Elissa Slotkin in 2018 League of Women Voters

On Education: Earn-while-you-learn at community colleges

Elissa Slotkin: Between stagnant wages and rising prices, it's become harder to get ahead. And the very American idea that if you work 40 hours a week and play by the rules, you'll do well and your kids will do better is out of grasp for too many. It doesn't have to be this way; we have vacancies in cyber jobs, advanced manufacturing, and skilled trades. We need to make sure our schools are preparing kids for these jobs. In Congress, I will work to provide federal support for earn-while-you-learn programs at local universities and community colleges to make sure businesses are hiring Michiganders for the best jobs in the state.

On Environment: Protecting our Great Lakes must be a top priority

Elissa Slotkin: Protecting our Great Lakes, inland waters, and drinking water must be a top priority. As a former national security analyst, I believe we need to think of environmental security the way we do about homeland security: it's about the safety of our kids. If elected, I would help reinvigorate the Great Lakes caucus; push for a comprehensive, ten-year environmental plan for Michigan; and work to manage and mitigate the impact of warming temperatures. Line 5 is decades old, it gets shut down when the waves are too high, and enormous concerns have been raised by Republicans and Democrats--it should be shut down immediately.

On Government Reform: We should be making it easier to legally vote, not harder

Elissa Slotkin: Political gerrymandering and our current campaign finance laws are two of the clearest factors contributing to political dysfunction today. Much of this can be traced back to the U.S. Supreme Court decision that allowed corporate money to flood into our system through political action committees (PACs). That's why I made a commitment to not accept corporate PAC money, and if elected, I will work on campaign finance reform legislation within my first year in Congress. Voting rights are fundamental to our democracy. We should be making it easier to legally vote, not harder. This should never be a partisan issue.

On Health Care: Buy-in to Medicare; then negotiate drug prices

Elissa Slotkin: Healthcare is our generational challenge to fix. It's also a personal issue for me: my mom died of ovarian cancer after struggling with healthcare her whole life due to her pre-existing condition of breast cancer. While the Affordable Care Act made important strides, it desperately needs reform. One thing I would do is push to create a buy-in to Medicare, which would bring down costs for individuals and provide relief to businesses. The government should have the authority to negotiate drug prices under Medicare, and we must work to curb the predatory price increases we've seen on EpiPens, insulin, and other drugs.

On Immigration: Path to citizenship for DREAMers; then comprehensive reform

Elissa Slotkin: I believe that immigration is a moral, economic, and national security issue--and right now our immigration system isn't working for anyone. Our elected representatives have failed to address the public outcry for reform. We need to buckle down and pass comprehensive legislation that brings in workers when we need their specific skills; provides a pathway to citizenship to DREAMers; increases border security; and provides safe-haven, as we have since the Founding Fathers, for refugees escaping death in their home countries. And once we pass a comprehensive law, we need to rigorously enforce it.

On Technology: Laser-focus on fixing crumbling roads & water infrastructure

A: I have spent my career protecting our country, and my goal, if elected, is to protect our livelihood here in Michigan. To do that, we must be laser-focused on the issues that impact our pocketbooks and our kids: lowering the cost of healthcare and prescription drugs and fixing our crumbling roads and water infrastructure. But beyond the issues, I have made it a priority to bring a true sense of public service back to our Congress. In my three tours in Iraq, I was never asked about my political party. The only thing that mattered was the mission. I commit to bringing that same mission-focus to Congress.