A Harvard University survey released last month found that a majority of Americans under the age of 25 favor throwing President Barack Obama out of the White House by way of a recall election.
It’s not surprising that young Americans have turned on the president that many of them helped elect – the change he promised is far different than the change he has delivered. Young Americans face an increasingly uncertain future because of what has happened in Washington over the past five years. Many young Americans find their dreams of starting careers and starting families on hold. Opportunity is scarce in the Obama economy.
Of course, we can’t recall Obama because the Constitution doesn’t allow a recall election. But that doesn’t mean that young Americans can’t change Washington.
The same survey showed that a majority of young Americans would vote to remove every member of Congress — and that’s something that every young person can do this year.
Congress is unconcerned about the long-term future of our country because it is not affected by it in the way many of us are. Congress is largely comprised of incumbents with substantial financial and political security — many members of Congress don’t worry about going broke, and most of them have already achieved what they set out to do in life.
Young Americans, however, have a lot to worry about. The inaction and complacency in Washington affects our future and our ability to make a living and enjoy a good quality of life.
Our nation’s debt roughly equals its gross domestic product. Instead of making a serious effort to keep our debt from continuing to spiral out of control, Congress recently passed a budget that will dig an even deeper hole. That spending plan was passed largely by members of Congress who won’t have to foot the bill, and that’s exactly why more young Americans should run for Congress this year.
The leadership of our country lacks the courage necessary to set our country in the right direction. There is no question — shrinking the federal government and growing the private sector would require difficult and likely unpopular choices, which is why our current leaders have turned the other way.
A class of young Americans in Congress can provide that courage and make the kind of difference we need — because our future depends on it.
The only way to change Washington is to change the people who work there. This is the year that our generation should tell Washington to stop spending our future.
