By Brendan Scanland
WASHINGTON, D.C. (WZMQ 19 News) – It was a rite of passage on Capitol Hill Wednesday as freshman Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.) delivered her first major address on the Senate floor — known as a “maiden speech.”
Slotkin used her debut to lay out a focused legislative vision, pledging to prioritize economic policy and workforce development as artificial intelligence reshapes the U.S. economy.
“Best thing I’ve ever done is represent the state of Michigan,” Slotkin said. “And number two, the existential threat facing my state and my country is a shrinking middle class. That is going to frame my time and my work in the Senate.”
Slotkin warned of a rapidly evolving economy, citing artificial intelligence (A.I.) as a transformative force that demands urgent attention.
“I think it’s hard to overstate how A.I. is going to change our economy,” she said. “Some people think it’s going to change our economy more than the Internet did, which is crazy — and it’s here, like it’s upon us.”
While acknowledging that A.I. will lead to both job growth and job loss, Slotkin said the country must modernize its education and workforce systems to stay competitive.
“We need apprenticeships and job training for the jobs of the future, not the jobs of the past,” she said. “It’s our job to make sure we have those programs available for Michiganders — especially in the U.P.”
Slotkin praised Northern Michigan University in Marquette as a leader in cybersecurity and emphasized the need to train the next generation for roles in A.I.
“The University there is already a big leader in cybersecurity. I want everyone to be looking at A.I. and training that college generation for A.I. as well,” Slotkin said.
The Michigan Democrat also urged her party to go on the offensive, rather than relying solely on criticism of former President Donald Trump.
“You can’t just play defense all the time and point at Donald Trump,” Slotkin said. “You have to play offense. You’ve got to chart the way through the dark tunnel into the light.”
Her blueprint? Get back to the basics: jobs, health care, and a clear, forward-looking economic agenda.
“If I’m queen for the day, Democrats need to come up with our own vision and make sure we get that out — because we’ve got to do it if we ever hope to win people’s support.”
