Jacob Frey: “there are no term limits on public service. The reason we are here today and why we have approximately 600 Members is…”

“there are no term limits on public service. The reason we are here today and why we have approximately 600 Members is, each of us believes that serving our country is a lifetime job. When we were sworn in, we did not take an oath to a political party, we took it to our country. Our nonpartisan organization has a budget of approximately three-quarters of a million dollars and is chartered, but not funded by the United States Congress. Its purpose is to promote the improved public understanding of the role of Congress as a unique institution, as well as the crucial importance of representative democracy as a system of government, both domestically and internationally. We are not naive. We know that it is a continuing struggle, especially in today's cynical world, to try and get people to understand and appreciate the political institutions that have kept us free for over 200 years. We live in an age where bad news seems to dominate the airwaves, where a television talk show that highlights people verbally and physically abusing each other is the top-rated show. Yet, underneath the cynicism and sensationalism, most Americans understand intuitively what we have inherited from our Founding Fathers, and if given the chance, want to believe and participate in our system. It is easy to sit on the sidelines and just complain.…”