Ryan Mackenzie serves the 187th Legislative District (Lehigh County) in the House of Representatives. During his 2023-2024 term, he was appointed to serve as the Republican chair of the House Labor and Industry Committee and the co-chair of the House International Relations Caucus. He is the Republican nominee for Pennsylvania’s 7th congressional district which is comprised of Lehigh, Carbon, Northampton, and parts of Monroe Counties.
For an election that will have drastic effects on Gen Z voters, what do you say to young voters who might still be on the fence or aren’t planning on voting at all?
We all know that the current generation of Washington politicians have let us down. Whether it’s high prices, an open border, or a disastrous foreign policy, our leaders aren’t delivering the results we need. The choice in this election — especially for young voters — is whether we want our country to continue down its current path. As a young father to a six-month-old baby, I want to see change, and I want to see a new generation deliver that change. I hope you’ll help me cut through the noise and division, and work to deliver the solutions that young people need. The only way that we’re going to do that is by voting.
Right now, we are facing an affordability crisis that is felt strongest by young people entering the workforce. How do we make steps toward addressing this problem, especially amidst globalized issues around inflation and affordability?
As economists will tell you, this problem was caused primarily by massive, irresponsible spending in Washington. Under Joe Biden and Susan Wild, trillions of dollars were spent on corporate handouts, pork barrel projects, and dead-end ideas. The result has been higher prices for working people, and giant subsidies for some of the world’s biggest corporations. We need to eliminate these corporate handouts, close corporate tax loopholes, cut taxes for working people, and embrace American energy. If we do this, we’ll start to see prices come down.
Among our peers, one of the most common things we hear is that people are sick of the relentless nasty rhetoric on both political sides. They are tired of the constant dissent and polarization. How do we start to address this national crisis of polarized politics?
There is a lot of work to do when it comes to bringing down the temperature in our political dialogues and solving the problems affecting the American people. It has to start with a willingness to work with both sides to deliver the change that our communities need. During my time as a state representative, I’ve built a long track record of working with both sides to make progress on things like the cost of living, maternal health, and illegal immigration. Beyond that, though, we need to see a generational change in Washington. There’s no question that the current generation of politicians has failed young people, both in terms of the issues facing our country and in terms of our political culture. We need to change that, starting with electing a new generation of leaders who will take on the status quo in Washington.
College affordability is a major issue for students. What steps would you take to address student loan debt and the rising cost of higher education?
Some politicians, including my opponent, have proposed a one-time student loan forgiveness scheme. In reality, this would be little more than a handout to bloated university administrations, and it would give colleges and universities another reason to continue increasing tuition. Instead, Congress should put colleges and universities on the hook for paying off those loans when students are struggling with repayment. This would force universities to shoulder some of the responsibility for this crisis and it would encourage them to take a vested interest in the long-term financial futures of their students.
Click here to learn more about Ryan Mackenzie’s campaign.
