Congress in the 21st Century

In partnership with the Association of the Former Members of Congress, the Dole Institute will welcome Democratic and Republican former members of Congress for “Congress in the 21^st Century,” a three-part Discussion Groups series. This program will explore the critical period following elections, examining how outcomes shape policy, governance, and community engagement. The discussion will focus on the national results of the 2024 election and explore their implications for the upcoming congressional session.

This series is supported by the Edward F. Reilly Endowed Fund, which supports public programming at the Dole Institute that explores the role of civil discourse and bipartisanship in contemporary politics. This fund has been made possible by a generous gift from Edward F. Reilly, Jr.

Cheri Bustos of Illinois has never lost an election – two for City Council and five for Congress. She just left office last year after service for a decade in the U.S. House of Representatives. For most of that time, she served in the Democratic House leadership. Her previous professional experience includes almost two decades as a journalist followed by a Vice President of Corporate Communications at a multi-billion-dollar, multi-state health system. She now is a partner and co-chair at Mercury Public Affairs.

Luke Messer served three terms in the U.S. House representing Indiana’s Sixth Congressional District from 2013 to 2019. During his service, he was elected by his colleagues to serve in House Leadership as the Chairman of the House Republican Policy Committee and President of the Republican freshman class. He also served on the House Committees on Financial Services; Education and the Workforce; Budget; and Foreign Affairs. Today, Luke is Chair of the nonprofit Indiana Business Health Collaborative and a partner at Bose McKinney & Evans LLP and Bose Public Affairs Group with offices in Indianapolis and Washington DC.

The Association of the Former Members of Congress (FMC) is a non-advocacy, nonpartisan group founded in 1970 and chartered by Congress in 1983. It is a voluntary alliance of more than 800 Former U.S. Senators and Representatives working to strengthen Congress in the conduct of its Constitutional responsibility through promoting a collaborative approach to policymaking and deepening the public’s understanding of our democratic system.