Future Forum
#FutureForum, chaired by Congressman Eric Swalwell, is a group of 18 young Democratic Members of the House of Representatives who are focused on issues and opportunities for millennial Americans. #FutureForum is a pillar of the Democratic Policy and Communications Committee (DPCC), an initiative overseen by Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi and DPCC Chair Steve Israel.
The millennial generation is facing challenges that Congress can’t afford to ignore. From the crisis of ever-increasing student loan debt to the decline of entrepreneurship among young Americans compared to previous generations, these challenges are impacting the overall health of our economy.
#FutureForum believes Congress can’t just talk to millennials but needs to talk with millennials to create solutions to our growing challenges. Through opportunities on the Floor of the House of Representatives and visits to cities across the country, #FutureForum is crowdsourcing ideas and meeting members of our generation where they are: community colleges and universities, workforce training centers, start-ups and established companies.
More on Future Forum
Millennials might look at California Rep. Eric Swalwell and think he's just another member of Congress, albeit one who looks younger than most of his colleagues. But then he talks about his nearly $100,000 in student loan debt.
“A lot of people in our generation think of Congress as an institution made up of people that don’t look like them, or go through experiences they have to go through. When you see members who do have student loan debt, you think, OK, maybe they do get it,” Swalwell said during an interview in his Capitol Hill office.
NEW YORK — On a Thursday evening earlier this month, a group of Democratic lawmakers entrusted with a big chunk of the party’s future mingled with well-dressed young professionals in an industrial-chic space in Manhattan, drinking glasses of wine and Mason jars of water infused with strawberries or cucumbers.
The New Yorkers were eager to interact with the four Democrats — three of whom are not much older than the millennial-aged crowd of entrepreneurs, investors and innovators in attendance.
Rep. Eric Swalwell is leading a House Democratic group that will reach out to voters of his generation to get them more interested and active in the political process.
Swalwell, 34, heads the Future Forum. Eleven House Democrats under age 40 have been invited to participate. The new group was announced by House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi. It will work out of the House Democratic Policy and Communications Committee.