Rogers: It's not too late to fix America
A version of this piece was published in The Detroit News, 14 September 2023
There I was, at the Meijer in Brighton when something hit me like a ton of bricks.
I was talking to the cashier about how expensive everything is when she told me some of her regular customers have had to leave her line and put items back on the shelves because they can’t afford them anymore. Her voice dropped as she told me it was things like meat, eggs and vegetables. Not luxury items, but the food every family needs.
And what hit me were two distinct feelings: the first was how absolutely disheartening it is to hear about families in my hometown suffering like that.
I know so many other Michiganians are experiencing the same thing. Nearly two-thirds of Americans are living paycheck-to-paycheck, meaning families must decide between gas in the tank or food on the table. Prices are skyrocketing, increased mortgage rates make buying a home impossible for many, and we are currently experiencing the highest default on credit card and car loans in years.
What is even more disappointing is that four short years ago under former President Donald Trump we were experiencing lower prices, the lowest unemployment rate in 40 years, and growth in the manufacturing sector. What’s more, America was on a path to be energy independent. What happened?
Washington leaders prioritized their political agendas over the well-being of Michigan families — families who play by the rules, work hard, and pay their taxes. So many people I talk to across Michigan are worried that it all feels like it is just slipping away.
For example, I met with some heartbroken people in Genesee County whose grandson had died from a fentanyl overdose. Deadly drugs like Fentanyl are pouring into our country because our leaders don’t have the courage to do what is necessary to protect our border and keep people safe. And it has a direct impact on our families and our communities.
When I talk to neighbors and friends across Michigan, there is an overall lack of faith in the things we used to be able to count on. That’s made even worse when people start to lose faith in our own system of justice, where the DOJ injects politics into its decision making and enforces one set of rules for D.C. elites and another for everyone else.
It feels bad right now but here’s the thing — the second feeling I got hit with at that grocery store? It doesn’t have to be this way. It’s not over. We can fix these problems — and I know how to do it.
We can stop the spending in Washington that drove up prices. We can prioritize an all-of-the-above American energy policy that lowers gas prices and strengthens our hand with China. As someone who served in our nation’s military, I know we can secure our border with barriers, technology and enforcing the law. As a former FBI field agent who took down organized crime, I know we can restore faith and pride into our legal system and support our law enforcement by taking political agendas out of justice.
And we can do even more than that. We can fund our military so that our men and women in uniform have the equipment and training they need. We can improve literacy rates by focusing on achievement and empowering parents. And we can take on China and restore America as the leading manufacturing job creator in the world.
I can no longer sit on the sidelines while Michigan families face so many challenges, especially when I know we can do so much better. If we work together and put politics aside, there is nothing we as Michiganians cannot get done, and with your help, we can get America back on track.
Learn more about Mike Rogers and his plan to Get America Back on Track at RogersForSenate.com.