By Congresswoman Sara Jacobs
WASHINGTON, D.C — In Congress, 60 is considered young. So in my 30s, I’m basically a preteen! My age gives me a relatively unique perspective among my Congressional peers – and not just in my understanding of social media.
I know where the Democratic Party is missing the mark with young people – and what we need to do to fix it.
Here’s the deal. People in my generation (and younger) don’t really trust those in power or our institutions. And we have good reason for that. I was in 7th grade when the September 11th attacks happened, and then I watched the U.S. spend billions of dollars – and deploy millions of servicemembers – to fight endless wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.
I was getting ready to graduate college during the Great Recession, when it was nearly impossible for so many young people to find jobs, or even places to live. And then came the COVID-19 pandemic, when our country’s young people missed out on so many parts of growing up, big and small – getting first jobs, learning in their classrooms, attending school dances.
Put simply, young people don’t trust that our leaders know how to get us out of the messes they got us into.
And all the while, we’re told that our opinions don’t matter as young people – to wait our turn; that we’re lazy, entitled, and ungrateful.
Here’s a hard truth for some: Democrats aren’t entitled to young people’s votes.
Despite the incredible strides we made under the recent Democratic trifecta – capping prescription drug costs, investing more than a trillion dollars in infrastructure, major action on climate, the first gun safety law in 30 years – we didn’t meaningfully improve young people’s ability to make ends meet.
Why? We failed to address the two biggest costs for young people, costs that are still outpacing inflation and making it harder for young people to get by: housing and child care.
I wrote an op-ed in Teen Vogue on this exact topic – where Democrats have fallen short when it comes to young people, and how we can fix this problem – and I hope you’ll take a couple minutes to read it.
Young people don’t just want change, they need it. Because the problem isn’t that millennials and Gen Z’ers can’t budget, or don’t work hard enough, or that we’re eating too much avocado toast. The problem is that the status quo simply isn’t working for millions of people. And when I talk to my friends and peers, they see the Democratic Party as the party of the status quo — as the institutionalists who are fighting to protect systems that don’t work to begin with.
I want to be really clear about something – it’s not a bad thing that there are baby boomers and Gen X’ers in Congress. We need their experience and institutional knowledge!
But we also need to listen to the young people of this country who are begging for their concerns to finally be respected and addressed. Unless and until we do that, we won’t win back the support – or the votes – of young people in America.
You can read my full op-ed here.
If you have feedback or reactions to share on this topic, I’d like to hear them. Reply to this email and let me know what you think.
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Sara Jacobs, D-San Diego, represents California’s 51st Congressional District.
Dear Sara, I voted for you in the elections before last because I didn’t even imagine there are Jews who hate Israel and blatantly use their Jewish ethnicity for their political benefit. When I started to look into your politics and your votes at congress it was very brutal eye opening.
You are consistently voting against Jewish community interests and actively advocate against Israel, aligning yourself with islamists and terrorism supporters like Tlaib and Omar. What makes your behavior even worse that you shamelessly come to Jewish events, for political benefit, and tell stories about how you suffered from antisemitism. Who are you BSing?
You grew as privileged Billion$re daughter, whose hypocrisy knows no bounds. You are epitome of why Jews distrust democratic party.
NEVER AGAIN…. I will vote for you
Sara, love you my dear but please listen to your people in these comments! THIS is the voice of your own blood that you are silencing. אני אוהב אותך!!!!!!
As someone who is supposed to be representing the people, I don’t know how you could get it so wrong. Sara, you are out of touch. Being a Democrat was something that used to mean that we care about society and wanting to help people, wanting to lift them up. It used to mean siding with good and not evil. Siding with right instead of wrong. The Democratic party lost its way somewhere along the way. Suddenly, we had a party that was literally siding with terrorists. The party has taken such extremist views that are so lopsided and lacked any and all common sense. I believe the American people have woke up and realized the damage that the Democrats have caused. We started to sacrifice ourselves for other countries sending others so much money for who knows what instead of using funds to help our own people. We invested in people who broke laws to get in this country while leaving those who fought for this country homeless. The list goes on and if you want to bring people back to the Democratic party, you need to look within and start with yourself. Start supporting good instead of evil. Start using some common sense instead of hoping to fit in with AOC and the squad. Why are you aligning yourself with the mean girls’ club?
It’s safe to say there is a lack of trust in this country regardless of political affiliation. It is easier to point fingers and cast blame than it is to take accountability and ownership. It’s hard to relate to your representative when she grew up as part of the 1%. Ms. Jacobs socio-economic status affords her chances many of the constituents she claims to represent will not likely achieve or experience in their lifetime. There is absolutely wisdom in learning from your elders (thanks for adding the exclamation point in the local op-ed versus The TeenVogue op-ed), but, is it necessary to harp on the older generations? It reeks of….ageism? Ms. Jacobs has turned her back to her fellow pro-Israel Jews in the name of giving a voice to the younger generations that outwardly tend to lean on anti-American rhetoric. Is that what makes the youth so promising, their desire to upend capitalism and democratic institutions? Reality check: it’s not. Democrats need to work on their priorities and subsequent messaging—it went from a party of inclusivity to a party of exclusivity based on what’s trending in social media. Believe in rights for everyone but draw the line at transgender women playing on women’s teams? Congratulations, you are out of touch. Agree with teaching the diverse history of America, the good and the bad, but wish to magnify the positive accomplishments of minorities? Congratulations, you are now a racist. The younger democrats don’t like that POV and as a result there has been a great migration of democrats becoming liberal conservatives. Maybe this is a totally outdated, nonsensical belief, but I was taught to give respect to get respect—which seems to be what is missing from the Democratic Party in 2025.
People don’t trust the Democratic Party because of people like you who sell out their own people and care more for cozying up to “the squad” than protecting the interests of their voters. It was you who made me lose trust in the Democratic Party because of your refusal to stop the antisemitism on campus, or help your fellow Jews while from the other side of your mouth you claim to be one of us. Until this last election I had always voted the dem party line, but no more. I’m looking forward to the next election when we get another chance to vote you out of office.
Exactly! I have experienced the same and couldn’t agree more . When our own turn against us, it’s important we cut them out completely- there’s nothing more damaging or dangerous than a traitor.