Bipartisan Legislation — Podcast Transcripts

Transcript for “America's Next 250 Years” with Layla Zaidane

Layla Zaidane describes the incredible, enduring nature of American democracy, the challenges that have been overcome during its history, what is required for democracy to last another 250 years in America, and how we should think about selecting our elected officials to ensure freedom and democracy for generations to come. Layla goes on to talk about the progress being made by younger lawmakers in bridging the partisan divide, America’s position as a leading democracy in the world, and what the responsibilities are for citizens in order for democracy to continue to thrive.

Layla Zaidane is President & CEO of Future Caucus, the largest nonpartisan organization of young lawmakers in the United States. Future Caucus works with over 1,800 Millennial and Gen Z elected leaders in Congress and state legislatures to bridge divides, collaborate on future-oriented policy, and scale a healthy culture of democracy. Prior to joining Future Caucus, Layla served as the Managing Director for Generation Progress and helped launch the It’s On Us campaign in partnership with the White House in 2014, and launched the Higher Ed, Not Debt campaign in 2013. She was named by Fusion as one of 30 Women Under 30 Who Will Change the Election. A nationally recognized expert on youth engagement, Layla has been featured in outlets including Forbes, Teen Vogue, The New York Times, The Washington Post, U.S. News and World Report, and Refinery29.

Thank you to Starts with Us for their collaboration on this series. Starts with Us is an organization committed to overcoming extreme political and cultural division. Check them out at startswith.us.

Politics, Election, The Futuredon macphersonOctober 22, 2024politics, Election, Democracy, Government, Bipartisan Legislation

Transcript for “Building Consensus on Climate Change” with Benji Backer

With extreme weather and deadly disasters dominating headlines, the issue of climate change is a vital issue in the 2024 election. The majority of Americans believe there is human-caused climate change affecting our lives and fear for future impacts. The issue raises a range of perspectives on how to tackle the problem among the candidates running for higher office. If the majority of us are united on this issue, how do we have better discourse to find productive solutions? In this interview, Benji Backer shares his experience building consensus among conservatives and liberals to make progress on climate change.

In this conversation, Benji highlights some of the bipartisan climate legislation that has passed in the United States in recent history. He talks about how the American Conservation Coalition and other partners have led the way to help lawmakers prioritize the environment and climate issues. Benji goes on to discuss where climate change ranks in importance for voters, where people can get useful information about climate politics, and he even talks about how artificial intelligence anxiety is supplanting climate change as a political issue.

Benji Backer is President and Founder of the American Conservation Coalition, the largest right-of-center environmental organization in the country. He has been awarded the Fortune 40 Under 40, Forbes 30 Under 30, GreenBiz 30 Under 30, and Grist 50 for his work with the ACC. He serves as a Board member for the Wisconsin Conservative Energy Forum and Mainstream Republicans of Washington. A frequent contributor to multiple national media outlets, Benji is one of the leading youth environmental voices in the country.

Politics, Election, The Futuredon macphersonOctober 15, 2024politics, Election, Democracy, Bipartisan Legislation, climate change, environmental legislation, American Conservation Coalition