Millennials Are Making Their Mark in Congress and the States
Posted by on July 11, 2019 at 3:33 PM
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Millennials (defined as people born between 1981 and 1996) still aren’t quite old enough to have a significant, elected presence on the Hill. Just one Senator -- Josh Hawley -- is less than 40 years old, and only 26 of 435 House Representatives were born after 1980 (20 of those were elected during the 2018 midterms, including 3 of the 4 new Congressional Future Caucus leaders).
Nevertheless, millennials are still finding ways to make their mark in Congress. For instance, some are becoming Congressional Innovation Fellows with TechCongress and helping to bring the legislative branch into the 21st century. These men and women are bringing their expertise to bear on legislation and helping to bridge the gap between Silicon Valley and D.C. lawmakers. Impressively, the 2019 Fellows averaged over seven offers per fellow.
If you would like to join the effort, TechCongress is accepting applications through August 19th.
Meanwhile, millennial state legislators are helping shepherd key pieces of legislation throughout the nation. For instance, the Millennial Action Project’s Oregon Future Caucus successfully advocated for passage of HB 2164, which establishes the nation’s first refundable educational tax credit. The bill -- which is waiting Governor Kate Brown’s signature -- is aimed at helping lower and middle income families afford educational opportunities.
We look forward to seeing how American Millennials serve their nation in the coming years and decades. It has been a good start.
And as always, thank you for your support,
Sincerely,
Bridge Alliance Education Fund
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Bridge Alliance Members in the News:
POGO - NPR - ICE Uses Facial Recognition To Go Through Driver's Licenses, Researchers Say
Citizen University; Better Angels - Great Good Science Center at UC Berkley - How Americans Can Find What They Have in Common
iCivics - KUAM - Program gives students a fresh look at civics