Check out our new trailer! (Best viewed at 720p). Click HERE to reserve your spot at the Inaugural Gen44 Kick Off Concert and the Summit.

Gen44 Summit is the start of something big, so don’t miss the chance to be a part of it!

The DNC/OFA will be hosting the first National Gen44 Summit in Washington, DC from Thursday, September 30^th through Saturday, October 2^nd. The Summit will be a three-day gathering of the next generation of leaders, the best and brightest – kicking off with a concert at DAR Constitution Hall with President Obama and many other special guests. Stay tuned, we will be revealing our musical guest very soon.

Summit Packages and Individual Kick Off Concert Tickets are available today so reserve your spot.

September 30^th through October 2^nd

Day 1: Summit Kick Off Concert with President Obama & Special Guests

Day 2 & 3 – Panels, Receptions and Discussions*

*Full agenda to be announced shortly

As we all know, engaging our generation means empowering the President. This Gen44 Summit is the start of something big, so come join the discussion.

Questions? Contact us at Gen44@dnc.org – we will be rolling out more details in the following weeks.

Visit and share our Facebook invite and download the PDF invitation here – Gen44 Tri-State Evening with Plouffe

Gen44 Late Night with David Plouffe

Gen44 SF Evening with David Plouffe

Gen44 Boston RSVP here! Contributions start at $44. http://www.actblue.com/page/plouffe-boston-july21

Gen44 NYC RSVP here - https://my.democrats.org/page/contribute/July29Gen44NYC

For an insight into what to expect  – please read Gen44 Mid-Atlantic Host Committee Member Kalpana Kotagal’s take on her evening with Plouffe.

On Tuesday, May 25, Gen44 launched in the Mid-Atlantic with an energy-filled event in Washington, DC.  I was honored to serve on the host committee for that event, along with Tim Lim and David Burd, Founding Co-Chairs, and other committed Gen44 hosts.  The event was a complete success.  The buzz surrounding the kick-off in the days preceding it was electric and when launch time came, the event was packed – hundreds of people came out to support the Democratic Party.

David Plouffe headlined the event, reminding us all of the hard work that we have done to help the President succeed, and re-energizing us for the hard work still to come in advance of November’s elections.  He noted that while midterm elections are always challenging for the President’s party, the Democratic Party has something to offer that the Republican Party does not — leadership focused on solving the critical problems we face today.

In his remarks, Plouffe reflected on the Obama’s Administration’s accomplishments to date.  When President Obama took office, the United States was facing the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression. Over the last year and a half, President Obama has taken bold action to address that crisis, spur economic recovery, and jump-start job growth.  At the same time, President Obama has enacted a landmark health insurance reform bill, tapped two experienced and talented Supreme Court nominees, established the highest fuel economy standards in a generation, and dramatically improved America’s stature in the international community.

In order for the President to continue to move forward in addressing important issues like immigration reform and a clean energy economy, it is critical that he has allies in Congress who will stand with him in that work.  To that end, Plouffe called on Gen44 to help bring the 15 million Americans who voted for the first time in 2008 back to the polls this year to support Democratic candidates across the country.

I will be proud to assist in that effort, and I am proud to be part of the Gen44 movement.  Our efforts are about more than this fall’s elections, or even the 2012 elections. They are about involving millions more voters in the democratic process.  And that gives me hope.

If you’re looking to find the cool kids of the Democratic Party on Tuesday night, check the K Street Lounge.

Generation Forty Four, the Democratic National Committee’s new young donor group, is hosting a fundraiser at the downtown nightclub (with tickets cleverly starting at $44).

The highlight of the night is a special appearance by President Barack Obama’s 2008 presidential campaign manager, David Plouffe, but HOH hears there will be plenty of other political VIPs on hand, including Mitch Stewart, executive director of Organizing for America; Rep. Patrick Murphy (D-Pa.), one of Gen44’s honorary co-chairmen; and Reps. Kendrick Meek (D-Fla.) and Tim Ryan (D-Ohio).

Roll Call subscription only: http://www.rollcall.com/news/46504-1.html

GEN44, the DNC’s young donor group, hosts a funder featuring David Plouffe on Tuesday at K Street lounge. Also attending: Kendrick Meek, Tim Ryan, Gen44 Honorary Co-Chair Patrick Murphy and Mitch Stewart.  See the invite http://bit.ly/9bRgu6

http://www.politico.com/playbook

NEXT WEEK — PLOUFFE RAISES: Former Obama campaign manager David Plouffe is appearing at a fundraiser Tuesday for the DNC’s Gen44 young donor group. Also appearing at the Washington event, according to a DNC official: Florida Rep. Kendrick Meek, Ohio Rep. Tim Ryan, Pennsylvania Rep. Patrick Murphy (who’s a Gen44 honorary co-chair) and OFA executive director Mitch Stewart. http://bit.ly/9RN1VC

http://www.politico.com/morningscore

Have questions about Vote2010 and the role the DNC will play in the midterms? Come listen and take part in the dialogue. RSVP today at: https://my.democrats.org/page/contribute/Gen44May25

Contribution levels start at just $44. If you would like to take a leadership role and join the host committee – email us at Gen44@dnc.org.

