Millennials Could Sway 2016
When I was 11 I wanted to be the first female president. Fast forward 22 years and my goals have changed, slightly. Instead of wanting to be the first female president, I am working diligently to give my generation, Millennials, a voice.
From building companies centered around lifestyle flexibility to working environments that foster creativity in ways the Boomer generation never imagined, Millennials are the most disruptive in the workplace. Driven by a sense of entitlement and out-of-the-box mentality, Millennials actively snub their noses at traditional 9-5’s and opt to carve out their own path in the business world. This generation refuses to fall in line with convention and has broken every stereotype of what “conventional” looks like.
However, the one area of the world Millennials have yet to make any headway in, is the government. When most people think of politicians, they think of old white men sitting around smoking cigars, wearing suits, and padding their banks accounts through special interest groups. Many of my peers believe politicians in Washington are bought and sold to the highest bidder and their vote come Election Day doesn’t matter. Yet there is one person on the Hill who is single handily breaking down the barriers between Millennials and DC, and her name is Elise Stefanik.
Stefanik is the youngest woman ever to be elected to Congress. Representing New York’s 21st District, Stefanik sits on the House Armed Services Committee and the Committee on Education and the Workforce. Stefanik was recently elected in 2014 after long time Democratic Congressman, BIll Owens, decided not to seek reelection.
After a devastating loss Republicans suffered in 2012, the GOP has worked diligently to reach one of the largest voting blocks in the country, Millennials. Stefnik, a member the of the Millennial generation knows the kind of impact her peers can have in the political arena, and she has no intention of letting it fall by the wayside.
On Tuesday, Representative Stefanik hosted a hearing for the Republican Policy Committee designed to educate GOP lawmakers about the challenges and opportunities of appealing to young Americans. The first of what Stefanik sees as a three part series to “help Congress put together a vision and set of policies that resonate with my generation.”
With Stefanik breaking down barriers and giving fellow Congressmen a Millennial perspective, she is opening the flood gates for Millennials to have a voice when it comes to the direction the country is headed. As the largest, most diverse generation, Millennials have the power to overhaul DC in a major way in 2016; as long as they show up to vote. In the words of Malcolm Gladwell, “The tipping point is that magic moment when an idea, trend, or social behavior crosses a threshold, tips, and spreads like wildfire,” and our generation could very well be the tipping point in next year’s presidential election.