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https://progressiveindiana.net
SUMMARY:
Brad Meyer, Democratic nominee for Congress in Indiana’s 9th District, joined Scott Aaron Rogers for a PIN virtual town hall covering Congresswoman Erin Houchin’s refusal to meet with constituents, the U.S.-China relationship and the risk of war over Taiwan, tariffs and their impact on farmers and the broader economy, wage stagnation and a proposed $20 minimum wage, corporate concentration in food and healthcare, Medicare for All, congressional accountability and the limits of the Biden administration’s approach, election security heading into the midterms, housing affordability, taxing high earners, Social Security solvency, and his support for congressional reform through the Take BAC Congress pledge.
IN DEPTH:
0:00:22 - Introductions and welcome
- Scott opens the town hall, explains PIN’s mission and how viewers can submit questions
- Welcomes Brad Meyer, Democratic nominee for the 9th District
- Meyer describes the district’s size (18 counties, roughly two hours by two hours) and his campaign’s extensive town hall and debate schedule (32 live town halls, five or six virtual ones, six or seven debates)
0:03:52 - Q: As a constituent, how does Congresswoman Houchin’s refusal to hold town halls make you feel?
- Meyer says Houchin is “ducking” voters and hiding from her record rather than touting accomplishments
- He predicts the consequences of the administration’s actions will “come crashing down” after the election
- Scott adds his own frustration as a constituent, calling Houchin a rubber stamp for donors and the president
0:05:34 - Q: How do you see the U.S.-China relationship, especially after Trump’s state visit with Xi Jinping?
- Meyer says the Trump administration’s other conflicts have distracted from a serious, escalating risk with China over Taiwan
- He cites Defense Department testimony warning China could be ready to move on Taiwan by 2027
- He argues the U.S. has depleted missile stockpiles and alienated allies like South Korea, weakening deterrence
- He says abandoning Taiwan would badly damage U.S. credibility with Japan, South Korea, Australia, Vietnam, and Indonesia
0:10:29 - Q: What would you do to help southern Indiana farmers through the tariff-driven trade war?
- Meyer says reflexive, punitive tariffs are turning U.S. farmers into “suppliers of last resort” as other countries find new buyers
- He argues Congress must reassert its constitutional authority over tariffs
- He distinguishes targeted, signaled tariffs from erratic ones that undercut U.S. credibility as a trading partner
- Scott adds that targeted tariffs (e.g., on Chinese EVs) can make sense, unlike the administration’s blanket approach
0:15:50 - Q: Beyond tariffs and gas/diesel prices, what’s driving 40+ years of wage stagnation, and what can Congress do?
- Meyer says the minimum wage would be roughly $25/hour today if it had kept pace with productivity since 1965, and proposes a $20/hour minimum wage
- He notes the shrinking share of salaried workers eligible for overtime and proposes raising the exemption threshold to $100,000
- He criticizes policy that favors stock ownership over business ownership and cuts to Small Business Administration funding, which he says hurts rural communities most
0:19:25 - Q: A handful of multinational firms control most of what we eat — what should Congress do?
- Meyer frames food-supply concentration as a security issue, warning that one company’s failure could trigger a food crisis
- He says most meatpacking is controlled by a small number of companies and calls for an agriculture bill that diversifies supply and supports farmers
- He describes how large-scale hog confinement operations often leave contract farmers with thin margins while companies like Cargill capture the profit
- Scott and Meyer agree that concentration undermines basic free-market competition and requires enforcement of existing antitrust law
0:24:51 - Q: What would Medicare for All look like for an average household?
- Scott cites a recent study projecting major gains from Medicare for All projecting roughly 110,000 deaths averted annually and about $1 trillion in savings
- Meyer cites that 75% of bankruptcies involve medical debt [correction: it’s about two-thirds], and 80% of those with medical debt already have insurance
- He notes Americans die roughly four years earlier than Canadians despite Canada spending about half as much per capita
- He explains that roughly half of Hoosiers are already on single-payer coverage (Medicare, Medicaid, VA) and that Medicare for All would add coverage for pregnancy, mental health, dental, and vision
- He cites Medicare’s roughly 1.2% administrative overhead versus 12–18% for private insurance
0:32:07 - Q: Why aren’t all Democrats on board with Medicare for All, and would you support Hakeem Jeffries for Speaker?
