For generations, Americans have believed in the central promise of the American Dream: if you work hard, play by the rules, and contribute to your community, you can build a stable life for yourself and your family.
That promise helped create the world’s largest middle class. It allowed families to purchase homes, save for retirement, educate their children, and build better lives and futures than the generations that came before them.
When families have financial stability, communities become stronger.
Today, however, many working families are left questioning whether that promise still exists.
Throughout Indiana’s Second District, I hear the same concerns from parents, workers, and small business owners. People are working hard—often harder than ever—but they are still falling behind. The problem isn’t a lack of work ethic. Rather, the cost of achieving financial stability has increased faster than many paychecks, and too many families are discovering that what was once considered a good job no longer provides the security it once did.
Working More, Getting Less
Our economy often celebrates low unemployment numbers, and employment is certainly important. But employment statistics alone do not tell the whole story.
Across the United States, more than 8 million Americans now work multiple jobs. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, just over 5 percent of employed workers hold more than one job, a historical highwater mark that continues to climb.
As notable as those numbers are, they don’t account for the many, many Americans (an estimated 30-40%) with “side-hustles.” Those who supplement their income with informal gig work, like Etsy shops or freelance projects.
Think about what that means here in Indiana’s Second District.
From the factory floors of Elkhart and Warsaw to small businesses in South Bend, Mishawaka, Plymouth, and Peru, thousands of our neighbors are finishing one shift only to begin another. They are working evenings, weekends, and holidays. They are sacrificing time with their families because one paycheck simply isn’t enough.
No one should have to work two jobs just to afford the basics.
Economic Statistics vs. Daily Reality: The Cost of Living Doesn’t Care About Political Talking Points
For many families, the biggest challenge is not finding work—it’s keeping up with expenses.
Housing costs have risen dramatically throughout much of Indiana. Childcare, when it is available, can rival a mortgage payment. Healthcare costs continue to place an enormous strain on family budgets. Meanwhile, grocery prices, utilities, insurance premiums, and transportation expenses have all increased over the past several years.
For many workers, it can feel as though they are running on a treadmill that keeps moving faster.
The result is a growing disconnect between economic statistics and economic reality.
A family may technically be employed, but if they cannot afford childcare, save for retirement, handle an unexpected medical bill, or purchase a home, it becomes difficult to argue that the economy is working for them.
The Middle Class Didn’t Build Itself
America’s middle class was not created by accident. The American values that make this country truly exceptional led the way. It was built through investments in education, infrastructure, workforce development, and policies that rewarded work. It grew because workers shared in the prosperity they helped create.
For decades, manufacturing jobs, skilled trades, healthcare careers, public service positions, and small-business opportunities have allowed families to achieve stability and upward mobility.
Many of those pathways still exist in Northern Indiana. Our manufacturing sector remains one of the strongest in the country, and our communities are filled with good, hardworking people who want to build better lives for themselves and their children.
But maintaining those opportunities and ensuring they work for our Hoosier communities requires intentional investment. We cannot simply assume economic mobility will take care of itself.
Respecting the Dignity of Work
One of the values I learned growing up in Elkhart is that all work has dignity.
Whether someone works in manufacturing, healthcare, agriculture, education, construction, retail, or the skilled trades, their contribution matters. Communities function because ordinary people show up every day and do important work.
Our economy should honor that reality.
A person who works full-time should not have to choose between filling a prescription and paying a utility bill. Parents should not have to miss family milestones because they are juggling multiple jobs to stay afloat. Workers who contribute to their communities should have a reasonable expectation that their labor will provide stability and opportunity.
That is not an unreasonable goal. It is the foundation of the American Dream.
Building an Economy That Works for Families
Economic growth matters. Job creation matters. Business investment matters.
But the ultimate measure of success should not simply be how many jobs exist. It should be whether those jobs allow families to build secure and prosperous lives.
When workers succeed, businesses benefit. When families have financial stability, communities become stronger. And when young people can see a future for themselves in their hometowns, entire regions thrive.
Together, we can succeed. We can build an economy where hard work once again provides a reliable pathway toward financial security, homeownership, and real opportunity. But to get there, we need a representative in Washington who puts our families ahead of corporate donors and political talking points. I’m ready to step up and fight for Hoosier families like yours.
Because a good job should be enough. Until it is, we still have work to do.
It’s time to restore the American Dream in Indiana’s 2nd District. Washington special interests are well-funded, but they don’t have our community’s heart. To help me stand up for working families across the Second District, consider making a grassroots contribution today. Together, we win!