Building Civic Bridges Act

Mobilizing business to support legislation to reduce polarization and support community bridgebuilding

In an era of deepening divides, many companies are witnessing firsthand how contentious social and political issues create workplace conflict and reduce productivity. A 2022 SHRM study found that 45% of American workers experienced political disagreements at work, and 13% have even experienced bullying in the workplace due to their political views. These trends are leading to lower work quality, productivity, toxic work environments, and turnover. 

This is why we support reintroduction of the bipartisan Building Civic Bridges Act (BCBA), which will help reduce polarization and heal America’s current social and political divides. The legislation would provide much-needed support for civic bridgebuilding programs through grants to help nonprofit organizations expand their reach and accessibility. Civic bridgebuilding programs are proven to be effective in helping people from different backgrounds come together to have meaningful, productive conversations.

The House bill was introduced on March 15th while the Senate bill has just been introduced in the Senate on April 22nd. The act calls for a new Office of Civic Bridgebuilding to be created within AmeriCorps that would help communities build relationships across lines of difference. AmeriCorps would focus on these key activities:

• Administer a $15–25M grant program to support civic bridgebuilding programs across the nation.
• Encourage collaboration between AmeriCorps and other federal agencies with experience and expertise in related civic bridgebuilding work.
• Elevate public conversation about the importance of civic bridgebuilding.

Introduced by Representatives Derek Kilmer (D-WA) and Andy Barr (R-KY) in the House, and Senators Chris Coons (D-DE) and Todd Young (R-IN) in the Senate, the legislation enjoys significant bipartisan support with an almost equal number of Republican and Democrat co-sponsors.

“Toxic division among Americans isn’t only a threat to our social fabric and system of government; it’s also a barrier to our economic competitiveness,” said Sarah Bonk, founder of Business for America. “The business community is proud to back the bipartisan Building Civic Bridges Act, which is a pragmatic investment in proven solutions to help foster dialogue, bridge differences, and heal divides in our communities.”

Passage of the BCBA is an important step towards restoring social cohesion and building a vibrant economic future for our country. We applaud the legislation’s focus on locally-based solutions, where businesses can play a key role. BFA is proud to join the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and Business Roundtable in supporting the BCBA.

Signatories

The following companies and business organizations have signed our business letter urging Congress to pass the Building Civic Bridges Act.

Business Signatories

Cummins
ECOS
Emmis Corporation
Powers & Sons Construction
ProsperBridge
Rivanna Natural Designs
Salesforce
Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.
StartEngine
Streamline Software
REI Co-op
YottaDB

Business Groups & Trade Associations

American Sustainable Business Network
Good Business Colorado
Indiana Chamber of Commerce
NH Businesses for Social Responsibility
State Business Executives
U.S. Hispanic Business Council

• • •

Resources

• Policy: H.R.7698 - Building Civic Bridges Act of 2024
• Policy: One-page overview of the BCBA
• Rep. Kilmer Press Release (3.15.24)
  Sen. Chris Coons Press Release (4.22.24)
• Policy: Section-by-section analysis from Rep. Kilmer’s office
• Seattle Times Op-ed: Support U.S. Rep. Derek Kilmer’s Building Civic Bridges Act