The Issues

Delivering the Promise of Better Healthcare

I made the decision to run because my family saw firsthand the shortcomings of our healthcare system. My son was born with a pre-existing condition that requires annual treatment, and last year because of just a simple policy change, my family’s out-of-pocket costs for his treatment increased tenfold overnight. Politicians on both sides of the aisle have been promising to fix our health care system, but I am committed to delivering on that promise because like so many other voters in NE Indiana, this is personal to me.

If elected, I will address the attacks on the Affordable Care Act from politicians like my opponent and fix the flaws of the original legislation, including passing a real public option that all Americans can choose for themselves. Our priority in Washington will be to reach universal coverage and bring down premiums and deductibles however we can, to make sure no one has to choose between their own health and bankruptcy.

Building an Economy for the 21st Century

“Bringing jobs to our community” is a line you’ve surely heard from candidates running for office at every level of government. But I’m as tired of the same talking points as you are. It is time to do away with the failed ideas of the past, and listen to what our communities really need to prosper today, and for the future. I know what our communities here in NE Indiana need to build a local economy that works for everyone, because I have lived, served, and taught in Wells County my whole life. Whether making sure the growth in a city like Fort Wayne is sustainable, or revitalizing the small towns and empowering rural communities like the one I live in, we need Congress to focus on supporting the investments of the future. This includes:

• Protecting our unions: workers across the district should have a voice in their workplace and raise the federal minimum wage to $15 so everyone willing to put in 40 hours a week can make an honest living.

• Investing in modernizing our infrastructure, including roads, bridges, high-speed rail, and affordable housing so our communities have what they need to attract and keep the workers of the future.

• Make broadband internet a public utility, and put funding behind getting high-speed internet to every home in America so our rural communities can have the same access to the resources they need to educate their kids and build or grow their businesses.

• Utilize our extensive agricultural and manufacturing expertise in NE Indiana to create new, environmentally friendly jobs that can help fight climate change for the next generation and make our region a world leader in renewable energy development and sustainable agriculture.

Making Sure Everyone Has an Equal Shot at the American Dream

What zip code you’re born in, the color of your skin, or who you love should never be the barrier that keeps you from being able to live the promise of America: with hard work, everyone should be able to put food on the table, keep their family safe, and have agency over their own future. Unfortunately, because of the choices of our past, far too many American’s don’t have equal access to that future. I came back to Wells County to be a public school teacher because I wanted to help the next generation access that promise, and as your Congressman, I’ll take that commitment with me to Washington.

• Making public education a priority at every level of government. Education policy may be mostly made at the local level, but our current Congressman has made clear in his votes and priorities he does not value the importance of our educators. Congress should be collaborators with our local school systems to make sure they have the resources, support, and guidance they need.

• We need a Congressman that doesn’t just tweet #BlackLivesMatter when the news cycle allows it, but steps up and provides leadership to follow through on the promise that call to action represents. While most police reform happens at the local and state levels, Congress should act to reform our federal policy and oversight where they can, including ending Qualified Immunity, empowering the Department of Justice to set and enforce standards for training and transparency, and holding communities accountable when they fail to meet them.

• Congress should act immediately to correct the disproportionate investment in social services and our safety net so that our communities can lift those who need an extra hand up to be self-sufficient, not punishing folks for the struggles we all have. The federal and state response to COVID-19 has shown the failings of these systems, and it is long past time to make sure those in need can get the help they need.

Restoring Honest Government to D.C.

I hear from voters across our district who feel as if our politics are broken beyond repair, and the politicians we send to Washington are more concerned about their own careers than their constituents back home. I intend to bring our Hoosier values of honesty, decency, and responsive representation to Congress to help make Washington work for the rest of us. 

I’m committed to running a campaign for Northeast Indiana: that’s why I’ve sworn off corporate PAC money, and spend my time meeting with and talking to community members, not high-paid consultants and party insiders. If elected, I will serve my community just as I have as far away as Afghanistan and as close as the high school where I teach today.

If elected, I would support H.R 1.- the House bill that ensures voting rights for all Americans, forces dark money groups to disclose their donors, and strengthens ethics rules for politicians to avoid conflicts of interest.

Rebuilding trust in our government will take time and hard work. I enlisted in the Army, served two tours in Afghanistan, and came under enemy fire because I believe in our country, and will continue fighting for every American to reach their potential. Our democracy is only as good as we are, and I promise to continue doing all I can to create a more perfect union.