{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "is_view": false, "human_description_en": "where party = \"Democrat\", state = \"OH\" and year = 2016 sorted by date descending", "rows": [["http://beatty.house.gov/media-center/news-articles/us-slaps-sanctions-on-russia-for-hackings-expels-35-diplomats", "US slaps sanctions on Russia for hackings, expels 35 diplomats", "2016-12-30", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "OH", "Joyce Beatty", "B001281", "beatty.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON \u2014 The Obama administration struck back at Russia on Thursday for its efforts to influence the 2016 election, ejecting 35 Russian intelligence operatives from the United States and imposing sanctions on Russia\u2019s two leading intelligence services.\nThe administration also sanctioned four top officers of one of those services, the military intelligence unit known as the GRU, which the White House believes ordered the attacks on the Democratic National Committee and other political organizations.\nThe expulsion of the 35 diplomats was in response to the harassment of U.S. diplomats in Russia, officials said. None of those officials are believed to be connected to the hacking, they said. In addition, the State Department announced the closing of two \u201crecreational facilities\u201d \u2014 one in New York, another in Maryland \u2014 that it said were used for Russian intelligence activities, although officials would not say whether they were used in the election-related hacks.\nIn a sweeping set of announcements, the United States also released samples of malware and other indicators of Russian cyberactivity, including network addresses of computers commonly used by the Russians to launch attacks. Taken together, the actions amount to the strongest U.S. response ever taken against a state-sponsored cyberattack aimed at the United States.\nThe sanctions were in part intended to box in President-elect Donald Trump. Trump has consistently cast doubt that the Russian government had anything to do with the hacking of the DNC or other political institutions, saying U.S. intelligence agencies could not be trusted and suggesting that the hacking could have been the work of a \u201c400-pound guy\u201d sitting in his bed.\nTrump will now have to decide whether to lift the sanctions on the Russian intelligence agencies when he takes office next month, with Republicans in Congress among those calling for a public investigation into Russia\u2019s actions. Should Trump do so, it would require him to effectively reject the findings of his intelligence agencies.\nTrump said Thursday night that he\u2019ll meet next week with U.S. intelligence officials to discuss their findings that Russia hacked Democratic Party emails to meddle in the 2016 election, signaling a possible shift from his previous dismissals of Russian involvement.\nIn his first statement following Obama\u2019s action, Trump said \u201cIt\u2019s time for our country to move on to bigger and better things. Nevertheless, in the interest of our country and its great people, I will meet with leaders of the intelligence community next week in order to be updated on the facts of this situation.\u201d\nPresident Barack Obama, in a statement, put in a subtle dig at Trump\u2019s unwillingness to talk about Russia\u2019s role. \u201cAll Americans should be alarmed by Russia\u2019s actions,\u201d he said. He said he acted after \u201crepeated private and public warnings that we have issued to the Russian government\u201d and called the moves \u201ca necessary and appropriate response to efforts to harm U.S. interests in violation of established international norms of behavior.\u201d\nIn Moscow, there was a sense that the Obama administration was trying to take unseemly last-minute revenge against Russia and President Vladimir Putin.\n\u201cWe regret that this decision was made by the U.S. administration and President Obama personally,\u201d Dmitri Peskov, spokesman for Putin, told reporters. \u201cAs we have said before, we believe such decisions and such sanctions are ungrounded and illegal from the point of view of international law.\u201d\nRussia is studying the details of what Washington did, he said, and some manner of reciprocal answer can be expected.\nKonstantin Kosachyov, the head of the foreign affairs committee in the upper house of the Russian parliament, told Interfax that \u201cthis is the agony not even of \u2018lame ducks,\u2019 but of \u2018political corpses.\u201d\u2019\nU.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, said \u201cthere must be consequences for Russia\u2019s interference with our election. Today\u2019s action sends a clear message that the United States will not tolerate threats to our democracy and we will protect the American people and our institutions from being undermined by the Russian government.\u201d\nCongressional Republicans also backed Obama\u2019s decision, even though they said the president should have acted sooner.\n\u201cOver and over again, Russia has made clear of its intention to wreak havoc around the world,\u201d said Rep. Pat Tiberi, R-Genoa Township. \u201cNow the Obama administration is finally responding forcefully to this aggression.\u201d\n\u201cBut what took so long?\u201d Tiberi asked. \u201cGoing forward, we must continue to send the signal that we will not tolerate foreign hacking on our nation. I continue to support the appropriate bipartisan committee investigations into Russia\u2019s cyberattacks.\u201d\nRep. Bill Johnson, R-Marietta, said the \u201caction is positive but long overdue. In 2014, President Obama warned Russian President Vladimir Putin that \u2018there would be costs\u2019 if Russia invaded Ukraine. Shortly after that statement, Vladimir Putin thumbed his nose at President Obama and the world watched as the Russians invaded Ukraine.\u201d\nOther Democrats were quick to praise Obama. \u201cActions have consequences, and today\u2019s announcement by the Obama administration makes that abundantly clear to the Russian government,\u201d said Rep. Joyce Beatty, D-Jefferson Township.\nDespite the fanfare and political repercussions surrounding the announcement, it is not clear how much real effect the sanctions may have, although they go well beyond the modest sanctions imposed against North Korea for its attack on Sony Pictures Entertainment two years ago.\nStarting in March 2014, the United States and its Western allies levied sanctions against broad sectors of the Russian economy and blacklisted dozens of people, some of them close friends of Putin, after the Russian annexation of Crimea and its activities to destabilize Ukraine. Trump suggested in an interview this year that he believed those sanctions were useless, and left open the possibility he might lift them.This article first appeared on The Columbus Dispatch's website on December 30, 2016.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.brown.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/brown-statement-on-debarment-proceedings-against-restaurant-associates", "Brown Statement on Debarment Proceedings Against Restaurant Associates", "2016-12-30", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "OH", "Sherrod Brown", "B000944", "www.brown.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Friday, December 30, 2016\n            \n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown today applauded the Department of Labor\u2019s decision to initiate debarment proceedings against Restaurant Associates, which could result in the company being ineligible for government contract bids for three years. The proceedings follow a DOL investigation into Restaurant Associates which found the company and its subcontractor had misclassified hundreds of workers at the U.S. Capitol.\r\n\u201cEvery company should be accountable to labor laws and treat their workers with respect, especially when their profits come from American taxpayers\u201d said Brown. \u201cRestaurant Associates failed to meet the most basic standards and its potential debarment is a small price to pay for robbing the Senate's cafeteria workers of the money they earned. The Labor Department is right to take these violations seriously and I'm pleased DOL is pursing disciplinary action.\u201d\r\nBrown has called for the termination of the U.S. Senate\u2019s contract with Restaurant Associates. Brown led the entire Democratic caucus in a letter to DOL Secretary Tom Perez requesting an audit of Restaurant Associates\u2019 parent company, Compass Group, and its subsidiaries in the federal government. The letter built on his efforts to ensure fair treatment of workers in the Senate cafeteria and catering services.\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://fudge.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=25&itemid=1799", "Congresswoman Marcia L. Fudge Statement on U.S. Abstention from U.N. Resolution Vote on Israel", "2016-12-29", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "OH", "Marcia Fudge", "F000455", "fudge.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WARRENSVILLE HEIGHTS, OH - On December 23rd, the United States abstained from voting against an anti-Israeli resolution at the United Nations Security Council. Congresswoman Marcia L. Fudge (OH-11) released the following statement regarding this action:\r\n\r\n\t\"I am disappointed at the Administration\u2019s decision to abstain from the anti-Israeli resolution at the United Nations Security Council last week. After years of international partnership, our actions sent the wrong message to the world. Israel is indeed our truest ally in a very dangerous region. Our actions, and that of the UN Security Council, do nothing to promote peace in the Middle East.\u201d\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\t###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.brown.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/brown-portman-annoucne-12-billion-authorization-for-military-systems-that-support-jobs-at-lima-joint-systems-manufacturing", "Brown, Portman Annoucne $1.2 Billion Authorization for Military Systems that Support Jobs at Lima Joint Systems Manufacturing", "2016-12-23", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "OH", "Sherrod Brown", "B000944", "www.brown.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Friday, December 23, 2016\n            \n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Sens. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and Rob Portman (R-OH) today announced that President Obama signed into law the Fiscal Year 2017\u00a0National Defense Authorization Act\u00a0(NDAA), which authorizes funding for the Abrams Tank and the Stryker Vehicle \u2013 critical work is done on both systems at Lima\u2019s Joint Systems Manufacturing Center (JSMC). The NDAA includes more than $652 million to support modifications to the Abrams Tank and more than $579 million for the Stryker Vehicle.\r\n\u201cSome of the safest and most advanced military vehicles in the world are made in Lima,\u201d Brown said. \u201cIn October, we had the honor of bringing Under Secretary Murphy to the Joint Systems Manufacturing Center to highlight how important continued federal investment in the Abrams Tank and the Stryker Vehicle is to our military readiness and preparedness. We will continue to support these federal investments to strengthen our national security and bolster northwest Ohio\u2019s economy.\u201d\r\n\u201cThe best tanks in the world are made in Lima, Ohio,\u201d Portman said. \u201cAnd with this $1 billion investment, Congress is recognizing that and ensuring that the JSMC continues to provide these tanks to our troops. This is good news for taxpayers, good news for our military, and it\u2019s very good news for Lima, and I\u2019m proud of the role I played with Senator Brown in making it happen.\u201d\r\nIn October 2016, Brown and Portman brought Under Secretary of the Army Patrick J. Murphy to Lima for a tour of the Joint Systems Manufacturing Center (JSMC). Brown and Portman have been longtime champions of the JSMC and have worked over the years with the Senate Armed Services Committee, the Senate Appropriations Committee, and U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) leadership to promote the work done in Lima.\r\nIn March 2016, Brown wrote to his Senate Armed Services and Appropriations Committee colleagues to support inclusion of the Abrams Tank and Stryker Vehicle in the NDAA and the Defense Appropriations bill.\r\nIn February 2016, Brown applauded the inclusion of funding for the Abrams Tank and the Stryker Vehicle in President Obama\u2019s Fiscal Year 2017 budget proposal. Brown wrote to U.S. Secretary of the Army John McHugh in August 2015 to request these funds.\r\n\u00a0###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.brown.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/brown-portman-announce-funding-for-military-construction-research-programs-at-wright-patterson-air-force-base-signed-into-law", "Brown, Portman Announce Funding for Military Construction, Research Programs at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base Signed into Law", "2016-12-23", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "OH", "Sherrod Brown", "B000944", "www.brown.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Friday, December 23, 2016\n            \n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Sens. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and Rob Portman (R-OH) announced that the Fiscal Year 2017\u00a0National Defense Authorization Act\u00a0(NDAA) signed into law today by President Barack Obama authorizes $12.6 million to consolidate the operations of two active Entry Control Points (ECPs) at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base (WPAFB). This consolidation would improve security and traffic flow at the base. The NDAA also authorizes $14.4 million for facilities upgrades, equipment installation, and other projects that increase energy efficiency and approximately $1.1 billion for Air Force Research and Development projects and programs run out of the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) at WPAFB.\r\n\u201cWright-Patterson Air Force Base is critical to our nation\u2019s military and to southwest Ohio\u2019s economy,\u201d Brown said. \u201cThis law is an important step in ensuring that Wright-Patterson has the funding needed to upgrade its facility, enhance safety, and bolster the important research being done on base. We will continue working with our Senate colleagues to maintain our commitment to Wright-Patterson.\u201d\r\n\u201cKeeping Ohio\u2019s aerospace industry strong and competitive is critical not only to our state\u2019s economy, but to the national security of the United States,\u201d Portman said. \u201cThis legislation\u2014now law\u2014will ensure that the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base remains a national leader in delivering world-class national security capabilities to our men and women in uniform by providing resources to help protect and improve the base.\u201d\r\nIn August 2015, Brown urged U.S. Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James to include funding for this project in the President\u2019s Fiscal Year 2017 budget and, in March 2016, he wrote to the Senate Armed Service Committee supporting the gate consolidation. Congress will now need to appropriate the resources necessary to fund construction.\r\n\u00a0\u00a0\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.brown.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/brown-statement-on-un-security-council-draft-resolution-on-israel-", "Brown Statement on U.N. Security Council Draft Resolution on Israel", "2016-12-23", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "OH", "Sherrod Brown", "B000944", "www.brown.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Friday, December 23, 2016\n            \n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) today issued the following statement on the U.N. Security Council\u2019s draft resolution regarding Israel:\r\n\u201cEarlier this fall I joined Senate colleagues urging the Administration to uphold its position opposing one-sided resolutions at the U.N. Security Council regarding Israel. Any lasting peace must be negotiated between Israelis and Palestinians, not imposed by the international community. My hope is that a new year will bring a new commitment by both sides to earnestly work towards a peace agreement.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.brown.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/key-victory-for-youngstown-air-reserve-station-secured-by-brown-portman-now-law", "Key Victory for Youngstown Air Reserve Station Secured by Brown, Portman Now Law", "2016-12-23", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "OH", "Sherrod Brown", "B000944", "www.brown.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Law Signed Today Includes Brown/Portman Measure to Prioritize C-130 Upgrades for YARS\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tFriday, December 23, 2016\n            \n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Sens. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and Rob Portman (R-OH) today announced that President Obama signed into law the FY 2017 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which includes their amendment to prioritize C-130 upgrades needed at the Youngstown Air Reserve Station (YARS). The law will encourage the Air Force to act on these upgrades by requiring it to report on how it will prioritize upgrades from C-130H aircrafts to new C-130J units, which YARS needs for its special mission. Brown and Portman have been working to urge the Air Force to replace the 910th Airlift Wing\u2019s current fleet with the new C-130J to ensure the Wing can complete its missions safely.\r\n\u201cThese updates are key to maintaining Mahoning Valley jobs and supporting the ongoing missions performed by the men and women at Youngstown Air Reserve Station,\u201d said Brown. \u201cWe\u2019ve been pushing for modernization of this fleet for years, and this law will call on the Air Force to get to work updating these aircraft so YARS can continue its critical missions.\u201d\r\n\u201cThe Youngstown Air Reserve station is a model for other Air Reserve Stations throughout the country. Our provision puts YARS is in a better position to receive upgraded aircraft,\u201d Portman stated. \u201cC-130 modernization will improve the 910th\u2019s aging fleet and ensure that the 910th\u2019s specialized aerial-spray missions continue safely and effectively.\u201d\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.brown.senate.gov/newsroom/multimedia/watch/sen-sherrod-brown-connie-schultz-honor-john-glenn", "Sen. Sherrod Brown, Connie Schultz Honor John Glenn", "2016-12-22", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "OH", "Sherrod Brown", "B000944", "www.brown.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Home>News>Audio & Video \n          Audio & Video \n\t\t\n        \n        \n                \n                    \r\n\t\r\n\r\n\r\n    \r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\t\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\t\r\n\r\n\t\r\n    \r\n\r\n\t\r\n\r\n\r\n    \r\n\r\n    \r\n\r\n\t\r\n\r\n\t\r\n\r\n\t\t\r\n\t\t\r\n\t\t\r\n\t\t\r\n\t\t\n                    \n                    \n                    \n                    \n                    \n                    \n                    \n                \n\t\t\t\t\n                \n                        \n                            \n                               \t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n                                \n                                    \n                                        \n                                        \n                                            \n        \n                                            \n                                            \n                                        \n                                        \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n                                    \n                                \n                                \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n                                    \t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n                            \n                        \n                \n                \n                     Sen. Sherrod Brown, Connie Schultz Honor John Glenn \n                    Sen. Sherrod Brown and Connie Schultz delivered remarks at the celebration of John Glenn's life at The Ohio State University's Mershon Auditorium in Columbus. \nVideo courtesy of WCMH-TV/NBC 4 Columbus.\n                     \n                    \t\n                        See Video on YouTube\n\t\t\t\t\t\tTweet\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n                        Copy Direct Link", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.brown.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/brown-franken-ask-trump-to-help-congress-bring-down-drug-prices", "Brown, Franken Ask Trump to Help Congress Bring Down Drug Prices", "2016-12-20", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "OH", "Sherrod Brown", "B000944", "www.brown.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Tuesday, December 20, 2016\n            \n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Sens. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and Al Franken (D-MN) today led a letter to President-elect Donald Trump outlining specific steps his Administration should take to help Congress bring down the cost of prescription drugs.\r\n\u201cIt is undeniable that more and more families are struggling to access medications, and in many cases, are forced to choose between paying for prescription drugs and other necessities, like food and shelter. The American public is fed up, with roughly 8-in-10 Americans reporting that drug prices are unreasonable, and that we must take action to lower costs,\u201d said the Senators in the letter. \u201cYou now have the authority to push for a future that prioritizes patients. We are ready to advance measures to achieve this goal and we urge you to partner with Republicans and Democrats alike to take meaningful steps to address the high cost of prescription drugs through bold administrative and legislative actions.\u201d\r\nIn a letter sent to Trump today, the Senators \u2013 along with 18 of their colleagues \u2013 expressed their shared frustration over the cost of drugs and outlined several ways Trump can make good on his promise to lower the rising cost of prescription drugs for consumers including: allowing the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to negotiate better prices for Medicare recipients; requiring drug companies to disclose costs associated with creating drugs so prices are more transparent; putting an end to abusive price gouging; and ensuring competition and innovation that will lead to greater competition and more affordable, effective drugs.\r\nThe letter was cosigned by U.S. Sens. Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Jack Reed (D-RI), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Tom Udall (D-NM), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Ed Markey (D-MA), and Angus King (I-ME).\u00a0\r\nFull text of the letter is below and available here.\u00a0\r\nDecember 20, 2016\r\nPresident-Elect Donald J. Trump \r\nPresidential Transition Headquarters\r\n1800 F Street, N.W., Room G-117\r\nWashington, D.C. 20270\r\nDear President-Elect Trump:\r\nDuring your campaign, you promised to implement bold reforms to bring down the cost of prescription drugs. In fact, you acknowledged that \u201cCongress will need the courage to step away from the special interests and do what is right for America.\u201d You also supported allowing consumers\u2019 access to imported, safe, and dependable drugs from overseas and vowed to negotiate lower prescription drug prices for seniors. And earlier this month you again promised to \u201cbring down drug prices.\u201d While there are many different policy options to achieve lower drug prices, it\u2019s clear that we all agree that all Americans deserve access to safe, effective, and affordable lifesaving medications. As Members of Congress, we are ready to advance bipartisan reforms that will help achieve the goal we all share: reducing the burden exorbitant drug prices are placing on hard-working Americans.\r\nPrescription drugs can work wonders \u2013 curing diseases and helping those with chronic illness live longer, healthier lives. Drug companies, however, have often engaged in abusive tactics that price lifesaving drugs out of reach for those in need. It is time to enact policies that improve transparency and competition in the commercial market and make the government a smarter purchaser of prescription drugs.\r\nIt is undeniable that more and more families are struggling to access medications, and in many cases, are forced to choose between paying for prescription drugs and other necessities, like food and shelter. The American public is fed up, with roughly 8-in-10 Americans reporting that drug prices are unreasonable, and that we must take action to lower costs. The public\u2019s concern is well founded, just last week the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid\u2019s Office of the Actuary published that, in 2015, prescription drug spending grew faster than any other category of medical spending for the second year in a row. This evidence comes despite claims from the drug industry that high drug spending in 2014 would only be a temporary blip.\r\nYou now have the authority to push for a future that prioritizes patients. We are ready to advance measures to achieve this goal and we urge you to partner with Republicans and Democrats alike to take meaningful steps to address the high cost of prescription drugs through bold administrative and legislative actions, including but not limited to the following actions:\r\n1.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Give the Secretary of HHS the Authority to Negotiate Drug Prices. As you noted on the campaign trail, permitting the Department of Health and Human Services to negotiate drug prices under Medicare could not only produce savings but would bring the largest payer in America in line with the activities of the rest of the insurance industry. In fact, you promised that \u201c(w)hen it comes time to negotiate the cost of drugs, we are going to negotiate like crazy.\u201d However, under current law, the Secretary is prohibited from doing so. We urge you to work with Congress to pass a law that lifts the current ban and gives the Secretary the authority to take immediate action and negotiate better prices for prescription drugs for our nation\u2019s more than 40 million Medicare Part D beneficiaries.\r\n2.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Increase Transparency. Throughout your campaign, you also endorsed price transparency for the entire healthcare system. Patients should know drugs\u2019 true cost, not just the price that the drug companies and insurance companies choose to charge. We already have measures in place to require hospitals, providers, and other sections of the healthcare system to report on different cost measures; drug companies should be held to the same standards. We urge you to take immediate administrative action to require drug companies to publicly disclose costs associated with research and development, materials and manufacturing, and the federal benefits they receive in the form of tax credits, government grants, and government-funded research on which their products are based.\r\n3.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Stop Abusive Pricing. We urge you to protect consumers from abusive pricing practices \u2014not only gouging consumers with the 5,000-percent overnight price hikes that have made recent headlines, but also the persistent, unjustified double-digit price increases that drug corporations have levied on the American people year after year. As members of Congress, we are ready to work on legislation to combat these abusive practices.\r\n4.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Protect and Incentivize True Innovation. Taxpayers, through the federal government, are deeply involved with every step of the drug development process, from supporting basic scientific research and clinical trials, to granting exclusive monopolies, tax incentives, and fee waivers. However, taxpayer funds need to be better targeted to deliver what we all want: safe, innovative, affordable, and effective drugs to address our most pressing public health issues and unmet medical needs. We urge you to work with Congress to pass commonsense reforms that better protect and incentivize innovation with the greatest need and health benefits to ensure affordable access and good stewardship of taxpayer dollars.\r\n5.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Ensure True Competition. It is past time to end the rigging of the prescription drug marketplace. Brand-name drug companies, for example, should not be allowed to take actions that block generic competitors from bringing their products to market. We urge you to task the Federal Trade Commission and the Department of Justice with aggressively enforcing laws that currently exist and push for new provisions to ensure timely entrance of generics to the marketplace.\r\nDuring your campaign, you promised to address the high prescription drug prices that the vast majority of Republicans and Democrats expressed as a top concern in the election. In this letter, we have listed tangible ways your Administration can lead bipartisan work on this issue and fight for the millions of Americans who rely on prescription drugs to lead healthy lives. There will be ample opportunities to make good on these promises as Congress considers the Prescription Drug, Generic Drug, and Biosimilars User Fee Agreement reauthorizations and other health-related legislative priorities, and we look forward to your leadership on this issue by steering both sides of the aisle to work together to pass concrete reforms. We stand ready to support meaningful changes to the status quo and are committed to a future when all Americans can access lifesaving treatments when they need them.\r\nWe hope that you will join with Congress in living up to the expectations of the American people and prioritize this issue as President of the United States. \r\n\u00a0\r\nSincerely,\r\n\u00a0###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.brown.senate.gov/newsroom/newsletters/doing-right-by-our-veterans", "Doing Right by Our Veterans", "2016-12-19", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "OH", "Sherrod Brown", "B000944", "www.brown.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Monday, December 19, 2016\n\t\t\tNo veteran should face living on the street or have trouble accessing benefits they earned. This month, Congress passed a bipartisan bill written by the Senate Veterans\u2019 Affairs Committee to address these important issues. As a member of the Committee, I worked with colleagues on both sides of the aisle to include provisions to support veterans and their families. President Obama signed our Veterans Health Care and Benefits Act into law last Friday, helping to protect our nation\u2019s heroes and honor them with the benefits they deserve.\r\nWe know that, shamefully, too many veterans don\u2019t have a roof over their heads or a place to call home. Last year, I visited organizations across Ohio that are doing wonderful work to give veterans the support they need to get back on their feet and find permanent homes. Through a combination of increased federal investments and improved services, we have made real progress towards ending veterans\u2019 homelessness \u2013 but there\u2019s still more to be done. With this law, we\u2019re going to give those organizations like these the funding and support they need.\r\nIt will also encourage landlords to rent to veterans and expand the definition of a \u201chomeless veteran,\u201d to include veterans fleeing domestic abuse, making them eligible for additional supportive services.