Winning Pieces from the Congressional Art Competition

You may have seen U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra was in our district last week discussing important prescription drug provisions of the Inflation Reduction Act. Before that press conference, though, we had a few meetings I want to tell you about.

I invited Secretary Becerra to our 7th Congressional District because of your calls, emails and letters surrounding high prescription prices, drug shortages and maternal health disparities. It’s important for federal officials to see firsthand the issues that affect Michiganders in their daily lives.

First, we met with local hospital leaders, so Secretary Becerra could hear directly from them about the issues they’re facing.  Our first priority was the ongoing shortage of lifesaving cancer drugs that has forced our hospitals in Michigan to ration care. This crisis has shown once again that maintaining a sufficient supply of pharmaceuticals is critical for not just patients, but for our national security.  This issue of supply-chains for critical items has become a bit of an obsession of mine since shortages upended our economy during the pandemic.  It’s why I co-founded the bipartisan Domestic Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Caucus and have introduced legislation, like the Ensuring Access to Lifesaving Drugs Act, to keep vital medicines on pharmacy shelves.

In our second meeting with Secretary Becerra, we met with advocates and talked about the issue of black maternal health.  Today, Black & Native American women are three to four times more likely to die from complications surrounding pregnancy & childbirth than white women. Our meeting allowed Secretary Becerra to learn about the systemic & financial challenges faced by those who’ve been in the trenches on this issue. Thank you to the doctors, midwives, doulas, & public health & nonprofit leaders who provided ways to address this issue at the federal level.

Finally, we held a press conference on the Inflation Reduction Act.  This bill sends a really clear signal to the rest of the prescription drug world that the day where you can just charge whatever you want — where there’s no transparency on the price of medication — is an era that’s coming to an end.

I am thankful to all those who helped us have a productive day discussing federal solutions that would help Michiganders.

Rep. Slotkin

One of my favorite traditions as a Member of Congress is the annual Congressional Art Competition, and earlier this month we got to announce this year’s winners.

I wanted to share their incredible artwork:

In first place, “In Your Dreams” by Joanna Deng of Okemos High School. Her piece will hang in the U.S. Capitol, and she’ll be invited to an opening ceremony in D.C.

In second place, “Love Remains” by Julia Zastrow of Cheryl Stockwell Preparatory Academy. Julia’s piece will hang in my D.C. office.

In third place, “Divine Ripple” by Morgan Wilcox of Lansing Catholic High School. Morgan’s piece will hang in our Lansing office.

I’m always so blown away by the talent of students in our district, as well as their ability to use their artwork to make a statement.

One highlight from the reception that continues to stick out to me is Julia’s cheering section. Several members of her family made the trip, which made announcing her as our second place winner even more special.

Thank you to everyone who submitted this year — we had 44 incredible pieces and you did not make it easy on our judges!

– Rep. Elissa Slotkin