The first Gen Z congressman, Maxwell Frost, made a heavy campaign focus on gun safety measures. It has made the 24-year-old Democrat from Orlando, Florida, a subject of hate.
Gun safety is of utmost importance to Frost, who calls Gen Z “the mass shooting generation.” Passing more substantive measures to curb gun violence is at the top of his list of priorities for his first six months in office
Frost not only came of age with many of the survivors of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas 2018 high school shooting but barnstormed the country with them to advocate for tougher gun control.
Shortly after Frost beat his Republican rival, Calvin Wimbish, by a considerable margin in Florida’s 10th congressional district in November during the midterm elections, America was rocked by seven more mass shootings in as many days.
“It feels like I’ve been through more mass shooting drills than fire drills,” Frost said.
“I think we have an opportunity, even in a Republican Congress, to pass legislation that can help get money for community violence intervention programs that help end gun violence before it even happens,” he said.
He further insists that any prospective legislation needs to have a mental health component.
Frost said that mental health issues tend to be the scapegoat as the reason of why there is gun violence. But that when you actually look at the numbers, having a serious mental health issue does not mean you are more likely to shoot someone, it means you’re more likely to be shot.
Frost intends to keep the pressure on both Republicans “who sweep the deaths of children under the rug” and on members of his own party who have been otherwise disinclined to take bold action.
“I’d venture to say that gun control is the slowest-moving issue in the federal government that has the most media coverage when something happens,” he says. “I have to be the consistent voice.”
Housing will be another main focus for the new congressman within his first 100 days in office. Housing is another issue close to his heart for him.
“We have the worst affordable housing crisis in the country, per capita in central Florida as of a few months ago,” he says.
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