\r\nEven one veteran on the street means Congress isn\u2019t doing enough to tackle this problem. We\u2019ve set national performance targets to hold VA accountable and ensure resources set aside for these veterans are being used to help veterans secure a permanent home.\r\nWe\u2019ve also inserted provisions in this bill that will help servicemembers as they access their benefits. The bill will help reduce the claims backlog too many of our veterans are facing today. We\u2019re going to temporarily expand the number of judges on the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims from seven to nine so the Court can hear more cases and more veterans can get the benefits they\u2019re owed.\r\nThe Veterans Health Care and Benefits Act doesn\u2019t just stop at honoring veterans. We recognize the sacrifice that servicemembers\u2019 families make every day and we\u2019re working to give them the benefits they deserve.\r\nThe Fry Scholarship provides educational GI Bill benefits to surviving spouses and children of servicemembers who have died in the line of duty since 9/11. However, when Congress extended the benefit to spouses in the Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability Act of 2014, a 15-year limitation was put on these benefits.\r\nMelissa Twine, an Air Force veteran from Batavia, discussed with my office the challenges that this limitation put on her. Her husband, Captain Philip Twine, died serving our country in the Air Force in 2002, meaning that now, as Melissa tries to go back to school to pursue her master\u2019s degree, she and so many other surviving spouses don\u2019t have the time to use these benefits. Now that our fix is law, Melissa and other family members with stories like hers have the time they need to use the benefits afforded to them.\r\nI have often said that the Veterans\u2019 Affairs Committee is the most bipartisan committee in the Senate.\r\nDoing right by veterans is not a democratic issue or a republican issue, it\u2019s an American value. It\u2019s our responsibility. And I hope this law will serve as an example of the important work we can get done to actually make life better for the people we work for - but only when we work together.\r\nMy office is proud to help veterans and their families accessing their benefits and I will continue fighting for them. Veterans across Ohio needing assistance can contact my Cleveland office at 216-522-7272.\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.brown.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/brown-presents-canfield-veteran-with-combat-infantryman-badge-more-than-40-years-overdue", "Brown Presents Canfield Veteran with Combat Infantryman Badge More Than 40 Years Overdue", "2016-12-19", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "OH", "Sherrod Brown", "B000944", "www.brown.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Brown Presents Medal to Army Infantryman who Served in Vietnam \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tMonday, December 19, 2016\n            \n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\r\n(Brown and Rutledge)\r\nWARREN, OH \u2014In a ceremony at Trumbull County Veterans Services today, U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) presented the Combat Infantryman Badge to William Rutledge of Canfield.\r\n\u201cOur veterans don\u2019t often speak about their service. But through these medals and these ceremonies, we learn their stories,\u201d\u00a0said Brown.\u00a0\u201cAs the only Ohioan to serve a full term on the Senate Veterans\u2019 Committee, and the son of a WWII veteran, it\u2019s one of my greatest honors in this job to be able to award veterans the medals they have earned.\u201d\r\nRutledge, an Army Infantryman, served in Vietnam. Though Rutledge was released from the Army in 1970, he was never awarded the Combat Infantryman Badge he earned due to a lack of documentation. Sen. Brown\u2019s staff, along with Trumbull County Veterans Services and its Executive Director Herm Breuer, helped secure the badge for Rutledge. \u00a0\r\n\u201cThe Combat Infantryman Badge is the Badge of Honor for all Infantrymen. Five plus years ago I began writing the Army to correct my record and kept getting shot down. Finally I met Herm Breuer and with a lot of help from Herm and Senator Sherrod Brown I have received my Combat Infantry Badge,\u201d\u00a0said Rutledge.\r\n\r\nOhio veterans and the family members of deceased veterans may request military records and medals by contacting Senator Brown\u2019s Cleveland office at (216) 522-7272 or by visiting the \u201cConstituent Services\u201d section of Brown\u2019s website at\u00a0brown.senate.gov.\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.brown.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/brown-honors-john-glenn", "Brown Honors John Glenn", "2016-12-17", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "OH", "Sherrod Brown", "B000944", "www.brown.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Remarks at John Glenn's Celebration of Life\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tSaturday, December 17, 2016\n            \n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tCOLUMBUS, OH -- U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown's remarks as prepared for delivery at John Glenn's Celebration of Life follow below.\u00a0\r\nU.S. Senator Sherrod Brown\r\nRemarks as Prepared for Delivery: John Glenn\u2019s Celebration of Life\r\nMershon Auditorium, The Ohio State University\r\nDecember 17, 2016\r\nBy any measure \u2013 accomplishment, service, courage \u2013 John Glenn was a great man.\u00a0 But when I think of John Glenn, I think of a good man.\r\nMy first taste of John Glenn, the good man, was on March 4, 1968, at the Madison Theater in Mansfield, Ohio.\u00a0\u00a0 More than fifty teenage boys had gathered for our Eagle Scout Dinner.\u00a0 Colonel Glenn was the speaker.\u00a0\r\nJohn Glenn, national hero, met each of us.\u00a0 John Glenn, perhaps the most famous man of his generation, took a picture with us \u2013 one at a time.\u00a0 He always took time for you, no matter your station in life.\u00a0\u00a0 And that lesson has stuck with me.\u00a0\r\nAlmost 39 years later, former Senator John Glenn walked me down the center aisle of the United States Senate to be sworn in.\u00a0 And of course \u2013 like the Eagle Scouts of four decades earlier \u2013 all the new senators wanted to meet their American hero.\u00a0 He was kind to them too.\r\nI had the honor to see John Glenn up close \u2013 at work and at play; with family and with strangers.\r\nEvery presidential year, Ohio\u2019s most prominent Democrat would board a bus with our presidential or vice-presidential nominee to campaign around Ohio.\u00a0 I watched the retired Senator \u2013 a mentor to so many of us \u2013 reconnect with Senator Kerry in 2004 and Senator Biden in 2008.\u00a0 And I saw him, for the first time, meet the young Senator from Illinois, and the immediate connection that the American icon and the future President made.\u00a0\r\nI saw him, a decade after his retirement, get off the bus, jump over a ditch, and shake the outstretched hand of an appreciative farmer.\u00a0\r\nJohn was there, in non-presidential years, for Ohio Democrats too.\u00a0 Bus travel is rarely glamourous. But with presidential candidates, it\u2019s at least modern and comfortable.\r\nIn 2006 we boarded a, shall we say, older, less opulent Winnebago with the Ohio Democratic ticket to campaign through small-town and rural Ohio.\u00a0 As we traveled up and down the hills of John\u2019s beloved southeast Ohio, the rest of us began to get car sick . . . but of course not the 85-year-old astronaut, who simply smiled. \u00a0\r\nAnd I saw the elder statesman as he spoke to an adoring crowd, transferring some of his magic to the rest of us.\r\nJohn was an FDR Democrat, Roosevelt saved America, after all, John said \u2013 an FDR Democrat who cared about justice and opportunity for people with less privilege than most of us in this room have.\r\nHe never forgot the, \u201cterror that struck his 10 or 11 year old heart\u201d when he overheard his parents saying that their mortgage was about to be foreclosed.\r\nIt was a New Deal, government-backed FHA loan that allowed John\u2019s father to renegotiate with the bank and keep his family in their home.\u00a0 Some years later, it was the federal government that paid for John\u2019s first flying lessons.\r\nJohn knew, as he later wrote in his memoir that, \u201cthat government can change people\u2019s lives for the better.\u201d\r\nToo many remembrances have written of John\u2019s brand of patriotic optimism as a throwback to a bygone era. But it\u2019s needed today more than ever.\r\nJohn believed in an activist government and an active citizenship. And he warned that cynicism and apathy were a threat to democracy itself.\r\nJohn\u2019s friend Robert Kennedy, who helped to convince him to run for the Senate, called politics a calling, almost like the ministry. \u00a0\r\nPresbyterian John liked those words. John said, \u201cThe happiest and most fulfilled people I\u2019ve known are those who devoted themselves to something bigger and more profound than merely their own self-interest.\u201d \u00a0\r\nThat drove John\u2019s activism and his public service. And it drove him to create the Glenn School to inspire the next generation of active, engaged citizens.\u00a0\r\nJohn Glenn was the only Ohioan ever to be elected four times to the United States Senate.\u00a0 He was a work horse, never a show horse. He labored over the details of non-proliferation and environmental cleanup of nuclear disposal sites \u2013 grunt work to some. But John was content to spend his time, not on collecting instant headlines, but achieving lasting results that would leave the world in better shape than he found it.\r\nHe helped create the independent watchdogs we know as inspectors general - to keep the government he believed in honest and accountable to the people it serves. And he had the foresight to found the Great Lakes Task Force, which continues to play an important role in our work to protect the health of our lakes and the local jobs that depend on them.\r\nThe night before the 50th anniversary of Colonel Glenn\u2019s space launch, Connie and I had dinner in German Village with Annie and John and Lyn and David and Karen.\u00a0 As the evening wound down, we headed to the door together; the valet pulled up to the front of the restaurant with John\u2019s Cadillac.\u00a0 The 91-year-old astronaut hopped in the driver\u2019s seat, Annie in front passenger seat, and the kids \u2013 now all on the other side of 60 \u2013 piled in the back.\u00a0 Some things never change.\r\nAnd oh, how they were in love \u2013 Annie and John.\u00a0\u00a0 I spoke with Annie last April, on their 73rd wedding anniversary.\u00a0 She told me that they waited to get married until after John finished his flight training in 1943.\u00a0 We wanted to get married in high school, Annie said, \u201cbut our parents wouldn\u2019t let us because they said it would never last.\u201d\r\nTheir love was infectious - the stuff of fairy tales - and they shared it with everyone around them.\r\nA former Glenn staffer told me that, \u201cJohn Glenn took joy in helping others and was so proud of his staff.\u00a0 Even when you left, you were still family.\u201d\r\nJohn had a way of making everyone around him feel important \u2013 from the teenage Eagle Scouts to the farmer in the field. He lived his life by Matthew 25: Jesus admonished his followers, \"Whenever you did it for any of my people, no matter how unimportant they seemed, you did it for me.\"\r\nThat was John Glenn. The great American hero, was a good man.\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://fudge.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=25&itemid=1798", "Congresswoman Marcia L. Fudge Pays Tribute to John H. Glenn, Jr.", "2016-12-16", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "OH", "Marcia Fudge", "F000455", "fudge.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WARRENSVILLE, HEIGHTS, OH - As services are held in honor of Ohio's hero, Former Senator John H. Glenn, Jr., Congresswoman Marcia L. Fudge (OH-11) pays tribute to his life and legacy:\r\n\r\n\t\"John Glenn, Jr.\u00a0was no ordinary man.\u00a0 He soared \u2013 not just in outer space but in our hearts. Each time John took off, he carried the hopes and dreams of our nation and the American people with him. Known and loved around the globe, John will always be the Ohio hero who never forgot his roots.\r\n\r\n\t\"After his honorable discharge from the U.S. Marine Corps, John revolutionized America\u2019s space program.\u00a0 He was then elected to represent Ohio in the U.S. Senate.\u00a0 He advanced legislation to limit nuclear proliferation and was a staunch supporter of space exploration, science and education.\u00a0 His advocacy helped position Ohio as a leader in scientific innovation, advancement, and discovery. Northeast Ohio\u2019s NASA John H. Glenn Research Center \u2013 which employs thousands \u2013 is a testament to Senator Glenn\u2019s tireless efforts.\r\n\r\n\t\"Senator Glenn spent the latter part of his life educating Buckeyes at my alma mater, The Ohio State University.\u00a0 His legacy will live on through the students he taught at the John Glenn Institute for Public Service and Public Policy.\r\n\r\n\t\"Senator Glenn was a public servant, patriot, and pioneer. His commitment to our state and nation show us all what it means to \u2018be all we can be.\u2019\r\n\r\n\t\"On behalf of the constituents in the Eleventh Congressional District, I extend my deepest condolences to the family of Senator John Glenn, Jr.\u00a0 Yes, we mourn his departure, but will never forget his contributions to our state and our nation as a decorated veteran, ground-breaking astronaut, respected statesman and beloved professor.\"\r\n\r\n\t\u00a0\r\n\r\n\t###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.brown.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/brown-portman-bill-to-protect-cleveland-harbor-from-toxic-sediment-is-now-law", "Brown-Portman Bill to Protect Cleveland Harbor from Toxic Sediment is Now Law", "2016-12-16", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "OH", "Sherrod Brown", "B000944", "www.brown.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Friday, December 16, 2016\n            \n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON, D.C. -- U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and\u00a0Rob Portman today announced that legislation they co-authored to help keep toxic material dredged from the Cuyahoga River out of Lake Erie has been signed into law as part of the\u00a0Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation (WIIN) Act.\u00a0A provision of the bill makes clear that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) cannot determine that dumping dredged material into Lake Erie is environmentally acceptable unless it meets the state of Ohio\u2019s water quality standards. This law will help protect Lake Erie from the Corps\u2019 repeated attempts to dispose of contaminated sediment into the Lake.\r\n\u201cThis is a win for local businesses and jobs along the Cuyahoga River and Port of Cleveland,\u201d\u00a0said Brown.\u00a0\u201cDredging is key to protecting our lake and keeping the channel open for businesses. This law will hold the Corps to our state\u2019s water quality standards so we can keep Lake Erie clean.\u201d\r\n\u201cProtecting the Cleveland Harbor Project is vital not only to the local environment, but to our economy as well,\u201d\u00a0said Senator Portman.\u00a0\u201cThis new law ensures that dredged material will not harm either the City of Cleveland\u2019s water supply or Lake Erie\u2019s ecosystem and that commercial navigation will continue safely. This is a big win for Cleveland.\u201d\r\n\r\nThe provision of the law means that\u00a0the Corps must follow Ohio\u2019s water quality standards when determining how to dispose of the dredged material.\r\nAccording to the State of Ohio, more than $10 billion of the state\u2019s nearly $40 billion tourism industry is derived from counties along the Lake Erie shoreline. Further, the Great Lakes play a vital role in transporting food, raw materials, and other goods necessary to support Ohio jobs. But in order for this to continue, the Great Lakes\u2019 harbors and channels must be dredged in an environmentally acceptable manner.\u00a0\r\nIn January 2016, Brown and Portman\u00a0urged USACE Assistant Secretary Jo-Ellen Darcyto use at least $2 million of its $273 million unallocated operation and maintenancebudget to make up for its irresponsible request for less money to dredge the Cleveland Harbor. The Corps requested $3.6 million less than the President\u2019s budget, which will not be sufficient to safely place the dredged material upland. Brown and Portman\u2019s letter urged the Corps to respect the State\u2019s Water Quality Standards and pay for the cost of disposing of the toxic dredged material responsibly rather than dumping it into Lake Erie.\r\nIn February 2015, Brown and Portman wrote to Assistant Secretary of the Army and the Chief of Engineers at USACE\u00a0calling for full funding of Great Lakes navigation projectsand to direct additional resources to address a significant dredging backlog.\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.brown.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/brown-proposal-to-help-families-of-deceased-post-9/11-servicemembers-now-law", "Brown Proposal to Help Families of Deceased Post-9/11 Servicemembers Now Law", "2016-12-16", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "OH", "Sherrod Brown", "B000944", "www.brown.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Brown\u2019s Legislation to Extend Educational Benefits for Surviving Spouses of Servicemembers included in Veterans Law Signed Today\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tFriday, December 16, 2016\n            \n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) today announced that a comprehensive veterans bill, including his provision to ensure that surviving spouses of deceased servicemembers who served post-9/11 have enough time to use their educational benefits, was signed into law by President Obama. The provision was included in the Jeff Miller and Richard Blumenthal Veterans Health Care and Benefits Act, which passed in the Senate last weekend.\r\nThe law also includes key provisions of the Veterans First Act, which Brown cosponsored. The law will help address the appeals backlog by temporarily expanding the number of judges on the\u00a0U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims from seven to nine, enhance veterans\u2019 homelessness benefits, and expand toxic exposure research for veterans and descendants.\r\n\u201cToday we are one step closer to making sure that families who have sacrificed so much for our nation get the benefits they deserve. No veteran should face living on the street or trouble accessing benefits they earned \u2013 and we\u2019re addressing all of these issues with this bill,\u201d said Brown. \u201cThis bipartisan law will grant veterans and their families expanded benefits and ensure that the VA has the resources to provide veterans with the highest quality of care. And importantly \u2013 it will help cut the backlog on veterans\u2019 claims.\u201d\r\nThe law\u2019s provision authored by Brown will ensure that surviving spouses of servicemembers have enough time to use their educational benefits. The Marine Gunnery Sergeant John David Fry Scholarship provides Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits to the surviving spouses and children of servicemembers who have died in the line of duty while on active duty after September 10, 2001. However, when Congress expanded Fry Scholarship eligibility to spouses in the Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability Act of 2014, a 15-year limitation was put on these benefits. The provision Brown secured will extend the period of eligibility for the Fry Scholarship to spouses of servicemembers killed between 9/11/2001 and 12/31/2005 so that they will have enough time to fully utilize the benefit.\r\nMelissa Twine is an Air Force veteran from Batavia whose husband, Captain Philip B. Twine, died serving in the Air Force. Brown\u2019s provision in the law will ensure that she and other surviving spouses are able to use educational benefits that allow them to support their families.\r\n\u201cMy husband, Captain Philip B. Twine, was a Logistics Officer in the Air Force when he died at the age of 34 in 2002. We had three children and I was eight months pregnant with our fourth child when Phil died,\u201d said Twine. \u201cAfter my husband\u2019s death, I became the primary breadwinner \u2013 a single parent of four \u2013 including being the caregiver for our child with autism spectrum disability. Prior to Philip\u2019s death, I completed my undergrad in Biology at the University of Cincinnati.\u00a0Our plan was that I would obtain my Master\u2019s degree next. Those plans changed when our world changed on August 7, 2002.\u00a0I had to put this goal on pause for many years while I raised my family as a single parent. It was especially difficult with a newborn and a child with a disability. I am now in a place where fulfilling my goal of higher education is possible. I am very grateful to now be afforded the necessary time to utilize the Marine Gunnery Sergeant John David Fry Scholarship. \u00a0This educational opportunity means the world to me and others in my situation.\u201d\r\nAdditionally, the Jeff Miller and Richard Blumenthal Veterans Health Care and Benefits Act includes a variation of the Veteran Housing Stability Act of 2015, which Brown cosponsored.\u00a0The law will increase veterans\u2019 access to permanent housing options by increasing outreach to landlords to encourage renting to veterans; expanding the definition of \u201chomeless veteran,\u201d so more veterans, including those facing domestic abuse, can access housing assistance; and requiring a report on the efficacy of VA programs to improve retention of housing by veterans who are at risk of becoming homeless. \r\n\u00a0\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.brown.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/brown-proposals-to-protect-ohio-families-from-lead-exposure-now-law", "Brown Proposals to Protect Ohio Families from Lead Exposure Now Law", "2016-12-16", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "OH", "Sherrod Brown", "B000944", "www.brown.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Friday, December 16, 2016\n            \n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2014 Today, U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) announced that several of his proposals to protect Ohio families from lead exposure were signed into law by President Obama as part of a water infrastructure package passed last weekend. Brown has been a strong supporter of federal funding to help prevent lead poisoning, monitor lead exposure in children, and eliminate lead hazards.\r\n\u201cNo parent should have to worry that the water coming out of their faucets might be poisoning their children. Even a small amount of lead exposure can impair a child\u2019s development and make learning more difficult,\u201d Brown said. \u201cThat\u2019s why it\u2019s critical that we are taking proactive steps to upgrade our water infrastructure, test water in daycares and schools, and keep families informed if lead is found in the water supply. This law will help protect families and make our communities safer.\u201d\r\nThe law includes:\r\nThe Lead Testing in School and Child Care Drinking Water Act of 2016: Brown cosponsored this bill, which will create a new federal grant program to help daycare centers and school districts test their drinking water for potential lead contamination. The law authorizes $20 million for this grant program through the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).\r\nA public notification requirement: The law includes a Brown proposal from a bill he introduced following water crises in Sebring, Ohio and Flint, Michigan that requires the EPA to automatically alert the public to lead contamination if the state or local agency responsible fails to do so in 15 days. Currently, local and state officials are responsible for notifying the public, which they failed to do in a timely manner in the cases of Sebring and Flint.\r\nThe Drinking Water Safety and Infrastructure Act: Brown is a cosponsor of this bill, which will provide federal aid to communities facing lead crises and help new ones from occurring. Many provisions from the law that would help Sebring and other communities in Ohio are included in the Water Infrastructure Investments for the Nation Act signed today:\r\n \r\n$20 million in credit subsidies for the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation (WIFIA) Fund with the goal of obligating at least $700 million in secured financing for water infrastructure projects across the country. All water systems are eligible for financing.\r\n$15 million annually for the next two years for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Fund, which develops programs, provides outreach to the public and health provider, supports research, and funds state programs to address and prevent childhood lead poisoning.\r\n$15 million annually for the next two years for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Healthy Start Initiative which provides assistance to pregnant women and new mothers by helping connect them with health care and other resources to foster healthy childhood development.\r\n \r\nThe law also includes $60 million annually for a new EPA grant program to reduce lead levels in drinking water through replacement of lead service lines, testing, planning, corrosion control, and public education. Applications from small and disadvantaged communities will receive priority access to funding. Additionally, the law includes $20 million for a new EPA grant program that will help small and disadvantaged communities comply with federal standards under the Safe Drinking Water Act. Brown supported this provision to help communities like Sebring, Ohio deal with aging infrastructure.\r\n\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.brown.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/brown-provision-that-paves-way-for-future-federal-investment-in-cincinnatis-smale-riverfront-park-is-now-law", "Brown Provision That Paves Way for Future Federal Investment in Cincinnati's Smale Riverfront Park is Now Law", "2016-12-16", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "OH", "Sherrod Brown", "B000944", "www.brown.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Army Corps of Engineers Will Consider Additional Funding for Cincinnati\u2019s Riverfront Park\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tFriday, December 16, 2016\n            \n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2014 Today, President Obama signed into law a water infrastructure bill that includes U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown\u2019s (D-OH) provision that requires the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) to consider additional funding for Cincinnati\u2019s Smale Riverfront Park. Brown worked with Sen. Rob Portman (R-OH), the Cincinnati Park Board, and the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works to develop this language and ensure this provision was included.\r\n\u201cThe Army Corps of Engineers\u2019 investment in Smale Riverfront Park has been critical to its revitalization and is a clear example of how public-private partnerships can spur economic development,\u201d Brown said. \u201cThe park is already an essential part of the city and continued federal and local investment is good for Cincinnati and for our state.\u201d\r\nCurrently, USACE is unable allocate any additional funds to the park without a feasibility study. Under Brown\u2019s provision \u2013 included in the Water Infrastructure Investments for the Nation Act, formerly called the Water Resources Development Act of 2016 (WRDA) \u2013 a feasibility study is required within 180 days of review, opening the door for new investment.\r\nThe Cincinnati Riverfront Project helps link the Central Riverfront attractions to Downtown Cincinnati and other riverfront parks including Theodore M. Berry International Friendship Park, the Public Landing, and Bicentennial Commons, achieving nearly three miles of continuous riverfront park and recreation space.\r\n  \r\n###\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\tPress Contact\n\t\t\t\t\tJenny Donohue/Tamika Turner\r\n(202) 224-3978", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.brown.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/key-brown-provisions-to-protect-lake-erie-are-now-law", "Key Brown Provisions to Protect Lake Erie Are Now Law", "2016-12-16", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "OH", "Sherrod Brown", "B000944", "www.brown.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Friday, December 16, 2016\n            \n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2014 Today, President Obama signed into law a water infrastructure bill that includes U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown\u2019s (D-OH) provisions \u2013 and authorizes important funding \u2013 to protect Ohioans\u2019 drinking water and keep Lake Erie healthy.\r\n\u201cStrengthening our efforts to protect Lake Erie\u2019s water and wildlife keeps families safe and encourages businesses to grow and invest in Ohio,\u201d Brown said. \u201cThis law ensures continued investment in the health of the Great Lakes.\u201d\r\nThe Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) includes:\r\nBrown\u2019s bill to appoint a Harmful Algal Bloom (HAB) coordinator: The coordinator will work with appropriate federal agencies and state, local, tribal, and foreign governments to address the issue of harmful algal blooms in the Great Lakes.\r\nAuthorization of funding to help keep the Great Lakes healthy and clean: WRDA would reauthorize the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) at $300 million annually from 2017 through 2021. Brown is a longtime supporter of the GLRI, which has been a highly successful program that has targeted the most significant problems in the region and jumpstarted restoration efforts to protect, maintain, and restore the chemical, biological, and physical integrity of the Great Lakes.\r\nBrown is an original cosponsor of the Great Lakes Ecological and Economic Protection Act of 2015 (GLEEPA) \u2013 a bill to reauthorize the initiative while also codifying the Great Lakes Advisory Board and the Great Lakes Interagency Task Force into law.\r\nThe Great Lakes Fish and Wildlife Restoration Act: Brown is a cosponsor of this bipartisan bill that authorizes the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) \u2013 which aids in implementing the GLRI \u2013 to partner with other federal agencies, states, and tribes to protect and support fish and wildlife resources in the Great Lakes Basin.\r\n\r\n###\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\tPress Contact\n\t\t\t\t\tJenny Donohue/Tamika Turner\r\n(202) 224-3978", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.brown.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/brown-applauds-department-of-educations-move-to-strip-bad-actor-of-ability-to-accredit-for-profit-colleges", "Brown Applauds Department of Education's Move to Strip Bad Actor of Ability to Accredit For-Profit Colleges", "2016-12-14", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "OH", "Sherrod Brown", "B000944", "www.brown.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Wednesday, December 14, 2016\n            \n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) today applauded the U.S. Department of Education\u2019s final decision to deny the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools\u2019 (ACICS) appeal and revoke its status as a recognized accreditor for institutions of higher education. ACICS gave accreditation to ITT Education Services, Inc. (ITT Tech) and Corinthian Colleges, Inc, both of which closed, leaving many students with debt but no degrees. All institutions that were accredited by ACICS will have two years to find a new accreditor. ED will also require them to comply with additional operating conditions, including monitoring, transparency, oversight, and accountability measures in order to continue participating in federal student aid programs.