Sen. Elissa Slotkin said late Tuesday that voters in last year's election "made it clear that prices are too high and that the government needs to be more responsive to their needs."
But while Americans wanted change, "we can make that change without forgetting who we are as a country and as a democracy."
WATCH: Sen. Elissa Slotkin delivers the Democratic response to Trump's address to Congress
The first-term senator from Michigan, who previously represented the state in the U.S. House, made the comments during the Democrats' response to President Donald Trump's address to a joint session of Congress.
Slotkin appealed to the middle class, warning them to "read the fine print" on Trump's claims that his economic proposals will benefit the average American. "Your premiums and prescriptions will cost more because the math on his proposals doesn't work without going after your health care," she said.
She also criticized Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency, tasked by Trump to find waste, fraud and abuse in the federal government. Thousands of federal workers have been fired, and some of the firings have been challenged in court.
"Is there anyone in America who is comfortable with him and his gang of 20-year-olds using their own computer servers to poke through your tax returns, your health information and your bank accounts?" she said. "No oversight, no protections against cyberattack. No guard rails on what they do with your private data. We need a more efficient government. You want to cut waste? I'll help you do it. But change doesn't need to be chaotic or make us less safe."
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