WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) announced his committee assignments for the 112th Congress. Brown will serve on the following Senate committees:  Agriculture, Appropriations, Banking, Ethics, and Veterans Committees.

“My committee assignments allow me to fight for Ohio jobs, economic development, and our state’s largest industry: agriculture,” Brown said. “After 12 straight months of private sector job creation, it’s clear that our economy is beginning to rebound. But it’s not nearly enough.  We can’t turn our back on infrastructure investments that promote economic growth and create jobs. I remain committed to fighting for all Ohioans and look forward to helping Ohio lead our nation’s economic recovery.”

Appropriations Committee

 

In July 2010, Sen. Brown was tapped for the powerful Senate Appropriations Committee. Brown is only the seventh Ohioan in history to serve on this committee in its nearly 150-year history. Through the Appropriations Committee, Brown continues to work on his key priorities including economic development, workforce development, infrastructure, manufacturing, and health care access and affordability.

Banking Committee

 

Since joining the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs, Sen. Brown has fought for policies that protect Ohio’s middle-class families from unfair financial practices. As Chairman of the Economic Policy Subcommittee last Congress, Brown held a series of hearings on best practices to promote American manufacturing. Ohio is home to multiple financial institutions that provide jobs, access to credit, and insurance for countless Americans.  These include large financial institutions like Fifth Third Bank, KeyCorp, Huntington Bank, Nationwide Insurance, and Progressive Insurance. The state also has 240 FDIC-insured community banks and 390 credit unions.

Agriculture Committee

Agriculture is still Ohio’s largest industry. As the first Ohioan in more than 40 years to serve on the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, Sen. Brown is looking forward to working on behalf of Ohio’s agricultural community as the Senate considers the 2012 Farm Bill. During the authorization of the 2008 Farm Bill, Brown traveled around the state to listen to Ohio’s farmers and take their ideas to Washington.  Brown helped secure six major provisions that will improve and reform the farm safety-net, support rural communities, promote renewable energy, encourage healthy diets, and protect natural resources. In the 111th Congress, Sen. Brown chaired the Subcommittee on Hunger, Nutrition and Family Farms, through which he was integral in the formulation and passage of the Healthy, Hunger- Free Kids Act.

Veterans Committee

Brown is a proud member of the U.S. Committee on Veterans Affairs. Ohio is home to more than 930,000 veterans, more than 30 VA Medical Centers and Outpatient Clinics, and has a rich history of top-notch Veterans Services. Our state had one of the nation’s first chapters of the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), established the nation’s first VA hospital in Dayton, and has 88 county veterans’ service offices. Continuing to build on this legacy, Brown is working to improve the services for Ohio’s veterans. Throughout his first four years of his term, Brown has held an unprecedented number of hearings and roundtables throughout Ohio on access to VA health care. At these events, veterans and their families across Ohio have provided invaluable insight on what we are doing right and where we need to improve when it comes to serving Ohio’s veterans. This congress, Brown is committed to increasing U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) health care funding, reducing claims backlogs to assure veterans get their earned benefits, and ensuring veterans have the educational tools to transition to civilian life.

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