The Cathy McMorris Rodgers
Leadership Institute
NEWS
For Immediate Release - September 18, 2025
Spokane, WA — The Cathy McMorris Rodgers Leadership Institute (CMRLI) is proud to celebrate Bill Plucker, a dedicated Civics and AP Government teacher at Walla Walla High School, who has been awarded an Honorable Mention in the Jack Miller Center’s 2025 Teaching Excellence Awards.
This annual award recognizes college and K-12 educators nationwide who excel in engaging students with America’s founding story through primary documents, innovative courses, and extracurricular civic learning activities.
WASHINGTON – Wednesday is Constitution Day, which commemorates the signing of the United States’ founding document by the delegates to the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia in 1787.
To mark the occasion, former Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers and the leadership institute she launched in June distributed more than 600 copies of the Constitution to schools across Eastern Washington, the institute announced on Tuesday. The documents are part of kits that also include worksheets and games along with a video message from the retired congresswoman, who ended her 20-year career in the House last year.
“Constitution Day is a chance to renew America’s promise of liberty and opportunity,” McMorris Rodgers said in a statement. “The Constitution is the framework for this great experiment in self-government, and by teaching its enduring principles, we equip the next generation to love freedom and live its responsibilities.” Continue reading…
“Since Sept. 17, 1787, America has stood as a shining city on a hill—not because of its geography, but because of the revolutionary idea of a Constitution that empowers “We the People” to govern ourselves in freedom. Rooted in liberty, equality under the law, and unalienable rights, this framework has sustained our nation for nearly 250 years. It is a system that trusts individuals over power and fosters opportunity for all. Yet today, as division grows, too many Americans fail to grasp what makes our nation exceptional. Constitution Day offers a call back to those principles…” Read the full op-ed by Cathy McMorris Rodgers here.
WASHINGTON – In her first public move after retiring from Congress at the end of 2024, former Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers announced Tuesday that she is launching a nonprofit foundation that aims to cultivate a new generation of American leaders.
The Cathy McMorris Rodgers Leadership Institute will “connect people to purpose-driven lives and ensure America’s enduring role as a beacon of hope and freedom” through local and national initiatives, according to a news release announcing the launch. In an interview, the Spokane Republican said she wants to help shape future leaders and instill in them the values of freedom, faith, justice, opportunity and equality.
“In my time representing the people of Eastern Washington, I got to see a lot of good, and it’s my desire to really help fan the flames on that,” she said, adding that one of the institute’s guiding principles is “making goodness fashionable again, with acts of kindness that improve the lives of both the giver and the recipient.”
For Immediate Release - June 3, 2025
Spokane, WA—Today, former Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers announced the launch of the Cathy McMorris Rodgers Leadership Institute, a non-profit foundation whose mission will be to inspire a rebirth of freedom and faith in America’s future leaders.
“The genius of America has always been the creativity and hard work of freedom loving Americans. As Representative, I witnessed every day the very best of Eastern Washington and our nation, along with the vital role American leadership plays on the global stage,” said McMorris Rodgers. “For nearly 250 years, America has stood as a beacon of hope and freedom to the world. For this light to endure, we must cultivate leaders who understand the power of freedom, the conviction of faith, and possess the moral clarity to confront today’s challenges with strength and courage.” Read the full press release here.