As Congressman Tom Barrett marks one year in office, Michigan Families for Fair Care is highlighting how his voting record has increased costs and cut critical benefits for families across Michigan's 7th Congressional District.
Congressman Barrett voted for the Republican Tax Law in July 2025, legislation that included the largest cuts to SNAP in American history, affecting hundreds of billions of dollars worth of funding for over 20,000 people in his district. The same law cut hundreds of billions more from Medicaid over a decade, putting the health care of over 14,000 people at risk with estimates suggesting an increase of over 40 lives lost a year. Rep. Barrett took these actions while providing tax cuts primarily benefiting the ultra-wealthy.
"In his first year in Congress, Tom Barrett has consistently voted to make life harder for the families he claims to represent. Families like mine, with fixed income, are falling farther and farther behind as the price of goods and services continue to rise. ” said MI-07 resident Sheila Kniffin. “Rep. Barrett’s votes doubled healthcare premiums for thousands of families, defended tariffs that raised costs, slashed food assistance for thousands of households in his own district, and gave massive tax breaks to billionaires and large corporations. Rep. Barrett had a choice between supporting hard-working Michiganders in his district or protecting the ultra-wealthy, and at every turn, he chose the latter. We are paying the price for his failed priorities."
According to the Joint Economic Committee, inflation under President Trump cost the average Michigan household $1,600 more in 2025, which included nearly $400 more for housing expenses and $70 more for transportation costs. This comes at a time when Rep. Barrett's support for tariffs has added a new yearly bill for his constituents.
Meanwhile, his refusal to extend enhanced ACA premium tax credits means families across MI-07 could see their healthcare premiums more than double, jumping from $888 to almost $2,000 a year, a 114% increase, making healthcare unaffordable for thousands of residents.
Congressman Barrett’s congressional voting record has strained Michigan families in his first year alone. We urge him to take action to remove these costly tariffs, and repeal these food assistance and Medicaid cuts that threaten thousands of his constituents for the next decade.
