Issue One mourns the loss of two ReFormers Caucus members, former Sen. Dick Lugar (R-IN) and former Rep. Ellen Tauscher (D-CA) who contributed their leadership and service to the work of Issue One’s bipartisan ReFormers Caucus. Sen. Lugar, age 87, and Rep. Tauscher, age 67, passed away in late April.
As a leader on foreign policy, Sen. Lugar represented Indiana for 36 years in the U.S. Senate. Before his service in politics, Sen. Lugar graduated from Denison University in Granville, Ohio in 1954 and received a graduate degree in 1956 from Pembroke College at Oxford University. He was a Rhodes Scholar. His leadership in Indiana began as a member of the Indianapolis Board of School Commissioners in 1964.
In 1968, Sen. Lugar was elected Mayor of Indianapolis where he served two terms. During his tenure, Sen. Lugar had the esteemed honor to serve as President of the National League of Cities and granted the opportunity to give the keynote address at the Republican National Convention in 1972.
From 1977-2013, Sen. Lugar used his political expertise to focus on foreign policy during his time in the Senate. For decades, Sen. Lugar served on the Committee on Foreign Relations, twice as chairman. He also served on the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. In 2013, former President Barack Obama honored Sen. Lugar with the Presidential Medal of Freedom highlighting his support for bipartisanship.
Sen. Lugar’s legacy will continue through his non-profit public policy organization, The Lugar Center.
California Democrat, Rep. Tauscher, was elected to the 105th Congress in 1997. Following a 14-year career on Wall Street, Rep. Tauscher, was recognized as a pioneer for women on the New York Stock Exchange. In 1974, she graduated from Seton Hall University where she studied early childhood education.
Rep. Tauscher also created the Tauscher Foundation to support schools in California and Texas where the organization donated computer equipment for elementary students.
While representing the 10th District in Congress, Rep. Tauscher served on the Armed Services Committee and the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee focusing on national security, education, and healthcare. She later became chairwoman of the Strategic Forces subcommittee of the Armed Services Committee.
In 2009, Rep. Tauscher was confirmed by the Senate to serve as Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Secretary. She served in this role until 2012.
Following her political career, Rep. Tauscher remained active in the private sector where she joined the Board of Directors of several organizations including The National Comprehensive Cancer Network Foundation, National Endowment for Democracy, and more.
Issue One is grateful for Sen. Dick Lugar and Rep. Ellen Tauscher’s dedication to improving opportunities for every American, and for their commitment to supporting bipartisan political reform. We will remember their efforts to advocate for the American people, and we extend our condolences to their family and friends as we remember their legacy and contributions to public service.
