Where Peter Stands

Northern Utah has a strong tradition of hard work combined with innovation supported by a community that puts people first. These values and traditions have served us well for decades, but are now under stress, partly because of the actions (or inaction) of our representatives.

We are currently experiencing a housing crisis that prevents people from finding permanent homes due to a housing market that is one of the most expensive in the country. While there are some in-state efforts to alleviate this pressure, they are falling well short of our current needs. We need to incentivize better planning, more affordable housing built around community models, and increase the income available to average Utahns so they can afford to start building their families and their futures here. This includes refunding existing programs that support rural community development and fighting for a living wage.

We are also seeing inflation and cost of living increases that are making it more difficult for anyone who is not in the top 1%. Basic staples, like meat, eggs, and milk, are taking an increasingly large part of our grocery budgets each month. Other consumer goods impacted by the tariffs imposed by the Trump administration (and ignored by our own Congressional representative) are more expensive. At the same time, the job market appears to be weakening, creating a situation where everything is more expensive and fewer and fewer members of our community can afford to provide for themselves or their families.

Adding to this building disaster are thousands of federal workers who have been forced out of their jobs. We have lost thousands of good jobs in the district, and an estimated $110–150 million in lost wages. Those were paychecks that supported families and our local businesses. There are already reports of dedicated food banks and other community resources being stretched to a breaking point, and child hunger has doubled in the state.

As a final insult to injury, this Congress has cut access to healthcare for millions of Americans, including tens of thousands here in Utah. Our seniors and rural communities are being hit the hardest, but everyone is seeing the extra costs. My own personal insurance increased 40% through my employer, but the quality of care has not increased. People are being forced to make a decision between paying the rent or seeing a doctor, and that is unsustainable.

My priority in solving these challenges is to focus on the people here in Northern Utah by using the power of the Congress to right the ship. I would join other willing members of Congress and bring an end to an illegal tariff regime that is making it harder and harder for our local business and entrepreneurs to make a living. I would ensure the law is upheld in making sure SNAP benefits are distributed to the more than 80,000 Utah families who are struggling. I would support regulatory reform for our housing markets, and re-fund existing programs that make it easier for rural communities and first-time home buyers to build roots. Finally, we have to find a cost-effective solution for healthcare access. Every large-scale study points to the same solution: a single-payer system. My preference is one that also allows private insurance companies to exist, but now they have to compete in an actual marketplace, instead of holding regular people captive while making the jobs of healthcare providers more difficult.

My family has a long and proud tradition of military and public service that dates back before the United States was the United States. An integral part of my childhood was learning about the obligation we have as citizens to our country, and the special burden that public servants carry as they represent us in our national government. This past year, we have seen our trust broken by our representatives as our nation moves further towards a government that does not care about the rule of law or the will of the people.

Our representative should put the Constitution of the United States first, the needs of this district second, and all other concerns somewhere much lower. We elect them to represent us, not their political party and not their own self-interests. I have spoken with many people throughout Northern Utah who feel they can not trust their current representative to put the people of this district before D.C. party politics or individual self-promotion, and sadly, I think this last year has shown that to be true.

There are several solutions that will help rebuild our trust in our government, and they require sacrifice on the part of our representatives. First, I would ban individual stock trades for all members of Congress and their immediate families. This ban should also be extended to members of the executive branch (e.g., the President, Vice President, cabinet secretaries) and their immediate families, as well as the judicial branch. It is not right for someone to regulate the company they invest in. Our representatives are there to serve us, not their bank accounts.

Second, I would support a conversation about term limits for Congress. It is healthy for our democracy to prevent any individual from any political party making a permanent home in Congress. America does not want, nor does it need, forever politicians.

Third, I support efforts to remove corporate money from our political process. Our government is “of the people, by the people, for the people,” not corporate interests. Removing the influence of this “dark money” will help all of our public servants better serve us, the people.

All three of these solutions are reasonable, and require our current and future representatives to put the needs of this country and their voters ahead of partisan politics and personal benefits. I am willing to do that, with the support of the voters in this district.

Restoring the Great Salt Lake requires more water. This is largely a state decision, as the Utah Legislature decides how to allocate resources in partnership with local entities. As a federal representative, my responsibility is to provide resources that help move more water to the lake and to remove barriers at the national level that prevent effective solutions.

This means securing funding to help restore our aging water infrastructure and removing the invasive phragmites around the shore. It also means simplifying existing regulatory barriers among federal agencies if/when improvement projects require multi-agency approvals. Finally, it also means understanding there are likely to be communities impacted by decisions about water allocation, and thinking about what those consequences are before they happen so we can provide the resources and support necessary to support those impacted (like farmers). This means one of the committees I would be open to serving on would be the Agricultural committee, so I could better advocate for those most impacted by likely changes in water allocations throughout the state.