POSTPONED - Protecting democracy: Common ground for the greater good
The Ford School and U-M Democracy & Debate must reschedule today's event featuring Representatives Dingell and Cheney. As Vice Chair of the January 6th Select Committee, Representative Cheney has been called to the House floor for debate at a time that conflicts with this event.
We hope to announce a new date soon when both Representatives are able to participate. You can add your email to the list to receive information on the new date when it is confirmed.
Speaker
U.S. Representatives Debbie Dingell and Liz CheneyDate & time
Location
This is a Virtual Event.
Join us for a special conversation with U.S. Representatives Debbie Dingell (D-MI) and Liz Cheney (R-WY) with Ford School Dean Michael S. Barr to discuss the role of public service and collaboration beyond party lines to protect democracy under threat.
In this period in which our institutions fundamental to democracy have experienced continuous unprecedented attack, what paths forward will lead to collective action to preserve and strengthen our democratic systems?
This event is part of the Ford School’s Conversations Across Difference series, supporting our commitment to facilitating public discourse that is nonpartisan, evidence-based, and inclusive. Speakers bridge partisan, ideological, and identity gaps, and provide constructive debate on policy issues that affect our communities, nation, and the world.
From the speakers' bios
Liz Cheney serves as Wyoming’s lone member of Congress in the U.S. House of Representatives. She was first elected in 2016 on a platform of restoring America’s strength and power in the world, and pursuing conservative solutions to create jobs, cut taxes and regulation, and expand America’s energy, mining and agriculture industries. Cheney sits on the House Armed Services Committee and also serves as the Vice Chair for the House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol.
From 2019 to 2021, Cheney served as the Chair of the House Republican Conference, the third-ranking Republican in the House of Representatives.
Prior to her election to Congress, Cheney served at the State Department as a Deputy Assistant Secretary of State and Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for the Middle East. She also practiced law at White & Case and at the International Finance Corporation. A specialist in national security and foreign policy, she was also a Fox News analyst, and is the co-author – along with her father, former Vice President Dick Cheney – of “Exceptional: Why The World Needs a Powerful America.” She is a member of the International Board of Advisors at the University of Wyoming.
Liz and her husband Phil Perry have five children and live in Wilson, Wyoming.
Congresswoman Debbie Dingell represents Michigan’s 12th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives and serves in House Leadership as a Co-chair of the Democratic Policy and Communications Committee. She is a member of the Energy and Commerce Committee and the Natural Resources Committee, where she leads on critical issues including affordable and accessible health care, clean energy and water, domestic manufacturing and supply chain resilience, and protecting out wildlife and natural resources. Growing up in Michigan, Dingell, who chairs the Great Lakes Task Force, has always been an advocate for the outdoors and commits her work in Congress to protecting the environment for generations. Dingell is focused on bringing people together – in Congress and in her communities – to support Michigan’s families and the economy. This is most evident in her work to strengthen the American auto industry, maintaining America’s competitiveness and ensuring good-paying American jobs.
Dingell also plays a major role in leading the fight against PFAS contamination, spearheading the PFAS Action Act with Republican college Rep. Fred Upton. Her collaborative work-style also lends itself to bicameral work, most importantly on long-term care, as she authored the Better Care Better Jobs Act with Senator Bob Casey to strengthen and expand access to the long-term care system while also supporting the direct care workforce. As a fierce advocate for reform to our nation’s broken health care system, she is also the co-author of Medicare For All to finally guarantee care for all Americans.
An active civic and community leader, Dingell is a recognized national advocate for women and children. She successfully fought to have women included in federally funded health research and advocated for greater awareness of women’s health issues overall, including breast cancer and heart health. She is a founder and former chair of the National Women’s Health Resource Center and the Children's Inn at the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
Dingell is a respected voice in Michigan and has been named multiple times on Crain’s Detroit Business’ 100 Most Influential Women in Michigan list.
Sponsors
Hosted by the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy. Co-sponsored by University of Michigan’s Democracy & Debate 2021-’22. Presented with support from the Tuft Family Foundation and the Martin Family Foundation.
A special thank you to our media partners at Detroit Public Television for support of this event.