\u00a0\r\n\u201cWhen bad actors like ACICS hand out accreditation without rigorous oversight, they give for-profit colleges a free pass to shortchange students,\u201d Brown said. \u201cFar too many for-profit colleges are collecting federal financial aid funds but shirking their duty to provide students with the education that they deserve. By revoking ACICS ability to empower more fraudulent for-profit colleges, the Department of Education is ensuring that both students and taxpayers are protected.\u201d\r\nBrown continues to work to protect students from predatory practices. Last month, following the\u00a0release of data from the U.S. Department of Education\u00a0which revealed that graduates of for-profit colleges\u2019 career training programs earn significantly less than their public college counterparts, Brown reiterated his call for increased oversight of for-profit colleges to ensure they are providing students with the education and return on their investment that they were promised.\u00a0\r\n\u00a0In July 2015, Brown\u00a0called on ED\u00a0to take a proactive role in protecting students attending poor performing, for-profit colleges. In a letter to then ED Secretary Arne Duncan, Brown urged the Department to develop a more effective strategy for dealing with the bad actors in the for-profit education industry and minimizing the potential harm to taxpayers.\r\n\u00a0\r\n###\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\tPress Contact\n\t\t\t\t\tJenny Donohue/Tamika Turner \r\n202-224-3978", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.brown.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/brown-demands-trump-education-secretary-nominee-devos-pay-ohio-52-million-she-owes-for-breaking-ohio-election-laws", "Brown Demands Trump Education Secretary Nominee DeVos Pay Ohio $5.2 Million She Owes for Breaking Ohio Election Laws", "2016-12-14", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "OH", "Sherrod Brown", "B000944", "www.brown.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Senator: $5.3 Million Could Pay for More Teachers to Educate Ohio Kids \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWednesday, December 14, 2016\n            \n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) today demanded that President-elect Donald Trump\u2019s Secretary of Education Nominee Betsy DeVos make good on $5.3 million in unpaid fines and penalties she owes the State of Ohio for breaking the law. DeVos\u2019 All Children Matter Political Action Committee (PAC) owes Ohio money for campaign finance violations dating back to 2008. All Children Matter, which was run by DeVos, broke Ohio election law by illegally funneling $870,000 in contributions from its nationwide PAC to its Ohio affiliate \u2013 and accordingly, the state of Ohio levied a record fine of more than $5 million against DeVos\u2019 group. Yet nearly a decade later, DeVos\u2019 group has not paid the debts for its illegal activities.\u00a0\r\n\u201cThis $5.3 million that Betsy DeVos owes Ohio could pay for more teachers, technology upgrades and critical priorities to help us educate Ohio kids,\u201d said Brown. \u201cShe owes this money to Ohio\u2019s taxpayers and it\u2019s outrageous that a billionaire has failed to make good on these fines for eight years while our schools are strapped for money.\u201d\r\nIn a letter to DeVos, Brown expressed concerns over the willingness of DeVos\u2019 PAC to both brazenly disregard election law and blatantly refuse to take responsibility and pay its fines. Brown and his colleagues noted that, as Secretary of Education, DeVos would be responsible for seeing to the timely repayment of debt from student loan borrowers \u2013 even as the PAC she chaired refused to pay fines that are nearly a decade old. Roughly 44 million Americans owe nearly $1.3 trillion in federal student loans, creating a crushing debt burden for individuals struggling to make their payments. But when All Children Matter broke election law and was fined a record $5.3 million dollars, DeVos\u2019 group chose to simply cease operations and disband, rather than taking responsibility for its debts.\u00a0\r\nDeVos\u2019 leadership role in the All Children Matter PAC is one of her many activities as a longtime billionaire mega-donor for conservative causes, with DeVos stating her own goal to be \u201cbuying influence.\u201d As DeVos\u00a0wrote\u00a0in a 1997 op-ed for\u00a0Roll Call, \u201cmy family is the largest single contributor of soft money to the national Republican party\u2026.I have decided, however, to stop taking offense at the suggestion that we are buying influence. Now, I simply concede the point. We expect to foster a conservative governing philosophy consisting of limited government and respect for traditional American virtues. We expect a return on our investment; we expect a good and honest government. Furthermore, we expect the Republican party to use the money to promote these policies, and yes, to win elections.\u201d\r\nU.S. Senators Tom Udall (D-N.M.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), and Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.)\u00a0cosigned the letter.\r\nThe full text of the letter can be found below and here.\u00a0\r\n\r\nBetsy DeVos\r\nSecretary-Designate\r\nU.S. Department of Education\r\nDear Secretary-Designate DeVos:\r\nWe are writing to express significant concerns about the failure of the All Children Matter Political Action Committee (PAC) to pay Ohio $5.3 million in fines and late fees for violating the state\u2019s campaign finance laws. At the time of the violations, you were the head of the organization, and you and your husband were one of the PAC\u2019s biggest contributors.\r\nIn 2006, the federal All Children Matter PAC sought an advisory opinion from the Ohio Elections Commission to determine whether it was allowed to contribute more than the $10,000 statutory limit to its Ohio based affiliate. The Commission provided an advisory opinion stating that aggregate contributions of greater than $10,000 in a year to the Ohio affiliate would violate the law. Inexplicably, your PAC ignored this advisory opinion and proceeded to contribute $870,000 to the Ohio affiliate.\r\nThe bipartisan Ohio Elections Commission unanimously found both the federal and Ohio All Children Matter PACs to have violated the state\u2019s campaign finance laws and imposed fines of $5.2 million. An Ohio court subsequently upheld the fine and imposed additional late fees for failing to pay. Rather than pay the fines for violating the law, the All Children Matter PACs simply ceased operation and never paid the significant sum it owed to the state of Ohio.\r\nThe blatant disregard for the law that your PAC demonstrated is deeply troubling. However, when the organization\u2019s violations of law were punished by the Ohio Elections Commission, the PAC\u2019s refusal to take responsibility and pay the fines is unconscionable. \u00a0\r\nIf confirmed as Secretary of Education, you would be responsible for administering our nation\u2019s student loan programs and ensuring that borrowers repay their loans in a timely manner. However, the PAC that you chaired failed to pay fines that were imposed on it over eight years ago. This demonstrates a serious lack of judgment by the PAC\u2019s board and a willingness to avoid paying legally obligated public debts.\r\nPrior to your confirmation hearing before the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, we request that you take the necessary steps to ensure payment of all fines and penalties imposed on the All Children Matter PACs by the Ohio Elections Commission and the state courts.\r\nWe appreciate your prompt attention to this matter.\r\nSincerely,\r\n\r\n###\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\tPress Contact\n\t\t\t\t\tJenny Donohue/Rachel Petri \r\n202-224-3978", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.brown.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/brown-highlights-passage-of-comprehensive-bill-to-serve-veterans-and-their-families", "Brown Highlights Passage of Comprehensive Bill to Serve Veterans and Their Families", "2016-12-14", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "OH", "Sherrod Brown", "B000944", "www.brown.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Brown was Joined by Widow of Air Force Captain from Clermont County Who Will Benefit from Brown\u2019s Legislation to Extend Educational Benefits for Surviving Spouses of Servicemembers\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWednesday, December 14, 2016\n            \n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) \u2013 a member of the Senate Committee on Veterans\u2019 Affairs \u2013 today highlighted comprehensive legislation that would expand veterans\u2019 services and family member benefits. The Jeff Miller and Richard Blumenthal Veterans Health Care and Benefits Act passed in the Senate on Saturday and now heads to President Barack Obama to be signed into law.\r\nThe bill includes key provisions of the Veterans First Act, which Brown cosponsored. The bill would help address the appeals backlog by temporarily expanding the number of judges on the\u00a0U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims from seven to nine, enhance veterans\u2019 homelessness benefits, and expand toxic exposure research for veterans and descendants.\r\n\u201cOnce this is signed into law, we will be one step closer to making sure that families who have sacrificed so much for our nation get the benefits they deserve. No veteran should face living on the street or trouble accessing benefits they earned \u2013 and we\u2019re addressing all of these issues with this bill,\u201d said Brown. \u201cThis bipartisan bill will grant veterans and their families expanded benefits and ensure that the VA has the resources to provide veterans with the highest quality of care. And importantly \u2013 it will help cut the backlog on veterans\u2019 claims.\u201d\r\nThe bill also includes a provision authored by Brown to ensure that surviving spouses of servicemembers have enough time to use their educational benefits. The Marine Gunnery Sergeant John David Fry Scholarship provides Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits to the surviving spouses and children of servicemembers who have died in the line of duty while on active duty after September 10, 2001. However, when Congress expanded Fry Scholarship eligibility to spouses in the Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability Act of 2014, a 15-year limitation was put on these benefits. The provision Brown secured in the bill passed on Saturday will extend the period of eligibility for the Fry Scholarship to spouses of servicemembers killed between 9/11/2001 and 12/31/2005 so that they will have enough time to fully utilize the benefit.\r\nDuring a news conference call today, Brown was joined by Melissa Twine, an Air Force veteran from Batavia whose husband, Captain Philip B. Twine, died serving in the Air Force. She discussed how Brown\u2019s provision in the bill will ensure that she and other surviving spouses are able to use educational benefits that allow them to support their families.\r\n\u201cMy husband, Captain Philip B. Twine, was a Logistics Officer in the Air Force when he died at the age of 34 in 2002. We had three children and I was eight months pregnant with our fourth child when Phil died,\u201d said Twine. \u201cAfter my husband\u2019s death, I became the primary breadwinner \u2013 a single parent of four \u2013 including being the caregiver for our child with autism spectrum disability. Prior to Philip\u2019s death, I completed my undergrad in Biology at the University of Cincinnati.\u00a0Our plan was that I would obtain my Master\u2019s degree next. Those plans changed when our world changed on August 7, 2002.\u00a0I had to put this goal on pause for many years while I raised my family as a single parent. It was especially difficult with a newborn and a child with a disability. I am now in a place where fulfilling my goal of higher education is possible. I am very grateful to now be afforded the necessary time to utilize the Marine Gunnery Sergeant John David Fry Scholarship. \u00a0This educational opportunity means the world to me and others in my situation.\u201d\r\nAdditionally, the Jeff Miller and Richard Blumenthal Veterans Health Care and Benefits Act includes a variation of the Veteran Housing Stability Act of 2015, which Brown cosponsored.\u00a0The bill would increase veterans\u2019 access to permanent housing options by increasing outreach to landlords to encourage renting to veterans; expanding the definition of \u201chomeless veteran,\u201d so more veterans, including those facing domestic abuse, can access housing assistance; and requiring a report on the efficacy of VA programs to improve retention of housing by veterans who are at risk of becoming homeless. \r\n\u00a0\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://timryan.house.gov/press-release/congressman-tim-ryan-statement-governor-kasich-signing-controversial-ban-abortions", "Congressman Tim Ryan Statement on Governor Kasich Signing Controversial Ban on Abortions After 20 Weeks", "2016-12-13", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "OH", "Tim Ryan", "R000577", "timryan.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, DC \u2013 Congressman Tim Ryan (D-OH) made the following statement after Governor John Kasich signed the 20 week abortion ban into law \u2013 which does not include any exception for rape or incest.\n\"I am extremely disappointed Governor Kasich signed this controversial and restrictive bill into law. Ohio women deserve better. This law is a continuation of Governor Kasich\u2019s assault on women\u2019s reproductive health in our state \u2013 making this the 18th law he has signed that restricts the rights of Ohio women.\n\"There are too many scenarios, too many variables and too much complexity for pregnancy to be anything but a personal decision \u2013 and the vast majority of those faced with this difficult situation at 20 weeks are carrying a fetus that the doctor has told them has no chance of surviving. \u00a0Under this Ohio law, a woman who learns during a routine 20 week ultrasound that the fetus has no lungs or no brain will be forced to go through months of agony and carry to term. I cannot imagine the emotional and physical heartbreak that so many woman in these situations must feel, but I do know that Governor Kasich didn\u2019t think of them when he signed this law. These situations are hard to talk about and extremely difficult, but the ultimate decision should be made by women and families, not government officials.\"", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://timryan.house.gov/press-release/congressman-tim-ryan-statement-nomination-rex-tillerson-secretary-state", "Congressman Tim Ryan Statement on Nomination of Rex Tillerson for Secretary of State", "2016-12-13", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "OH", "Tim Ryan", "R000577", "timryan.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, DC \u2013 Congressman Tim Ryan (D-OH) made the following statement regarding President-elect Donald Trump\u2019s nomination of ExxonMobil CEO Rex Tillerson for Secretary of State:\n\u201cI am extremely disappointed that President-elect Trump has nominated ExxonMobile CEO Rex Tillerson to be the face of our nation on the world stage. Even more offensive than his utter lack of experience is his close ties with Vladimir Putin and Russia, which should immediately disqualify Mr. Tillerson for the position of Secretary of State. As mounting evidence continues to come to light from the U.S. intelligence community regarding Russia influencing our election to favor President-elect Trump and Russia\u2019s continued brazen disregard for international law, we must remain vigilant in protecting our national interests. I call on the Senate to refuse to confirm Mr. Tillerson for this post, and I call on President-elect Trump to nominate a Secretary of State who will stand up to Vladimir Putin and Russia and fight for American values.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://kaptur.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/report-prescription-drug-prices-driving-health-care-costs-0", "Report: PRESCRIPTION DRUG PRICES DRIVING UP HEALTH CARE COSTS", "2016-12-13", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "OH", "Marcy Kaptur", "K000009", "kaptur.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "HHS Report to House Appropriators Confirms: Rising Prescription Drugs Prices are driving up Federal Health Spending\n\nWashington, DC --- U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur (OH-09), author of an amendment to the FY16 Labor HHS, and Education Appropriations Bill that directed HHS and the Veterans Administration to report to Congress with an analysis of the impact of rising prescription drug prices, today made public the long awaited report. Kaptur was joined by her Appropriations colleagues, Ranking Member Nita Lowey (NY-17) and Subcommittee on Labor HHS Ranking Member Rosa DeLauro (CT-3) and Member of the Committee on Ways and Means Rep. Lloyd Doggett (TX-35) in releasing the following statement regarding the report: \u201cPrescription Drugs: Innovation, Spending, and Patient Access.\u201d\n\n\u201cPrescription drug prices are out of control,\u201d said Rep. Kaptur. \u201cWe have a responsibility to ensure all Americans are able to afford the medication they need to stay healthy. This report comes at a pivotal moment, as prescription drug spending is expected to increase 7.3 percent a year through 2018. I urge the Secretaries of Health and Human Services and the Veterans Administration, to embark on a full collaboration to address this national concern, pull back the veil that currently prohibits a full accounting of agency drug expenses, and join in the effort to expose skyrocketing drug costs so that we may better negotiate prices for consumers.\u201d\n\n\u201cRising costs for prescription drugs mean more out-of-pocket costs and more care delayed or deferred, which has an adverse impact on overall health. The federal government must ensure that neither patients nor federal health programs are being gouged for lifesaving medications,\u201d said Ranking Member Lowey.\n\n\u201cEvery day, we see the threat that spiraling drug prices pose to Medicare, Medicaid, and the other federal health programs,\u201d said Rep. DeLauro. This report shows that spending on prescription drugs is skyrocketing across all the federal health programs. Now is the time for Congress to take action to rein in these excessive prices. That is why I have introduced legislation to create a new interagency review board to regulate excessive drug prices.\u201d\n\nCongressman Lloyd Doggett (D-Texas), who co-chairs the House Democratic Caucus Prescription Drug Task Force, said, \u201cPrescription price gouging not only means too many Americans face crushing financial burdens or go without necessary health care; it means that all American taxpayers are paying too much for government drug purchases. Congress faces more than a question of \u2018to be or not to be\u2019 on Obamacare. It has to decide whether to do or not to do anything about unsustainable drug spending. Unfortunately, a major shortcoming of the Affordable Care Act is its failure to make prescription drugs affordable. President-elect Trump has promised action and said that he doesn\u2019t like what\u2019s happened with drug prices\u2014now is the time for him to act.\u201d\n\n\"Prescription drug spending in the United States soared to $457 billion in 2015. Members of Congress have a responsibility to the taxpayers to ensure that funds are wisely spent, and that hardworking Americans are not forced to pay artificially inflated prices for their prescription drugs,\u201d concluded Rep. Kaptur.\n\nThe HHS report includes an analysis of prescription drug prices (net of rebates) paid by Federal programs for the 10 most frequently prescribed drugs and the 10 highest-cost drugs, dating back to 2003. It also includes an analysis of the annual spending on prescription drugs in the Medicare Part B program, Medicare Part D prescription drug program, and VA health program. While a step in the right direction, the Members urged more information is needed to fully understand the source of rising prescription drug prices and available remedies to protect consumers.\n\nThe report can be found here.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.brown.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/brown-statement-on-nomination-of-rex-tillerson-to-be-secretary-of-state", "Brown Statement on Nomination of Rex Tillerson to be Secretary of State", "2016-12-13", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "OH", "Sherrod Brown", "B000944", "www.brown.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Tuesday, December 13, 2016\n            \n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) today issued the following statement on the nomination of Rex Tillerson to serve as Secretary of State:\r\n\u201cWe should be extremely concerned by the number of business deals with Russia that bear Rex Tillerson\u2019s fingerprints and by his willingness to profit off massive foreign deals that undermine the United States. During his confirmation process, Tillerson will need to answer tough questions about his ties to Russia and how they\u2019ll impact is ability to put America\u2019s interests first.\u201d \u00a0\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.brown.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/brown-statement-on-nomination-of-andrew-puzder-for-labor-secretary", "Brown Statement on Nomination of Andrew Puzder for Labor Secretary", "2016-12-12", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "OH", "Sherrod Brown", "B000944", "www.brown.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Monday, December 12, 2016\n            \n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) today issued the following statement on the nomination of Andrew Puzder to serve as Labor Secretary:\r\n\u201cIn nominating Andrew Puzder, President-elect Trump is betraying the voters who elected him. We need a Labor Secretary who will boost wages and labor protections \u2013 not one who wants to invest in machines instead of real employees, who opposes new overtime pay protections, and who actually thinks raising the minimum wage is bad for workers.\u201d\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.brown.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/brown-portman-announce-final-passage-of-bill-to-help-protect-cleveland-from-toxic-sediment", "Brown, Portman Announce Final Passage of Bill to Help Protect Cleveland from Toxic Sediment", "2016-12-10", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "OH", "Sherrod Brown", "B000944", "www.brown.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Bill now heads to President\u2019s desk\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tSaturday, December 10, 2016\n            \n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Sens. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and Rob Portman (R-OH) today announced passage legislation that will help keep toxic material dredged from the Cuyahoga River out of Lake Erie. A provision of the bill, the Water Infrastructure Investments for the Nation Act, formerly known as the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA), makes clear that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) cannot determine that dumping dredged material into Lake Erie is environmentally acceptable unless it meets the state of Ohio\u2019s water quality standards. This will help protect Lake Erie from the Corps\u2019 repeated attempts to dispose of contaminated sediment into the Lake. The bill now heads to President Obama\u2019s desk to be signed into law.\r\n\u201cThis is a win for local businesses and jobs along the Cuyahoga River and Port of Cleveland,\u201d said Brown. \u201cDredging is key to protecting our lake and keeping the channel open for businesses. This will hold the Corps to our state\u2019s water quality standards so we can keep Lake Erie clean.\u201d \r\n\u201cThe Cleveland Harbor is vital to our efforts to create more Ohio jobs and protect the environment,\u201d said Senator Portman. \u201cAnnual dredging of the channel is critical for the region and this legislation ensures that not only will commercial navigation continue safely, but dredged material will not harm either the City of Cleveland\u2019s water supply or Lake Erie\u2019s ecosystem. I urge the President to sign this immediately.\u201d\r\nThe provision of the bill means that the Corps must follow Ohio\u2019s water quality standards when determining how to dispose of the dredged material.\r\nAccording to the State of Ohio, more than $10 billion of the state\u2019s nearly $40 billion tourism industry is derived from counties along the Lake Erie shoreline. Further, the Great Lakes play a vital role in transporting food, raw materials, and other goods necessary to support Ohio jobs. But in order for this to continue, the Great Lakes\u2019 harbors and channels must be dredged in an environmentally acceptable manner.\u00a0\r\nIn January 2016, Brown and Portman urged USACE Assistant Secretary Jo-Ellen Darcy to use at least $2 million of its $273 million unallocated operation and maintenance budget to make up for its irresponsible request for less money to dredge the Cleveland Harbor. The Corps requested $3.6 million less than the President\u2019s budget, which will not be sufficient to safely place the dredged material upland. Brown and Portman\u2019s letter urged the Corps to respect the State\u2019s Water Quality Standards and pay for the cost of disposing of the toxic dredged material responsibly rather than dumping it into Lake Erie.\r\nIn February 2015, Brown and Portman wrote to Assistant Secretary of the Army and the Chief of Engineers at USACE calling for full funding of Great Lakes navigation projects and to direct additional resources to address a significant dredging backlog.\r\n###\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\tPress Contact\n\t\t\t\t\tJenny Donohue/Rachel Petri\r\n(202) 224-3978", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.brown.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/brown-portman-announce-passage-of-resolution-celebrating-the-life-of-john-glenn", "Brown, Portman Announce Passage of Resolution Celebrating the Life of John Glenn", "2016-12-10", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "OH", "Sherrod Brown", "B000944", "www.brown.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Saturday, December 10, 2016\n            \n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Sens. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and Rob Portman (R-OH) today announced passage of a resolution they introduced to honor the life and service of former U.S. Sen. John Glenn, who passed away this week. \r\nFull text of the resolution is below. \r\nRESOLUTION\r\nRelating to the death of John Glenn, former United States Senator for the State of Ohio, and the first American to orbit the Earth;\r\nWhereas John Glenn was born in Cambridge, Ohio in 1921 to John Herschel Glenn, Sr. and Clara Sproat Glenn;\r\nWhereas at the age of two, John Glenn moved to New Concord, Ohio, the town where he met his childhood sweetheart and future wife;\r\nWhereas in March 1942, shortly after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, John Glenn, then a student at New Concord\u2019s Muskingum College, entered into the Naval Aviation Cadet Program;\r\nWhereas John Glenn went on to serve in the Marine Corps from 1942 to 1965, flying 59 combat missions in World War II and 63 combat missions in Korea, and earning six, separate Distinguished Flying Cross awards and the Air Medal with 18 Clusters for his service;\r\nWhereas in 1959, John Glenn was selected by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration to serve as one of the original seven astronauts of the U.S. space program;\r\nWhereas on February 20, 1962, John Glenn guided Mercury spacecraft Friendship 7 into space and circled the globe three times, traveling a distance of 3.6 million miles and becoming the first American to orbit the Earth;\r\nWhereas in 1974, John Glenn arrived in the United States Senate, where he went on to represent his home state of Ohio for 25 years before retiring in 1999;\r\nWhereas during his time in the Senate, John Glenn served on the Committee on Governmental Affairs, Foreign Relations Committee, Armed Services Committee, Select Committee on Intelligence, and Special Committee on Aging;\r\nWhereas as chairman of the Committee on Governmental Affairs John Glenn worked on a bipartisan basis to eliminate waste and make the government more efficient;\r\nWhereas in 1998, as a 77-year old sitting United States Senator, John Glenn boarded the space shuttle Discovery for nine days, again setting history as the oldest individual to fly in space;\r\nWhereas in 2008, Ohio State University founded the John Glenn School of Public Affairs, which later became the John Glenn College of Public Affairs in 2015, with the mission to \u201cinspire citizenship and develop leadership\u201d in the public sector;\r\nWhereas John Glenn was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal on November 16, 2011;\r\nWhereas John Glenn was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom on May 29, 2012; \r\nWhereas one author described John Glenn as \u201cthe last true national hero America has ever had\u201d;\r\nWhereas John Glenn is survived by his wife of 73 years, his two children, and his two grandsons;\r\nWhereas this nation is deeply indebted to John Glenn for his passion for exploration, commitment to public service, and desire to make the world a better place;\r\nResolved, That the Senate extends its deepest condolences and gratitude to the family of John Glenn;\r\nResolved, That the Senate honors the legacy and life of John Glenn, his commitment to the United States, and his service to this body and this country;\r\nResolved, That when the Senate adjourns today, it stands adjourned as a further mark of respect to the memory of the late John Glenn.\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.brown.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/brown-provision-that-paves-way-for-future-federal-investment-in-cincinnatis-smale-riverfront-park-headed-to-presidents-desk", "Brown Provision that Paves Way for Future Federal Investment in Cincinnati's Smale Riverfront Park Headed to President's Desk", "2016-12-10", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "OH", "Sherrod Brown", "B000944", "www.brown.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Army Corps of Engineers Will Consider Additional Funding for Cincinnati\u2019s Riverfront Park\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tSaturday, December 10, 2016\n            \n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2014 Today, the U.S. Senate passed a water infrastructure bill that includes U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown\u2019s (D-OH) provision that requires the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) to consider additional funding for Cincinnati\u2019s Smale Riverfront Park. The bill now heads to President Obama\u2019s desk to be signed into law.\r\n\u201cThe Army Corps of Engineers\u2019 investment in Smale Riverfront Park has been critical to its revitalization and is a clear example of how public-private partnerships can spur economic development,\u201d Brown said. \u201cThe park is already an essential part of the city and continued federal and local investment is good for Cincinnati and for our state.