Swalwell, Israel, Young Democrats Launch the Future Forum to Highlight Issues Faced by Young Americans

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congressman Eric Swalwell (D-CA) introduced the Future Forum, a group of 14 young Democratic Members of Congress focused on issues and opportunities for millennial Americans.

Members of the Future Forum begin a national listening tour today with stops in New York City, Boston, and San Francisco, with more cities to follow in the months ahead. They will hold town hall meetings, take part in roundtables, and participate in tours with young Americans at colleges, start-ups, and established companies.

"The issues of rising student loan debt, college affordability and declining millennial entrepreneurship do not just impact young Americans, they affect the health of our overall economy. Congress can't afford to ignore these pressing challenges," said Future Forum Chair Eric Swalwell. "But we can't just be talking about millennials; we need to be listening to millennials. To that end, we are crowdsourcing stories and ideas at events around the country and via social media and Medium to hear directly from our generation about how Congress can take action to better our future."

The Future Forum is one pillar of the newly formed Democratic Policy and Communications Committee (DPCC), an initiative overseen by Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi and DPCC Chair Steve Israel.

"The Future Forum is so aptly named because these young House Members bring the energetic, innovative, forward-looking leadership needed to meet the 21st century challenges we face," Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi said. "This effort is about bringing young people to the table and harnessing their dynamism, optimism, and hope to create a future where equality of opportunity exists for all, not just the ultra-wealthy and well-connected."

"The DPCC was created to ensure that House Democrats are more effective and united in communicating our priorities to the American people," said Democratic Policy and Communications Committee Chair Steve Israel. "We need to convey to millennials that government can work for them and that we understand the issues they care about, like student loan debt, entrepreneurship and being able to afford a house. I'm thrilled to join Rep. Swalwell to launch the Future Forum, and I look forward to hearing new ideas and stories as we kick off our listening tour."

Members of the Future Forum include:

• Eric Swalwell, Chair (CA-15)
• Pete Aguilar (CA-31)
• Brendan Boyle (PA-13)
• Joaquin Castro (TX-20)
• Tulsi Gabbard (HI-2)
• Ruben Gallego (AZ-7)
• Joe Kennedy (MA-4)
• Derek Kilmer (WA-6)
• Ted Lieu (CA-33)
• Grace Meng (NY-6)
• Seth Moulton (MA-6)
• Patrick Murphy (FL-18)
• Jared Polis (CO-2)
• Kyrsten Sinema (AZ-9)