REPLACING:

Elissa Slotkin (D)

WORK HISTORY:

U.S. Army (Chief Warrant Officer); Michigan Legislature (State Representative, 71^st District); Michigan Legislature (State Senator, 24^th District)[i]

EDUCATION:

BA, Western Michigan University[ii]

CAMPAIGNED ON:

Economic Security; Neighborhood Security; National Security; Border Security[iii]

ON THE ISSUES

REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS:

Per his campaign website, Barrett has been a “consistent pro-life state legislator.”[iv] As a member of the Michigan legislature, he signed on to an attempt to reinstate the state’s 1931 abortion ban. Additionally, prior to the Dobbs decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, Barrett said he was “100% Pro Life – No Exceptions.”[v] He opposes a national abortion ban and believes abortion rights should be determined by individual states.[vi]

IMMIGRATION & BORDER SECURITY:

On border security, Barrett contended that the border is “out-of-control and has been for too long,” and he is in favor of a border wall. He argued that the last few years “have seen record numbers of people entering the country illegally, some on the terrorist watch list, and the flow of fentanyl into our communities is now the #1 killer of Americans age 18-45.”[vii] He has also pledged to “work hard to make sure our border security agencies, such as the Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Border Patrol, Immigrations and Customs Enforcement, and U.S. Customs have the tools they need to prevent people from entering the country illegally.”[viii]

ECONOMY & JOBS:

According to his campaign website, Barrett wants to “rein in inflation once and for all” by “cutting government spending, lowering taxes, and putting America First in our trade policies.” He lamented that Michiganders continue to suffer from “high gas prices, high food prices, and high home heating prices.”[ix]

TAXES:

Barrett has argued that subsidies for “giant corporations” is “the wrong way to spend public money,” and he has instead called for reforming the U.S. “tax and regulatory structure.”[x] He has signed the Taxpayer’s Protection Pledge, promising to “lower the tax burden on all Americans as a member of Congress.”[xi]

CRIME & PUBLIC SAFETY:

During the campaign, Barrett argued that police have been “under-fund[ed]” and law enforcement have withstood “years of attacks,” resulting in “the highest crime in decades.” He also criticized “soft-on-crime prosecutors” for “letting violent criminals back on the street and our communities are less safe.”[xii] Barrett has touted that as a member of the Michigan legislature he “sponsored the largest state police budget in history.”[xiii]

CLIMATE CHANGE, ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT:

Barrett has claimed that he has “no animosity or hostility toward electric vehicles,” but has warned that “we can’t force or mandate these on families.” He opposed Inflation Reduction Act spending but noted that he would not seek to remove investments allocated for Michigan, stating, “I am saying we have to take a diligent and thoughtful look at what we are doing and what is in the best interest of Michigan and what is in the best interest of our workforce.”[xiv]

FOREIGN POLICY:

Barrett has claimed that the U.S. is “more vulnerable than ever” and that America’s “standing in the world has never been so tenuous.” He blamed this lack of national security on “Feckless leadership in the White House, questionable military leadership, and increased global threats.”[xv] He has said that he initially ran for Congress due to the United States withdrawal from Afghanistan, which he described as “one of the most embarrassing events in our nation’s history.”[xvi]

HEALTHCARE & SOCIAL SAFETY NET:

Although a proponent of cutting federal spending, Barrett has rejected claims that he would support slashing Social Security or Medicare.[xvii] He has also said regarding healthcare, “I think that whatever we can do to allow people to make their own choices for themselves in the health care space for the needs of their family is something that I think is a good thing.”[xviii]

DEMOCRACY:

Regarding the 2020 election results, Barrett previously argued that it was “an unknowable thing,” claiming, “How many people mailed in absentee ballots that were ineligible to participate in the election? […] We can't know for sure what effect that had. That's why we have to stop it before it happens."[xix]

SOCIAL ISSUES:

Barrett has criticized schools who “[encourage] gender confusion,” and he previously sent fundraising messages claiming that President Biden was “forcing 5-year-olds to learn about gender reassignment surgeries, gender identities, and other radical ideas.” He also accused Democrats of being “HELLBENT on destroying our faith, removing God from the center of our nation, and pushing transgender ideology on young children.”[xx] [xxi]