\u201d\r\nCurrently, USACE is unable allocate any additional funds to the park without a feasibility study. Under Brown\u2019s provision \u2013 included in the Water Infrastructure Investments for the Nation Act, formerly called the Water Resources Development Act of 2016 (WRDA) \u2013 a feasibility study is required within 180 days of review, opening the door for new investment. Brown worked with the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works to ensure this provision was included.\r\nThe Cincinnati Riverfront Project helps link the Central Riverfront attractions to Downtown Cincinnati and other riverfront parks including Theodore M. Berry International Friendship Park, the Public Landing, and Bicentennial Commons, achieving nearly three miles of continuous riverfront park and recreation space.\r\n###\r\n \u00a0 \r\n\r\n\r\n\u00a0\r\n\u00a0\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\tPress Contact\n\t\t\t\t\tJenny Donohue/Tamika Turner\r\n(202) 224-3978", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.brown.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/brown-provisions-to-protect-ohio-families-from-lead-exposure-included-in-water-infrastructure-bill-headed-to-presidents-desk", "Brown Provisions to Protect Ohio Families from Lead Exposure included in Water Infrastructure Bill Headed to President's Desk", "2016-12-10", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "OH", "Sherrod Brown", "B000944", "www.brown.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Saturday, December 10, 2016\n            \n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2014 Today, U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) announced that several of his bills to protect Ohio families from lead exposure are included in the Water Infrastructure Investments for the Nation Act, formerly called the Water Resources Development Act of 2016 (WRDA), which now heads to President Obama\u2019s desk to be signed into law. Brown has been a strong supporter of federal funding to help prevent lead poisoning, monitor lead exposure in children, and eliminate lead hazards.\r\n\u201cNo parent should have to worry that the water coming out of their faucets might be poisoning their children. Even a small amount of lead exposure can impair a child\u2019s development and make learning more difficult,\u201d Brown said. \u201cThat\u2019s why it\u2019s critical that we are taking proactive steps to upgrade our water infrastructure, test water in daycares and schools, and keep families informed if lead is found in the water supply. These provisions will help protect families and make our communities safer.\u201d\r\nThe bill includes:\r\nThe Lead Testing in School and Child Care Drinking Water Act of 2016: Brown cosponsored this bill, which would create a new federal grant program to help daycare centers and school districts test their drinking water for potential lead contamination. The bill authorizes $20 million for this grant program through the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).\r\nA public notification requirement: The bill includes a Brown proposal from a bill he introduced following water crises in Sebring, Ohio and Flint, Michigan that requires the EPA to automatically alert the public to lead contamination if the state or local agency responsible fails to do so in 15 days. Currently, local and state officials are responsible for notifying the public, which they failed to do in a timely manner in the cases of Sebring and Flint.\r\nThe Drinking Water Safety and Infrastructure Act: Brown is a cosponsor of this bill, which would provide federal aid to communities facing lead crises and help new ones from occurring. Many provisions from the bill that would help Sebring and other communities in Ohio are included in the Water Infrastructure Investments for the Nation Act:\r\n \r\n$20 million in credit subsidies for the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation (WIFIA) Fund with the goal of obligating at least $700 million in secured financing for water infrastructure projects across the country. All water systems are eligible for financing.\r\n$15 million annually for the next two years for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Fund, which develops programs, provides outreach to the public and health provider, supports research, and funds state programs to address and prevent childhood lead poisoning.\r\n$15 million annually for the next two years for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Healthy Start Initiative which provides assistance to pregnant women and new mothers by helping connect them with health care and other resources to foster healthy childhood development.\r\n \r\nIt also includes $60 million annually for a new EPA grant program to reduce lead levels in drinking water through replacement of lead service lines, testing, planning, corrosion control, and public education. Applications from small and disadvantaged communities will receive priority access to funding. Additionally, the bill includes $20 million for a new EPA grant program that will help small and disadvantaged communities comply with federal standards under the Safe Drinking Water Act. Brown supported this provision to help communities like Sebring, Ohio deal with aging infrastructure.\r\n###\r\n \u00a0 \r\n\r\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\tPress Contact\n\t\t\t\t\tJenny Donohue/Tamika Turner\r\n(202) 224-3978", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.brown.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/key-brown-provisions-to-protect-lake-erie-included-in-water-infrastructure-bill-headed-to-presidents-desk", "Key Brown Provisions to Protect Lake Erie Included in Water Infrastructure Bill Headed to President's Desk", "2016-12-10", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "OH", "Sherrod Brown", "B000944", "www.brown.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Saturday, December 10, 2016\n            \n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2014 Today, U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) announced that the Water Infrastructure Investments for the Nation Act, formerly known as the Water Resources Development Act of 2016 (WRDA), passed by Congress includes his provisions \u2013 and authorizes important funding \u2013 to protect Ohioans\u2019 drinking water and keep Lake Erie healthy. The bill now heads to President Obama\u2019s desk to be signed into law.\r\n\u201cStrengthening our efforts to protect Lake Erie\u2019s water and wildlife keeps families safe and encourages businesses to grow and invest in Ohio,\u201d Brown said. \u201cThis bill ensures continued investment in the health of the Great Lakes.\u201d\r\nThe bill includes:\r\nBrown\u2019s bill to appoint a Harmful Algal Bloom (HAB) coordinator: The coordinator will work with appropriate federal agencies and state, local, tribal, and foreign governments to address the issue of harmful algal blooms in the Great Lakes.\r\nAuthorization of funding to help keep the Great Lakes healthy and clean: The legislation would reauthorize the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) at $300 million annually from 2017 through 2021. Brown is a longtime supporter of the GLRI, which has been a highly successful program that has targeted the most significant problems in the region and jumpstarted restoration efforts to protect, maintain, and restore the chemical, biological, and physical integrity of the Great Lakes.\r\nBrown is an original cosponsor of the Great Lakes Ecological and Economic Protection Act of 2015 (GLEEPA) \u2013 a bill to reauthorize the initiative while also codifying the Great Lakes Advisory Board and the Great Lakes Interagency Task Force into law.\r\nThe Great Lakes Fish and Wildlife Restoration Act: Brown is a cosponsor of this bipartisan bill that authorizes the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) \u2013 which aids in implementing the GLRI \u2013 to partner with other federal agencies, states, and tribes to protect and support fish and wildlife resources in the Great Lakes Basin.\r\n###\r\n \u00a0 \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\tPress Contact\n\t\t\t\t\tJenny Donohue/Tamika Turner\r\n(202) 224-3978", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://beatty.house.gov/media-center/news-articles/watch-the-power-of-one-statewide-tribute-to-rosa-parks", "WATCH: "The Power of One" - Statewide Tribute to Rosa Parks", "2016-12-09", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "OH", "Joyce Beatty", "B001281", "beatty.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WATCH: \"The Power Of One\" - Statewide Tribute to Rosa Parks\u00a0 \nChildren\u2019s Assembly \u2013 Friday, Dec. 9 at 11 a.m.\nFeaturing: \u201cThe Front of the Bus\u201d\n Leslie Zak\n\tArnett Howard\n\tPaisha Thomas\n\tCarly Affee\n\tRoger Parish\n\tSpecial appearance by Brutus Buckeye\n Master of Cermonies: Jerry Revish\nHosted by:\n W. Curtis Stitt, President/CEO Central Ohio Transit Authority\n\tMichael Drake, President The Ohio State University\n\tCongresswoman Joyce Beatty United States House of Representatives\n Background\nOn December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks, the Mother of the Modern Civil Rights Movement, embodied the values of courage, fairness and compassion when she refused to give up her seat on a Montgomery, Alabama bus to a white passenger. Her spirit inspires Ohio to recognize her legacy each year in \"The Power of One,\" Ohio's annual statewide tribute to Rosa Parks.In 2005 \u2013 50 years after Mrs. Parks' brave act led to events that sparked the Civil Rights Movement \u2013 then-State Representative Joyce Beatty wrote legislation that was signed into law by Governor Bob Taft to make Ohio the first state to designate December 1 as \"Rosa Parks Day.\"Ohio's annual tributes have engaged thousands of children and community leaders across the state to celebrate Mrs. Parks' legacy and example.In 2009, Ohio's Rosa Parks Tribute was recognized by the American Public Transportation Association, receiving the Grand Prize Award in the Special Event category. In 2011, the United States House of Representatives recognized and entered the Statewide Tribute to Rosa Parks into the Congressional Record. 2014 marked the 10th Anniversary of Ohio's statewide Tribute to Mrs. Parks and continued to exceed all expectations.\nTo watch an archived recording of the Children's Assembly, please visit the 10TV website.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://beatty.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/beatty-hosts-community-leaders-forum-in-honor-of-rosa-parks", "Beatty Hosts Community Leaders Forum in Honor of Rosa Parks", "2016-12-09", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "OH", "Joyce Beatty", "B001281", "beatty.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Beatty Hosts Community Leaders Forum in Honor of Rosa Parks \nU.S. Congresswoman spearheaded effort to recognize \u201cRosa Parks Day\u201d in State of Ohio\nCOLUMBUS, OH - On Thursday, December 8, 2016, U.S. Congresswoman Joyce Beatty (OH-03) held her Community Leaders Forum to honor the courage and legacy of Rosa Parks, \u201cthe Mother of the Modern Civil Rights Movement,\u201d and to discuss the power of diversity, inclusion and community and its potential impact on the legislative work of the 115th Congress and beyond. Special guests Dr. Michael Drake, President, The Ohio State University, and Curtis Stitt, President and CEO, Central Ohio Transit Authority (COTA), joined Beatty at the Forum which was held at the Ohio History Connection. \u00a0\n\u201cExactly 61 years and one week ago, Rosa Parks courageously refused to give up her seat and move to the back of a segregated Montgomery, Alabama city bus,\u201d Beatty said during the Community Leaders Forum. \u201cIn that one moment, Parks\u2019 showed the \u2018Power of One\u2019 individual to challenge the status quo and forever change our country and the world forever.\u201d Beatty continued, \u201cRosa Parks is an inspiration to us all.\u201d\nBeatty\u2019s Community Leaders Forum coincides with the State of Ohio\u2019s annual observance of \u201cRosa Parks Day,\u201d a statewide tribute first conceived by then-State Representative Joyce Beatty. In 2005, Beatty wrote, advocated and won unanimous support for a bill to designate December 1st as \u201cRosa Parks Day\u201d in the Buckeye State. Her piece of legislation was signed into law by former Governor Bob Taft and made the State of Ohio the very first state in the nation to recognize \u201cRosa Parks Day.\u201d\nIn addition to her Forum, Beatty also participated in a panel discussion entitled, \u201cUnity Through the Power of Diversity,\u201d on December 8th, and joined community leaders and more than 500 area students the following morning for the annual Children\u2019s Assembly on Rosa Parks.\n# # #", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://timryan.house.gov/press-release/congressman-tim-ryan-announces-13th-district-congressional-app-challenge-winner", "Congressman Tim Ryan Announces 13th District  Congressional App Challenge Winner", "2016-12-09", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "OH", "Tim Ryan", "R000577", "timryan.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, D.C. \u2013 Congressman Tim Ryan (D-OH) is pleased to announce that Pranav Padmanabhan, an 11th grader from Boardman High School, is the winner of the Congressional App Challenge for Ohio\u2019s 13th Congressional District. Padmanabhan\u2019s app, called the PolitiViewr, provides voters with non-partisan political information and knowledge about their local races and aims to increase voter turnout among eligible voters, while helping people make informed decisions at the polls.Padmanabhan\u2019s app will be displayed in the United States Capitol along with other winning submissions from around the nation. His winning application was judged by an independent panel and was based on factors such as quality of the app's operations, implementation of the app's concept, and demonstrated excellence of coding and programming skills.\u201cI want to congratulate Pranav for his work on this worthwhile project, whose aim is to bring more people into the political process and provide them the necessary skills to make good decisions,\u201d said Congressman Ryan. \u201cI also want to commend the goals of the Congressional App Challenge, which is to ensure continued growth and innovation in the science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields and to encourage students to excel in those occupations. By 2018 we are going to need up to three million new highly-skilled workers in the STEM field, and it is crucial that we make every effort to provide students with an opportunity to develop the skills necessary for tomorrow\u2019s job market.\u201d\"I am grateful to the Congressional App Challenge, Congressman Ryan, and my computer science teacher, Mrs. Stanton, for giving me the opportunity to learn and improve my programming skills in a creative way,\u201d said Pranav. \u201cI am passionate about both technology and politics, and I hope that my app, PolitiViewr, can help better our democracy by informing voters about issues and candidates.\"The Congressional App Challenge is designed to inspire student creativity and encourage participation in STEM education fields in order to address America\u2019s need to develop a domestic pipeline of STEM and computer programming talent, and thus fill critical roles in the information economy. The Congressional App Challenge is partnering with a growing list of STEM, education, library and community organizations to reach as many high school students as possible, with particular efforts to reach teens from groups that are typically underrepresented in technology.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://timryan.house.gov/press-release/congressman-tim-ryan-calls-governor-kasich-veto-controversial-legislation-bans", "Congressman Tim Ryan Calls on Governor Kasich to Veto Controversial Legislation That Bans Abortion After 20 Weeks in Ohio", "2016-12-09", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "OH", "Tim Ryan", "R000577", "timryan.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, DC \u2013 Congressman Tim Ryan today calls on Governor John Kasich to veto the 20-week abortion ban passed by the Ohio legislature. This is the second time this week that Ryan has been forced to call on Governor Kasich to veto anti-choice legislation.\n\u201cI\u2019m appalled that for the second time in two days I am forced to call on Governor Kasich to veto legislation that strips reproductive health rights away from Ohio women and families. The Republican-led Ohio legislature knows that these measures are unconstitutional. They know these bills will make it harder for Ohioans to get the coverage they need. Yet they continue to take away the rights of families across our great state, while giving the government the final say in important health care decisions. We need to trust women and families \u2013 not politicians \u2013 to make the best decisions for their lives.\u201d\nYesterday Congressman Ryan called on Governor Kasich to veto controversial abortion legislation that bans abortion after six weeks in Ohio. Find the release here.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://timryan.house.gov/press-release/congressman-tim-ryan-calls-governor-kasich-veto-freeze-ohio-renewable-energy-standards", "Congressman Tim Ryan Calls on Governor Kasich to Veto Freeze on Ohio Renewable Energy Standards", "2016-12-09", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "OH", "Tim Ryan", "R000577", "timryan.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, DC \u2013 Congressman Tim Ryan decries the passage of House Bill 554, which extends a \u201cfreeze\u201d on Ohio\u2019s renewable energy standards.\n\u201cAt a time when Ohio is in desperate need for new, good paying jobs, allowing this bill to go into effect would be irresponsible and foolish. We know that the resuscitation of our manufacturing base will be partly driven through a reinvestment in a renewable energy economy, yet Ohio Republicans continue to bury their heads in the sand. There are over 8,000 component parts in the standard wind turbine, these are parts that could be manufactured and assembled right here in Ohio. Instead of doubling down on fossil fuels, we should be increasing investment in these alternate sources of energy in a way that drives economic growth and innovation, helps lower utility bills for hard working men and women in our state, and leaves a cleaner, safer environment for future generations. I call on Governor Kasich to do what is right for our state and veto this bill.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://kaptur.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/rep-kaptur-statement-passing-senator-john-glenn", "Rep. Kaptur Statement on the Passing of Senator John Glenn", "2016-12-09", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "OH", "Marcy Kaptur", "K000009", "kaptur.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE\n\nDecember 9, 2016\n\n\n\nContact: Nicole Dailey Jones, (800) 964-4699 & (202) 225-5411 or Marcy.KapturPress@mail.house.gov\n\nRep. Kaptur Statement on the Passing of Senator John Glenn\n\n\n\nWashington, DC-Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (OH-09), the dean of Ohio's delegation to Congress, issued the following statement on news of the passing of Senator John Glenn:\n\nMay the courageous spirit of Marine Corps Colonel and Senator John Glenn -- a hero beloved to his countrymen and women -- soar through the constellations\u200e and galaxies beyond human existence to a place of peace. May his beautiful life- long companion, Annie, and his family take comfort from his love that endures beyond life itself. And may America be strengthened and inspired anew by this explorer from New Concord who not only became the first American to orbit the earth as an astronaut and surveyed the heavens as an extraordinary aviator, but served in the U.S. Marine Corps in combat during World War II and the Korea Conflict and thereafter dedicated a quarter century of service in the U.S. Senate, always with honor. Yes, \"Semper Fidelis\", dear Patriotic Son of Liberty. Your steady light shines as a beacon drawing us all to a higher calling. May God hold you close for eternity.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.brown.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/brown-portman-secure-piketon-funding-in-continuing-resolution", "Brown, Portman Secure Piketon Funding in Continuing Resolution", "2016-12-09", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "OH", "Sherrod Brown", "B000944", "www.brown.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Friday, December 9, 2016\n            \n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON, D.C. -- U.S. Sens. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and\u00a0Rob Portman (R-OH) announced today that the Senate passed the Continuing Resolution (CR), which provides the U.S. Department of Energy with the necessary funding to avoid disruption of the clean-up activities at the Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant in Piketon, Ohio.\r\n\u201cThis investment will maintain cleanup jobs today and help the Piketon community create even more good-paying, middle class jobs in the future,\u201d said Brown.\r\n\u201cCleanup at the Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant is critical for jobs, economic development, and the future of southern Ohio,\u201d Portman stated. \u201cI\u2019m pleased that the Senate passed this bill to secure funding to continue the cleanup work at Piketon with a strong bipartisan vote that will avoid layoffs at this important project.\u201d\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.brown.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/brown-washington-bailed-out-billionaires-but-not-hard-working-americans", "Brown: Washington Bailed Out Billionaires, But Not Hard-Working Americans", "2016-12-09", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "OH", "Sherrod Brown", "B000944", "www.brown.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Senator Votes against Funding Bill that Fails to Provide Coal Miners with Healthcare They\u2019ve Earned\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tFriday, December 9, 2016\n            \n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) issued the following statement tonight after voting against a continuing resolution that failed to provide a meaningful solution for coal miners and widows whose retirement and healthcare are set to run out. Brown has called for Congress to stay through Christmas and keep working for a solution.\r\n\u201cWashington has bailed out banks and billionaires, but now that coal miners and widows need healthcare, Congress is taking a vacation,\u201d Brown said. \u201cThese hard-working Americans gave their lungs and their backs to power this country. They paid for their healthcare and they were promised it would be there for them. Our refusal to keep that promise is shameful \u2013 it\u2019s everything that\u2019s wrong with Washington and it\u2019s why I cannot support this bill.\u201d \u00a0\r\n###\r\n\u00a0\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\tPress Contact\n\t\t\t\t\tJenny Donohue/Rachel Petri \r\n202-224-3978", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://beatty.house.gov/media-center/news-articles/the-power-of-one-statewide-tribute-to-rosa-parks", ""The Power of One" Statewide Tribute to Rosa Parks", "2016-12-08", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "OH", "Joyce Beatty", "B001281", "beatty.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "\u201cThe Power of One\u201d Statewide Tribute to Rosa Parks \nCentral Ohio Transit Authority, The Ohio State University and Congresswoman Joyce Beatty to host 12th Annual Statewide Tribute to Rosa Parks\nWhat: 12th Annual Statewide Tribute to Rosa Parks, \u201cThe Power of One\u201d featuring: Community Leaders Forum and Panel Discussion \u2013 \u201cCommUNITY Through Diversity\u201d  \n\t\u00b7 Forum hosted by Congresswoman Joyce Beatty, featuring:  \n\to Special guest: Dr. Michael V. Drake, President, The Ohio State University  \n\to Entertainment by Andrew Waters  \n\t\u00b7 Panel Discussion:  \n\to Panelists will discuss how strong communities are built on diversity and how such communities do not shy from, but instead thrive from, what Martin Luther King Jr. called the \u2018constructive tension\u2019 that arises from genuine dialogue between individuals with different perspectives, experiences and identities.  \n\to Panelists will include: Janet Jackson, President and CEO, United Way of Central Ohio; Jerry Revish, News Anchor, WBNS 10TV (CBS Affiliate); and Congresswoman Joyce Beatty (scheduled). The discussion will be moderated by Sharon Davies, Chief Diversity Officer and Vice Provost for Diversity and Inclusion and Executive Director, Kirwan Institute, The Ohio State University.\nAnnual Rosa Parks Children\u2019s Assembly  \n\t\u00b7 More than 500 elementary school students from three area schools will attend, and the event will be streamed live to elementary schools throughout the state on 10TV.com. The assembly will feature \u201cFront of the Bus,\u201d an interactive sing-a-long of civil rights and freedom songs with Leslie Zak, Arnett Howard, Paisha Thomas, Roger Parish and others. Jerry Revish will serve as master of ceremonies.\nWhen: Community Leaders Forum: Thursday, Dec. 8, 5:30 p.m.  \n\tPanel Discussion: Thursday, Dec. 8, 7 p.m.  \n\tChildren\u2019s Assembly: Friday, Dec. 9, 11 a.m.\nWhere: Community Leaders Forum and Panel Discussion  \n\tOhio History Connection, 800 E. 17th Ave.\nChildren\u2019s Assembly  \n\tVern Riffe Center, Davidson Theatre, 77 S. High St.\nWhy: To honor the courage and legacy of Rosa Parks, the Mother of the Modern Civil Rights Movement, to recognize Dec. 1 as Rosa Parks Day in Ohio, and to demonstrate the power of an individual to make a difference in the world\nHistory: Ohio was the first state to designate Dec. 1 as Rosa Parks Day to honor her life and legacy as the Mother of the Modern Civil Rights Movement. In 2005, then-state representative, and now Congresswoman Joyce Beatty wrote, advocated and won unanimous support to pass Ohio\u2019s legislation in the 50th-anniversary year of Mrs. Parks\u2019 courageous act. In refusing to give up her seat on a Montgomery, Alabama bus to a white passenger, she sparked the Montgomery Bus Boycott and the modern civil rights movement.\nThe tribute has been recognized nationally, and in 2011 it was entered into the Congressional Record during a session of the U.S. House of Representatives. Two years earlier, the American Public Transportation Association awarded Ohio\u2019s tribute its Grand Prize Award in the Special Events category.\n  This article originally appeared on ColumbusUnderground.com on December 8, 2016.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://beatty.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/beatty-statement-on-the-passing-of-former-us-senator-john-glenn", "Beatty Statement on the Passing of Former U.S. Senator John Glenn", "2016-12-08", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "OH", "Joyce Beatty", "B001281", "beatty.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Beatty Statement on the Passing of Former U.S. Senator John Glenn \nToday, U.S. Congresswoman Joyce Beatty (OH-03) issued the following statement on the passing of former U.S. Senator John Glenn:\n\"A war hero, the first American in orbit, a revered and respected United States Senator\u2014John Glenn\u00a0did it all. Yet, at the same time he remained humble, gracious, and generous. He was the epitome of a true public servant. My heart aches for his beloved wife and my good friend, Annie, their children, John David and Carolyn Ann, and his entire family and friends. I will dearly miss Senator Glenn and the priceless moments we shared together. Ohio has lost a giant.\"\n  \n\t###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://timryan.house.gov/press-release/congressman-tim-ryan-calls-governor-kasich-veto-controversial-abortion-legislation", "Congressman Tim Ryan Calls on Governor Kasich to Veto Controversial Abortion Legislation That Bans Abortion After Six Weeks in Ohio", "2016-12-08", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "OH", "Tim Ryan", "R000577", "timryan.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, DC \u2013 Congressman Tim Ryan calls on Governor John Kasich to veto controversial abortion legislation that bans abortion after six weeks in the State of Ohio:\n\u201cIn the late hours of Tuesday evening, the Ohio Senate and House passed legislation that would ban abortion six weeks into a pregnancy. Don\u2019t be fooled, this is a ban on virtually all abortions in the State of Ohio.\u00a0 Not only is this dangerous bill a risk to women\u2019s health, it is unconstitutional. I call on Governor Kasich to veto this legislation immediately. I will not stand by and allow Ohio to become the most punitive and regressive state in the country when it comes to reproductive health.\u00a0We need to trust women and families \u2013 not politicians \u2013 to make the best decisions for their lives.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://timryan.house.gov/press-release/congressman-tim-ryan-remembers-life-and-legacy-john-glenn", "Congressman Tim Ryan Remembers the Life and Legacy of John Glenn", "2016-12-08", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "OH", "Tim Ryan", "R000577", "timryan.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Congressman Tim Ryan Remembers the Life and Legacy of John Glenn                     Today we lost an American hero                      \n              Dec 8, 2016      \t\t        \t    \n      \t            \n          \n                                          \n        \n        \n          \n  \n    \n    \n    Washington, DC \u2013 Congressman Tim Ryan made the following statement today in response to John Glenn passing away at the age of 95:\n\u201cI am deeply saddened by the passing of John Glenn. My thoughts and prayers are with his wife Annie, his family, and the countless others who are mourning this great loss.\n\u201cJohn Glenn was a decorated World War II Marine Corps Fighter Pilot who broke the transcontinental speed record. A pioneer astronaut who was the first American to orbit the earth, and he later became the oldest man in space at the age of 77. He was a distinguished statesman who represented Ohio in the United States Senate. But most importantly, he was a family man who married his childhood sweetheart, Annie, and enjoyed spending time with his family and friends.\n\u201cI count myself lucky to have had the opportunity to spend some time with Senator Glenn and I will cherish those moments for the rest of my life. Today is a sad day for the State of Ohio and for the United States of America. John Glenn was an American hero and his life and legacy will never be forgotten.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://timryan.house.gov/press-release/congressman-tim-ryan-slams-trump%E2%80%99s-labor-secretary-nomination", "Congressman Tim Ryan Slams Trumps Labor Secretary Nomination", "2016-12-08", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "OH", "Tim Ryan", "R000577", "timryan.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, DC \u2013 Congressman Tim Ryan (D-OH) made the following statement today in response to President-elect Trump\u2019s nomination of Andrew Puzder for Secretary of Labor:\n\u201cPresident-elect Trump has chosen an enemy of working people to be in charge of the very department tasked to protect them. To say I am disappointed and angered by this decision would be an understatement. If Mr. Puzder is confirmed, he will become the least experienced Secretary of Labor since the 1980s. This is a man who has spent his career speaking out against worker protections; he opposes expanding eligibility for overtime pay; and he opposes any increase in the minimum wage. Mr. Puzder receives an annual base salary of over $1 million a year, while many of his employees are, in fact, making the minimum wage and barely getting by. How is this the person we are tapping to have the backs of the American people?