Former Presidents Barack Obama and George W. Bush will join an effort to commemorate America's in 2026, highlighting the initiative's attempts to build bipartisan momentum in an era of extreme .
The former presidents and first ladies Michelle Obama and Laura Bush will serve as honorary national co-chairs of America250, the organization created by Congress in 2016 to oversee the celebration of the the 250th anniversary of the signing of the .
The commission's leaders hope bringing together the two recent Democratic and Republican presidents will serve as an example of bipartisan cooperation in a country where political agreements seem rare and concerns are heightened over the potential for violence, especially heading toward a presidential election.
Rosie Rios, a former U.S. treasurer who heads , emphasized that the commission organizing the celebration 鈥渉as representation across all aisles.鈥�
鈥淭his is a grassroots effort that all Americans feel like they can be a part of from Guam to Alaska, Fairbanks to Philadelphia, and everything in between," Rios said. 鈥淭his is about celebrating and commemorating that we鈥檙e the oldest democracy in the world.鈥�
The multiyear semiquincentennial celebration will include events in all 50 states and six U.S. territories. It formally launched July 4, 2023, during an MLB game between the Milwaukee Brewers and the Chicago Cubs at American Family Field in Milwaukee.
It also will include a service project called America Gives, an effort to compile oral histories of Americans and a nationwide scholastic contest in which students will reflect on what America means to them.
鈥淭his milestone is an opportunity to reflect on our history and recommit to our country鈥檚 founding values,鈥� the Bushes said in a statement.
The Obamas said they look forward to reflecting on 鈥渢he remarkable stories that make our nation the place it is today.鈥�
鈥淎merica is not the same country it was 250 years ago 鈥� but there are threads that tie us back to the very beginning of it all,鈥� they said in a statement. 鈥淥ur history plays a big role in shaping the kind of future we hope to create.鈥�
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This story has been corrected to reflect that the celebration formally launched at the Brewers-Cubs game on July 4, 2023, rather than that the celebration will launch at a Brewers-Cubs game on July 4, 2026.
Christine Fernando, The Associated Press