- Meyer says his vote for any leader, including Jeffries, would depend on that person’s willingness to fight for the policies he was elected to pursue
- He says the same accountability standard applies to himself: voters can judge him on follow-through, not promises
0:34:17 - Q: Republicans have a detailed plan (Project 2025) — what is the Democratic plan for the next Congress and 2028?
- Meyer says Democrats must make policies that produce a visible, tangible difference in people’s lives in year one, not just in the long term
- He argues the Biden administration’s policies may have been sound long-term but didn’t deliver noticeable short-term benefits, contributing to the loss of power
- He warns that unresolved economic grievances give Republicans “dry tinder” to exploit
0:37:35 - Q: What kind of relationship should a Democratic Congress have with the Trump administration over the next two years?
- Meyer says Congress’s core job — power of the purse and checks and balances — isn’t being exercised, which is how Trump has gotten away with unilateral action
- He calls for holding people accountable for corruption, but through public, transparent proceedings (citing the Watergate hearings model) rather than proceedings that look vengeful
- He says the Biden administration’s investigations were rigorous but too slow and not conducted visibly enough to build public understanding
0:41:58 - Q: Do you have a contingency plan if the administration tries to interfere with the election or certification process?
- Meyer argues that only the Democratic Party has the legal, investigative, and political resources to serve as a credible counterbalance
- He is skeptical of independent candidates’ ability to push back against “malfeasance” or “treachery” without institutional backing
0:44:04 - Q: What can the federal government do to make housing more affordable?
- Meyer says rising interest rates made already-elevated home prices a real affordability problem, and separately warns that failing to get the national debt under control will further drive up interest rates going forward
- He notes the home-price-to-income multiplier has roughly doubled and that the country is short about 10 million housing units
- He proposes using the interstate commerce clause to restrict corporations from owning single-family homes as a business across state lines
0:46:47 - Q (Seeking Reason, via chat): How about taxing billionaires out of existence?
- Meyer says he starts policy discussions with the needs of the 99%, not resentment toward billionaires, then works backward to how those policies get funded
- He supports a more progressive tax system with preferentially higher rates above $400,000
- Scott adds historical context on mid-century top marginal tax rates (50–90%) and the buildout of social services during that period
0:49:47 - Q: Will Social Security be there when younger workers retire, and how do we ensure that?
- Meyer proposes eliminating the income cap on Social Security taxation, which he says would stabilize the program for roughly 20 years
- Note: Meyer first misspoke, saying the income cap was $154,500 before correcting himself to say $184,500 — the latter is the correct number
- He also proposes taxing capital gains and wage income at the same rate, which he says would extend solvency to roughly 90 years
- He separately criticizes the Consumer Price Index formula used to calculate Social Security’s cost-of-living adjustment, arguing it doesn’t reflect seniors’ heavier spending on healthcare
0:55:26 - Q: What will you do to make Congress more accountable?
- Meyer describes his pledge with Take BAC Congress, including a 12-year term limit, a ban on personal stock trading, a five-year lobbying cooling-off period, support for overturning Citizens United, and a binding ethics code for the Supreme Court
- He shares an anecdote about a disillusioned Afghanistan veteran who no longer votes, and says voters will ultimately judge him on follow-through, not campaign promises
1:00:59 - Closing: Campaign information and final thoughts
- Meyer directs viewers to bradmeyer.org for policy positions, donations, and volunteering
- He lists upcoming public events: a Tuesday IU College Dems event, a Wednesday Woolery Mill fundraiser, a Saturday League of Women Voters virtual forum, and a Monday Decatur County town hall
- He closes with his core pitch: Medicare for All, a $20/hour minimum wage, and protecting Social Security
- Scott closes the town hall and previews next Monday’s town hall with Kelly Thompson in the 3rd District
Thanks again to Brad for joining us. For more information and to get involved, visit his campaign website at https://bradmeyer.org/. You can also find him on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.