\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://timryan.house.gov/press-release/congressman-tim-ryan-votes-against-fy-2017-continuing-resolution", "Congressman Tim Ryan Votes Against FY 2017 Continuing Resolution", "2016-12-08", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "OH", "Tim Ryan", "R000577", "timryan.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, DC \u2013 Congressman Tim Ryan (D-OH) today made the following statement after voting against the Fiscal Year 2017 Continuing Resolution; which only funds the United States government though April 28, 2017. This legislation failed to include the bipartisan Miners Protection Act. \u00a0\n\u201cI voted against this legislation because Republicans in Congress refused to include provisions that would give retirement security to 22,500 coal miners in Ohio and across the country who will lose their health coverage and pensions in the new year. To leave them out of this bill is heartless and wrong. These men and women now have to worry about how they are going to pay their medical bills or put dinner on the table this holiday season.\"", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://timryan.house.gov/press-release/congressman-tim-ryan-votes-improve-america%E2%80%99s-water-infrastructure", "Congressman Tim Ryan Votes to Improve Americas Water Infrastructure", "2016-12-08", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "OH", "Tim Ryan", "R000577", "timryan.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, DC \u2013 Congressman Tim Ryan today made the following statement after voting in favor of the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation Act (WRDA), \u00a0which authorizes water resources development projects and includes Congressman Ryan\u2019s legislation to create the position of a Great Lakes algal bloom coordinator. This bill also authorizes funding to help address the public health crisis in Flint, Michigan and finally help these communities get access to clean drinking water.\n\u201cI\u2019m proud that the House of Representatives passed the WRDA bill that contained my legislation to finally create a coordinator within the EPA to defend our fresh water from harmful algal blooms. Our state\u2019s abundance of fresh water is a vital resource and strategic advantage, and it\u2019s our duty as Ohioans to ensure Lake Erie and the Great Lakes are able to continue to thrive. Harmful algal blooms in the Great Lakes have affected over a half million Ohioans in recent years.\n\u201cLake Erie supports over 117,000 fulltime jobs and provides drinking water to approximately 3 million Ohioans. This bipartisan legislation would encourage the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to designate a coordinator to work with federal, state, tribal, and local governments. I will continue to work with my colleagues from the Great Lakes region to combat these harmful algal blooms that threaten the health and well-being of our state.\n\u201cSafety is, and always will be, my number one priority. It is outrageous that the community of Flint, Michigan has had to wait over two years to get the critical resources needed to address this public health crisis. Clean drinking water is not a privilege, but a right for all Americans. I am pleased this legislation responds accordingly by authorizing up to $150 million for improving the Flint\u2019s water infrastructure.\n\u201cHowever, I was disappointed that this legislation only established \u2018Buy America\u2019 requirements for drinking water infrastructure projects for one year. Now is the time that we should be doing everything in our power to create jobs at home, and that means strengthening and expanding \u2018Buy America\u2019 provisions.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://kaptur.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/rep-kaptur-speaks-out-defense-us-made-steel-and-midwestern-steelworkers", "Rep. Kaptur speaks out in defense of U.S. made steel and Midwestern steelworkers", "2016-12-08", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "OH", "Marcy Kaptur", "K000009", "kaptur.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE\n\nDecember 8, 2016\n\n\n\nContact: Nicole Dailey Jones, (800) 964-4699 & (202) 225-5411 or Marcy.KapturPress@mail.house.gov\n\nRep. Kaptur speaks out in defense of U.S. made steel and Midwestern steelworkers\n\nWashington, DC-Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (OH-09) today decried a Republican attempt to kill support for using American-made steel in federal infrastructure projects. The following statement came during debate on the Water Infrastructure Investments for the Nation Act (WIIN Act), a bill which authorizes the Army Corps of Engineers\u2019 work to build and maintain the water infrastructure in America, such as maintaining and building damns, locks, levees, and dredging activity in the nation\u2019s navigable waterways. The \u201cBuy America\u201d clause which gives preference to American-made steel for supplying steel for use in Corps' construction projects has historically been a part of these bills (usually named the Water Resources Development Act, or WRDA) but the new legislation would end that provision at the end of the current fiscal year. Republicans in Congress have continued to attack American industry in spite of President-elect Trump\u2019s promises to support American products and the industrial base:\n\nMr. Speaker, I rise today in solidarity, in championing the cause of the steelworkers of our nation, in the industrial heartland, of Lorain, Ohio and Gary, Indiana and Youngstown.\n\nApparently, the Republican Majority was not been paying attention to the recent election because, in fact, Mr. Trump promised that the Buy America Provisions and American steel production would be supportive and primary. And yet, they are proposing to kill the Buy America Provision in this Bill.\n\nI urge the majority not to forget the promises your Party made to these proud and strong American workers. I can assure you, they won\u2019t forget and we have to stand up to Chinese dumping that has put out of work thousands and thousands and thousands of workers across this country. Given the woes of the American Steel industry, encouraging more offshoring is unconscionable.\n\nThank you and I yield back \u2013 thank you Mr. DeFazio.\n\nRep. Kaptur\u2019s full floor statement during today\u2019s debate on the House floor can be found here.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.brown.senate.gov/newsroom/multimedia/watch/sen-brown-demands-senate-honor-its-promise-to-retired-mineworkers-and-their-families", "Sen. Brown Demands Senate Honor its Promise to Retired Mineworkers and their Families", "2016-12-08", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "OH", "Sherrod Brown", "B000944", "www.brown.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Sen. Brown Demands Senate Honor its Promise to Retired Mineworkers and their Families \n                    Without a change to current law, 16,300 of the country\u2019s retired coal miners will lose their healthcare on December 31, 2016. More than 120,000 miners\u2019 pension benefits will be at risk in the long-term. U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) took to the Senate floor to demand the Senate protect the healthcare and pensions of these miners and their families. \nBrown has announced he will block all attempts to pass legislation by unanimous consent in the Senate until the United Mine Workers of America (UMWA) healthcare is adequately addressed to give miners long-term certainty. By blocking other bills from sailing through with special privileges, Brown hopes to force House and Senate leadership to include the bipartisan mineworkers fix in the year-end spending package or allow an independent vote on the bill.\n                     \n                    \t\n                        See Video on YouTube\n\t\t\t\t\t\tTweet\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n                        Copy Direct Link", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.brown.senate.gov/newsroom/multimedia/watch/sen-brown-on-the-legacy-of-american-hero-john-glenn", "Sen. Brown on the Legacy of American Hero John Glenn", "2016-12-08", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "OH", "Sherrod Brown", "B000944", "www.brown.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Sen. Brown on the Legacy of American Hero John Glenn \n                    Following the passing of American Hero John Glenn, U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) took to the Senate floor to discuss this great man's legacy. Brown first met Glenn when Brown was 16 years old at a dinner for Boy Scouts in Mansfield, Ohio. When Brown was sworn in as a Senator in January 2007, Glenn escorted Brown onto the Senate floor.\n                     \n                    \t\n                        See Video on YouTube\n\t\t\t\t\t\tTweet\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n                        Copy Direct Link", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.brown.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/brown-portman-secure-key-victory-for-youngstown-air-reserve-station", "Brown, Portman Secure Key Victory for Youngstown Air Reserve Station", "2016-12-08", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "OH", "Sherrod Brown", "B000944", "www.brown.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Senate Passes Brown/Portman Measure to Prioritize C-130 Upgrades for YARS\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tThursday, December 8, 2016\n            \n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Sens. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and Rob Portman (R-OH) announced today that the Senate has passed the FY 2017 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which includes their amendment to prioritize C-130 upgrades needed at the Youngstown Air Reserve Station (YARS). The amendment will encourage the Air Force to act on these upgrades by requiring it to report on how it will prioritize upgrades from C-130H aircrafts to new C-130J units, which YARS needs for its special mission. Brown and Portman have been working to urge the Air Force to replace the 910th Airlift Wing\u2019s current fleet with the new C-130J to ensure the Wing can complete its missions safely.\r\n\u201cThese updates are key to maintaining Mahoning Valley jobs and supporting the ongoing missions performed by the men and women at Youngstown Air Reserve Station,\u201d said Brown. \u201cWe\u2019ve been pushing for modernization of this fleet for years, and this amendment will call on the Air Force to get to work updating these aircraft so YARS can continue its critical missions.\u201d\r\n\u201cToday\u2019s vote marks real progress in our efforts to upgrade the C-130 aircraft at the Youngstown Air Reserve Station, which has become a model for other Air Reserve Stations throughout the country,\u201d Portman stated. \u201cC-130 modernization will enhance the 910th\u2019s ability to carry out a range of important national and homeland security missions, including its unique aerial spray mission. Our amendment puts YARS in a better position to receive upgraded aircraft.\u201d\r\n\u00a0\r\n###\r\n\u00a0\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\tPress Contact\n\t\t\t\t\tJenny Donohue/Rachel Petri \r\n202-224-3978", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.brown.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/brown-statement-on-passing-senator-john-glenn", "Brown Statement on Passing of Senator John Glenn", "2016-12-08", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "OH", "Sherrod Brown", "B000944", "www.brown.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Thursday, December 8, 2016\n            \n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) today issued the following statement on the passing of former U.S. Sen. John Glenn. Brown first met Glenn when Brown was 16 years old at a dinner for Boy Scouts in Mansfield, Ohio. When Brown was sworn in as a Senator in January 2007, Glenn escorted Brown onto the Senate floor.\r\n\u201cIt has been one of the great blessings of my life to get to know John Glenn, and for Connie and me to count him and Annie as mentors and friends. We loved him, we will miss him and we will continue to draw strength and wisdom from the lessons he shared with us over the years. \r\n\u201cWhat made John Glenn a great Senator was the same quality that made him a great astronaut and an iconic American hero: he saw enormous untapped potential in the nation he loved and he had faith that America could overcome any challenge. \r\n\u201cJohn\u2019s kindness, his intelligence, his courage and his commitment to service set an example that our country needs today more than ever. John\u2019s legacy will live on in the pages of the history books and the hearts of everyone who knew and loved him.\u201d\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.brown.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/brown-announces-help-on-the-way-for-ohio-communities-battling-opioid-crisis", "Brown Announces Help on the Way for Ohio Communities Battling Opioid Crisis", "2016-12-07", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "OH", "Sherrod Brown", "B000944", "www.brown.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "The 21st Century Cures Act Will Direct $1 Billion to Grants for Opioid Abuse Prevention and Treatment\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWednesday, December 7, 2016\n            \n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) today voted for legislation that authorizes $1 billion over the next two years in federal grant funding to states who\u2019ve been hardest-hit by the opioid epidemic. The 21st Century Cures Act, which passed in the Senate today, now heads to President Barack Obama\u2019s desk to be signed into law.\u00a0Brown has repeatedly called for meaningful funding to combat the opioid crisis throughout the past year.\r\n\u201cEvery time I meet with Ohioans on the front lines of the opioid crisis they tell me the number one thing they need is funding to combat this emergency \u2013 they have been begging for help and now help is finally on the way,\u201d Brown said. \u201cThis long overdue investment in this public health crisis will send help their way by prioritizing grant money for states like Ohio that most need resources.\u00a0We must build on this bipartisan effort to provide ongoing support for treatment centers, families, and healthcare providers so we can make a real impact on those who\u2019ve been hurt by this public health emergency.\u201d \u00a0\r\nIn addition to the funding to combat the opioid epidemic, the bill includes key Brown priorities including:\r\n \r\nFair coverage for mental health: The bill includes a piece of Sen. Brown\u2019s Heroin and Prescription Drug Abuse Prevention and Reduction Act that would require health insurance companies to provide mental health coverage to individuals in the same way they provide coverage for physical health, and provide additional enforcement for insurers that fail to ensure mental health parity.\r\nPediatric Medical Research: The bill includes language to clarify Brown\u2019s bipartisan legislation to strengthen pediatric medical research by authorizing new Pediatric Research Consortia and directing the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to build a nationwide research network that can share resources and information to benefit pediatric patients and their families across the country.\u00a0\r\nRelief for hospitals serving low-income patients: The legislation helps address a hospital readmission rule that leaves some hospitals that serve low-income patients at a disadvantage. The bill will help take socioeconomic status of patients into account when evaluating a hospital\u2019s reimbursement rate. Brown supports legislation that would build on this provision to make sure hospitals serving low-income populations are fairly evaluated and reimbursed. The legislation also ensures fair payments for hospitals with outpatient departments that were undergoing construction during a past payment policy change. Brown has written to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) twice to encourage the Agency to do this administratively.\u00a0\r\n \r\n###\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\tPress Contact\n\t\t\t\t\tContacts: Jenny Donohue/Rachel Petri\r\n202-224-3978", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.brown.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/brown-continues-fight-to-restore-buy-america-to-water-infrastructure-bill", "Brown Continues Fight to Restore Buy America to Water Infrastructure Bill", "2016-12-07", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "OH", "Sherrod Brown", "B000944", "www.brown.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Buy America Requires American Steel, Iron to be Used in Construction Projects; Last Week in Cincinnati, President-elect Trump Committed to Using American Products, Workers to Carry out Infrastructure Plan\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWednesday, December 7, 2016\n            \n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) is fighting to restore a \u2018Buy America\u2019 provision in the Water Resources Development (WRDA) Act that would require the use of American-made iron and steel products in infrastructure projects. \u00a0\r\n\u201cWe cannot allow foreign companies to continue to undercut our steel industry and without Buy America, we are allowing this business to go elsewhere at the expense of tax payers,\u201d said Brown. \u201cIt\u2019s simple: American tax dollars should go toward American-made steel that supports American jobs. Period.\u201d\r\nFollowing reports that the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) had been stripped of its Buy America provision, Brown wrote to Senate and House leadership to demand that the provision be restored to support American jobs. The original Buy America rule in the Senate bill, which Brown supported, would have permanently amended the Safe Drinking Water Act to require American-made steel and iron be used in infrastructure projects funded by the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF). The Buy America provision in WRDA had already passed the Senate in September with broad bipartisan support.\r\nEarlier this week, Republican leaders stripped that language and replaced it with a one-year provision that is already in effect and would not permanently ensure American steel and iron will be used in water infrastructure projects moving forward. Brown and his colleagues plan to introduce an amendment that would restore the provision to the bill when it comes before the Senate.\r\nLast week in Cincinnati, Trump said his infrastructure plan would use American products and workers: \u201cBuy American and hire American. We're going to do it ourselves.\u201d Yet President-elect Trump has remained silent about the Republican House leadership stripping the Buy America reform from the water infrastructure legislation.\r\nBrown was joined on today\u2019s call by Jeff Otterstedt, the Senior Vice President of McWane Ductile in Coshocton, which employs workers in Ohio to manufacture pipe and fitting for water systems, and could benefit from Buy America.\r\n###\r\n\u00a0\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\tPress Contact\n\t\t\t\t\tContacts: Jenny Donohue/Rachel Petri\r\n202-224-3978", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.brown.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/brown-fights-for-thousands-of-ohio-whirlpool-workers-in-trade-case", "Brown Fights for Thousands of Ohio Whirlpool Workers in Trade Case", "2016-12-07", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "OH", "Sherrod Brown", "B000944", "www.brown.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "3,000 Whirlpool Employees in Ohio Would be Impacted by Today\u2019s Case; Foreign Manufacturers are Dumping Washing Machine Imports into American Market\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWednesday, December 7, 2016\n            \n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) today testified on behalf of 3,000 Ohio Whirlpool workers at the International Trade Commission (ITC), which will determine whether cheap washing machine imports from China have unfairly hurt the domestic washer industry. Today\u2019s hearing will help the ITC make its final determination in the case.\r\nIn Sen. Brown\u2019s testimony, he urged the ITC to make a favorable determination to ensure that antidumping duties will be applied to Chinese washer imports.\u00a0He also urged the ITC to address the respondents\u2019 decision to move production to Vietnam and Thailand to avoid paying antidumping duties.\u00a0Samsung stockpiled washers in the U.S. in anticipation of the antidumping duties, and both Samsung and LG have moved production to Vietnam and Thailand.\u00a0In October, Brown wrote to Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker, along with Sen. Portman, asking Pritzker to address this pattern of serial dumping and duty evasion.\r\n\u201cThese Whirlpool workers know what good manufacturing jobs do for their local economy and how crucial those jobs are to supporting their families.\u00a0 Their presence at this hearing reminds us why enforcing our trade laws is so important,\u201d Brown said in testimony delivered at ITC today. \u201cWe fight for fair trade because we want to make sure our manufacturers and our workers are able to compete on a level playing field.\u00a0 That\u2019s what today\u2019s hearing is ultimately about: protecting middle class manufacturing jobs and defeating foreign competitors\u2019 efforts to close our factories.\u201d\r\nAs a result of an antidumping petition filed by Whirlpool in 2012, the Commerce Department imposed duties on Samsung and LG\u2019s washing imports from Korea and Mexico. The companies have since moved their production to China and continue to export washing machines to the U.S. market at unfairly traded prices. These imports from China are the subject of Whirlpool\u2019s current case.\u00a0\r\nWhirlpool employs a total of 10,000 workers in Ohio at facilities in Clyde, Findlay, Marion, Ottawa, and Greenville.\r\nFull text of Sen. Brown\u2019s testimony, as prepared for delivery, is available below.\r\nTestimony of Senator Sherrod Brown\r\nU.S. International Trade Commission Hearing on \r\nLarge Residential Washers from China\r\nInvestigation No. 731-TA-1306\r\nDecember 7, 2016\r\nChairman Williamson and members of the Commission, thank you for the opportunity to testify in this case regarding large residential washers from China.\r\nThe petitioner, Whirlpool, has 10,000 workers in the Ohio communities of Marion, Findlay, Ottawa, Greenville, and Clyde.\u00a0 They are a company that takes pride in manufacturing things here in America.\u00a0 And they employ 22,000 workers nationwide who take pride in making home appliances.\u00a0\r\nHome appliances like washing machines, dishwashers, refrigerators and dryers that we all know and recognize because of their high-quality and prominent American flag labels.\u00a0\r\nWhirlpool has 3,000 employees at their Clyde facility, where they make some of these famous washing machines.\u00a0\u00a0 I\u2019m pleased that 50 of the Clyde workers are here today.\u00a0 They know that the Commission\u2019s decision in this case could have a big effect on their jobs and their community.\u00a0\r\nMy colleague, Sen. Portman, is also here this morning.\u00a0 We both stand with them in their fight against unfair trade practices.\u00a0\r\nI offer this testimony on their behalf.\u00a0\r\nThese Whirlpool workers know what good manufacturing jobs do for their local economy and how crucial those jobs are to supporting their families.\u00a0 Their presence at this hearing reminds us why enforcing our trade laws is so important.\u00a0\r\nWe fight for fair trade because we want to make sure our manufacturers and our workers are able to compete on a level playing field.\u00a0 That\u2019s what today\u2019s hearing is ultimately about:\u00a0 protecting middle class manufacturing jobs and defeating foreign competitors\u2019 efforts to close our factories.\r\nThis trade case is an unfortunate sequel to Whirlpool\u2019s first washing machine petition.\u00a0 Four years ago, I testified against unfairly traded washers from Korea and Mexico, which were being dumped into the U.S. market.\u00a0 In that case, the Commission found that the domestic industry had been injured, and duties were applied.\u00a0\r\nThose duties helped to stem the tide of Korean and Mexican imports, but they didn\u2019t solve the whole problem.\u00a0 That\u2019s why we\u2019re back here today.\r\nEven before the final determination in the last case, Samsung and LG had relocated their factories to China to avoid paying higher duties and promptly resumed dumping into the U.S. market.\u00a0 Facing unfair competition once again, Whirlpool filed another antidumping case.\u00a0\r\nAnd here we are, asking the Commission to find for a second time that the domestic industry is being injured by these unfair trade practices designed to put Whirlpool out of business.\r\nThere\u2019s plenty of evidence that the U.S. washer sector is being injured, and I\u2019m pleased that your preliminary determination was affirmative.\u00a0 The findings from your preliminary decision are still true, and I hope they will inform your final determination. \u00a0\r\nAs your decision found, the \u201cvolume and increase in volume\u201d of washer imports from China are \u201csignificant,\u201d and those imports account for a growing share of U.S. consumption.\u00a0 Imports from China have captured \u201cmarket share from the domestic industry,\u201d and \u201cpervasive underselling\u201d by the foreign respondents has \u201cled to declining prices\u201d for U.S. producers.\u00a0 As a result, the domestic industry\u2019s financial performance has deteriorated.\u00a0\r\nBased on these findings, I urge you to vote in favor of the domestic industry and make an affirmative final determination.\u00a0\r\nThere is one other issue that the Commission must consider, and that is the critical circumstances in this case.\u00a0 As you know, sometimes foreign competitors will rush to stockpile imports in the U.S. after a trade case has been filed but before duties have been applied.\r\nThey do this to avoid paying antidumping duties.\u00a0\r\nWhen this happens, a finding of critical circumstances can be made, which allows duties to be applied retroactively for up to 90 days before the preliminary determination.\u00a0 Applying those duties to the stockpiled inventory helps to ensure these duty evasion efforts are not successful. \u00a0 \u00a0\r\nCritical circumstances exist in this case because Samsung rushed to import a large volume of washers before antidumping duties were applied.\u00a0 Commerce announced preliminary antidumping duties against Samsung and LG on July 20th.\u00a0 Leading up to that date, Chinese washer imports nearly tripled between January and May.\u00a0\r\nBut immediately after Commerce\u2019s preliminary determination, washers from China were imported in very low numbers, and imports from Vietnam and Thailand began to grow quickly.\u00a0 These data reflect the fact that Samsung tried to get as many washers into the U.S. market before they were slapped with antidumping tariffs.\u00a0 And now both companies have moved production out of China.\u00a0\r\nSamsung and LG intend to continue this behavior until they put Whirlpool out of business.\u00a0 And that\u2019s why the critical circumstances determination is so important.\u00a0\r\nDuties collected on the surge of imports before Commerce\u2019s determination in July may be the only duties that are collected in this case.\u00a0\r\nWhen our foreign competitors do whatever it takes to cheat, we must do whatever it takes to fight back.\u00a0 That\u2019s why I urge you to make an affirmative critical circumstances finding.\u00a0\r\nIf we don\u2019t stop this game of whack-a-mole, these companies will succeed in increasing their share of the U.S. market and make it impossible for our American companies to compete.\u00a0 Whirlpool will continue to struggle against an onslaught of unfairly traded imports, and the workers in Clyde will continue to worry whether they\u2019ll have a job next year.\r\nThat\u2019s just not right.\u00a0\r\nThese workers make the best washing machines in the world.\u00a0 Their jobs are the backbone of Clyde.\u00a0 Failure to hold our trading partners accountable and to protect these jobs will threaten the U.S. washer industry, the middle class jobs it creates, and the communities that depend on it.\r\nI received hundreds of letters from Ohioans at the Clyde facility who are concerned about the unfair practices of Samsung and LG.\u00a0 One of those letters was from Vickie.\u00a0 I\u2019ll close with a quote from her letter, because I think it sums this up perfectly.\r\nVickie writes: \u201cI am proud that U.S. manufacturing creates a way of life for my family, and I hope that way of life will be just as possible and fulfilling for the young people who are growing up in my community.\u00a0\r\n\u201cWe at Whirlpool have the skills and know-how to compete with any product made anywhere in the world, as long as everyone plays by the rules.\u00a0 Foreign competitors, through their unlawful actions, threaten the very U.S. manufacturing jobs that have made our way of life a positive one.\u201d\r\nI think Vickie\u2019s letter captures what\u2019s at stake in your investigation.\u00a0 And I urge you to make an affirmative determination in this case, both on injury and critical circumstances.\u00a0\r\nThe American washer industry is depending on us to fully enforce our trade laws, and Vickie and her colleagues in Clyde deserve no less.\r\nThank you.\r\n\u00a0\r\n###\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\tPress Contact\n\t\t\t\t\tContacts: Jenny Donohue/Rachel Petri\r\n202-224-3978", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.brown.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/brown-statement-on-john-glenn", "Brown Statement on John Glenn", "2016-12-07", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "OH", "Sherrod Brown", "B000944", "www.brown.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Wednesday, December 7, 2016\n            \n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) released the following statement today after news reports that former U.S. Sen. John Glenn has been hospitalized. \r\nBrown urged the public to send love to the Glenn family while also respecting the family\u2019s request for privacy. \r\n\u201cConnie and I ask Ohioans to join us in sending our love to John and Annie Glenn and their children and to respect their family\u2019s privacy at this difficult time.\u201d \u00a0\r\n###\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\tPress Contact\n\t\t\t\t\tJenny Donohue/Rachel Petri \r\n202-224-3978", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.brown.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/brown-baldwin-casey-introduce-buy-america-amendment-to-water-infrastructure-bill-call-on-republican-leaders-to-take-action", "Brown, Baldwin, Casey Introduce Buy America Amendment to Water Infrastructure Bill, Call on Republican Leaders to Take Action", "2016-12-06", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "OH", "Sherrod Brown", "B000944", "www.brown.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Republican House leadership removed Buy America, which previously passed the Senate by 95-3; Senators call on Republican leaders to reinsert provision or schedule immediate vote on amendment\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tTuesday, December 6, 2016\n            \n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Sens. Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), and Bob Casey (D-PA) today announced that they will introduce a \u2018Buy America\u2019 amendment to the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) in the Senate and are calling on Republican leaders to add the provision back into the final bill.\r\nYesterday, Republican House leadership announced they removed the Buy America reform from the House-Senate compromise bill \u2013 even after the Senators led a letter demanding Buy America remain in the infrastructure bill. Stripping the Buy America provision will allow foreign companies to continue undercutting the American steel industry and its 1 million workers nationwide.