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Tom Barrett
MI · District 7
In plain English: Represents Michigan District 7 in the U.S. House of Representatives. House members vote on federal laws and spending.
Term
2025-01-03 – 2027-01-03
Next election
2026-11-03Cook Political Report rates MI-07 Toss-up (current through Oct 9, 2026). Democratic challenger is William Lawrence, founder of the Sunrise Movement climate group. The district covers the Lansing area of mid-Michigan and the Detroit Free Press calls it the most evenly divided U.S. House district in Michigan; Barrett won it by 3.7 percentage points in 2024.
Running for
U.S. House (MI-07), re-election
Committees
House Committee on Veterans' Affairs; Chair, Subcommittee on Technology Modernization (Veterans' Affairs); Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity (Veterans' Affairs); House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure; Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings and Emergency Management (Transportation and Infrastructure); Subcommittee on Highways and Transit (Transportation and Infrastructure)
Tom Barrett is the U.S. Representative for Michigan's 7th Congressional District, first elected in 2024 after defeating Democrat Curtis Hertel. He served more than 21 years in the U.S. Army as a helicopter pilot with deployments to Iraq, Kuwait, Guantanamo Bay, and South Korea, and previously served in the Michigan House (2014-2018) and Michigan Senate (2018-2022). In the 119th Congress he sits on the Veterans' Affairs and Transportation and Infrastructure committees and chairs the Veterans' Affairs Subcommittee on Technology Modernization. His district covers the Lansing area of mid-Michigan and is one of the most evenly divided House districts in the state; he faces Democrat William Lawrence in the Nov 3, 2026 general election, a race Cook Political Report rates Toss-up.
Bio source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Barrett_(Michigan_politician)
1. Follow the money, in plain English
What we don’t have yet: verified donor records for this leader. Pending donor data source: will be backfilled; never estimated
Every money claim on this page carries its source and its confidence level; the full item-by-item money record is in the evidence below.
2. What they promised
Each promise is tracked against documented votes and actions. A status is set only from the record; where a promise has not been tested yet, the card says so.
- PROMISEIn progress
On X on Sept 3, 2025, Barrett wrote: "From the beginning, I have supported and demanded the release of the Epstein files." He had co-sponsored H.Res. 581 (July 2025) pushing the vote, and voted Aye on H.R. 4405, the Epstein Files Transparency Act (Nov 18, 2025); the bill was signed into law as Public Law 119-38 on Nov 19, 2025. Status so far: He voted Aye on H.R. 4405 on Nov. 18, 2025; the bill passed 427-1 and was signed into law on Nov. 19, 2025. On Nov. 18, 2025 he said Jeffrey Epstein's victims had been denied justice for far too long while the American people were left in the dark about his criminal operation.
- PROMISEIn progress
"Only Congress has the authority to authorize military action in Iran. I remain ready to work with anyone to eliminate hostile threats to our nation without getting us into another endless war." (X post, Sept 16, 2026.) Barrett voted Yea on the Iran war-powers resolutions of July 23, 2026 (H.Con.Res. 89) and Sept 15, 2026 (H.Con.Res. 93); both passed as concurrent resolutions, which are non-binding, and hostilities continued. Status so far: He voted Yea on H.Con.Res. 89 on July 23, 2026, and Yea on H.Con.Res. 93 on Sept. 15, 2026; both passed and directed the removal of U.S. Armed Forces from hostilities with Iran. On June 3, 2026 he said it was time for Congress to decide the scope of the mission and the appropriate limits on the use of force in Iran.
- PROMISEIn progress
2024 campaign platform (per Lansing State Journal candidate profile, Sept 9, 2024): "bring down inflation by reducing government spending and cutting taxes." In the Oct 6, 2026 debate he cited delivered tax cuts on tips, overtime, and Social Security benefits; his Democratic challenger and press analysis note the same legislation carried food-assistance and Medicaid restrictions. Status so far: On Oct. 6, 2026 he said gas, diesel fuel, groceries, health care, and housing are too expensive. On Oct. 13, 2026 he cited GOP tax relief and child tax credit expansion when discussing affordability.
