While no research indicates a di-

rect causal relationship, Lynn doesn’t think it’s a coincidence. He credits the World War II veterans who once dominated the House and Senate with imbuing the halls of Congress with a certain level of bipartisan goodwill. “The sheer number [of World War II veterans] changed the makeup of Congress and ultimately its character to a great degree,” he says. “There were so many of them that their attitude — they respected the hell out of each other — probably trickled down to the other members of Congress.”

Although outnumbered, the vet-

erans now serving in Congress are demonstrating their ability to lead in the face of adversity. “A shared history of military service is usually the only thing that still trumps parti- sanship in and around the country,” Lynn points out. Earlier this year, Rep. Tim Walz

(D-Minn.), a former Army National Guard command sergeant major, led a bipartisan effort resulting in passage of the Clay Hunt Suicide Prevention for American Veter- ans (SAV) Act. The legislation was “sponsored by a Democrat and

then unanimously passed out of a Republican-controlled Congress and a Republican-controlled Sen- ate, and then President [Barack] Obama signed it in February,” mar- vels Matt Miller, chief policy officer of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America. “It may be the only time you have John McCain and Nancy Pelosi on the same stage in the next two years.” “Tammy Duckworth [a Demo-

cratic representative from Illinois and former member of the Illinois Nation- al Guard] bonded with Darrell Issa [a Republican representative from California who served in the Army]. Really? Well, they’re both helo pilots,” Lynn says. “They came to common ground. She wanted to work on in- tegrating women into the military more, and he saw that as a civil rights issue so was on board with it. They were able to work together.” Reps. Tulsi Gabbard (D-Hawaii),

who serves as a captain in the Ha- waii Army National Guard, and Scott Perry (R-Pa.), who serves as a brigadier general in the Pennsylvania Army National Guard, are cochairs of the Congressional Post-9/11 Vet- erans Caucus, [CONTINUES ON PAGE 90]

(below) Martha McSally, a now-retired Air Force colo- nel and fighter pilot, is one of 82 U.S. representatives who have served or are serving in the military. (below left) Reps. Tulsi Gabbard, center, of Hawaii, and Scott Perry, left of center, of Pennsylva- nia, both veterans of the Iraq war, serve as cochairs of the Post-9/11 Veterans Cau- cus. (previous spread) On Feb. 12, President Barack Obama signs the Clay Hunt Suicide Prevention for American Veterans Act sur- rounded by several members of Congress who served in the U.S. military, including Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.); Sen. Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.); Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.); Rep. Tim Walz (D-Minn.); and Rep. Tammy Duckworth (D-lll.).

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