\r\nThe Buy America reform could be added back into WRDA before the House votes on the bill later this week. If this does not occur, the Senators are calling on Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to schedule a vote on the amendment when WRDA gets to the Senate.\r\n\u201cAmerican tax dollars should go toward American-made steel that supports American jobs, and that\u2019s what we are fighting for,\u201d said Senator Brown. \u201cThis was the first major test for President-elect Trump\u2019s promises to put America first and it failed because Washington establishment Republicans chose China and Russia over Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. While President-elect Trump remains silent, we will continue to fight for American jobs.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0\r\n\u201cBy removing my Buy America standard, Speaker Ryan and House Republicans embraced the status-quo in Washington,\u201d said Senator Baldwin. \u201cOur American manufacturers and workers deserve a solid commitment from us and I\u2019m not giving up this fight to build a made in America infrastructure. The choice for the Republican establishment in Washington is clear: Do you stand with American workers or do you support spending taxpayer dollars on Chinese and Russian steel for American water infrastructure projects?\u201d\r\n\u201cRemoving Buy America from this legislation will undermine our workers and make it harder for businesses who do want to create jobs at home,\u201d said Senator Casey. \u201cCongressional Republicans should stop blowing hot air about their claims to support workers and actually do something that will- reinsert Buy America into this bill.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0\r\nLast Thursday night in Cincinnati, on the first stop of his \"Thank You Tour,\" Trump said his infrastructure plan would follow two simple rules: \u201cBuy American and hire American. We're going to do it ourselves.\u201d\r\nPresident-elect Trump has remained silent about the Republican House leadership stripping the Buy America reform from the water infrastructure legislation.\r\nThe Buy America standard in WRDA had already passed the Senate in September with broad bipartisan support before Republican House leadership stripped it from the final water infrastructure bill released yesterday. \r\n\u00a0\r\n###\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\tPress Contact\n\t\t\t\t\tContacts: Jenny Donohue/Rachel Petri\r\n202-224-3978", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://timryan.house.gov/press-release/congressman-tim-ryan-issued-following-statement-fy-2017-national-defense-authorization", "Congressman Tim Ryan Issued the following statement on the FY 2017 National Defense Authorization Act, which passed the House of Representatives earlier today", "2016-12-05", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "OH", "Tim Ryan", "R000577", "timryan.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "\u201cI am proud to support the FY 2017 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which passed the House of Representatives today, ensuring that our military men and women have the tools they need to do their job and keep our country safe. There were things in the Authorization that I did not support, such as the continued restrictions on the closure of the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay. However, I was happy to vote to provide our servicemen and servicewomen a pay raise of 2.1 percent and satisfied that the bill forbids an additional round of Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC).\nI was very pleased with an amendment added in the Senate by Senators Sherrod Brown and Rob Portman which directs the Air Force to spell out how it will prioritize C-130 upgrades\u2014an important issue for Youngstown Air Reserve Station. The senators\u2019 amendment dovetails with a provision of my own included in the FY 2017 Defense Appropriations report that directs the Air Force to prioritize units with the oldest equipment when deciding which specialty missions to upgrade.\nThe strength of our military is unchallenged, but an unstable world can bring dangerous threats to which we must respond. It is our task as Members of Congress to ensure that our troops have what they need to carry out their mission. I voted for this Defense Authorization because I believe it does that.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.brown.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/brown-slams-leadership-for-stripping-buy-america-from-water-infrastructure-bill", "Brown Slams Leadership for Stripping Buy America from Water Infrastructure Bill", "2016-12-05", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "OH", "Sherrod Brown", "B000944", "www.brown.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Senator: Washington leadership is choosing China and Russia over Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tMonday, December 5, 2016\n            \n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) slammed Washington leadership today for stripping Buy America rules from the final water infrastructure bill announced today. Buy America provisions in the Water Resources Development (WRDA) Act would have permanently changed the law to require the use of American-made iron and steel products in infrastructure projects. The provision passed the Senate overwhelmingly. But Republican leadership removed the Buy America language in a compromise package worked out with the House announced today. \u00a0\r\n\u201cBy stripping meaningful Buy America rules from the water infrastructure bill, Washington leadership is choosing China and Russia over Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin,\u201d said Brown. \u201cThis was the first major test of whether Washington establishment Republicans would live up to President-elect Trump\u2019s promises to put American products and American workers first \u2013 they failed, and American iron and steel workers will pay the price.\u201d\r\nThe original Buy America rule in the Senate bill would have permanently amended the Safe Drinking Water Act to require American-made steel and iron be used in infrastructure projects funded by the Safe Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF). Instead, Republican leaders stripped that language and replaced it with a one-year provision that is already in effect and does nothing to further ensure American steel and iron will be used in water infrastructure projects moving forward.\r\n###\r\n\u00a0\r\n\u00a0\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\tPress Contact\n\t\t\t\t\tJennifer Donohue/Rachel Petri \r\n(202) 224-3978", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.brown.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/brown-statement-on-president-elect-trumps-hud-nominee-ben-carson", "Brown Statement on President-Elect Trump's HUD Nominee Ben Carson", "2016-12-05", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "OH", "Sherrod Brown", "B000944", "www.brown.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Monday, December 5, 2016\n            \n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH), ranking member of the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee, today issued the following statement on President-elect Trump\u2019s nomination of Dr. Ben Carson for Secretary of Housing and Urban Development:\r\n\u00a0\u201cCities coping with crumbling infrastructure and families struggling to afford a roof overhead cannot afford a HUD Secretary whose spokesperson said he doesn\u2019t believe he\u2019s up for the job. President-elect Trump made big promises to rebuild American infrastructure and revitalize our cities, but this appointment raises real questions about how serious he is about actually getting anything done.\u201d\r\n###\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\tPress Contact\n\t\t\t\t\tContact: Greg Vadala / Jenny Donohue\r\n(202) 224-3978", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.brown.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/senators-no-special-consideration-for-other-bills-until-we-save-coal-miners-healthcare-retirement", "Senators: No Special Consideration for Other Bills Until We Save Coal Miners Healthcare, Retirement", "2016-12-05", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "OH", "Sherrod Brown", "B000944", "www.brown.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Coal-State Senators Look to Force Vote on Bipartisan Bill by Blocking Live UC Requests until Action is Taken to Save Retired Miners; Without Action, 16,300 Coal Miners Will Lose Healthcare on Dec. 31\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tMonday, December 5, 2016\n            \n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Today, a coalition of Senators fighting to protect the healthcare and pensions of more than 120,000 retired coalminers nationwide announced their intent to use any means necessary to make sure that these workers and their families are protected. With 16,300 retired coal miners set to lose healthcare by Dec. 31, 2016 without Congressional action, U.S. Sens. Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Joe Manchin (D-W.Va), Bob Casey (D-PA), and Mark Warner (D-VA) announced that they will block all attempts to pass legislation by unanimous consent in the Senate until the United Mine Workers of America (UMWA) healthcare and pension shortfall is adequately addressed to give miners long-term certainty. By blocking other bills from sailing through with special privileges, the Senators hope to force House and Senate leadership to include the bipartisan mineworkers fix in the year-end spending package or allow an independent vote on the bill. \u00a0\u00a0\r\nThe Senators released the following joint statement:\r\n\u201cFor several months, we have joined thousands of our states\u2019 retired coal miners and their families to call for a vote on this bipartisan, paid-for bill. And for several months those calls have gone unanswered. These miners cannot wait another day and it\u2019s up to us to protect what they\u2019ve earned for a lifetime of dangerous, backbreaking work. We are confident this bill would pass on the floor and we demand action to provide long-term certainty for these miners.\"\r\n###\r\n\u00a0\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\tPress Contact\n\t\t\t\t\tContact: Jennifer Donohue/Rachel Petri\r\n(202) 224-3978", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.brown.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/at-browns-urging-centers-for-medicare-and-medicaid-services-issues-guidance-on-testing-for-lead-in-children", "At Brown's Urging, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Issues Guidance on Testing for Lead in Children", "2016-12-02", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "OH", "Sherrod Brown", "B000944", "www.brown.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Brown is Cosponsor of Legislation that Would Help Schools and Daycare Centers across Ohio Test Their Drinking Water for Lead Contamination \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tFriday, December 2, 2016\n            \n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON, DC \u2013 Following the urging of U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH), the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) recently released guidance on blood lead testing for children enrolled in Medicaid and the Children\u2019s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). Blood lead testing helps medical professionals identify children with elevated blood lead levels in order to help these children receive medical attention before they are harmed. Lead exposure can leave children with lifelong health issues, including difficulty learning or testing in school and behavioral problems like attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). CMS\u2019 guidance helps clarify best practices and establish guidelines for states to meet testing requirements under Medicaid and CHIP.\r\n\u201cIn light of high levels of lead found in homes and schools across Ohio, we know that lead exposure is still a threat to our children, even in 2016,\u201d said Brown. \u201cChildren are most vulnerable to the effects of lead exposure, and I\u2019m glad to see CMS is working to increase the rate of screening and reporting.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0 \r\nIn July, Brown wrote a letter to CMS urging the agency to reevaluate its policy regarding lead screening for Medicaid-eligible children and to identify and disseminate best practices for states to reduce barriers to blood lead screening and testing for children across the country. An estimated four million households across the United States are exposed to high levels of lead.\r\nBrown also cosponsored the Lead Testing in School and Child Care Drinking Water Act of 2016, legislation that would create a new grant program to help schools conduct regular testing through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to help daycare centers and school districts test their drinking water for potential lead contamination. In September, part of Brown\u2019s bill advanced in the Senate, which authorized $20 million annually for testing in schools in the Water Resources Development Act \u2013 a critical water infrastructure bill that is awaiting a final vote by the Congress. \r\nThe Senate also passed provisions sponsored by Brown to help communities like Flint, Michigan, and Sebring, Ohio, including a provision Brown \u200eintroduced earlier this year that requires the EPA to notify communities within 15 days when lead is discovered in drinking water.\u00a0\r\n###\r\n\u00a0\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\tPress Contact\n\t\t\t\t\tJenny Donohue/Rachel Petri\r\n202-224-3978", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.brown.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/brown-convenes-job-training-roundtable-in-gallia-county", "Brown Convenes Job Training Roundtable in Gallia County", "2016-12-02", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "OH", "Sherrod Brown", "B000944", "www.brown.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Friday, December 2, 2016\n            \n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tRIO GRANDE, OH \u2013U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) hosted a job training roundtable at the University of Rio Grande today. The roundtable highlighted Digital Works, a job training program based in Gallipolis, and its efforts in to increase job opportunities for Gallia County. Participants included individuals who have completed job training at Digital Works, as well as faculty and staff from Digital Works and the University of Rio Grande.\u00a0\r\n\u201cLocal roundtables are an opportunity to learn about the needs of each of Ohio\u2019s counties by talking to local leaders and community members,\u201d said Brown. \u201cWe had a productive discussion today in Gallia County about how to spur investment, grow the local economy, and create jobs.\u201d\r\nBrown has held more than 200 roundtable listening sessions across Ohio's 88 counties with students, local leaders, business owners, educators, workers, and families to find ways to rebuild and strengthen our economy.\u00a0\r\n###\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\tPress Contact\n\t\t\t\t\tJenny Donohue/Rachel Petri\r\n202-224-3978", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.brown.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/brown-hosts-healthcare-roundtable-in-chillicothe", "Brown Hosts Healthcare Roundtable in Chillicothe", "2016-12-02", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "OH", "Sherrod Brown", "B000944", "www.brown.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Friday, December 2, 2016\n            \n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tCHILLICOTHE, OH \u2013 U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) hosted a healthcare roundtable at the offices of Adena Health System today. Roundtable participants from Adena, Hopewell Health, and the Chillicothe VA discussed a variety of topics, including the opioid epidemic.\r\n\u201cMeeting with healthcare officials and receiving their feedback on local health matters help facilitate comprehensive solutions on local, state, and federal levels,\u201d said Brown. \u201cWe know that we cannot combat issues like the opioid epidemic without working together.\u201d\u00a0\r\nBrown has held more than 200 roundtable listening sessions across Ohio's 88 counties with students, local leaders, business owners, educators, workers and families to find ways to rebuild and strengthen our economy.\r\n\u00a0###\r\n\r\n\u00a0\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\tPress Contact\n\t\t\t\t\tJenny Donohue/Rachel Petri\r\n202-224-3978", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.brown.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/brown-portman-demand-buy-america-provision-in-water-infrastructure-package", "Brown, Portman Demand Buy America Provision in Water Infrastructure Package", "2016-12-02", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "OH", "Sherrod Brown", "B000944", "www.brown.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Senators Lead 23 Colleagues in a Letter to Restore Provision Stripped from Senate Water Bill; Buy America Requires American Steel, Iron to be Used in Construction Projects \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tFriday, December 2, 2016\n            \n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Sens. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and Rob Portman (R-OH) are leading the fight to restore a \u2018Buy America\u2019 provision in the Water Resources Development (WRDA) Act that would require the use of American-made iron and steel products in infrastructure projects. The Buy America rule already passed in the Senate version of the bill with broad bipartisan support. But it has been pulled from the compromise package reached between leaders in the Senate and U.S. House of Representatives. \r\n\u201cAmerican tax dollars shouldn\u2019t be spent on Chinese steel,\u201d Brown said. \u201cAmerican infrastructure should be built with American products that support American jobs. Period.\u201d \u00a0\r\n\u201cWe must ensure that tax dollars will continue to be invested in America, maximizing American jobs,\u201d said Portman. \u201cProvisions like this one have already increased production, jobs, and capital investment in the steel industry, and it is critical that we continue policies that simultaneously improve our infrastructure and our economy.\u201d\r\nThe Buy America provision of the bill would require American-made steel and iron be used in infrastructure projects funded by the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF). In a letter to Senate and House leaders sent today and signed by 23 of Brown and Portman\u2019s colleagues, the Senators told leaders to put the provision back into the final bill to support U.S. steel and iron workers and manufacturers. \r\nThe letter was also signed by U.S. Sens. Patty Murray (D-WA), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Bob Menendez (D-NJ), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Bob Casey (D-PA), Claire McCaskill (D-MO), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Jon Tester (D-MT), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Al Franken (D-MN), Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), Chris Coons (D-DE), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Joe Donnelly (D-IN), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Ed Markey (D-MA), and Gary Peters (D-MI).\r\nFull text is available below. \r\nDecember 2, 2016\r\n\u00a0\r\nThe Honorable Mitch McConnell\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The Honorable Harry Reid\r\nMajority Leader\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Democratic Leader\r\nUnited States Senate\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 United States Senate\r\nWashington, D.C. 20510\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Washington, D.C. 20510\r\n\u00a0\r\nThe Honorable Paul Ryan\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The Honorable Nancy Pelosi\u00a0\r\nSpeaker of the\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Democratic Leader\r\nHouse of Representatives\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 House of Representatives\r\nWashington, D.C. 20515\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Washington, D.C. 20515\r\n\u00a0\r\nDear Majority Leader McConnell, Democratic Leader Reid, Speaker Ryan, and Democratic Leader Pelosi:\r\nWe write to express our concern that an important Buy America provision for the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) has been struck from the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) conference report to be considered by the House and Senate.\u00a0\u00a0 This provision (Section 7117 of S. 2848) was approved by the Senate with broad bipartisan support, and we urge you to ensure that it is included in the final WRDA bill.\r\nSection 7117 of the Senate bill would codify the Buy America procurement preference for American-made iron and steel products that has been applied to the DWSRF for many years through annual appropriations to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).\u00a0 The language would ensure that the DWSRF is subject to the same Buy America policies permanently applied to the EPA\u2019s other federal-aid water infrastructure spending programs, the Clean Water State Revolving Fund and the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Program.\u00a0\u00a0\r\nBuy America is an important job-creating provision.\u00a0 If subject to the Buy America provisions, DWSRF-funded infrastructure projects will be required to use American iron and steel.\u00a0\u00a0 As a result, companies will have incentives to invest in domestic manufacturing facilities, and U.S. taxpayer dollars will support American manufacturers.\u00a0\r\nRemoving the Buy America provisions from the DWSRF will have the opposite effect.\u00a0 Without domestic content requirements, foreign companies will reap the advantages of U.S. taxpayer spending at the expense of taxpaying U.S. iron and steel producers and workers across the country.\u00a0 An opportunity to support and grow U.S. manufacturers will be squandered.\r\nThe American people spoke clearly in this past election that they want leaders who fight for the working class and who advance policies that create more jobs and grow the U.S. manufacturing sector. We urge you to heed their voices in the WRDA negotiations and ensure the DWSRF Buy America provisions are incorporated in the final bill.\r\nSincerely,\r\n###\r\n\u00a0\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\tPress Contact\n\t\t\t\t\tJenny Donohue/Rachel Petri\u00a0\r\n(202) 224-3978", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://beatty.house.gov/media-center/announcements/beatty-celebrates-rosa-parks-day", "Beatty Celebrates Rosa Parks Day", "2016-12-01", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "OH", "Joyce Beatty", "B001281", "beatty.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Beatty Celebrates Rosa Parks Day \nAuthored legislation in Ohio to designate December 1st as \u201cRosa Parks Day\u201d\nOn December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks, an Alabama seamstress, refused to give up her seat to a White man on a segregated Montgomery, Alabama bus. Her defiance and subsequent jailing sparked the peaceful, 381-day Montgomery Bus Boycott that lead to the desegregation of our nation\u2019s public transportation system.\nAlthough small in stature, Parks became an enormous figure in the Civil Rights Movement, working alongside Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and others to\u00a0ensure civil rights, greater freedom and opportunities\u00a0to all Americans. Soon after, Parks earned the title: \u201cMother of the Civil Rights Movement.\u201d\n50 years later, in 2005, U.S. Congresswoman Joyce Beatty (OH-03), then-Member of the Ohio General Assembly, spearheaded legislation to designate December 1st as \u201cRosa Parks Day\u201d in the State of Ohio\u2014making the Buckeye State the first in the nation to formally recognize the Civil Rights icon. Since that time, Ohioans from all walks of life, join together annually to honor Parks and reflect on the \u201cPower of One\u201d individual to make a difference in the lives of others.\n\u201cRosa Parks is a hero to countless Americans and me,\u201d Beatty said. \u201cHer life and actions on that historic December day more than 50 years ago have inspired people across the country and around the world to stand up against discrimination and work peacefully to create a more just and fair society.\u201d Beatty continued, \u201cI was honored to have led the charge in the State of Ohio to recognize Rosa Parks, and I look forward to this year\u2019s celebration and for years to come.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://beatty.house.gov/media-center/announcements/congresswoman-beatty-backs-21st-century-cures-act", "Congresswoman Beatty Backs 21st Century Cures Act", "2016-12-01", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "OH", "Joyce Beatty", "B001281", "beatty.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Congresswoman Beatty Backs 21st Century Cures Act \nBill includes $1 billion to combat opioid and heroin abuse among other provisions\nOn November 30, 2016, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the 21st Century Cures Act, H.R. 34, by a vote of 392-26. In response, U.S. Congresswoman Joyce Beatty (OH-03) said, \u00a0\n\u201cI am proud to support the 21st Century Cures Act, along with the overwhelming majority of my Democratic and Republican colleagues. The bill dedicates billions in federal funds to invest in groundbreaking medical research, cancer research and prevention; improve mental health treatment; combat our nation\u2019s opioid epidemic; and modernize the prescription drug approval process. This is a major, bipartisan victory that will help our country continue to address important public health challenges.\u201d\nThe 21st Century Cures Act now awaits further consideration in the U.S. Senate.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://timryan.house.gov/press-release/congressman-tim-ryan-announces-trade-adjustment-assistance-250-delphi-employees", "Congressman Tim Ryan Announces Trade Adjustment  Assistance for 250 Delphi Employees", "2016-12-01", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "OH", "Tim Ryan", "R000577", "timryan.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Warren, Ohio \u2013 Congressman Tim Ryan is today announcing the successful certification of Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) for approximately 250 laid-off workers at Delphi Automotive Systems, who were engaged in activities related to the production of automotive components. This certification includes on-site leased workers from the Bartech Group. TAA will assist workers in their search for re-employment through income support, training, assistance with healthcare premium costs, employment and case management services, and may include job search and relocation allowances.\u201cThis is another example of jobs unfairly lost due to foreign subsidized competition that hurt our communities. These men and women lost their jobs through no fault of their own, and when this happens, it is our responsibility to give them the opportunity to get back on their feet. I am pleased that the employees of Delphi and Bartech will get the support they deserve in this difficult time,\u201d said Congressman Ryan.The Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) Program is a federal program that assists US workers who have lost their jobs as a result of foreign trade. The program provides trade-affected workers with opportunities to obtain the skills, resources, and support they need to become reemployed. For example, Trade Readjustment Allowances will provide income support while workers are participating in full-time training, which may include classroom and/or on the-job training, customized training, post-secondary education, prerequisite education or coursework and remedial education. The cost of training is paid to the training provider by the State with TAA Program funds.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://kaptur.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/effort-combat-declining-water-quality-lake-erie-dingell-kaptur-urge-epa", "In Effort to Combat Declining Water Quality in Lake Erie, Dingell & Kaptur Urge EPA to Declare Area Impaired", "2016-12-01", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "OH", "Marcy Kaptur", "K000009", "kaptur.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "In Effort to Combat Declining Water Quality in Lake Erie,\n\nDingell & Kaptur Urge EPA to Declare Area Impaired\n\nNovember 29, 2016\n\nContact:\n\nHannah Smith (Dingell)\n\n202-315-8446\n\nhannah.smith@mail.house.gov\n\nNicole Dailey Jones (Kaptur)\n\n800-964-4699\n\n202-225-5411\n\nMarcy.KapturPress@mail.house.gov\n\nWASHINGTON, DC \u2013 U.S. Representatives Debbie Dingell (MI-12) and Marcy Kaptur (OH-09) today sent a letter to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Gina McCarthy urging EPA to list the open waters of Lake Erie\u2019s Western Basin as impaired under the terms of the Clean Water Act. The area continues to experience a decline in water quality due to high levels of nutrients that are producing harmful toxic algal blooms, which pose a serious health risk for residents. While Michigan has included Lake Erie on its list of impaired waters submitted to the EPA, Ohio has not.\n\n\u201cEnsuring that citizens have clean drinking water is an essential role of government,\u201d Dingell and Kaptur wrote. \u201cOne third of the total population of the Great Lakes Basin resides in the Lake Erie watershed, and 11 million people depend on this freshwater resource for their drinking water. Beyond the serious health considerations, the Great Lakes are home to a $4.5 billion recreational and commercial fishing industry, which is also threatened by the persistent presence of harmful algal blooms.\u201d\n\n\u201cWe applaud the State of Michigan for taking this responsible and proactive stance,\u201d the Representatives continued. \u201cUnfortunately, the State of Ohio has chosen not to follow suit, despite clear evidence of Lake Erie\u2019s impairment and the potential risks to human health and safety. An impairment designation for the Western Basin of Lake Erie by Ohio EPA is an essential step in an effective response to managing excessive phosphorous, the root cause of harmful algal blooms. We urge you to use your legal authority under the Clean Water Act to bring Ohio\u2019s list into alignment with the State of Michigan as an important step in addressing this public health threat.\u201d\n\nUnder the Clean Water Act, states are required to submit lists of impaired waters to EPA\u2019s regional offices each year. These are waters that are too polluted or otherwise degraded to meet water quality standards. The law requires that the states establish priority rankings for waters on the lists and develop Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDL), a calculation of the maximum amount of a pollutant that a water body can receive and still safely meet water quality standards. This serves as a starting point for restoration or protection activities.\n\nThe Representatives\u2019 full letter can be read here and below.\n\nDear Administrator McCarthy:\n\nThe Western Basin of Lake Erie continues to experience a decline in water quality due to high levels of nutrients that are fueling harmful algal blooms and the toxin they produce. These blooms represent a serious health risk for our constituents. In 2014, nearly half a million citizens in the City of Toledo\u2019s drinking water service area experienced a three day drinking water ban due to high levels of microcystin in the treatment system. USEPA has acknowledged the urgent need for addressing nutrient related toxins in its on-going work with Canada through the bi-national Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement process. Yet, the path to recovery requires additional legal reinforcement through USEPA\u2019s recognition of the open waters of Lake Erie\u2019s Western Basin as impaired under the terms of the Clean Water Act.