Dear Friends:

Today I, and all of my colleagues at the Commonwealth Fund, stand with our peers in the philanthropic community and with the entire nation in condemning the insurrection and acts of violence that took place in Washington, D.C., yesterday.

Our foundation has for 102 years existed to further the cause of health care access and equity for all Americans. It is a given that we cannot achieve our philanthropic goals, nor can our colleagues in other arenas, unless American democracy is strong and vital — and governed by the will of the people through free and secure elections. The attacks on foundational democratic institutions by President Trump and some of his supporters over the past several weeks have directly threatened that democracy and the civil society in which our organizations exist. 

With a new Congress and administration, our national leaders have an opportunity and responsibility to set the nation on a new course toward justice and fairness in health care and elsewhere. As always, the Commonwealth Fund stands ready to support those charged with developing and executing new policy by offering evidence and information to guide their work.

Yesterday’s events in Washington were the culmination of trends and actions that have been accelerating under the influence of President Trump for four years. Let us hope that in showing so vividly the unconscionable consequences of those trends and actions, yesterday’s insurrection will create the conditions for a new level of trust and unity in our national affairs.
 
David Blumenthal