The Facts

Last night, the Senate Judiciary Committee approved the “Gang of Eight” immigration bill in a 13-5 vote, which will allow immigration reform to move from committee to the Senate Floor for debate in June.

What’s in the bill? A pathway to citizenship, increased border security (more fencing), mandated employer verification system plus harsher punishments for employers who hire undocumented workers, a new visa program for low-skilled workers, and modernizations to our current visa program to ensure that immigrants don’t stay in the U.S. after their visas expire.

What’s out? An amendment in which U.S. citizens could sponsor foreign-born same-sex partners for green cards.

Why We Care

Tens of thousands of undocumented immigrants are part of the millennial generation and nearly 70 percent of young American citizens support a pathway to citizenship.

Our Opinion

We need immigration reform now, and the Senate bill brings us one step closer.

The Facts

According to Brett Arends, MarketWatch columnist, while current debate around college costs encompasses the price of student loans and increasing Pell Grants, what we should really be talking about is the actual costs of tuition.

Recent graduates have paid three times as much for a 4 year degree as someone who graduated 30 years ago. The increase in tuition hasn’t gone towards improving the quality of our education, but to larger football stadiums, modern performing arts centers, and recruitment of famous professors who the majority of students will never take a class from.

Basically, students are paying more in tuition without receiving any of the benefits, making their degree no better than the ones earned by a graduate in the 80s. From this analysis, it’s easy to see why Arends thinks US colleges are a rip off.

Why We Care

Because we believe in affordable higher education for our generation.

Our Opinion

We believe colleges have a larger responsibility to make learning more accessible.

The Facts

Usually we only care about the IRS when they are knocking on our doors during tax season, but this federal agency is currently taking a lot of heat for discriminatory practices—actions that could lead to a lawsuit.

The IRS unfairly targeted conservative groups by putting them under more scrutiny than other organizations (not allowed) and the (former) IRS director, Steven T. Miller, denied these activities over and over, even though he was aware they were going on.

Right-winged groups aren’t the only ones outraged at the controversy; the actions are receiving condemnation from members of both sides of the aisle.

Why We Care

Millennials are already cynical about politics, and scandals such as this won’t persuade us to put our faith in the government.

Our Opinion

Americans shouldn’t be discriminated against because of their race, gender, sexual orientation, or political affiliation.

The Facts

The clothing store Abercrombie & Fitch has come under fire since CEO Mike Jeffries stated that the store doesn’t carry XL or XXL sizes for girls and women because he “doesn’t want larger people shopping in his store, he wants thin and beautiful people.”

A new consumer index report reveals that millennials are no longer supporters of the company after Jeffries’ remarks. It also shows that we weren’t really fans of A&F to begin with.

Before, A&F’s consumer perception with our demographic was evenly split between positive and negative feedback, although they still ranked below their main competitors American Eagle and H&M. Since Jeffries’ interview, the clothing store has hit its lowest perception among gen y in months.

Why We Care

Millennials are not only the most diverse and inclusive generation, but studies show that we support companies and organizations with a social conscience.

Our Opinion

Millennials have a huge amount of consumer power and many are becoming social entrepreneurs and starting our own companies.  This consumer index report proves that we don’t want to give our hard earned money to undeserving companies, especially when there are so many socially conscious businesses created by members of our own generation.

The Facts

With statistics such as, “53 straight months with youth unemployment over 10%” and “Americans have over one trillion in student loan debt” it’s easy to become discouraged as a member of the Class of 2013, or as any twenty-something who graduated during the recession.

Drew Magary, a writer for Deadspin and Gawker, argues that even though the Class of 2013 may be “fucked” (his words) when it comes to our student loan debt, we shouldn’t automatically find a desk job just because it comes with upward mobility.

Instead, he says that this is our time to be free, travel, and make mistakes because most graduates don’t have the responsibility of a spouse, kids, or a mortgage.

Why We Care

While many of us will be paying off our debt for what seems like the rest of our lives, our experiences in our twenties will help us in the long run.

Our Opinion

Every person must pick their own path. Those who enjoy the freedom of their 20′s should try something new. Others who want a more traditional, stable job are needed as well.

The Facts

1 in 5 American women have a baby before they turn 20, more than any other developed nation.

The Obama administration appealed a federal court ruling that would make Plan B available to girls of any age without a prescription.

But Phillip Levine, an economist at Wellesley College and Melissa Kearney, an economist at the University of Maryland, argued in an article in the Atlantic that teen pregnancy is more a result of teens of living a life full of economic obstacles and less an issue about contraception.

They found that teen girls from underprivileged backgrounds who live in areas with a larger income inequality are much more likely to get pregnant than girls who have similar backgrounds, but face less inequality—basically their findings suggest that girls who don’t see a chance to better their lives are more likely to have a baby as a teenager.

Why We Care

To reduce teen pregnancy, you have to attack the cause and according to Levine and Kearney, that means improving access to quality education and career counseling for young girls.

Our Opinion

All young Americans deserve access to quality education. It’s even better if that education also reduces teen pregnancy, which means more young women will have babies that they can afford to raise, and that’s good news for everyone.

The Facts

A recent poll found that around 40 percent of Americans don’t know that Obamacare, the new health care law, is in fact a law. This is despite the fact that Obamacare has dominated conversations for 4 and a half years and is one of President Obama’s signature accomplishments.

This will be quite a surprise this fall when major changes to health insurance go into effect.

According to NYTimes’ Frank Bruni, a large number of Americans are ill informed on a variety of issues: not only do 40% think Obamacare was blocked, 65% can’t name a single Supreme Court justice, and 30% can’t name the Vice President.

Technology use has increased but Americans have not become more informed despite the Internet granting instant access to information.

Why We Care

It’s important for our generation to be informed and to understand how policies and new laws affect us.

Our Opinion

We agree with Bruni’s point:  an ignorant electorate puts our country at risk of corruption.

The Facts

Some of the biggest investors in Sallie Mae, the privately owned student loan corporation, are university endowments and professor pensions funds, which means the universities make more money as colleges increase tuition and more millennials are taking on student debt.

This creates a conflict of interest with the universities because the more they charge for annual tuition, they more profit they make off their investments.

Why We Care

As a whole, our country has $1.1 trillion in student loan debt, which outranks all other forms of consumer debt.

Our Opinion

This deal essentially creates a perverse fundraising incentive for universities to give students more debt in order to make more money for the school.

The Facts

Many in the media have been critical of President Obama’s leadership.

We all expect our president to be a great leader, but in a recent article, political scientist and historian Norm Ornstein argues that the media is overly critical of President Obama’s inability to get Congress on board with his agenda due to the limits of power given to the President.

Ornstein discusses the “myth of presidential leadership,” citing previous presidents such as Clinton, Reagan, and Bush, who had similar problems getting bi-partisan Congressional support for their politics, but have been remembered by history as good leaders.

Why We Care

According to a Harvard survey, Millennials have a growing cynicism towards politics: only 39 percent trust the President to do the right thing, and only 18 percent trust Congress to do the same.

The Facts

During the great recession, sharing companies including Zipcar and Airbnb, came to life as Americans were giving up personal ownership of cars, homes, and clothing.

As our country moves out of the recession, only time will tell if the sharing economy will be a fading trend or if it’s here to stay.

Why We Care

Even as the economy recovers, millennials are still likely to live in urban areas, which are more conducive to sharing. Sharing is also seen as eco-friendly for a generation that cares about its carbon footprint.

Our Opinion

We are fans of the sharing economy.