Mikel Wein

Where Wein stands

Health care

It’s time to demand legislators pass the Medicare for All Act of 2025 to guarantee healthcare for all and save our rural hospitals in eastern Kentucky.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

At home, I'm passionate about moving away from the neoliberal economic policies of the last 50 years and moving toward more protectionist FDR-style policies that priortize standard-of-living, strong unions, and wealth-equality. I belive it's time to fully embrace an Economic Bill of Rights and robust social safety net. Abroad, I'm passionate about moving away from American colonialism through military power, reining in the military-industrial complex that powers wars, and ending support for the world's dictatorships. I believe in increasing our reliance on soft power, diversifying our exports, and promoting more stable self-governing nations.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

Franklin Delano Roosevelt. When FDR came into office, it was at the height of the great depression in America. The working class had been largely ignored in favor of enriching the robber baron millionaires who dominated almost every major American industry at the time. Their greed and malfeasance ultimately created the worst economic crisis the country had ever faced. Roosevelt rejected the politics of the previous four decades, instead choosing to prioritize the American worker and ensuring prosperity for every citizen, not just the wealthy. This refocusing of the economy to support the average American not only saved us from the great depression, but also allowed us to win World War II. That modern politicians today have either forgotten, or rejected, the lessons of Roosevelt is one the greatest offenses they could aim at the American people.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

Honesty, integrity, and the courage to never waver from those principles.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

The ability to listen to, understand, and communicate effectively with constituents; to never decieve or mislead them; and to fight relentlessly for their benefit.

What qualities does the U.S. House of Representatives possess that makes it unique as an institution?

Historically, the House of Representatives, and house members, are the most responsive to the needs of the American people. This is because they are required, by the nature of the short term allotted to them, to maintain a connection with their constituents. Unlike the senate, whose members are insulated by the length of senate terms and longer-term connections to donors, house members must face their mistakes and learn from them. Further, the number of house members makes the chamber more accessible to regular voters who have ideas for how to improve our governmental systems. Subsequently, house members are often more willing to embrace more unconventional or progressive solutions.

What do you perceive to be the United States' greatest challenges as a nation over the next decade?

The collapse of the American empire. Specifically ,the collapse of the petro-dollar system and the end of neoliberal colonialism through mechanisims such as the World Bank and International Monetary Fund.