Michigan Democrats Deploy Populist Playbook In Rebuking Rogers' Healthcare Stance

(Source: MIRS.news, Published 01/13/2026) The Michigan Democratic Party (MDP) blasted Republican candidate for U.S. Senate Mike Rogers for his perceived position on healthcare Tuesday, framing it as supportive of the insurance premium hikes that thousands of Americans are encountering early this year.

In a virtual press conference, Michigan Democrats deployed what's proved to be a salient line of attack for the party as it approaches the 2026 midterms, saying rising health insurance costs are now factoring into a broader “affordability crisis." Furthermore, speakers took a populist tone, accusing Rogers of being “out of touch” with such economic hardships, given his wealth.

“He's someone who supports Medicaid cuts while he lives up in his Florida mansion," said MDP Chair Curtis Hertel.

He and other speakers pointed to Rogers' several votes as he represented Michigan's 8th House district from 2001 to 2015 to reduce federal spending on health insurance, including his vote against former President Barack Obama's landmark 2010 healthcare legislation, the Affordable Care Act (ACA).

They also claimed Rogers has previously said he would vote against any compromise to extend ACA subsidies, which expired at the start of this year.

Asked about the basis of that characterization, MDP spokesperson Joey Hannum pointed to a December 2025 POLITICO report, in which Rogers was quoted saying “we can’t just put another Band-Aid” on a “broken health care system." Hannum also noted Rogers' public statement cheering President Donald Trump's landmark legislation passed last year, the One Beautiful Bill Act (OBBA), which the Republican-controlled Congress pushed through even as Democrats unsuccessfully pushed for a provision that would have extended the ACA subsidies.

Since then, political liabilities for Republicans in opposing the extension of those healthcare subsidies have been further laid bare: last week, 17 House Republicans — several in swing states — joined with Democrats to advance a bill that would extend the tax credits for three years.

Rep. Jason Morgan (D-Ann Arbor) said of Rogers' support for the OBBA, “Think about that for a second: permanent tax giveaways for the wealthy and expiring healthcare subsidies for working families. That should tell you everything you need to know about Mike Rogers' priorities.”

He continued, “The bottom line is this: a vote for Mike Rogers would be a vote for higher health care costs.”

Rogers spokesperson Alyssa Brouillet did not respond to requests for comment at the time of publication.

Rogers told The Washington Reporter, a conservative publication, in August that the OBBA would “protect” Medicaid by concentrating funding on those it's intended to help most, like seniors, children and the disabled.

“But we also have to ask you to help yourself, if you're an able-bodied worker,” the publication quoted Rogers as saying.

Tuesday's press conference featured remarks from Okemos resident Diane Holland, 60, who survived breast cancer and has multiple sclerosis. Holland, whose disease caused her to retire from teaching in 2017, said her ACA marketplace insurance plan “saved her life” by paying for the “expensive” treatments she needs for her disease.

Her monthly health insurance premium doubled at the start of this year from $124 to $252, she said, adding, “This is real money, that's groceries, that's utilities, that's the difference between making it and not making it.”

Holland concluded, “I'm standing here today because the ACA gave me a chance to live my life with dignity, to manage my MS, to stay healthy after beating cancer. Mike Rogers wants to take that away, not just from me, but from everyone who depends on the ACA to survive. We can't let this happen.”