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- Roger Polack: Hi, I'm Roger Polack, and I'm a Democrat running for Congress in Wisconsin's 1st District. Our country is in the middle of a crisis. The Coronavirus pandemic has claimed the lives of more than 210,000 Americans, and millions of working-class families are struggling with unemployment in this unstable economy. Where is the leadership? We're told that in moments of crisis, leaders rise, but where do we see that? President Trump and his enablers in Congress, like my opponent Bryan Steil, have been too busy pointing the finger than to seize their positions of leadership to steer us through this crisis. On the other hand, I have a background and set of experiences that has prepared me to meet this moment. I remember as a kid, seeing my mom late at night, having just worked a double shift. She'd be sat at the kitchen table, crunching numbers on how to pay rent and how to have money to pay for my dad's medical expenses. Too many politicians don't know what it's like being in a family that's living paycheck to paycheck. So while many politicians have no problem bailing out giant corporations, they shut the door on helping hardworking families make ends meet. The status quo is working for the special interests and those at the very top, but it's not working for families like the one I grew up in right here in Racine. And so, I believe now, more than ever, every American needs to step up and serve however they can. For me, that means personally working to kick the special interests out of our Congressional seat, and defeat a politician funded by those special interests who prioritize tax cuts for the wealthy, who has no plan for health insurance, supports cutting funding to public education, does not take this virus seriously, and constantly makes it harder for middle class Americans to get ahead. In office, Steil has taken over half a million dollars from corporate PACs. Now I'm proud and humble to have served our country, successfully attacking some of our most pressing foreign policy issues, serving under both Republican and Democratic presidents. The majority of my professional career has been devoted to public service. Serving as a civilian intelligence official confronting some of the hardest problems the United States has faced. From bankrupting terrorist organizations after 9/11, to countering corruption and insurgency while deployed to Afghanistan, to holding China's feet to the fire on investment issues and national security, and curtailing Iran's nuclear ambitions, I worked with federal law enforcement officials on investigations to keep our country safe. Because of my humble beginnings, I also know the importance of community and the power of education to transform a life. I know firsthand what it's like to grow up in a poor family in this district. I vividly remember standing in line with my mom as a young boy, waiting for government cheese and powdered milk distributions in downtown Racine. My dad, who worked for J.I. Case on the line building tractors, and then, starting his own roofing company, struggled with severe mental health and addiction issues throughout my youth, which kept him out of work for long periods of time. And I'm a public school kid and proud graduate of University of Wisconsin- Madison. And I took night classes and worked to put myself through law school. Like so many Americans, I'm still paying off my college loans. In Congress, nothing will be more important to me than ensuring that my story is not a fluke, that working families have the same opportunities to reach their God-given potential, regardless of the struggles their families may face, just like I did. So it should be no surprise that my legislative priorities focus on principles that help families thrive and succeed. First off, we need a strong economic recovery from the harm the virus has caused. Whereas my opponent Bryan Steil calls helping families and small businesses that are struggling unfair, I believe we need to use the full power of the U.S. government to make sure people can make ends meet, and small businesses in our community can get back to work, get back on track. When the House voted on the first Coronavirus relief package, my opponent, Bryan Steil, voted against it. Working people are hurting right now so I believe it is important to work on continuing relief. Second, we must ensure that every American has access to quality affordable healthcare. It is absolutely a human right. I believe we accomplish this through building on the Affordable Care Act with a high-quality public option. My third priority is jobs. We need to bring back more family-supporting jobs into this district. If given the opportunity, Southeastern Wisconsinites can compete with anyone, anywhere and we have a strong track record of doing just that. I will champion infrastructure investment into Southeastern Wisconsin that positions us for the future, works to help our environment and creates large numbers of family-supporting jobs. I met my wife, Amanda, over 20 years ago at Horlick High School. We have two young children, Bennett and Fiona, and we're frankly concerned about the kind of world we're leaving for them. I wanna be a part of ensuring that we give the next generation a future full of opportunity, and that starts with changing the special interests control over this Congressional seat. Running to serve the people of Southeastern Wisconsin, has been a tremendous honor of mine, and I want to ask for your vote on November 3rd. Please vote for Roger Polack and please visit rogerforwisconsin.com to learn more. Thank you.