mericans are right to expect results, not rhetoric. And when it comes to standing up for working families, history shows that Democrats, not Trump’s Republicans, have been the party fighting for everyone, not just the wealthy few.
From Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal to Joe Biden’s American Rescue Plan, Democrats have consistently put working people first. Roosevelt’s New Deal created Social Security, established the minimum wage, and protected the right of workers to organize. Lyndon Johnson’s Great Society expanded Medicare, Medicaid, and civil rights protections. These landmark programs didn’t just help Democrats win elections—they built and sustained the American middle class.
That commitment continues today. Democrats passed the American Rescue Plan, putting money directly into the hands of families who were struggling through the pandemic and helping stabilize local economies. They championed the CHIPS and Science Act, which is bringing back U.S. manufacturing and creating tens of thousands of good-paying jobs. Their repeated efforts to raise the federal minimum wage, including the Fair Minimum Wage Act, reflect a long- term commitment to ensuring that no one working full-time lives in poverty. The Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act strengthened protections against pay discrimination. And the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act aims to restore workers’ bargaining power and rebuild the unions that once lifted entire communities into stability.
Donald Trump and his Republican allies, meanwhile, have focused on enriching those who already have the most. Their 2017 tax law sent 83% of its benefits to the top 1%, ballooning the deficit while doing little to improve wages, strengthen job security, or make life more affordable. They fought repeatedly to repeal the Affordable Care Act, slash Medicaid, and block increases to the minimum wage. These efforts hurt working families, seniors, and small businesses, especially in places like Florida where costs are climbing faster than incomes.
And right here in Lee County, the contrast is impossible to ignore. Our community is growing rapidly, but wages have not kept pace with housing costs, insurance premiums, health-care expenses, or the price of basic necessities. Thousands of working families and retirees rely on Social Security and Medicare—programs Democrats created and have defended for generations. Many local residents depend on Medicaid expansion, lower drug prices, ACA protections, and the ability to see a doctor without risking bankruptcy. Lee County’s over 50,000 veterans benefit from expanded VA resources Democrats fought for. And as local jobs shift, efforts to raise wages and strengthen unions matter deeply in a service-heavy economy where too many workers struggle to get ahead.
Democrats believe prosperity should rise from the middle out, not trickle from the top down. Better wages, affordable healthcare, strong unions, fair taxation, and investment in people—these are the building blocks of a thriving community. Republicans offer trickle-down promises that never reach the kitchen table. Democrats deliver policies that build stronger communities, expand opportunity, and lift everyone, not just those already at the top.
In a county like Lee, where families are stretched thin, newcomers are searching for stability, and working people are the backbone of our future, the choice between these two visions has never been clearer. Democrats are fighting for a Florida where everyone has a fair shot. And that starts with putting working families first.
