Washington, D.C. - Congressman Tom Barrett (MI-07) today unveiled a bold policy framework designed to find common ground and address the mounting challenges facing working families across mid-Michigan, from skyrocketing health care premiums and housing costs to a political system that puts serving insiders over the needs of everyday Americans.

Barrett's Blueprint for a Better America focuses on the root causes of declining trust in government, including politicians profiting from their positions; health care laws that encourage insurance companies denying claims while raising premiums; theaverage age of first-time home buyers reaching 40and continuing to climb as corporate investors buy up homes and red tape drives up prices; costly foreign entanglements; and a campaign finance system that forces elected officials to spend more time fundraising than legislating.

"Working families in mid-Michigan are tired of our government working for everyone except them," said Barrett. "From health care costs that keep rising to homes that are increasingly out of reach, Washington has lost sight of its core purpose. This Blueprint for a Better America is about getting back to basics, up-ending the status quo, and tackling the structural problems that allow dysfunction to thrive in our federal government. After a year of seeing Washington's dysfunction firsthand, I'm proposing creative yet straightforward ideas that can actually build consensus and restore trust in our government. It's the first step on a long road to getting Congress - and our country - back on track. Let's get to work."

About Barrett's Blueprint for a Better America
Barrett will unveil individual proposals and introduce legislation in the coming weeks to specifically address the five key policy areas this agenda is built on:

• Restoring Trust in Government: Making Government Serve the People, Not Special Interests
• Reviving the American Dream: Helping Families Afford Homes in Mid-Michigan
• Making Health Care Affordable Again: Lowering Costs for Working Families
• Recalibrating American Foreign Policy: Ending Endless Wars and Promoting Peace Through Strength
• Reforming Campaign Finance: Putting Governing Before Campaigning

To learn more, click hereor visit barrett.house.gov/reform.