LANSING — On Oct 24th, state Senator Dayna Polehanki, state Senator Rosemary Bayer, Michigan Democratic Party Veterans’ Caucus Chair Theron Tingstad, and Clarkston resident Tim Pryor called out Mike Rogers for being a “leading advocate” to “boost opioid prescriptions” for at a press conference in Southfield. 

“When Mike Rogers was in Congress, he prioritized helping the big drug companies who helped him. Rogers seems preoccupied with helping himself and refusing to take accountability and not looking out for Michiganders’ best interests. The contrast couldn’t be clearer – Elissa Slotkin serves us, Mike Rogers serves himself,” said state Senator Dayna Polehanki.

“The opioid epidemic has tragically impacted people all across the state and country, including several of my own family members. I have seen firsthand how challenging it is, but Mike Rogers was a leading advocate for increased access to opioid access. This is another example of Rogers’ record of benefiting himself while Michiganders paid the price,” said state Senator Rosemary Bayer.

“As an Army veteran who’s seen the devastating impact of the opioid crisis firsthand, I’m deeply troubled by Mike Rogers’ reported history of profiting from pharmaceutical companies while pushing policies that fueled the epidemic. Michigan deserves a leader like Elissa Slotkin, who has consistently fought against Big Pharma and for working families. The choice is clear: we need a senator who will protect Michiganders, not one who has put corporate interests above the health and well-being of our communities,” said Michigan Democratic Party Veterans’ Caucus Chair Theron Tingstad.

“The pharmaceutical industry needed to find an ally in Congress to advance their agenda. And unfortunately, they found one in Mike Rogers. Rogers made that choice to take money from Big Pharma and then worked to advance their agenda in Congress,” said Clarkston resident Tim Pryor. 

As Rogers “received hundreds of thousands of dollars in campaign contributions from the same drug companies that now are paying billions of dollars in national opioid settlements for their roles in causing the epidemic” and bragged about how “drug companies considered him ‘a champion’ of their industry,” he pushed for policies that exacerbated the opioid crisis and  led to “the nation tumbl[ing] into a crushing epidemic it is still battling today.”