\n\nRecently, the State of Michigan stepped up to its responsibilities by recognizing the serious challenges facing Lake Erie. Michigan\u2019s Department of Environmental Quality has included the open waters of Western Lake Erie on its Section 303(d) list of impaired waters, as submitted to USEPA. We applaud the State of Michigan for taking this responsible and proactive stance. Unfortunately, the State of Ohio has chosen not to follow suit, despite clear evidence of Lake Erie\u2019s impairment and the potential risks to human health and safety. An impairment designation for the Western Basin of Lake Erie by Ohio EPA is an essential step in an effective response to managing excessive phosphorous, the root cause of harmful algal blooms. We urge you to use your legal authority under the Clean Water Act to bring Ohio\u2019s list into alignment with the State of Michigan as an important step in addressing this public health threat.\n\nEnsuring that citizens have clean drinking water is an essential role of government. One third of the total population of the Great Lakes Basin resides in the Lake Erie watershed, and 11 million people depend on this freshwater resource for their drinking water. Beyond the serious health considerations, the Great Lakes are home to a $4.5 billion recreational and commercial fishing industry, which is also threatened by the persistent presence of harmful algal blooms.\n\nWe urge USEPA to fulfill its obligation under the Clean Water Act and to list the open waters of Lake Erie\u2019s Western Basin as impaired. We also ask USEPA to provide leadership by coordinating the states\u2019 efforts in the Western Lake Erie Basin to meet the 40 percent phosphorous reduction goals for waters in this region, as reflected in the Annex IV of the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement with Canada. Through these actions, USEPA will fulfill its stated mission and legal obligation to protect human health and the environment.\n\nSincerely,\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://kaptur.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/kaptur-heralds-white-house-announcement-toledo-acceptance-national", "Kaptur Heralds White House Announcement of Toledo Acceptance into National TechHire Initiative", "2016-12-01", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "OH", "Marcy Kaptur", "K000009", "kaptur.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE\n\nDecember 1, 2016\n\n\n\nContact: Nicole Dailey Jones, (800) 964-4699 & (202) 225-5411 or Marcy.KapturPress@mail.house.gov\n\nKaptur Heralds White House Announcement of Toledo Acceptance into National TechHire Initiative\n\nWashington, DC- Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (D-OH) joined the U.S. Chief Technology Officer to announce that Toledo will be designated as a \u201cTechHire Community\u201d under the White House\u2019s TechHire Initiative. The designation will enhance the greater Toledo region\u2019s connections and investments in technology training and education to the workforce and will help to prepare the workforce of the future for high demand jobs. The TechHire Initiative is a forward-thinking national project focused on expanding local technology sectors by investing in technology training and education.\n\nTech Toledo is one of 19 communities announced today that will join a national network of 70 TechHire Communities in receiving support to spearhead efforts to help overlooked and underrepresented Americans start technology careers and access well-paying tech jobs.\n\n\u201cAs the birthplace of innovations which have transformed industries such as photovoltaic energy, food processing, glass, and automotive manufacturing, Toledo is a prime location for such a focus on workforce development and technology advancement,\u201d said Rep. Kaptur. \u201cDesignation of Toledo as a TechHire Community will better position the region to attract new businesses in innovative manufacturing and information technology, which translates to good paying jobs for our community.\u201d\n\nKeith Instone, a co-founder of Tech Toledo, said: \u201cWe applied to join the national TechHire network to get access to the best practices and resources other TechHire communities have developed. Our application process took advantage of existing grassroots efforts by companies, training providers, and community organizations. We look forward to helping fill Toledo\u2019s IT talent pipeline.\u201d\n\nFor more information on the Tech Toledo initiative, please visit: http://www.techhiretoledo.com/. Information on the White House\u2019s TechHire initiative may be found at: https://www.whitehouse.gov/issues/technology/techhire.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.brown.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/brown-and-sherman-introduce-bill-to-help-wells-fargos-victims-get-their-day-in-court", "Brown and Sherman Introduce Bill to Help Wells Fargo's Victims Get Their Day in Court", "2016-12-01", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "OH", "Sherrod Brown", "B000944", "www.brown.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Bill Would Prevent Wells Fargo from Using Forced Arbitration Clauses in Real Accounts to Block Customers from Suing over Fraudulent Ones\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tThursday, December 1, 2016\n            \n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2014 Today, U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) \u2013 ranking member of the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs \u2013 and U.S. Rep. Brad Sherman \u2013 a member of the House Financial Services Committee \u2013 introduced legislation that will give Wells Fargo customers who were victims of a fraudulent account scheme their day in court. Wells Fargo is using the forced arbitration clauses it tucked away in the fine print of contracts customers signed when they opened legitimate accounts to block them from suing over the fraudulent accounts. Brown has been\u00a0leading the charge\u00a0in the Senate to push Wells Fargo to stop the practice. But after refusing to answer Brown\u2019s questioning at a Senate hearing in September, Wells Fargo CEO John Stumpf told the House Financial Services Committee that the bank will continue this practice, which Brown called \u2018downright hostile\u2019 to cheated customers. \u00a0\r\n\u201cForced arbitration is shielding Wells Fargo from being held accountable for tanking customers\u2019 credit scores and charging them fraudulent fines,\u201d said Brown. \u201cWells Fargo\u2019s customers never intended to sign away their right to fight back against fraud and deceit. We need to give customers back their ability to seek justice in court so they can be made whole again.\u201d\r\n\u201cI want to thank Senate Banking Committee Ranking Member Sherrod Brown for working with me to introduce the Justice for Victims of Fraud Act of 2016. This bill will give defrauded Wells Fargo customers the opportunity for their day in court,\u201d said Sherman. \u201cIf customers never authorized the opening of a phony credit card or checking account, there is no reason they should be bound by the arbitration agreement they were forced to sign when they set up their legitimate account.\u201d\r\nThe Justice for Victims of Fraud Act of 2016 will work hand-in-hand with a\u00a0new oversight rule\u00a0that the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) put out in May to strengthen protections for consumers. Whereas the CFPB proposal would apply only to contracts signed after the rule is final \u2013 this bill would allow victims of Wells Fargo\u2019s fraud to seek their day in court even if they signed contracts that included arbitration for their legitimate accounts in the past.\r\nThe bill is cosponsored by U.S. Sens. Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Patty Murray (D-WA), Richard Durbin (D-IL), Jack Reed (D-RI), Robert Menendez (D-NJ), Robert Casey (D-PA), Jon Tester (D-MT), Mark Warner (D-VA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Al Franken (D-MN), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), and Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND).\r\nThe bill has been endorsed by The American Association for Justice, Consumers Union, the National Association of Consumer Advocates, the National Consumer Law Center (on behalf of its low income clients), Americans for Financial Reform, the Center for Responsible Lending, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), Media Voices for Children, Allied Progress, the Woodstock Institute, the Franciscan Action Network, the Economic Policy Institute Center, California Reinvestment Coalition, Consumers for Auto Reliability and Safety, National Consumers League, and Public Justice.\r\nBrown has repeatedly\u00a0pressed\u00a0Wells Fargo for concrete answers over how the bank plans to make cheated customers whole, including plans to restore damaged credit scores. In a\u00a0letter\u00a0Brown led with U.S. Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT), he pointed out that forced arbitration clauses allowed Wells to force aggrieved customers into secret proceedings and prolong the fraud with impunity for far too long.\r\nBrown has been working to oppose forced arbitration clauses beyond the financial sector as well. He successfully\u00a0pressed\u00a0the Department of Education to follow through with strict new oversight rules that would deny taxpayer funding to colleges that use forced arbitration, specifically for-profit institutions like the recently failed ITT Tech that often cheat students out of the education they deserve.\r\n###\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\tPress Contact\n\t\t\t\t\tJenny Donohue/Tamika Turner (Brown) (202) 224-3978\r\nLauren Wolman (Sherman) (202) 225-5911", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://beatty.house.gov/media-center/news-articles/nancy-pelosi-defeats-ohio-s-tim-ryan-to-hold-democratic-leader-post", "Nancy Pelosi defeats Ohios Tim Ryan to hold Democratic leader post", "2016-11-30", "2016", "2016-11", "Democrat", "House", "OH", "Joyce Beatty", "B001281", "beatty.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON  \n\tHouse Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi fended off a challenge to her leadership position Wednesday, beating out a northeast Ohio Democrat to retain the Democratic leadership position she\u2019s held since 2003.\nPelosi, a California Democrat who has led House Democrats since 2003, defeated Rep. Tim Ryan, D-Niles, 134-63 in a closed-door meetings of House Democrats. While 188 Democrats currently serve in the House, six incoming House Democrats joined them for the vote today.\nRyan, who has praised Pelosi and called her a mentor, said he ran in an attempt to expand what is now the smallest minority since 1929. He argued Democrats must do more to woo the working class white voters who largely abandoned them in favor of President-Elect Donald Trump. In his district, for example, Democrat Hillary Clinton only won Democratic stronghold Mahoning County by three points, while President Barack Obama won it by roughly 25 percent in both 2008 and 2012.\nShortly after the vote was announced, Ryan congratulated Pelosi on her re-election, saying he looks \u201cforward to working with her to promote a progressive agenda for the country.\u201d\n\u201cI ran for leader because I believe strongly in the promise of the Democratic Party, but November taught us that changes were necessary,\u201d Ryan said, adding \u201cI am proud that my bid for Democratic Leader pushed our members to have these tough family discussions about our future and how we win back the majority in 2018.\u201d\nRep. Stephen Lynch, D-Mass., who backed Ryan, said he did so because he believed Ryan would present a \u201cunifying and uplifting message\u201d that would bring back some of the blue-collar workers that went for Trump.\nHe said the Democratic brand is now \u201ctoxic,\u201d in some of the districts that were once Democratic strongholds. \u201cThey\u2019ve cleaned our clock in the Midwest,\u201d Lynch said, saying he backed Ryan because he believed \u201che could help reconnect us with that demographic.\u201d\nWhile Ryan\u2019s fellow Ohioan Marcia Fudge publicly backed Ryan, Rep. Joyce Beatty, D-Jefferson Township, voted for Pelosi. In a statement, she said Pelosi and Ryan are \u201cstrong Democrats, skilled and passionate individuals dedicated to advancing the causes important to all Americans.\u201d\n\u201cHowever, I believe Leader Pelosi is best suited to address the challenges our Caucus and nation will face and ensure that our economy works for everyone,\u201d she said.\nMomentum toward Ryan appeared to falter late Tuesday when Pelosi, 76, announced that two-thirds of the caucus had promised to back her.\nShe dismissed the notion that Ryan could do more to woo white working class voters, telling the Huffington Post last week that Ryan \u201cdidn\u2019t even carry his district for Hillary Clinton.\u201d\nRep. Gerald Connolly, D-Va., was among those who backed Pelosi.\n\u201cAt the end of the day I believe we need stable leadership and with the impending Trump administration Democrats need to be united and we need a true strategist at the helm,\u201d he said, saying Pelosi has \u201cheld the Democratic caucus together.\u201d\nConnolly said Democrats \u201cneed stability and need to regroup.\u201d\n\u201cNancy Pelosi\u2019s one of the smartest politicians I know and I think she will take away from this challenge I think the right lessons,\u201d he said. \u201cWe need to open up leadership opportunities to the entire caucus.\u201dThis article first appeared on the Dayton Daily News' website on November 30, 2016.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://beatty.house.gov/media-center/news-articles/nancy-pelosi-fends-off-challenger-tim-ryan-to-maintain-her-leadership-of", "Nancy Pelosi fends off challenger Tim Ryan to maintain her leadership of House Democrats", "2016-11-30", "2016", "2016-11", "Democrat", "House", "OH", "Joyce Beatty", "B001281", "beatty.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "House Democrats re-elected Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi to serve another term leading the party beating insurgent Rep. Tim Ryan of Ohio in a closed-door meeting, 134-63.\n\nThe leadership elections were scheduled to take place before Thanksgiving, but the vote was delayed to give Democrats more time to discuss a recovery plan. Pelosi, 76, promised to make some changes to appease those frustrated in her caucus. She pledged to add a member of the freshmen class to her leadership team.\nAfter the vote, Ohio Rep. Joyce Beatty put out a statement explaining her vote for Pelosi:\nArizona Rep. Kyrsten Sinema released her own statement expressing her disappointment:\n  This article first appeared on Salon's website on November 30, 2016.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://beatty.house.gov/media-center/news-articles/pelosi-easily-fends-off-ohioan-tim-ryans-challenge", "Pelosi easily fends off Ohioan Tim Ryan's challenge", "2016-11-30", "2016", "2016-11", "Democrat", "House", "OH", "Joyce Beatty", "B001281", "beatty.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON \u2014 An Ohio lawmaker who mounted a long-shot campaign against House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi failed to grab the top Democratic slot Wednesday.\nBut Rep. Tim Ryan, D-Niles, said he feels good about forcing a \u201cfamily\u201d conversation about the future of a party that now holds the smallest minority it\u2019s had since 1929.\n\u201cI knew it was going to be an uphill battle,\u201d said Ryan, acknowledging he\u2019s \u201cdisappointed, because I like to win.\u201d\nBut \u201cit was a great discussion for us, and honestly, I think the party is better off.\u201d\nPelosi, a California Democrat who has led House Democrats since 2003, defeated Ryan 134-63 in a closed-door meeting. While 188 Democrats currently serve in the House, six incoming House Democrats joined them for the vote Wednesday as well as four nonvoting delegates who were allowed to weigh in on the leadership question.\nRyan, who has called Pelosi a mentor, said he ran in an attempt to re-emphasize the economic issues that previously made the Democratic Party popular with working-class white voters. Many of those voters supported Republican Donald Trump in last month's presidential election.\nShortly after the vote, Ryan congratulated Pelosi on her re-election, saying he looks \u201cforward to working with her to promote a progressive agenda for the country.\u201d\n\u201cThis is her caucus, clearly, but we had an opinion and we wanted to make sure people heard it,\u201d said the 43-year-old former Youngstown State quarterback. \"I felt like it was my responsibility to step up and give voice to the people from Ohio that have really, I think, felt disconnected in a lot of ways from the Democratic Party.\u201d\nPelosi, 76, speaking to reporters after the vote, said, \u201cWe\u2019re at a time that is well beyond politics. It\u2019s about the character of America.\u201d\nRep. Stephen Lynch, D-Mass., said he backed Ryan because he believed the Ohioan would present a \u201c unifying and uplifting message\u201d that would bring back some blue-collar workers. He said the Democratic brand is now \u201ctoxic\u201d in some of the districts that were once Democratic strongholds.\n\u201cThey\u2019ve cleaned our clock in the Midwest,\u201d Lynch said. Ryan, he said, could have helped \"reconnect us with that demographic.\u201d\nRep. Joyce Beatty, D-Jefferson Township, voted for Pelosi. \"I believe Leader Pelosi is best suited to address the challenges our caucus and nation will face and ensure that our economy works for everyone,\" Beatty said in a statement.\nRep. Gerald Connolly, D-Va., was among those who backed Pelosi.\n\u201cAt the end of the day I believe we need stable leadership, and with the impending Trump administration, Democrats need to be united and we need a true strategist at the helm,\u201d he said. \"Nancy Pelosi\u2019s one of the smartest politicians I know, and I think she will take away from this challenge I think the right lessons,\u201d he said.This article first appeared on the Columbus Dispatch's website on November 30, 2016.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://beatty.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/beatty-statement-on-vote-for-democratic-leader-of-the-115th-congress", "Beatty Statement on Vote for Democratic Leader of the 115th Congress", "2016-11-30", "2016", "2016-11", "Democrat", "House", "OH", "Joyce Beatty", "B001281", "beatty.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Beatty Statement on Vote for Democratic Leader of the 115th Congress \nWASHINGTON, DC \u2013 Following House Democrats\u2019 vote for Democratic Leader, U.S. Congresswoman Joyce Beatty (OH-03) issued the following statement:\n\u201cToday I voted for Nancy Pelosi as Democratic Leader for the 115th Congress. Both Pelosi and my good friend and fellow Ohioan, Congressman Tim Ryan, are strong Democrats, skilled and passionate individuals dedicated to advancing the causes important to all Americans. However, I believe Leader Pelosi is best suited to address the challenges our Caucus and nation will face and ensure that our economy works for everyone.\u201d\n# # #", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://timryan.house.gov/press-release/tim-ryan-statement-re-election-nancy-pelosi-house-democratic-leader", "Tim Ryan Statement on Re-Election of Nancy Pelosi as House Democratic Leader", "2016-11-30", "2016", "2016-11", "Democrat", "House", "OH", "Tim Ryan", "R000577", "timryan.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, DC \u2014 Congressman\u00a0Tim\u00a0Ryan\u00a0released the following statement today on the re-election of Nancy Pelosi as Leader of the House Democratic Caucus:First, I want to congratulate Nancy Pelosi on her re-election. As I\u2019ve said throughout this process, I respect and care for Leader Pelosi and look forward to working with her to promote a progressive agenda for the country. That includes raising wages and creating jobs for working families; protecting the progress we\u2019ve made for women, minorities, and those in the LGBTQ community; and defending Americans from any President-elect Trump proposal that would threaten their rights or ability to provide for their loved ones. I\u2019d like to thank the members who stood with me throughout this process, because they, too, saw that change needed to be embraced\u2014I\u2019m forever grateful for that support.\u00a0I also want to thank\u00a0every member of the Democratic Caucus for listening to my message and for their frank discussions and ideas on how we can improve our party\nI ran for Leader because I believe strongly in the promise of the Democratic Party, but November taught us that changes were necessary.\u00a0Our party\u2019s losses showed our Caucus that we needed to have a serious conversation about our path forward and open the door for new reforms and voices in Democratic Leadership.\nI am proud that my bid for Democratic Leader pushed our members to have these tough family discussions about our future and how we win back the majority in 2018. I am also pleased to see that Leader Pelosi will adopt my proposal to expand leadership by creating a position for Freshman members and to bring back the power to the Committees by creating Vice-Chair/Vice- Ranking Member positions. While I still believe our Caucus can do more to decentralize the power of leadership, these are steps in the right direction. I believe that fostering new ideas from new voices is a crucial step toward developing our Caucus and winning back the House.\nHowever, it is clear as we learn more about the outcome of our elections that we\u2019re ignoring crucial voices that deserve to be heard. The people I represent in Northeast Ohio and the tens of millions of workers across our country are proud to be called blue collar.\u00a0Democrats must adopt a progressive economic message that focuses on large, direct infrastructure investments, affordable health care, portable pensions, and public-private investments that promote advanced manufacturing. Hopelessness is a product of economic and social adversity. That is why Democrats must always be the party of aspiration and inclusion.\nTo ensure that every member of our Caucus is included in the discussion to move our party forward, we all must continue to push for open discussion and to\u00a0strengthen our outreach to working families and institute the reforms necessary to evolve as a Party and win back the trust of American voters.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.brown.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/brown-statement-on-president-elect-trumps-treasury-nominee-steven-mnuchin", "Brown Statement on President-Elect Trump's Treasury Nominee Steven Mnuchin", "2016-11-30", "2016", "2016-11", "Democrat", "House", "OH", "Sherrod Brown", "B000944", "www.brown.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Wednesday, November 30, 2016\n            \n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH), ranking member of the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee, today issued the following statement on the nomination of Steven Mnuchin to serve as Treasury Secretary:\r\n\u201cPresident-elect Trump campaigned against big money\u2019s power in Washington and accused Wall Street and hedge funds of \u2018getting away with murder.\u2019 But now he has picked a hedge-fund manager whose Wall Street ties couldn\u2019t run deeper to lead the Treasury Department, which is exactly what this election showed the American people don\u2019t want.\u00a0 This isn\u2019t draining the swamp -- it\u2019s stocking it with alligators.\u00a0\r\n###\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\tPress Contact\n\t\t\t\t\tContacts: Jenny Donohue/Rachel Petri\r\n202-224-3978", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.brown.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/brown-vows-to-fight-to-protect-medicare-from-privatization-attempts-that-would-hurt-millions-of-ohio-seniors", "Brown Vows to Fight to Protect Medicare from Privatization Attempts That Would Hurt Millions of Ohio Seniors", "2016-11-30", "2016", "2016-11", "Democrat", "House", "OH", "Sherrod Brown", "B000944", "www.brown.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Yesterday, Brown Spoke Out against Congressman Price\u2019s Nomination to Serve as Secretary of Department of Health and Human Services, Calling it a Betrayal of Trump\u2019s Election Promise to Protect Medicare\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWednesday, November 30, 2016\n            \n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) today vowed to protect Medicare from privatization attempts that would erode the care Medicare provides to more than two million Ohio seniors.\r\nFollowing House Speaker Paul Ryan\u2019s renewed push to privatize Medicare and the nomination of Congressman Tom Price, who supports these privatization efforts, to lead the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Brown said today that he will fight all attempts to privatize the program or raise its eligibility age. Brown called Price\u2019s nomination a betrayal of President-Elect Donald Trump\u2019s promise to protect and strengthen Medicare.\r\n\u201cCongressman Tom Price \u2013 who has been nominated as HHS Secretary \u2013 has supported Speaker Paul Ryan\u2019s privatization plan that would yank care away from Ohio seniors and our most vulnerable, and replace it with meaningless vouchers that will take money out of the pockets of Ohio seniors and hand it over to Wall Street,\u201d said Brown. \u201cThis is also the same crowd that has tried to raise the Medicare eligibility age from 65 to 67. Folks like Tom Price and Donald Trump who wear suits and work in this town might be able to work until 67, but tell that to waitresses and nurses and steelworkers who work on their feet all day.\u201d\r\nBrown also stressed the need to protect Social Security from privatization.\r\n\u201cSoon I will be introducing a bill that will protect and expand Social Security \u2013 because we know when this crowd goes after Medicare, Social Security can\u2019t be far behind,\u201d said Brown.\r\nBrown has offered specific proposals to strengthen Medicare, including the Medicare Affordability and Enrollment Act, which would reduce out-of-pocket costs for seniors and provide new support for low-income beneficiaries. He also supports the Medicare Prescription Drug Price Negotiation Act to give Medicare the ability to negotiate better prescription drug prices for seniors.\r\n\u00a0\r\n###\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\tPress Contact\n\t\t\t\t\tContacts: Jenny Donohue/Rachel Petri\r\n202-224-3978", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://beatty.house.gov/media-center/news-articles/ohio-state-students-of-color-fear-retaliation-after-terror-attack", "Ohio State Students Of Color Fear Retaliation After Terror Attack", "2016-11-29", "2016", "2016-11", "Democrat", "House", "OH", "Joyce Beatty", "B001281", "beatty.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "One man is dead and at least eleven others hurt after a brazen attack at Ohio State University. On Tuesday, ISIS claimed responsibility for the rampage.\nNearly one day after a bloody attack on campus left several people injured, students at Ohio State University in Columbus are returning to class.\nPolice say yesterday, 18-year-old Ohio State student Abdul Razak Ali Artan drove his car onto a sidewalk full of pedestrians, then climbed out of the vehicle and stabbed several students with a butcher knife.\nThe end of the ordeal came when a campus police officer shot and killed Artan.\nAuthorities are trying to determine the motive behind the vicious attack, but school president Dr. Michael Drake is asking people not to rush to judgment, as investigators try to determine if the attack is terror-related or had anything to do with Ohio\u2019s Somali community.\nDespite calls for calm, Indya Jackson, a Ph.D Student at Ohio State University, says there is a considerable amount of angst on campus.\nJackson told Roland Martin during Tuesday\u2019s edition of NewsOne Now, \u201cThere is an overwhelming mood of fear on campus \u2026 there is the initial fear that comes after the uncertainty surrounding the original situation [with] people wanting to know who\u2019s involved, how many people were involved, [and] is it somebody that I know, or is the suspect somebody who is still on the loose.\u201d\nJackson expressed concerns about the possibility of retaliatory attacks against minority students: \u201cMost of the students who are concerned are not necessarily those who are afraid of being targeted by another hostile lone wolf, but you have students who are fearful of some kind of retaliation being brought amongst Black, Muslim [and] Somalian students.\u201d\nRep. Joyce Beatty, who is scheduled to be in Washington, D.C. today to discuss the Ohio State attack with the Department of Justice, told Martin Ohio has \u201cthe second largest Somalian population next to Minnesota, so a lot of my constituents are equally alarmed, [expressing] concerns about their safety and wanting to make sure that we don\u2019t jump to any false conclusions about what happened.\u201d\nThis article first appeared on NewsOne's website on November 29, 2016.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://beatty.house.gov/media-center/news-articles/sophomore-seeks-to-lift-up-peers", "Sophomore seeks to lift up peers", "2016-11-29", "2016", "2016-11", "Democrat", "House", "OH", "Joyce Beatty", "B001281", "beatty.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Every Saturday, New Albany High School sophomore Ariana Wilson meets with a group of girls.\nThe eight of them talk about issues they face not just as females, but as young African-American women.\n\"A lot of girls go through different things that I wouldn't think that they would,\" Wilson said.\nThe 15-year-old Wilson and her peers are part of the Rise Sister Rise \"think tank,\" a group born out of research conducted in partnership with the Ohio Department of Mental Health & Addiction Services. Last month, Wilson and the other girls visited the White House with an invitation from the White House Council on Women and Girls.\nWilson said her Washington, D.C., trip from Nov. 15 to 16 began with a visit to the National Museum of African American History and Culture.\n\"That was nice, to go through the different history that my ancestors had been through,\" she said.\nThe second day, Wilson and the other girls visited the White House and met with the Council on Women and Girls, as well as White House staff and interns.\nKnowing that the interns were relatively young was a nice thought, Wilson said.\n\"In a few years, that could be me sitting at the White House,\" she said.\nWilson said they met U.S. Rep. Joyce Beatty (D-Jefferson Township), who showed them the train she and other Congress members use to go to their offices. The girls also sat in on a House of Representatives session.\nBeatty serves the 3rd District, which represents 29 municipalities in Franklin County including Columbus, Bexley, Gahanna, Reynoldsburg and Whitehall.\nWilson's participation in government at the local level ultimately led her to seek out Rise Sister Rise.\nShe said she heard about the think tank while involved with the City Leaders Program for middle school children, when Michael B. Coleman was mayor of Columbus.\nRise Sister Rise, she said, struck her as a good opportunity to reach out to other African-American girls and learn their opinions.\nRise Sister Rise founder Fran Frazier said the think tank's name started out as the title for research she conducted with the Ohio Department of Mental Health & Addiction Services surveying African-American girls in Columbus, Akron, Dayton and Lima. The study was completed in 2011.