In an exclusive interview with Newsweek, Republican Congressman Tony Gonzales, who represents Texas’ 23rd Congressional District, revealed his intentions to run for one of the top posts in the House of Representative’s nonpartisan veterans working group.
The For Country Caucus, as the organization is known, offers elected officials with military experience a place to cooperate across party lines in support of bipartisan policy solutions, particularly those related to the national security of the United States and veterans’ issues.
Gonzales, a master chief petty officer who spent 20 years in the U.S. Navy, told Newsweek that the role of caucus co-chair appeals to him because it draws “natural problem solvers” committed to working across the aisle and passing legislation.
According to Gonzales, the For Country Caucus has been one of the most productive caucuses for advancing legislation through the legislative process. To help us sort of get this place going again, “I want to take on a leadership role with that.”
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Tony Gonzales, a Republican congressman, poses for a picture with the media. He seeks to bring together senators with military experience behind bipartisan issues as a 20-year veteran of the U.S. Navy. Even though the caucus was only established in 2018, it has been successful in advancing its goal of bipartisanship.
According to the caucus, it was successful in increasing by more than 30% the number of special immigrant visas granted to allies in Afghanistan. Additionally, it claims to have contributed to the creation of the Arctic Security Initiative, which calls for the Pentagon to increase American military involvement in the area.
Gonzales said that he had gained support for his National Digital Reserve Corps Act through the caucus. This legislation would establish a group of people who would be committed to meeting the executive agencies’ demands in terms of technology and cybersecurity. Despite having eight Democratic and three Republican sponsors, this bill has not yet become law.
Gonzales claimed that his work on this measure demonstrates his capacity for fostering bipartisanship and working across party lines, a goal he hopes to achieve as the co-chair of the caucus by increasing the number of legislative business trips the group makes together.
Gonzales wants to increase the caucus’s exposure and influence if she is chosen as co-chair. Although it presently has 27 members, Gonzales claimed that not many people are aware of it. He wants the caucus he leads to “be more public” about the topics it addresses.