The congressional alumni urged leadership to “shun” lawmakers who have used rhetoric advocating for a partisan divide, calling for them to use the tools available to them to help restore Americans’ faith that Congress is working for them. ADVERTISEMENT “We urge you, as division not seen since the Vietnam War defines our union, to abandon the politics of tribalism. We challenge you, as our representative democracy is under severe stress, to shun those who peddle hyper-partisanship for personal gain,” the letter states. “We have walked in your shoes, and we understand from our own experience on Capitol Hill how easily an us-versus-them mindset can become a Member’s guiding principle. It will take great political courage and leadership to fundamentally alter the current acrimonious mentality, but for the good of the country you need to embrace a better path forward,” they wrote.