- PROMISEIn progress
Concerns over land use, water consumption, noise volume and electric rates are best settled at the local level and not by "bureaucrats and elected officials in D.C. who are far removed from the city of Mason and our community."
3. The evidence
Everything on this page comes from the record below, grouped so you can find things: what they said, what they did, money and influence, and what happened after. Every item carries its date, its source, and the date we last verified it.
Open the full record ↓
What they said
- STATEMENT
On the Iran war powers resolution vote: "That authority has expired, so my consistent belief is that it is time for Congress to decide the scope of the mission and the appropriate limits on the use of force in Iran."
- STATEMENT
On his Iran war-powers votes: called them "a vote of conscience for me," thinking of a friend who died in Iraq and is buried at Arlington: "That weighs heavily on me... I've got a lot of friends who didn't come home. I got a lot of friends who struggled after they came home."
- STATEMENT
Ahead of the Sept 15, 2026 Iran war-powers vote: "I've been consistent on that since the war powers provision expired after 60 days of engagement."
- STATEMENT
"My position hasn't changed. Only Congress has the authority to authorize military action in Iran. I remain ready to work with anyone to eliminate hostile threats to our nation without getting us into another endless war." (Posted after the Sept 15, 2026 war-powers vote.)
- STATEMENT
Defended Trump's tariffs, citing the U.S. trade imbalance and a conversation with GM CEO Mary Barra: "This trade imbalance is especially harmful for the auto industry in Michigan." Said tariffs are "a tool we can use to get there, but of course it can't be done recklessly."
- STATEMENT
On reshoring manufacturing, during a Lansing tour with SBA Administrator Kelly Loeffler: "You cannot defend your country if you can't build things in your country."
- STATEMENT
On health care (Oct 6, 2026 debate vs. Will Lawrence): rejected a single-payer plan, saying the fiscal analysis of Medicare for All is "$35 or $40 trillion... Everybody would have to have their income tax doubled," and called new Medicaid work requirements "modest." Also said: "Gas is too expensive. Diesel fuel is too expensive. Groceries are too expensive. Healthcare and housing are too expensive."
- STATEMENT
On border funding legislation: "For 116 days, the historic progress we made to secure the southern border was jeopardized by a partisan refusal to fund the agencies responsible for that progress. Tonight, Congress changed that by fully funding border patrol and customs enforcement working on the front lines every day to keep our border secure, stop fentanyl from flowing into our country, and keep our communities safe."
- STATEMENT
On voting for the Epstein Files Transparency Act: "I've said it from the very beginning: Jeffrey Epstein's victims have been denied justice for far too long while the American people were kept in the dark about his disturbing criminal operation. That changes today."
- STATEMENT
On VA technology modernization: "Broken and outdated computer systems have unreasonably delayed the delivery of benefits and health care for our veterans. This week, I led an important oversight subcommittee hearing to review the VA's progress to modernize IT, use taxpayer dollars effectively, and deliver" on benefits.
- STATEMENT
"This election, to your point, is one of the most competitive congressional districts in the entire country. We're on pace to have over $50 million in total spending just in this one congressional district." On affordability: "My wife and I are raising a family of four kids of our own right here in this district, so we see and we feel that as well," citing GOP tax relief and child tax credit expansion.
Verification note: Single-source partisan interview venue.
- STATEMENT
"It's time for the Senate to pass the Farm Bill." Also: "The U.S. House has approved funding I requested for mid-Michigan water supply and drain" projects, following a Lansing Chamber Economic Club luncheon on water infrastructure challenges.
Verification note: Single-source aggregator of social posts; water-funding claim not independently verified against appropriations records.
- FACT
Q3 2026 FEC filing (mid-July through September, published Oct 15): raised $1.58 million, spent $2.09 million, $2.36 million cash on hand; about 60% from individual donors, the rest from PACs and joint fundraising. Opponent Will Lawrence's report was still due.
Verification note: Press account of FEC filing.
