We live in the richest country in the history of the world.

So how is it possible that 67% of workers are living paycheck to paycheck?

The cost of living - from housing, groceries, healthcare - has skyrocketed, and wages have not kept up.

A working mom in Lenoir City should never have to decide between paying their rent and feeding their kids. A Grainger County farmer should never have to live in fear that a medical event will bankrupt them. A family in Knoxville should never have to leave their hometown because they've been priced out.

If we want every Tennessean to thrive, we have to pass policies that are pro-worker and pro-family.

What does that mean in practice?

• Living wage jobs, including the right of every person to organize in their workplace, raising the minimum wage, and creating good jobs by investing in American manufacturing and innovation.

• Affordable healthcare, including a universal healthcare option, capping the price of live-saving, prescription medications, banning surprise medical billing, expanding access to primary care and rural clinics, and more.

• Making the ultra-wealthy pay their fair share by passing legislation that undoes tax cuts for the richest of the rich and puts more money in working class pockets.

I've seen how the system works in Washington - and I know how to make it work for East Tennessee families.