Click here to download your own copy of the invitation! Gen44 Mid-Atlantic Conversation with David Plouffe.

JUST ANNOUNCED – The WLF will feature two more fantastic speakers – The Honorable Steven Chu and the Honorable Kathleen Sebelius.

We have a fantastic line up for the 2-day conference and will feature issue and strategy sessions and policy panels on:

The Economy, Health Reform, Energy & the Environment:

Confirmed Speakers: Honorable Steven Chu, Honorable Kathleen Sebelius, Valerie Jarrett,
Melody Barnes, Nancy-Ann DeParle, Austan Goolsbee, Tina Tchen, Mona Sutphen,
Carol Browner, and other special guest speakers

Victory in 2010: Electoral Landscape

Confirmed Speakers: David Plouffe, Jim Messina, Patrick Gaspard, Jennifer O’Malley Dillon, Mitch Stewart

Democratic Messaging on Behalf of Our President and Candidates

Confirmed Speakers: Brad Woodhouse, Anita Dunn, Stephanie Cutter

Other Featured Speakers:

Governor Tim Kaine
Senator Kirsten Gillibrand
Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz
Ann Lewis
Jennifer Lawless
Stephanie Schriock

RSVP for your Gen44 spot today at: http://my.democrats.org/WLF2010.

For more information and to see the full agenda for the conference – please email us at WLF@dnc.org and Gen44@dnc.org.

Gen44 Women – Do not miss out on this year’s Women’s Leadership Forum Issues Conference – A New Foundation: Leading the Way Together that will be held on Friday, May 7th and Saturday May 8th in Washington, D.C.

The 16th Annual Women’s Leadership Forum Issues Conference will feature Keynote Speaker First Lady Michelle Obama as well as Policy and Issue Strategy Panels featuring:

Governor Tim Kaine
Senator Kirsten Gillibrand
DNC Vice Chair Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz
Valerie Jarrett
Mona Sutphen
Nancy-Ann DeParle
Austan Goolsbee
Jennifer Lawless
Ann Lewis
David Plouffe

This exciting conference will bring together female leaders from across the country for two days of informative and interactive discussions with party leaders.

There is a special Gen44 level for this conference – RSVP for it by emailing Lee Dugger at WLF@dnc.org or logging on here.

In front of an enthusiastic audience, Representative Edward Markey, Representative Michael E. Capuano, Boston Mayor Thomas Menino, Victoria Kennedy and Governor Deval Patrick led off, and then President Barack Obama brought it home. Each gave moving speeches about the accomplishments of the current administration, testifying that hope and faith in action can bring substantive change to America.

Representative Markey reminded the crowd that President Obama took office in the middle of a global financial crisis, and that President Obama has addressed that crisis in a manner designed to help working-class and middle-class Americans.

After hearing about the Obama Administration’s accomplishments last week, I was struck by the fact that our President has accomplished so much in a little over a year.  Not only has President Obama spearheaded the passage of health insurance reform, he has also signed into law a historic Recovery Act that has gotten our economy moving again, presided over legislation that has saved the jobs of automobile workers, signed the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act to help women achieve equal pay for equal work, appointed the first Latina Supreme Court justice, signed legislation to create tax cuts for small businesses, and reformed the student-loan system by increasing the number and amount of Pell Grants.  His financial policies have stemmed the rate of job losses and have stabilized an economy in the middle of a global financial crisis.

Last week Governor Patrick said it best when he said that President Obama is committed to helping us all create a better country for the next generation of Americans — Governor Patrick referred to this ideal as “Generational Responsibility.”

This concept of “Generational Responsibility” was inspiring to me for several reasons.  Seeing health reform fail in the past caused me, and many of my contemporaries, to harbor the cynical opinion that politics and political parties produced only gridlock without meaningful change.  However, over the past year and three months I have witnessed President Obama deliver on the changes that he promised for the next generation of Americans, even when pursuing those changes has resulted in temporary setbacks and frustrations.

The President’s example has overcome any cynicism I may have harbored, and the concept of “Generational Responsibility” has inspired me to get off the sidelines.  Last week, the President said that he has faith that it is possible to create meaningful changes that benefit all Americans.  Since January 2009 I have observed that the “faith” about which President Obama speaks is not a mere rhetorical device — it truly is the substance of the things for which I, and many other Americans, have hoped.

So, will you get off the sidelines too?  Are you Gen44?

Below is a our “Year in Review” – you can also click to see the full list of First Year Accomplishments here.

“One year ago, I took office amid two wars, an economy rocked by severe recession, a financial system on the verge of collapse, and a government deeply in debt. Experts from across the political spectrum warned that if we did not act, we might face a second depression. So we acted– immediately and aggressively. And one year later, the worst of the storm has passed.”
– PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA
STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS, JANUARY 27, 2010

ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION YEAR ONE

WORKING TO MOVE AMERICA FORWARD…
HISTORIC HEALTH INSURANCE REFORM
After a long, thorough and transparent process, we have passed the most historic health insurance reform legislation in history. Before now, seven presidents had tried, and seven had failed to reform our broken system. This legislation, which includes bipartisan ideas, is historic.

