Americans 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.
