Washington, DC – Ahead of the State of the Union, youth-led organizations representing millions of Gen-Z, March for Our Lives, Sunrise Movement, Gen Z for Change and United We Dream Action, released the following joint statement:
“Young people showed up to defend our democracy in record numbers in 2020 and in 2022. We achieved the second highest youth midterm turnout in 30 years, even electing the first Gen-Z member of Congress. We are fired up and are fighting for change.
“We need to see more from President Biden. Without a Democratic majority in Congress, President Biden must step up and use the full extent of his power to invest in the top issues facing our generation. Young people demand bold action on climate change and gun violence, and we need solutions for our country’s immigration system that respect people’s rights and keep families together.
“In the last two years, young people, especially young people of color, organized to push the Biden administration to cancel student loan debt, make record investments to combat the climate crisis, and to undo some of the most heinous Trump-era policies. Young people are the largest voting bloc in this country. We made the difference in electing President Biden in 2020, saved Democrats again in 2022, and if President Biden wants to hold Democratic power long term, he must listen to us and deliver.”
Below are some of the actions the groups are demanding from President Biden and his administration ahead of the State of the Union:
- Acknowledge the work of youth groups and activists when speaking to the achievements of the Administration during the State of the Union,
- Declare a Climate Emergency and invoke the Defense Production Act to expedite the U.S. transition to renewable energy,
- Declare a pathway to citizenship for all undocumented people,
- End Title 42,
- Defend the DACA policy in the courts and ensure the protection of immigrant youth from deportation,
- Declare the gun violence epidemic a national emergency,
- Establish an office of gun violence prevention to coordinate the federal response to the gun violence crisis,
- Leverage the Presidential bully pulpit and real power of the Presidency to address gun violence through executive action.