Model and Strategy
Bipartisan Policy Center Action (BPC Action) is a 501(c)4 federal political advocate for bipartisan solutions to the challenges facing our country—including health, security, economic growth, and the threat to democratic institutions.
Together with the 501(c)3 Bipartisan Policy Center (BPC), BPC Action’s politically savvy team works on the Hill and in home states to connect Republican and Democratic Members of Congress, convene Congressmembers’ staff around key issues, propose and negotiate public policy ideas, create space for bipartisan collaboration, and see bipartisan policy solutions enacted into law.
Over the next two years, BPC Action is focusing on major issues in Congress that play a role in expanding opportunity, stimulating economic performance and growth, and strengthening American democracy. These include funding the government, reaching bipartisan agreements on landmark legislation like the Farm Bill and energy permitting reform, educating Hill staff on emerging policy areas like artificial intelligence (AI), and tackling the ever-growing national debt. BPC Action and BPC influence the policy process through:
- “Just the Facts” Analysis. Providing objective analysis that informs and educates policymakers and stakeholders on current issues, from short, fact-based summaries to detailed analyses and economic modeling.
- Aggressive Advocacy. Pushing for BPC policy recommendations in Congress, drafting legislation, writing talking points and questions for congressional debates and hearings, and providing technical assistance to congressional staff. BPC Action also issues calls to action and vote alerts against/for individual bills and publicly supports members of Congress who work across the aisle to address controversial issues.
- Policy Working Groups. Providing policy and political support to several major staff efforts on Capitol Hill including the Climate Caucus and the AI Caucus. BPC Action also has built and facilitates five active working groups of Capitol Hill staff.
- After Hours Bridge Building Activities. Bringing together Senate Legislative Directors for Members of Congress of both parties in a quarterly Dinner Series –often the only standing opportunity legislative directors have to connect with peers across the Aisle. Their American Congressional Exchange program organizes visits by one member of Congress to the district of a colleague of the opposite party.
Impact
The partnership between BPC and BPC Action delivers a one-two punch: well-researched, durable policy recommendations from the 501(c)3 turned into real-life bipartisan solutions by the 501(c)4. Over the last five years, BPC and BPC Action have been behind dozens of successful efforts on issues ranging from clean energy to pandemic preparedness to infrastructure investment. These include:
- Helping stem the immediate threat of a fiscal disaster in 2023 by bringing together Republicans and Democrats in Congress to reach a debt limit deal and pass the Fiscal Responsibility Act (FRA). BPC Action continues to push for more deliberate debate around debt to avoid future crises, including briefing the “four corners” of the House and Senate Budget Committees on options for budget and debt limit reform.
- Playing a critical role in securing paid parental leave for federal workers, through provisions in the FY2020 National Defense Authorization Act.
- Advising congressional leaders on how to responsibly restore congressionally directed spending in 2022, allowing members to direct federal support to projects in their communities.
- Helping ensure that Congress has raised the U.S. debt limit nearly every year since 2011 to avoid default.
Since 2019, BPC and BPC Action have also supported institutional efforts to modernize Congress, resulting in more than 200 bipartisan recommendations for reinvigorating our national legislature. To date, more than three-fourths of those recommendations have been implemented or are in progress. BPC currently leads the “Fix Congress Cohort,” an impact network of more than 40 civil society organizations and scholars pursuing reforms that will continue to strengthen Congress as an institution.
Demand for BPC Action’s technical assistance and tools is robust. During the 117th Congress (2021-2022), they responded to over 180 requests. In the 118th Congress currently in progress, they have responded to over 80 requests from congressional leadership, committees, and individual member offices. As a bridge builder, BPC Action recently brought together two moderate congressional coalitions – the New Democrat Coalition (NDC) and the Republican Governance Group (RG2) – to get to know each other and to form strategic relationships. BPC Action staff continue to meet with members of each group, with over 80 meetings devoted to a wide range of issues including paid family leave, retirement security, behavioral health, budget process reform, and energy permit reform.
Leadership
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Michelle Stockwell
President, BPC Action; Vice President, BPC
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Laura Hall
Executive Director, BPC Action