David Skaggs: “Cliff, thank you very, very much for your very kind words. I am honored to receive this award. It is especially…”

“Cliff, thank you very, very much for your very kind words. I am honored to receive this award. It is especially important because it comes from my peers, and I am humbled, given that prior recipients of this award included such giants as Amo Houghton and Lee Hamilton. My great thanks to you, the Executive Committee, and the board of directors. I am here to talk a little bit about the Congress to Campus program that Cliff has already alluded to. It is our most impactful and important domestic program, and I am glad to report on it and also to add some thoughts about the state of civic education across America. What a year Congress to Campus has had during 2016 and 2017. Under this program, bipartisan pairs of former Members visit college campuses for several days to speak to students from all disciplines in a variety of settings, large and small. We have three goals: to promote public service in the next generation of Americans, to teach about Congress and the work of a Member of Congress in ways that political science doesn't often capture, and to engage students in a discussion about the issues of the day. The format demonstrates that a Republican and a Democrat can have different points of view and opinions but still have a respectful debate looking for common ground and a path forward. Last fall, during the election season, the Former Members of Congress sent teams to 16 campuses. We had an additional 14 visits during the spring term.…”