U.S. Rep. Elissa Slotkin and State Rep. Julie Brixie spoke at East Lansing High School on Feb. 21 at the state of the district town hall meeting. Slotkin said she didn’t regret her decision on voting yes to impeach President Donald Trump.
“I made the decision to support the impeachment vote,” Slotkin said. “I understood that it would be deeply controversial. But, there are some things that are more important than winning your next election.”
East Lansing High School’s auditorium was filled with people, many from other cities, including Troy resident Srijit Sengupta. Sengupta said that Slotkin has betrayed a lot of the things she said she would stand for in her first term, such as working for the people of her district without a political bias.
“I think the impeachment is absolutely partisan,” Sengupta said. “It’s time that, given we are getting closer to the election, people start talking about the hypocrisy.”
Tom and Carilee Moran, residents of Livingston County, attended the town hall meeting in support of Slotkin.
“I believe Elissa Slotkin is perfect for representing the eighth district,” Carilee said. “She’s moderate, she’s thoughtful, she’s intelligent, she’s approachable, and all those things mean a lot to me in my representative.”
Slotkin also discussed topics such as bringing down the cost of healthcare and prescription drugs and ensuring the safety of the environment.
“One of my primary focuses getting into Congress is ensuring that water, what we drink here in Michigan, is safe. Not just to drink– to swim and to fish in, to enjoy.” Slotkin said.
Brixie discussed Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s triage plan, which will invest $3.5 billion in Michigan’s roads, according to Brixie. “Our roads and bridges are crumbling apart,” Brixie said. “Rather than putting plywood on the bottom of bridges to stop the falling debris from coming out, we’re going to actually be working on repairing and rebuilding completely 11 bridges along US-127.”
Slotkin said she does not accept corporate Political Action Committee money. “I never want you to question why I’m voting for a certain bill,” Slotkin said. “Even if we don’t always agree, it is my responsibility to keep you informed.”
“I hope, as much as possible, to set an example of what I think you deserve, which is a new generation of leaders who work harder and think differently and never forget that our mission is to improve the lives of the people we represent,” Slotkin said.