Obama and Bush join effort to mark America's 250th anniversary in a time of political polarization

Former Presidents Barack Obama and George W. Bush will join an effort to commemorate America's 250th anniversary in 2026, highlighting the initiative's attempts to build bipartisan momentum in an era of extreme political polarization.

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 Declaration of Independence.

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 divisive presidential election.

Rosie Rios, a former U.S. treasurer who heads America250, emphasized that the commission organizing the celebration “has representation across all aisles.”

“This 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. “This is about celebrating and commemorating that we’re the oldest democracy in the world.”

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.

“This milestone is an opportunity to reflect on our history and recommit to our country’s founding values,” the Bushes said in a statement.

The Obamas said they look forward to reflecting on “the remarkable stories that make our nation the place it is today.”

“America is not the same country it was 250 years ago — but there are threads that tie us back to the very beginning of it all,” they said in a statement. “Our history plays a big role in shaping the kind of future we hope to create.”

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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.