futurecaucus.org [futurecaucus.org]
Dear John,
2025 asked hard questions of American democracy. Violence plagued public servants and public life. Political divides stalled basic governance. Trust—in institutions, and in one another—felt increasingly fragile.
But across statehouses and communities, a generation of young lawmakers showed genuine leadership. In moments of fear and fracture, they reached across divides, showed up for their communities, and held fast to a belief that democracy is not a finished product—it is something we make, together, over time.
On the cusp of America’s 250th anniversary, here’s how young lawmakers spent 2025 shaping what comes next:
In the Room(s) Where It Happens
Throughout the 2025 legislative sessions, Future Caucus state chapters met frequently to bring lawmakers together across the partisan divide. State co-chairs worked diligently to connect young lawmakers in capitol chambers, committee rooms, and in social events where they could deepen trusting relationships.
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Our Growing Network
That shared commitment took tangible form with the launch of Future Caucus chapters in South Carolina and North Dakota, bringing the State Future Caucus Network to 36 states.
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Young lawmakers in both states stood side by side to affirm that governing works better when you invest in relationships.
A Major 2025 Win for Arkansas' Mothers & Children
Representative Aaron Pilkington (R) and Representative Ashley Hudson (D), transformed ideas sparked at last year's Future Summit into the Healthy Moms, Healthy Babies Act . This bipartisan legislation, signed into law in 2025, directs $45.3 million toward maternal and infant health initiatives across the state. Its provisions include presumptive Medicaid eligibility for pregnant women, expanded telehealth for prenatal care, separate Medicaid reimbursements for up to 14 prenatal and postnatal visits, and funding for doulas and community health workers.
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Elevating the Real Stories of Young Lawmakers
At a time when political coverage often centers on division, Future Caucus helped reframe the national conversation by elevating the real stories of young lawmakers across the country.
Through initiatives like our Young Lawmakers’ Storybank [[link removed]] and Lawmakers on Lawmakers [[link removed]] video series, we created space for legislators to share firsthand why they serve and how they govern across differences. That storytelling reached a national stage this year, with Future Caucus featured on Meet the Press NOW (NBC News) [[link removed]] , The Washington Post [[link removed]] , and the Wall Street Journal [[link removed]] , highlighting both the promise of a rising generation and the real challenges—including political violence—they face.
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Connecting America's Most Promising, Effective Leaders
Future Summit 2025 brought legislators together under the theme America in the Making . From inspiring talks by members of Congress, journalists, and thought leaders, to hands-on workshops in branding, policy, and digital engagement, Future Summit was a laboratory for collaboration.
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Across four days, bipartisan relationships strengthened, ideas were exchanged, and a generation of lawmakers saw firsthand that progress is possible when courage, creativity, and connection guide public service.
Power in Presence
We launched the second cohort of the 19th Collective, bringing together young women lawmakers from nine states to support one another’s growth and resilience in office.
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In a profession that often isolates and exhausts, this community is helping women not just endure public service, but thrive within it—strengthening leadership from the inside out.
Working for People Over Power
Future Caucus President & CEO Layla Zaidane was honored with the 2025 McNulty Prize, a recognition not just of her leadership, but of the movement she helps nurture: a generation of lawmakers reshaping American politics through empathy, pragmatism, and cross-partisan collaboration. This award validates what we’ve seen all year—the power of young leaders committed to governing for people, not politics.
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Learning on the Ground with Innovation Fellows
A cornerstone of the Innovation Fellowship is experiential learning—giving lawmakers the chance to step outside of chambers and committee rooms, and engage directly with communities and experts.
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In 2025, Fellows traveled to Alaska, Arkansas, New Mexico, and Pennsylvania, exploring election reform, alternative prison systems, watersheds and drought preventative systems, and new healthcare models for prenatal-to-three care. These experiences provided depth, context, and perspective rarely available in the day-to-day legislative grind.
Southern Lawmakers Keep the Future in Focus
Future Summit South was about keeping the Future in Focus . In Bentonville, Arkansas, young lawmakers across the South gathered to share ideas and explore the future of work, community investment, and regional leadership.
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A Movement Recognized
Layla Zaidane’s inclusion on the #TIME100NEXT [[link removed]] list was a major milestone for our organization. This honor places her alongside changemakers in politics, entertainment, sports, science, and activism who are shaping our future. But the recognition is bigger than one person—it’s a reflection of the thousands of young lawmakers across the country demonstrating that governance grounded in curiosity, collaboration, and integrity is possible.
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Governing for the Future
As Artificial Intelligence continues to shape conversations around our future, we launched the National Task Force on State AI Policy, co-chaired by Representative Doug Fiefia (R-UT) and Representative Monique Priestley (D-VT). This bipartisan group of twelve lawmakers is guiding responsible AI governance at the state level—confronting complex challenges early, together, and with the public good at the center.
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Rising Stars & Rising Leaders
To close the year, we honored lawmakers who exemplify the Future Caucus ethos at our 8th annual Rising Star Awards.
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As the new home of the Jacob K. Javits Prize for Bipartisan Leadership, we honored U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and U.S. Representative Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D-WA)—leaders who continue to choose collaboration despite backlash.
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We also recognized Representative Dr. Imani Barnes (D-GA) and Senator Alexis Calatayud (R-FL) as Rising Star Award honorees. The Cherisse Eatmon Collective Impact Award went to Representative Justin Ruffridge (R) and Senator Löki Tobin (D) of Alaska, whose bipartisan leadership helped secure funding for Alaska schools despite significant obstacles.
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This is America in the Making. Not as a slogan or an anniversary countdown, but as daily work—shaped by difficult conversations and deliberate collaborations. It is being written by leaders who understand that the future does not arrive fully formed. It is built through care, courage, and the willingness to govern even when it’s hard.
At Future Caucus, we’re proud to support them, celebrate them, and learn from them. Thank you for standing with us in this work.
We know that by working together in 2026, our best days are still ahead.
With gratitude,
The Future Caucus Team
We can't do this work without you. Support young lawmakers in their efforts to bridge the partisan divide and donate today! [[link removed]]
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Contact Us
[email protected]
Future Caucus
1701 Rhode Island Ave NW
Washington, DC 20036
United States
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