most people see is Democrats and Republicans fighting each other and while there are issues we disagree on, we also work together on most issues. I’m looking forward to talking about the bipartisan bills we’ve passed this Congress and promoting more civility when we do disagree.”
Along with Brookline and the Kennedy Institute, the delegation will meet with students at Boston Latin, the John D. O’Bryant School of Mathematics and Science, Burke High School and UMass.
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