Michigan Senator Elissa Slotkin is calling for a new direction for the Democratic Party — one she says will require challenging some of its most entrenched beliefs.
Slotkin’s vision comes as some say the Democratic Party lacks direction and power, after losing control of all three branches of government in November. While progressives like U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D) and U.S. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D) push bold ideas, Slotkin is staking out a more centrist path.
In her speech Thursday at the Center for American Progress, Slotkin outlined what she calls her “economic war plan,” arguing that the greatest threat to American security isn’t coming from abroad, but from the shrinking middle class.
“When you can't provide for your kids you feel anger, you feel shame, you lose your dignity and you look for something or someone to blame. That anger — that suspicion among Americans — that's what I mean by an existential threat,” Slotkin said.
To address that threat and broaden the party’s appeal, Slotkin called on Democrats to let go of some long-held positions. She specifically pointed to what she described as “sacred cows” — like strict housing regulations, comprehensive immigration reform, and purity tests on climate policy.
Instead, Slotkin said Democrats should focus on building more housing with less regulations, easing off all-or-nothing environmental demands, and pursuing incremental immigration changes.
“But here I need to slaughter another sacred cow,” Slotkin said. “The way some Democrats approach climate change is elitist. You're either with us or against us. By continuing to use climate change as a purity test we are excluding people inclined to join the cause. We need to meet people where they are.”
Slotkin’s half-hour address also included calls to ban cell phones in K–12 schools, expand funding for trade schools, and create what she called a “true public option” in the healthcare marketplace.