• This reform is the most significant piece of economic and social legislation since FDR signed the Social Security Act in the 1930s, and the largest expansion of health care since Medicare helped to transform the lives of America’s seniors in the 1960s.
• The bill provides stability and security to Americans who have insurance, affordable options for those who don’t, and lower costs for families, businesses and our country as a whole.
• It provides the largest middle class tax cut for health care in our history and brings greater accountability to health care by laying out common sense rules of the road to keep premiums down and prevent insurance industry abuses and denial of care.

RECOVERY ACT
President Obama inherited the worst economic crisis in a generation, and our country was teetering on the edge of a second Great Depression.
• The economy was losing nearly 800,000 jobs a month
• Banks were in crisis and our credit markets were frozen
• $10 trillion in wealth had been destroyed in the stock market

Since taking office, President Obama has been working hard to stabilize our economy, put us on the road to recovery, and rebuild a new, stronger foundation for long term growth.

President Obama signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the most sweeping economic recovery plan in American history. Because of the Recovery Act:

• Up to 2 million jobs have been funded so far – and the bill is on track to result in 3.5 million jobs by the end of 2010.
• 95 percent of working families are receiving the Making Work Pay tax credit in their paychecks.
• More than 7 million low and moderate-income students will receive a 15 percent increase in their Pell Grant awards to help pay for college.
• And thousands of teachers, law enforcement officials and firefighters have been able to stay working because of the billions of dollars in Recovery Act assistance made available to state and local governments.

CHILDREN’S HEALTH INSURANCE
President Obama re-authorized and expanded health insurance for four million more low income children through the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), an action President Bush vetoed twice. Now, 11 million children are covered under SCHIP.

CREATING JOBS
President Obama signed into law the first of many bipartisan jobs bills being worked on in Congress. The measure builds on the economic progress already achieved by the Recovery Act and put more Americans back to work by offering small businesses tax cuts in exchange for hiring workers and funding for bond and highway programs.

CREDIT CARD REFORM
Last year, President Obama signed bipartisan comprehensive credit card reform into law – the Credit Card Accountability, Responsibility and Disclosure Act (CARD). This helps level the playing field by stopping unfair credit card company practices that have been confusing and unfair to American families for far too long.

TOBACCO LEGISLATION
President Obama signed into law the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act, which gives the FDA broad authority to regulate the manufacturing and marketing of tobacco products.

NEW OPPORTUNITIES FOR COMMUNITY SERVICE
The President signed a national service bill to create hundreds of thousands of opportunities for people to serve their communities.

STEM CELL RESEARCH
President Obama lifted a ban on federal funding of stem cell research, ensuring that scientific decisions are based on facts, not ideology.

FAIR PAY FOR WOMEN
Upon taking office, President Obama signed the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, finally guaranteeing equal pay for equal work.

HATE CRIMES PREVENTION ACT
President Obama signed into law the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, legislation that extends new federal protections to people who are victims of violent crime because of their gender, sexual orientation or identity, or disability.

SONIA SOTOMAYOR
President Obama’s first Supreme Court nominee, Sonia Sotomayor, was confirmed and seated. Justice Sotomoyor brings more federal judicial experience to the Supreme Court than any justice in 100 years. She is the Court’s first Latina justice and the third woman to serve.

RESTORING OUR REPUTATION AROUND THE WORLD
President Obama has taken critical steps to strengthen our alliances and restore our reputation around the world. The Obama Administration has prohibited torture and begun the work of leaving Iraq to its people. The President has outlined a new strategy to fight al Qaeda in Afghanistan and Pakistan, with a clear goal of goal of disrupting, dismantling and defeating al Qaeda and its extremist allies.

HISTORIC PROGRESS FOR OUR COUNTRY…
FINANCIAL REGULATORY REFORM
The President will continue to work on reforming our financial regulatory system by building on the strengths of our current regulatory structure and correcting its flaws. Reform will give regulators the tools they need to respond quickly to any future crisis, and to prevent that crisis from causing widespread harm.

REFORMING EDUCATION
President Obama is working to reform our education system, through innovative programs like “Race to the Top” and “Educate to Innovate,” inspiring new teachers and giving American students the tools they need to be successful in the global economy.

BUILDING A CLEAN ENERGY ECONOMY
President Obama will continue to work with Congress to forge a new energy policy that will break our dependence on foreign oil, jumpstart our clean energy economy with the creation of millions of new good, green jobs and finally address the dangerous carbon pollution that causes climate change and threatens our planet. Last year, the President announced new national emissions and fuel efficiency standards for American cars and light trucks and played a crucial role in brokering the Copenhagen Accord, a critical step in addressing the climate crisis.

REPEALING DON’T ASK, DON’T TELL
The President has pledged to repeal “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” and legislation is beginning the process of moving through the House and Senate. Last year, the President signed a presidential memorandum that extends key federal benefits to the same-sex partners of Foreign Service and executive branch government employees. This was just one step, but it is a critical one – and it paves the way for long-overdue progress.