IO in the news: May 2021 recap

May was a remarkably busy month for Issue One.

Last month, we quickly ramped up our efforts calling for an independent and bipartisan January 6th Commission. All told, we secured 63 press hits — an Issue One May record  — including 12 television segments across networks including MSNBC and CNN, and three op-eds in The Hill, Omaha World-Herald, and the Syracuse Post-Standard.

Leading up to and following last week’s Senate vote, our spokespeople appeared across numerous cable news programs and were quoted in several top tier publications. Here are some highlights:

• National Council on Election Integrity member Sec. Chuck Hagel appeared on Andrea Mitchell Reports on MSNBC, OutFront on CNN, CBSN, and Morning Joe alongside fellow NCEI and ReFormers Caucus member Rep. Barbara Comstock, who also appeared on CNN New Day after escorting fallen Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick’s mother around the Hill to meet with GOP senators urging them to support a 1/6 Commission. Amb. and Rep. Tim Roemer, NCEI member and co-chair of our ReFormers Caucus, also joined MSNBC’s Alex Witt on Sunday to discuss the vote and what’s next.
• Op-eds from Sec. Hagel in the Omaha World-Herald urging the Senate to act and from NCEI member Sec. Michael Chertoff and NCEI and ReFormers Caucus member Rep. Lee Hamilton in the Syracuse Post-Standard thanking Rep. John Katko for his bipartisan work in the House.
• Our press briefing with Sec. Hagel and Amb. Roemer was attended by approximately 25 reporters with coverage appearing in The Washington Post, NBC News, Yahoo! News, Omaha’s NBC affiliate, and The Fulcrum.
• Following the Senate vote, Rep. Lee Hamilton was interviewed by USA Today.

Before attention turned to the Senate, we encouraged the House to pass bipartisan legislation following an agreement between Reps. John Katko and Bennie Thompson. 

• In support of the effort, we launched an ad buy that was covered exclusively by Roll Call. 
• This preceded a press briefing on the day of the House vote with Amb. Tim Roemer and Rep. Zach Wamp, NCEI member and ReFormers Caucus co-chair, alongside a 9/11 family member and Rep. Lee Hamilton, vice chair of the 9/11 Commission. Nearly 70 reporters attended. 
• Coverage resulting from the event and a statement we prepared for Rep. Hamilton and Gov. Kean, chair of the 9/11 Commission which Speaker Pelosi read from the House floor, appeared in outlets including The Washington Post, NPR, The Hill, ABC News, Bloomberg, Reuters, CNN, Los Angeles Times, INSIDER, USA Today, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Yahoo! News, The Guardian, Roll Call, Politifact, and more. An op-ed from Amb. Roemer and Rep. Wamp following the House vote was published by The Hill.

Amb. Roemer also appeared on CNN’s Don Lemon and New Day, VICE News Tonight, Bloomberg TV, and C-SPAN’s Washington Journal during an hour-long segment with Rep. Wamp.

Elsewhere, our megadonors report was cited in a New York Times op-ed, and an Arizona poll we commissioned on democracy reforms was covered exclusively by Roll Call. Additional coverage over the course of the month appeared in Government Executive, INSIDER, Roll Call, Washington Examiner, and we facilitated two SiriusXM segments with Amb. Roemer and Rep. Wamp.