Callie Barr is committed to strengthening the middle class and reducing the cost of goods and services for families in Northern Michigan and the Upper Peninsula. As a mother of two, she has experienced the reality of rising prices on housing, groceries, education, and gas. And she has seen how inflation, price gouging, and stagnant wages have affected all Michiganders and have especially hit Northern Michigan and the Upper Peninsula hard.

In Congress, Callie will work to make sure we are not left behind or ignored. Her top priorities include supporting policies that grow our economy, bring good-paying jobs back home, support agriculture and small businesses in rural Michigan, and lowering costs to strengthen our middle class.

The good news is America’s economic recovery under the Biden-Harris administration continues to be strong. Inflation is falling, unemployment remains low, and interest rates are beginning to go down.

But not everyone has felt these gains. Trickle-down economics is a myth. Many of our community members, from low- and middle-income households to retirees on fixed incomes, disproportionately struggle with rising costs. No one should have to struggle to pay for basic necessities such as rent, food, education, or even a well-earned vacation.

The scale of the problem in Northern Michigan is staggering. More than half of full-time workers in Michigan's 1st District earn less than $25 per hour, and 27% earn less than $15 per hour. With about 337,000 employed individuals in this District, it's clear that around 168,000 workers are struggling to make ends meet.

We know what’s at stake in this election: we’re up against Jack Bergman, who has used taxpayer dollars to reimburse himself for personal expenses, voted against funding for our district while taking credit for it, and voted against affordable housing, access to quality healthcare, workers’ rights and nutrition assistance programs.

Need more reason to remove Jack Bergman from Congress? The county in which Bergman allegedly resides when he's not in Louisiana has difficulty with childhood poverty and low wages that can't sustain a family. In fact, several counties in our district have the highest unemployment rates in Michigan, where finding affordable housing, childcare, or medical care is a constant struggle. And Jack has done nothing.

We all deserve the ability to support ourselves with full-time employment, livable wages and an economic system that works for everyone. This is a cause we all must rally behind. The economic vitality of Northern Michigan and the Upper Peninsula will improve if we strengthen our infrastructure, improve our public education, provide an excellent place to live, and attract small businesses to join us.

That’s why we must elect a new generation of representatives to Congress who will fight for livable wages across rural America. All jobs should be dignified and respected. And the need for fair compensation for all workers is not just important, it’s urgent.

It's long past time for Congress to finally raise the federal minimum wage. For over a decade, the wage has been stagnant at $7.25 per hour, making it difficult--if not impossible--for full-time workers to make ends meet.

The Fair Labor Standards Act, passed in 1938, aimed to eliminate wages that were detrimental to the minimum standard of living. Yet, in 2021, when the U.S. House of Representatives led by Democrats voted to increase the minimum wage to $15 by 2025, predictably, Rep. Jack Bergman and his MAGA Republicans voted against it.

Raising the federal minimum wage will stimulate consumer spending, help businesses' bottom lines, and grow the economy. This increase will also improve worker productivity, and reduce employee turnover and absenteeism. And it will boost the overall economy by generating increased consumer demand.

By advocating for fairer taxes, family sustaining wages, childcare, accessible healthcare, union protections, and increasing the supply of affordable housing, we can hold extreme MAGA Republicans like Jack Bergman accountable, contrast his out of touch positions on these issues with a popular Democratic agenda and put an end to the Republicans repeated assaults on our rights and freedoms.

It’s time for Democrats to take back the House. It’s time to elect Callie Barr to Congress!