07/07/2022

August Primary Report – Congress

Is Your Member of Congress Supporting Chiropractic?

By:       Carl Alden

MAC Government Relations Director

It is that time of year and another election season is in full swing! I hope an important consideration for you, when determining which candidate should receive your support and vote, is whether that candidate has demonstrated a commitment to advancing the chiropractic profession.

This year, we are pleased to report that seven members of Michigan’s 14-member congressional delegation have shown this support through co-sponsoring H.R. 2654, the Chiropractic Medicare Coverage Modernization Act. This critical bill, which would allow patients access to the full range of Medicare-covered services allowed under Michigan’s chiropractic scope of practice, is currently before the U.S. House of Representatives. As of July 5, 2022, the bill has 143 co-sponsors – 71 Democrats and 72 Republicans, showing the bipartisan nature of this important legislation.

See below for information on your district and whether your congressperson is supporting full inclusion of chiropractic in Medicare!

Redistricting

2022 is a special year, as this is the first election conducted under the new congressional and legislative lines drawn by the Michigan Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission. For the first time in our state’s history, redistricting was not undertaken by the Michigan Legislature, but by a 13-member commission (five Republicans, Five Democrats, five independents who identify with neither party) randomly selected from more than 9,000 applicants. The maps drawn by the commission will be in effect beginning with the 2022 election through the 2032 congressional and Michigan House elections, and the 2034 Michigan Senate elections (the Michigan Senate has four-year terms and will not be up for re-election in 2032).

Congress

Part of the duties of the new commission was to contract Michigan’s congressional districts from 14 to 13, the result of the state’s population not growing as much as other states between 2010 and 2020. At its peak, the Michigan delegation had 19 seats in Congress. The state has lost at least one seat in Congress each reapportionment since 1980.

Michigan’s new congressional districts can be found here. They can be downloaded here

District 1: Incumbent Congressman Jack Bergman (R-Watersmeet), a co-sponsor of H.R. 2654, is running for re-election in this geographically large district containing the entire UP and much of northern Michigan. He is running unopposed for the Republican nomination this August.

District 2: This open seat contains several mid-Michigan counties and part of the West Michigan lakeshore. Congressman John Moolenaar (R-Midland), a co-sponsor of H.R. 2654, has a Primary opponent for the Republican nomination for this district.

District 3: Incumbent Congressman Peter Meijer (R-Grand Rapids) is running for re-election in this seat, which contains Grand Rapids, Muskegon, and other lakeshore communities. Unfortunately, he is not yet a co-sponsor of H.R. 2654.

District 4: Congressman Bill Huizenga (R-Holland), a co-sponsor of H.R. 2654, is running unopposed for the Republic nomination in this district. Another co-sponsor, Rep. Fred Upton, chose to retire rather than run for re-election in the new district. His 36-year tenure in the U. S. House of Representatives will end with the adjournment of this Congress at the end of the year.

District 5: H.R. 2654 co-sponsor Congressman Tim Walberg (R-Tipton) is running for re-election in this district, which contains Michigan’s entire southern border, all of Jackson County, and portions of Calhoun and Kalamazoo counties. He has a Primary opponent this August.

District 6: This seat contains part of Ann Arbor and portions of western Wayne County. Congresswoman Debbie Dingell (D-Dearborn), a co-sponsor of H.R. 2654, is running for re-election in this district. She is running unopposed for the Democratic nomination this August.

District 7: This Lansing-centric seat contains Ingham, Eaton, Livingston, and Clinton counties. Current Congresswoman Elissa Slotkin (D-Holly) is running for re-election here. Unfortunately, she is not yet a co-sponsor of H.R. 2654.

District 8: Incumbent Dan Kildee (D-Flint Township) has announced he will run for re-election in this district, which contains the city of Flint, Midland, Saginaw, and Bay City. Unfortunately, he is not yet a co-sponsor of H.R. 2654.

District 9: Incumbent Lisa McClain (R-Bruce Township) represents much of this district, which includes most of the Thumb region, in her current seat, and she is running for re-election in 2022. Unfortunately, Congresswoman McClain is not yet a co-sponsor of H.R. 2654.

District 10: This open district with no incumbent member of Congress running includes portions of Oakland and Macomb counties such as Rochester, Rochester Hills, Warren, and Sterling Heights.

District 11: Congressman Andy Levin (D-Bloomfield Township), a co-sponsor of H.R. 2654, and Congresswoman Haley Stevens (D-Waterford), who is not yet a co-sponsor, are facing each other in a Primary in August, as both are seeking the Democratic nomination for the new 11th U.S. House District. The district is entirely in Oakland County, including all or parts of the cities of Royal Oak, Birmingham, Bloomfield Hills, Rochester Hills, Pontiac, Waterford Township, Walled Lake, Wixom, and Farmington Hills.

District 12: Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib (D-Detroit) is running for re-election in this district, which adds Oakland County’s Southfield to Dearborn and other municipalities in Wayne County, including portions of Detroit. Unfortunately, she is not yet a co-sponsor of H.R. 2654.

District 13: This district has no incumbent running for re-election. It includes most of Detroit and some Downriver communities.

Remember: Since these are the first elections under the redrawn maps, your district number may have changed.

Conclusion

With this information in mind, when you go to the polls, or your patients look to you for guidance, please remember how your member of Congress has, in an extremely important way, demonstrated their support for your profession and your patients’ right to choose chiropractic care. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me at carl@chiromi.com or (517) 367-2225.