Newsletters

The preventive procedures covered by Medicare are critical to ensuring that seniors live long healthy lives, regardless of their finances. That’s why screening for colorectal cancer, the third leading cause of cancer death for both men and women in the U.S., is so important. Despite the risks, one in three adults between the ages of 50 and 75... Read More

We know that infrastructure investments and job creation go hand-in-hand. Road and bridge projects don’t just mean safer and less congested roads and construction jobs – they also help attract new employers and economic development.Two years ago, Democrats and Republicans came together to pass a two-year Highway Bill that allowed for... Read More

In April, I visited University Hospitals in Cleveland to discuss antimicrobial resistance, a public health crisis that affects two million Americans each year. Harmful microbes, like Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), have adapted to the antibiotic drugs that we have used to treat them and, as a result, infections caused by these... Read More

While many of my colleagues wear a special pin indicating they’re a Member of Congress, I wear something different on my lapel: a pin depicting a canary in cage. Generations ago, miners took a canary into the mine to warn them of toxic gases. If the canary died, the miners knew they had to escape quickly. They were forced to provide for their... Read More

Your credit report has an enormous impact on your financial future. Banks, credit card companies, and employers all reference credit reports when they decide whether to make a loan to a potential customer or offer a job to a prospective employee. That is why it’s critical that credit reporting agencies maintain and provide accurate credit... Read More

Last week, Ohio students started receiving their financial aid packages, containing information about the grants, scholarships, and loans available to them. The rising cost of college tuition means that more students will have to navigate the sometimes confusing process of applying for student loans. Many students end up graduating with costly... Read More

Five years ago this month – during the height of the economic downturn – Democrats and Republicans came together to invest in a bedrock of the American spirit: serving others. Five years later and Ohioans have truly exemplified what it means to serve. 10,000 Ohioans work to improve their local communities by serving at one of our... Read More

Uninsured Ohioans have until March 31 to enroll in the 2014 health insurance marketplace before open enrollment ends. Not having affordable health insurance means that if you suddenly need medical care, you could be stuck paying for the entire bill on your own. With the average cost of a three-day hospital stay exceeding $30,000, it is no surprise... Read More

In Ohio, we know manufacturing can create a path to the middle class. But during the Great Recession, that path became turbulent as plants across the country shuttered their doors and devastated local communities that depended on their jobs. But today, due to smart investments and a renewed effort in manufacturing, we are adding jobs in that sector... Read More

We all know that Ohio workers and Ohio manufacturers can compete with anyone. But when a country purposefully manipulates its currency so that its exports are cheaper, that’s not competing – that’s cheating. The result? U.S. exports are more expensive and a deluge of cheap imports flood our markets, costing American manufacturing... Read More

Last week, on February 13th, or 2-13, I introduced a resolution declaring the date as $2.13 Day. That’s because two dollars and thirteen cents is also the minimum wage for tipped workers. Two dollars and thirteen cents. Think about that. To add insult to injury, the tipped minimum wage has not changed for more than 20 years, and its value has... Read More

At the 2012 Summer Olympic opening ceremony, Team USA took the stage wearing foreign-made red, white, and blue uniforms. At a time when so many good jobs had disappeared overseas, the news that our Olympic team was being forced to wear uniforms made overseas was an outrage. It made no sense that an American organization would place a Chinese-made... Read More

Middle-class Ohioans have always worked hard and taken responsibility. But for too long, Ohioans have been working harder than ever and barely getting by. In last week’s State of the Union address, the President laid out a plan to grow our economy by growing the middle class. By calling on Congress to raise the federal minimum wage, extend... Read More

In his final speech, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. encouraged us to grapple with the problems America faces with a greater readiness. He posed a question in that speech the night before he died. He said, “The question is not if I stop to help this man in need, what will happen to me? The question is if I do not stop to help this man in need,... Read More

Fifty years ago, President Lyndon Johnson declared a war on poverty in his State of the Union Address, saying “Many Americans live on the outskirts of hope – some because of their poverty, and our task is to help replace their despair with opportunity.” He later echoed those statements in May of 1964 while visiting Ohio University... Read More

As 2013 comes to a close, Connie and I want to wish you and your family a safe and blessed holiday season. For me, there’s no greater joy than spending the winter holidays with loved ones. Earlier this month, I visited Liberty at St. Clair, a facility in Cleveland serving veterans who have struggled with homelessness. One of the many... Read More

We are a nation of builders and innovators.  Harnessing that creative energy, manufacturing created a middle class that strengthened our communities and provided opportunity for countless Americans. Manufacturing helped make the middle class.  In fact, manufacturing jobs have a larger multiplier effect than any other industry. For every... Read More

Last week, I traveled to schools around the state to hear from students, nurses, parents, and health professionals about what severe allergic reactions can mean when they occur unexpectedly in a classroom, playground, or sports field. These severe allergic reactions – known as anaphylaxis – can occur within minutes of exposure to any... Read More

In Ohio, one out of every seven jobs is connected to growing, processing, or distributing the food we eat and the products we use every day. In fact, agriculture and food contribute more than $107 billion dollars to our state’s economy each year. That’s why, when I talk to farmers around the state, I hear how important the farm bill is... Read More

In Ohio, we know that manufacturing is a ticket to the middle class. But for too long, Washington has made choices that leave domestic manufacturing behind – whether it’s bad trade deals, not enforcing trade laws, unfair taxes, or not investing in innovation and technology. As a result, our nation has suffered more than 60,000 plant... Read More