What they did
- VOTE
H.R. 8800: National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2027 Yea on On Passage (Roll Call Vote 278) (passed 216-212)
- VOTE
H.R. 7008: Stop Insider Trading Act Yea on On Passage (Roll Call Vote 280) (passed 232-198)
- VOTE
H.Con.Res. 89: Directing the President, pursuant to section 5(c) of the War Powers Resolution, to remove United States Armed Forces from hostilities with Iran Yea on On Agreeing to the Resolution (Roll Call Vote 282) (passed 214-208)
- VOTE
H.Con.Res. 93: Directing the President, pursuant to section 5(c) of the War Powers Resolution, to remove United States Armed Forces from hostilities with Iran Yea on On Agreeing to the Resolution (Roll Call Vote 307) (passed 220-204)
- VOTE
H.R. 4405: Epstein Files Transparency Act (requiring DOJ to publish unclassified records on the Jeffrey Epstein investigation) Aye on On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass (Roll Call Vote 289) (passed 427-1; signed into law Nov 19, 2025 (P.L. 119-38))
- FACT
H.R. 5420, VA Extenders Act of 2025 (sponsored 2025): recorded as enacted by GovTrack.
- FACT
H.R. 1898, Military Helicopter Training Safety Act of 2025 (sponsored 2025): recorded as enacted by GovTrack; consistent with his U.S. Army aviation background as a helicopter pilot.
- FACT
H.R. 3619, Patriots Over Politics Act (introduced 2025-05-29, 23 cosponsors): would allow service members separated for refusing the COVID-19 vaccine to transfer GI Bill education benefits to dependents; subcommittee hearing held 2025-06-11.
Money and influence
- DATA UNAVAILABLE
Pending donor data source: will be backfilled; never estimated
- FACT
Chairs the Veterans' Affairs Subcommittee on Technology Modernization in the 119th Congress (oversight of VA IT modernization), per GovTrack committee listing.
- FACT
Member of the Republican Study Committee, the conservative House caucus.
- FACT
Introduced his own Iran war authorization in May 2026 limiting scope and setting a firm deadline; CNN (Aug 3, 2026) reported he was the only Republican to do so.
- FACT
More than 21 years of U.S. Army service as a helicopter pilot, with deployments to Iraq, Kuwait, Guantanamo Bay, and South Korea; this background shapes his veteran-focused legislative portfolio and his war-powers framing (CNN, Aug 3, 2026).
What happened after
No outcomes recorded yet.
- ACCOUNTABILITY
FEC Matter Under Review 8072: End Citizens United filed a complaint on Oct 3, 2022 alleging Barrett's federal campaign improperly used assets of his nonfederal (state) campaign committee. The FEC dismissed the allegation on March 13, 2025 and closed its file effective April 14, 2025. No violation found.
- ACCOUNTABILITY
Michigan Legislative Black Caucus filed a complaint with the Michigan attorney general (Nov 2024) after a Barrett campaign ad in the Michigan Bulletin, a Lansing Black-owned weekly, printed the wrong election date (Nov 6 instead of Nov 5, 2024). The publisher attributed it to a proofreading mistake and ran a corrected ad. Outcome of the AG complaint was not verified as of 2026-10-10.
Sources
- U.S. House Clerk
- U.S. House Clerk
- U.S. House Clerk
- U.S. House Clerk
- Congress.gov (roll call)
- CNN
- Daily Caller
- Fox News
- Detroit Free Press (Iran vote)
- Lansing State Journal (town hall)
- Lansing State Journal (SBA tour)
- Detroit Free Press (debate)
- Detroit Free Press (race overview)
- Lansing State Journal (debate)
- IAProject (press releases)
- Fox News (interview)
- barrett.house.gov (Epstein press release)
- Michigan Capitol News
- Michigan Capitol News (VA/Epstein)
- GovTrack
- Wikipedia
- Congress.gov (H.R. 3619)
- barrett.house.gov (bill text)
- Congress.gov (H.R. 4405)
- Lansing State Journal (2024 candidates)
- Washington Examiner
- FEC (MUR 8072)
- WKFR
- Newsmax
- MI Capitol News
- Daily Letter TV
Evidence
Related receipts
No receipts filed for this leader yet.
Every factual item carries its source, date, and last-verified stamp. Items marked unavailable are genuinely missing. Never filled in.