Editor’s Note: The Ideas Lab asked the Democrat and Republican candidates running for the U.S. House of Representatives to write 2,000-word essays on how they would address inflation, gun violence and health care if elected. Wisconsinites surveyed as part of the Main Street Agenda project said those are the top three issues they face heading into the Nov. 5 election.
Growing up in Kenosha County, I saw the power of hard work and community.
When my dad immigrated here from Italy, he didn’t know anyone, but he knew that if he worked hard in America, he could give his future family a shot at a good life.
And that’s what he did. Dad and Mom raised us in the town of Somers right in the middle of Kenosha and Racine, and this community has been my home ever since. Southeast Wisconsin isn’t just home; it’s family. And you go to bat for your family.
That’s been the principle that has guided my life in public service: going to bat for the people of this community – from helping our kids get ahead with a good education, to serving our communities in the State House for over a decade, to representing you in this congressional seat, to helping small businesses throughout our state at the U.S. Small Business Administration, to leading the Wisconsin Department of Revenue for the last five years and cutting taxes for middle class families.
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Now more than ever, Wisconsin families are being left behind by partisan politicians and they need a leader who will stand up for them and deliver results. That’s why I’m running for Congress.
I’ve stood up to special interests and corporate lobbyists because I simply don’t care about personal political gain, or partisanship, or power. I care about you.
Throughout my career, I was able to get things done by standing up for Wisconsin’s working families. I didn’t win every battle – but I also never backed down from one. That’s how I’ll lead in Washington.
Wisconsin families need leaders who will address: rising costs, keep our communities safe, and protect access to health care. We need leaders in Congress who are willing to cross the aisle to stand up for Wisconsin.
Families need immediate relief from higher prices
Costs are too high right now – plain and simple. Families are being pinched and they need real relief.
I’ve spent my life fighting to make it easier for working families to get ahead, including putting money back in people’s pockets through billions of dollars in tax relief.
I spearheaded legislation to build a world class workforce by investing in technical and training programs. I helped bring good-paying jobs to Wisconsin.
When former Gov. Scott Walker introduced Act 10 to repeal most unions’ collective bargaining rights, I led a 60-hour floor debate to try and stop it. When they tried to push through right-to-work and end prevailing wage, I stood up again.
We have a do-nothing, dysfunctional Congress thanks to politicians like my opponent, Bryan Steil, who are more concerned with playing politics than bringing down the cost of living. Steil voted against the law that is lowering prescription drug costs and capping the cost of insulin at $35 a month. In Congress, I’ll work to expand this to all Americans – not just seniors.
Despite claiming to support investments in infrastructure to create new jobs here in Wisconsin, Steil has consistently voted against bipartisan legislation like the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law that would do just that. Steil’s political games nearly cost Wisconsin billions in funding to repair our roads and bridges, connect more folks to high speed internet access, and create thousands of new union jobs that pay well.
Public safety must be a top priority for our representatives. As a father and grandfather, I believe there’s nothing more important than ensuring our families are safe. The first step to keeping our communities safe is securing the border: Congress had the opportunity to pass a bipartisan law that would have provided $20 million in funding to address the border crisis and keep our communities safe, but Bryan Steil and his party bosses killed the bill.
Common sense gun laws can help keep us all safer
We must also pass common sense gun safety legislation like background checks, and support our law enforcement officers. My record on this is clear: in Congress, I secured funding for 100,000 thousand new police officers across the country, and as the Assembly Minority Leader, I led the fight to make sure that the families of officers who are killed in the line of duty would receive the benefits they deserve. Steil, on the other hand, voted for legislation last year that would have cut funding for local police departments by an average of $30,000 per department and would result in nearly 30,000 fewer law enforcement officers.
Finally, we must continue to expand access to quality, affordable health care. This was a priority of mine in the legislature and it will continue to be one in Congress. Wisconsin is one of the few states that hasn’t expanded Medicaid, costing Wisconsin taxpayers money. I will work to expand access, lower premiums and prescription drug costs, and protect coverage for those with pre-existing conditions.
It’s also critical that we have a Representative who will protect access to reproductive health care. The right to choose when, how, and if to start a family is under attack by politicians who think they should make decisions for women. When Roe v. Wade was overturned, Bryan Steil called it a “great victory.” This “great victory” banned abortion in Wisconsin and ripped away the rights of Wisconsin women. Now he’s part of a group that wants to ban abortion and IVF nationwide, and he has even voted against protecting access to birth control.
In Congress, I will always protect women’s right to make their own health care decisions and I’ll build on my work in the legislature. I fought big insurance companies to try and require IVF
fertility treatments to be covered by health insurance so everyone could start a family, not just people who could afford those treatments. This is personal to me – if it weren’t for IVF, I wouldn’t have my wonderful grandson.
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We must prioritize getting things done. We can bring costs down and protect workers and Wisconsin jobs. We can get rid of disastrous trade deals that have hurt industries in America. We can expand access to health care and keep the government out of your doctors’ office.
We can go back to real leadership who cares about Wisconsin families above all else. Leaders who will buck their party and who aren’t afraid to cross the aisle.
Together, we can accomplish these things because in Congress, I’ll go to bat for your families every day, just like I’ve done my whole life.
Peter Barca, a Democrat, is seeking election in Wisconsin’s 1st Congressional District. His opponent, the incumbent Republican Bryan Steil, did not submit an essay.
Full text of essay questions for Wisconsin U.S. House candidates
Although the topline inflation rate has fallen (standing at 2.9% in July from its 9.1% peak in 2022), the bottom line is that Wisconsin families continue to feel the pinch of higher prices. One of the starkest findings from the WisconSays survey is that 53% of people in the state are not certain they can find $400 in an emergency. What specific legislation do you support to lower inflation and keep it from spiking again?
Firearms are the leading cause of death for children and teens In America. What would you propose to reverse this disturbing reality? As of September 6, there have been 30 mass killings in the U.S. this year. What legislation would you support to curb mass shootings? Death by suicide is a significant factor in gun violence. Firearms are the most common means of suicide. On average, for every 100 gun deaths in Wisconsin, 71 are suicides. Do you support red flag laws or similar measures that establish a process for judges to remove firearms from individuals with mental health conditions?
Last spring, two hospitals (in Eau Claire and Chippewa Falls) and 19 clinics closed in western Wisconsin. The Marshfield Clinic Healthcare System instituted staff furloughs earlier this year. In the Milwaukee area, some providers are reducing services. Health care systems cite staffing difficulties, inadequate Medicare and Medicaid reimbursements, higher costs and declining rates of patients with private insurance. How would you propose to tackle this problem? Health insurance premiums continue to rise at double-digit percentages. What can be done to make health care more affordable for Wisconsin families?
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