Like many Americans, Michael knows that Washington is broken, and he has worked since 2009 to make Congress more functional.

Politicians are public servants who should focus on serving the people—not pleasing lobbyists or fattening their bank accounts. In his time in the Senate, Michael has fought to hold lawmakers accountable to their promises and the rule of law. He supports legislation to stop automatic pay raises for members of Congress and to permanently ban them from ever becoming lobbyists, because he believes serving in Congress is a privilege rather than a gateway for members to get rich after leaving office. Michael has introduced bipartisan legislation that would require senators to stay in Washington during a government shutdown, so they cannot head home and turn their backs on the problems they create. He also supports overturning the Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision and placing commonsense limits on campaign spending.

Michael believes that democracy depends on transparency and public access to information. He has lobbied federal agencies to swiftly comply with the Freedom of Information Act, because the American people deserve to know how the government is making decisions that will affect them and their families. He has also been a strong advocate for public disclosure of financial information. The American people must be confident that their elected officials are making decisions that are in the best interests of the nation, not their personal finances. Michael has pressured politicians to fully disclose their financial information and address any potential conflicts of interest.