\nThe think tank was created out of a desire to create programming for the girls based on the research, Frazier said. Wilson and seven other girls regularly attended activities, and the think tank was formed in January.\n\"It teaches girls how to think critically,\" Frazier said. \"It shows girls how to actually dialogue across communication barriers.\"\nFrazier said the think tank's work is vital, because for the last decade attention primarily has been paid to African-American boys. The program gives the girls the opportunity for their voices to be heard.\n\"If you don't ask a black girl what's going on, you don't know, because they're silent,\" she said.\nFor the past eight months, the girls have been exploring topics including colorism (prejudice against those with a dark skin tone, usually within the same ethnic or racial group), bullying, family expectations of girls and what the future looks like for African-American girls. The group includes girls from Gahanna, New Albany, Canal Winchester, Columbus and Licking County ages 11 through 18.\nFrazier described Wilson as smart and a critical thinker.\n\"She knows how to work with others who may not agree with her or she may not agree with,\" she said.\nWilson has a quiet strength and is very observant, said New Albany High School principal Dwight Carter.\n\"She doesn't say a whole lot,\" he said. \"But when she does, it's very meaningful,\" he said.\nWilson's mother, Phyllis Waugh, said she didn't have the opportunity as a young black woman to participate in a program like the one her daughter is involved in.\nRise Sister Rise helps her daughter know she's strong, which is important for a teenager, Waugh said.\n\"I'd like to think everything she's involved in completes her in a way that she will be successful in the future,\" she said.\nWilson is involved in a variety of other extracurricular activities, including the Franklin County Youth Council and the Delta Gems, a junior group for the Delta Sigma Theta sorority.\nShe moved to New Albany High School this school year from Westerville Central High School and is part of the leadership team for her high school house. The school's house system breaks students into eight groups, or houses, for leadership, service and academic activities.\nWilson said Rise Sister Rise ultimately helps her learn from other black girls and teaches her to have an open mind.\n\"You can always find a way to compromise with them,\" she said.This article first appeared on This Week News' website on November 29, 2016.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://timryan.house.gov/press-release/congressman-tim-ryan-criticizes-selection-tom-price-secretary-health-and-human", "Congressman Tim Ryan Criticizes Selection of Tom Price as Secretary of Health and Human Services", "2016-11-29", "2016", "2016-11", "Democrat", "House", "OH", "Tim Ryan", "R000577", "timryan.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, DC \u2013 Today, Congressman Tim Ryan released the following statement criticizing President-elect Trump\u2019s selection of Tom Price as Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).\u00a0\n\u201cIt is incredibly troubling that President-elect Trump has selected a Secretary of Health and Human Services who has dedicated himself to repealing reforms that gave 20 million Americans access to health insurance and disallowed insurance companies from discriminating against citizens with pre-existing conditions. Further, while millions of seniors depend on Medicare, Dr. Price continues his campaign to end the Medicare guarantee by turning it into a voucher program.\u00a0\n\u201cIf Dr. Price is going to defend the health and wellbeing of America\u2019s citizens, he needs to abandon these destructive policies and, instead, work with Democrats to protect Medicare; lower prescription drug costs; ensure every citizen access to affordable health insurance; and defend a women\u2019s right to make her own health decisions\u2014without incurring unreasonable costs or hurdles.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://timryan.house.gov/press-release/congressman-tim-ryan-offers-support-standing-rock-sioux", "Congressman Tim Ryan Offers Support to Standing Rock Sioux", "2016-11-29", "2016", "2016-11", "Democrat", "House", "OH", "Tim Ryan", "R000577", "timryan.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, DC \u2013 Today, Congressman Tim Ryan (D-OH) released the following statement in support of the water protectors at Standing Rock:\n\u201cI offer my full support to the Standing Rock water protectors and their right as American citizens to peacefully protest. The First Amendment is a sacred promise to our citizens that cannot be broken and must continue to be defended. But water cannons and rubber bullets should not be used against Americans who had peacefully assembled. I call on the Justice Department to investigate these actions to determine if excessive force was used against American citizens and to ensure that no rights are violated moving forward.\u00a0\n\u201cFurther, the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe has every right to want assurance that their drinking water will remain safe. The U.S. Government must sit down with the Standing Rock Sioux, listen to their legitimate concerns, and reach an agreement that is acceptable to all parties.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.brown.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/brown-statement-on-president-elect-trump-appointments-of-price-verma-to-top-health-posts", "Brown Statement on President-Elect Trump Appointments of Price, Verma to Top Health Posts", "2016-11-29", "2016", "2016-11", "Democrat", "House", "OH", "Sherrod Brown", "B000944", "www.brown.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Price Supports Privatizing Medicare and Voted Against the Children\u2019s Health Insurance Program, which Insures 130,000 Ohio Children\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tTuesday, November 29, 2016\n            \n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) today issued the following statement on President-Elect Donald Trump\u2019s appointment of Congressman Tom Price to serve as Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Price has supported efforts to privatize Medicare and voted against the Children\u2019s Health Insurance Program which insures more than 130,000 Ohio children and families.\r\n\u201cTo hand the reins to someone with Congressman Price\u2019s long record of trying to privatize Medicare is a direct betrayal of Donald Trump\u2019s campaign promise to protect and strengthen the program for America\u2019s seniors, and you can bet we will do everything in our power to block any attempt to hand the Medicare program that seniors have worked their whole lives for over to Wall Street,\u201d said Brown.\r\nTrump also today appointed Seema Verma to serve as Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), who was the architect of the conservative approach to Indiana\u2019s Medicaid expansion.\r\n\u201cWe cannot put the healthcare of more than 600,000 Ohioans who rely on Medicaid and more than 130,000 Ohio children and families who rely on CHIP in the hands of Seema Verma, who has spent the last 20 years making it harder for families to get the care they need,\u201d said Brown. \u00a0\r\n###\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\tPress Contact\n\t\t\t\t\tJenny Donohue/Rachel Petri\r\n(202) 224-3978", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.brown.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/brown-to-trump-retract-voter-fraud-lie-rebuild-democracy-dont-tear-it-down", "Brown to Trump: Retract Voter Fraud Lie, Rebuild Democracy, Don't Tear it Down", "2016-11-29", "2016", "2016-11", "Democrat", "House", "OH", "Sherrod Brown", "B000944", "www.brown.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Senator Says Compromise and Cooperation Needed after Close Election, Asks Trump to Work with Democrats on Areas of Agreement, Instead of Supporting Extreme Plans to Privatize Medicare, Social Security\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tTuesday, November 29, 2016\n            \n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) today warned President-Elect Donald Trump that his false conspiracy theories and lie that millions voted \u201cillegally\u201d are a threat to democracy.\u00a0In a letter to Trump sent today, Brown \u2013 who oversaw eight elections as Ohio\u2019s Secretary of State \u2013 called on Trump to retract the statement.\r\nBrown pointed out that while Trump won the election, the President-elect still has a responsibility to serve the millions of Americans who voted for someone else. After such a close election, Brown said, cooperation and compromise are the only path forward to unite the country. And he called on Trump to work with Democrats on areas of agreement instead of supporting extreme policy agendas that millions of voters rejected, like privatizing Medicare and Social Security.\u00a0\r\n\u201cThere is no evidence \u2013 zero \u2013 of any large-scale voter fraud in the United States. Not in this election and not in any presidential election in recent memory.\u00a0Peddling this nonsense and stoking these fears undermines our system of government \u2013 and your own election, damaging the public\u2019s faith in our democracy,\u201d Brown wrote.\u00a0\r\n\u201cAs public servants, our job is to represent everyone we serve \u2013 not only those who voted for us:\u00a0it\u2019s the job we signed up for.\u00a0\r\n\u201cWhile you are unquestionably the victor of this election, that does not change the fact that more than half the country voted for someone else.\u00a0 Your task at hand is to reach out to, not alienate,\u00a0those Americans.\u00a0\r\n\u201cInstead, we\u2019re already hearing talk of plans to privatize Social Security, to raise the Medicare retirement age, to give huge handouts to Wall Street at the expense of the middle class, and to roll back laws that safeguard our air and water and protect American consumers.\u00a0 That is far from the compromise and cooperation we need at this difficult time.\u00a0\r\n\u201cThere are areas where we can work together.\u00a0This can only happen if you retract your false statements and commit to rebuilding our democracy \u2013 not tearing it down.\u201d\r\nFull text of the letter is below and available here.\r\nNovember 29, 2016\r\n\r\nPresident-elect Donald Trump\r\nTrump-Pence Transition Team\r\n1717 Pennsylvania Ave NW\r\nWashington, DC 20006\r\n\r\nDear President-Elect Trump,\r\n\r\nI was encouraged by your tone shortly after the election when you said you wanted to be a President for \u2018all Americans.\u2019 Unfortunately, your words and actions since then have too often undermined our ability to bring the country together and move forward. \u00a0\r\n\r\nAs Secretary of State of Ohio for eight years, I know there are few things more important than the integrity of our electoral system. Your choice to spread false conspiracy theories and to claim millions of fraudulent votes is not only unbecoming of a gracious winner, it is downright dangerous to our democracy. \u00a0\r\n\r\nThere is no evidence \u2013 zero \u2013 of any large-scale voter fraud in the United States. Not in this election and not in any presidential election in recent memory.\r\n\r\nPeddling this nonsense and stoking these fears undermine our system of government \u2013 and your own election, damaging the public\u2019s faith in our democracy. You won the Electoral College. That is a fact, and you are the President-elect. It is also a fact, however, that Hillary Clinton won the popular vote by more than 2 million votes.\r\n\r\nHillary Clinton\u2019s popular vote victory margin is larger than John Kennedy\u2019s over Richard Nixon, it's larger than Richard Nixon\u2019s over Hubert Humphrey, and it\u2019s larger than Jimmy Carter\u2019s over Gerald Ford. This was far from a landslide victory, and the only way to bring the country together and move forward is to reach across the aisle and work together.\r\n\r\nNow is the time to reach out to the majority of Americans who voted for someone else and unite Americans based on our nation's shared values.\r\n\r\nInstead, we\u2019re already hearing talk of plans to privatize Social Security, to raise the Medicare retirement age, to give huge handouts to Wall Street at the expense of the middle class, and to roll back laws that safeguard our air and water and protect American consumers. That is far from the compromise and cooperation we need at this difficult time.\r\n\r\nAs public servants, our job is to represent everyone we serve \u2013 not only those who voted for us: it\u2019s the job we signed up for.\r\n\r\nWhile you are the victor in this election, that does not change the fact that more than half the country voted for someone else. Your task at hand is to reach out to, not alienate, those Americans.\u00a0\r\n\r\nThere are areas where we can work together: I\u2019ve already spoken with the head of your transition for trade policy. We talked about ways we can overhaul our trade agenda to put American workers first. I know many of my colleagues have expressed a willingness to work across the aisle on the infrastructure investments we need.\r\n\r\nThis can only happen if you retract your false statements and commit to rebuilding our democracy \u2013 not tearing it down. \u00a0\r\n\r\nThank you for your consideration of this matter.\r\n\r\nSincerely,\r\n\u00a0\r\n###\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\tPress Contact\n\t\t\t\t\tJenny Donohue/Rachel Petri \r\n202-224-3978", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.brown.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/icymi-brown-ranks-fourth-on-list-of-senators-with-most-laws-passed-in-current-congress", "ICYMI: Brown Ranks Fourth on List of Senators with Most Laws Passed in Current Congress", "2016-11-29", "2016", "2016-11", "Democrat", "House", "OH", "Sherrod Brown", "B000944", "www.brown.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Tuesday, November 29, 2016\n            \n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 In case you missed it, U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) ranks fourth on a list recently compiled by Medill News Service in their article that ranks U.S. Senators by the number of bills they have sponsored or co-sponsored that have been enacted into law during the current congress.\r\n\u201cWhen Ohioans write my office, they aren\u2019t thinking about whether I\u2019m a Republican or Democrat. They\u2019re thinking about the loss of a job, a bill they\u2019re struggling to pay or the crumbling road they drive to school or work each day,\u201d said Brown in the article. \u201cMy job is to serve them, and to do that I\u2019ve got to seek out common ground with my colleagues. \u2026 We aren\u2019t always successful, but striking up bipartisan conversations on the issues facing our constituents is the first step to passing legislation.\u201d\r\nBrown has sponsored or co-sponsored more than 20 bills that have been enacted into law, including the following:\r\nS. 136: Gold Star Fathers Act of 2015\r\nS. 142: Child Nicotine Poisoning Prevention Act of 2015\r\nS. 1424: Microbead-Free Waters Act of 2015\r\nS. 2487: Female Veteran Suicide Prevention Act\r\nS. 2794: American Manufacturing Competitiveness Act of 2016\r\nThe full text of the article is available below.\r\nWhich Senators have Passed the Most laws?\r\nBy Benjamin Din\r\nFor Medill on the Hill\r\nWASHINGTON \u2014 With a little over a month to go for the current Congress, what the lawmakers accomplished in the last two years can be measured in different ways. One yardstick: Who backed the most bills that have become law?\r\nThe top honor goes to Sen. Amy Klobuchar, according to an analysis of legislative data from GovTrack, an independent congressional tracking website. The second-term Minnesota Democrat has sponsored or co-sponsored 27 bills that have been enacted into law. By comparison, seven senators have seen 12 bills they put their names on \u2014?the median number \u2014?become law, including Democrats Elizabeth Warren and Cory Booker and Republican Lindsey Graham.\r\n\u201cI\u2019ve always approached this work by putting the people of Minnesota first,\u201d Klobuchar said in an e-mail. \u201cFor me, that means working across the aisle to get things done. While it hasn\u2019t been the easiest year to bring people together \u2014?OK, that was an understatement \u2014?I have gotten to know the people I work with and always look for common ground when I can find it.\u201d\r\nTen other senators join Klobuchar in the 20-plus club. Despite Republican majorities in both the House and Senate in the 114th Congress, eight of the 11 are Democrats, and, contrary to conventional wisdom, there\u2019s a healthy mix of experience levels included.\r\nThe longest-serving senator in the top 11 is Sen. Orrin Hatch, the most senior Republican in the Senate. Hatch was first sworn in as a senator for Utah in 1977. In contrast, the least-experienced senator, New Hampshire Republican Kelly Ayotte, is wrapping up her first and final six-year term. She lost her bid for re-election by fewer than 1,000 votes.\r\nSarah Binder, a George Washington University professor of political science who specializes in Congress and legislative politics, cautioned against defining success in the Senate by hard metrics, such as the number of bills enacted into law. Instead, it\u2019s important to note the dual responsibilities of senators \u2014 as lawmakers and as \u201crepresentatives coming and making present the views of their state.\u201d\r\nSome politicians, she said, may not have their names on many bills that become law, but they have the power to influence the legislative agenda. Most notably, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky has only sponsored or co-sponsored seven bills that became law, and Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada has seen three of his enacted. No one would question their legislative influence.\r\nA CNN/ORC poll released Sunday found that more than 80 percent of Americans believe the country is more divided on major issues this year than in the past. However, Republican calls for bipartisanship are lower now than they were in 2008, when the Democrats took control of both Congress and the White House.\r\nStill, several of the senators who made the cut for the top 11 from both sides of the political spectrum echoed Klobuchar\u2019s sentiments and emphasized bipartisanship as a factor in their success. In fact, two of the senators on the list \u2014?Roy Blunt, a Missouri Republican, and Sherrod Brown, an Ohio Democrat \u2014?have worked together to produce bipartisan bills. Blunt told USA Today in June that the two have been friends for about 30 years, and of the about five things they agree upon, \u201call five of those are now federal law.\u201d\r\n\u201cWhen Ohioans write my office, they aren\u2019t thinking about whether I\u2019m a Republican or Democrat. They\u2019re thinking about the loss of a job, a bill they\u2019re struggling to pay or the crumbling road they drive to school or work each day,\u201d said Brown, who came in fourth on the list of most bills enacted into law, in an e-mail. \u201cMy job is to serve them, and to do that I\u2019ve got to seek out common ground with my colleagues. \u2026 We aren\u2019t always successful, but striking up bipartisan conversations on the issues facing our constituents is the first step to passing legislation.\u201d\r\nBills can be insignificant \u2014?such as ones to rename post offices and issue commemorative coins \u2014 and newer politicians may be more likely to introduce bills to bolster their records with re-election in view, Binder noted. Because of this, it\u2019s possible that hard metrics could overstate or understate a senator\u2019s influence.\r\nSen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., who came in seventh, has been successful because she introduces bills that she believes can become law, spokesman Tom Mentzer said. A look at Feinstein\u2019s legislative record in the 114th Congress shows she has worked on important California issues such as homelessness, which affects her home city of San Francisco, where she was once mayor.\r\n\u201cA willingness to work with both parties and have flexibility to find common ground is vital,\u201d he said in an e-mail. \u201cIt goes beyond the bills the senator introduces.\u201d\r\nFeinstein worked closely with Sen. Dean Heller, R-Nev., on a bill related to Lake Tahoe, a popular freshwater lake that straddles the California-Nevada border, Mentzer said.\r\n\u201cShe asked him to introduce her own bill because it would have a better chance at passage with a Republican sponsor,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s about getting results, no matter what path that requires.\u201d\r\nBinder said it is not surprising that Democrats are heavy hitters in the Senate \u2014?a traditionally more bipartisan chamber \u2014 even though Republicans are in control. With President Barack Obama in the White House, that \u201chelps fuel more effort on the Democrats\u2019 side, even when they\u2019re in the minority,\u201d she said.\r\n\u201cRepublicans and Democrats disagree on lots of issues, but when bipartisan solutions solve real problems I\u2019m all for it,\u201d Blunt, who ranked eighth in a four-way tie, said in an e-mail. \u201cI\u2019ve worked with my Democrat colleagues to pass legislation to boost manufacturing, expand access to mental health care, reauthorize the Victims of Child Abuse Act, and provide the largest funding increase the National Institutes of Health has received in over a decade. I\u2019ve always looked for areas of common ground where we can work together to address Americans\u2019 priorities, and look forward to continuing that effort.\u201d\r\nThe other senators on the top 11 list are Democratic Sens. Al Franken of Minnesota, Chuck Schumer of New York, Chris Coons of Delaware, Dick Durbin of Illinois, and Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island.\r\nGovTrack compiles data on legislative records. Senators\u2019 bills that became law include those that were enacted via a companion bill in the House.\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://beatty.house.gov/media-center/news-articles/first-black-girls-think-tank-brings-empowerment-message-from-columbus-to", "First Black Girls Think Tank Brings Empowerment Message From Columbus To D.C.", "2016-11-28", "2016", "2016-11", "Democrat", "House", "OH", "Joyce Beatty", "B001281", "beatty.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "The First Black Girls Think Tank, created in Columbus, recently traveled to D.C. for a meeting with White House staff and Congresswoman Joyce Beatty. \u00a0The group of eight girl, ages 12 to 18, shared their findings on issues facing black girls.\nWOSU's Debbie Holmes talked to think tank founder Fran Frazier and member Paiden Williams about their group and experience in D.C.\nThe below is an automated transcript. Please excuse minor typos and errors.\nDebbie Holmes: So Fran, tell me how your group decided to start the Black Girls Think Tank\nFran Frazier: About five years ago, I was the principal investigator of a body of research called Rise Sister Rise, which looked at 410 African-American girls in four cities, looking at issues of trauma and resiliency. So there were a group of women in Columbus who really wanted to do something with that data.\nAnd so over the past five years, we've had girls\u2019 conferences, workshops, we partner with organizations like Central Community House, COSI, the National Coalition of 100 Black Women; and decided that maybe we wanted to find a way to make sure that the voice of black girls was actually going to be heard. And so we wanted to use that data to make that happen.\nDebbie Holmes: OK, so tell me what did the data show?\nFran Frazier: Well actually the data showed quite a bit. In Columbus we surveyed 101 black girls, ages 11 to 18, and so the data showed a couple of things. One, that our girls are mostly traumatized by the issues that are going on in their homes, in their communities, as well as in their schools.\nDebbie Holmes: Now Paiden, tell me, you know, what are some of the issues in your life that you find difficult to deal with?\nPaiden Williams: Well, personally in my life, there are a number of things. For one, mental illness is something that my family has always had to deal with. We have disability, mass incarcerations, and then just the environment that we grow up in and are expected to be in 24/7 that's just, it's not a safe environment.\nDebbie Holmes: You went to D.C. recently. Tell me about your visit there, and do you think that's going to be helpful in helping your group?\nPaiden Williams: Oh yes, it's going to be definitely helpful. For me, going to D.C., when I found out I think I had one of the most dramatic reactions just because me, a girl like me, I would never dream to even go to D.C., walk in the White House, meet Congresswoman Joyce Beatty, and do all the things that I did.\nBut being with this group, it gives me hope that I can actually do these things, and for the rest of the girls like, yes, sure when we're young we all say we want to go to the White House, we want to go to D.C. We want to do these things but to actually make that dream a reality, it was just heartwarming and extravagant.\nDebbie Holmes: Why is this so important, do you think, for girls of color?\nPaiden Williams: It's important because, like we said, there are a lot of groups out here for African-American men. They're trying to build them up, just because it is hard out here, especially for us being African-American youth in general.\nBut for African-American girls, it's always, oh woah, you're supposed to do this, you're supposed to get good grades, you're supposed to go to college, but we're never taught. And we never had that support system. So like, whenever we do fall down, we tend to stay down for a while just because no one has ever taught us how to get back up and no one has ever, you know, helped us back up.\nThat's why I said one of the most important things to me about this think tank is that we are a sisterhood. If one of us falls, the rest of us are there to catch us and to help us back up and get us back on our feet.This article first appeared on WOSU's website on November 28, 2016.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://beatty.house.gov/media-center/news-articles/timeline-officer-stopped-osu-attack-in-less-than-2-minutes", "TIMELINE: Officer stopped OSU attack in less than 2 minutes", "2016-11-28", "2016", "2016-11", "Democrat", "House", "OH", "Joyce Beatty", "B001281", "beatty.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "COLUMBUS, OH (FOX19) - Officer Alan Horujko, 28, stopped the attack on Ohio State University\u2019s campus in less than two minutes on Monday.\nOhio State University officials thanked the efforts of all first responders who all helped to stop the attack before OSU student Abdul Razak Ali Artan could injure more people.\u00a0\n\u201cI want to thank our first responders who did a remarkable job. There was amazing coordination and the speed at which these people were able to come together...think about what this tragedy could\u2019ve meant,\" Governor John Kasich said during a news conference.\u00a0\nHorujko fatally shot Artan when he failed to comply with orders.\n9:52 a.m. \u2013 Emergency call to alert the car on campus had hit pedestrians. The driver, Abdul Razak Ali Artan, then got out of his vehicle and began stabbing pedestrians with a butcher knife.\n9:53 a.m. \u2013 Officer called out shots fired. Officer Horujko engaged Artan, who was shot and killed after not complying to put down his weapon.\n9:55 a.m. \u2013 First Buckeye Alert was issued. The messages sent out across campus read, \"Buckeye Alert: Active Shooter on campus. Run Hide Fight. Watts Hall. 19th and College.\"\n11:30 a.m. \u2013 Campus lockdown was lifted. OSU Emergency Management lifted the shelter in place. All classes were canceled for the remainder of the day.\nCongresswoman Joyce Beatty praised the alert system the university uses, saying it helped save lives.\nWhat we know about the OSU attack suspect\n\u201cThe alert system, what was so incredibly unique and lifesaving. Students got that message and acted appropriately. Thank you for planning and being prepared,\u201d Beatty said in a news conference.\nKasich announced the university will be will reopen on Tuesday.\n\"We are a strong, tough, resilient community. Ohio State will be stronger having come through this,\" he said.This article first appeared on FOX19's website on November 28, 2016.\u200b", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://beatty.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/statement-on-ohio-state-campus-attack", "Statement on Ohio State Campus Attack", "2016-11-28", "2016", "2016-11", "Democrat", "House", "OH", "Joyce Beatty", "B001281", "beatty.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Beatty Statement on Ohio State Campus Attack \nCOLUMBUS, OH\u00a0\u2013 On November 28, 2016, an assailant attacked individuals on The Ohio State University's main campus. In response, U.S. Congresswoman Joyce Beatty issued the following statement:\n\u201cThis morning an assailant attacked individuals at\u00a0The Ohio State University. The incident is under investigation and information is still being gathered. At this time, my thoughts, prayers and best wishes are with the victims, their families, friends and the entire Ohio State University student body and community. I thank the multiagency taskforce for their quick and decisive response and applaud OSU for swiftly activating its alert system.\u201d\n###\nUPDATE: Congresswoman Beatty spoke from the House Floor on December 1st to commend The Ohio State University, the multi-agency emergency response and the entire Buckeye community following the November 28th campus attack. An archieved recording of Beatty's speech is available on YouTube.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://timryan.house.gov/press-release/congressman-tim-ryan-responds-leader-pelosi%E2%80%99s-proposed-democratic-caucus-reforms", "Congressman Tim Ryan Responds to Leader Pelosis Proposed Democratic Caucus Reforms", "2016-11-28", "2016", "2016-11", "Democrat", "House", "OH", "Tim Ryan", "R000577", "timryan.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, DC \u2013 Congressman Tim Ryan made the following statement in response to Leader Nancy Pelosi\u2019s\u00a0 proposed Democratic Caucus reforms:\nIt is evident that Leader Pelosi\u2019s proposed reforms will only serve to further consolidate her power over the Caucus. There is a clear desire among our members to democratize and decentralize the Democratic Caucus by returning more power to our rank and file members\u00a0and Committees.\u00a0Importantly,\u00a0Leader Pelosi\u00a0should strongly\u00a0consider requiring the DCCC Chair be elected in the same manner as the top five members of our leadership\u2014a reform that would ensure the DCCC Chair is not just accountable to the Leader but to the Caucus as a whole. \u00a0It would be helpful to remember that the DCCC works for us and our candidates, we do not work for it. As Democrats, we need to take a hard look at our current campaign model, because we keep losing. We need to reduce the DCCC\u2019s command and control approach, whereby\u00a0consultants\u00a0in Washington, DC\u00a0with little or no local connections are making decisions for campaigns in big cities, small towns, and rural areas of America. We have to create a new model for competing and winning anywhere.\nLeader Pelosi has also, unfortunately, proposed changing the role of Assistant Democratic Leader\u2014a position which plays an integral role in our Leadership. That is why my proposed reforms would not change this position, but instead would add to the current leadership team a new, elected position reserved for members with three terms or less. \u00a0Again, this position will be directly elected.\u00a0\nWe must\u00a0continue\u00a0our\u00a0efforts to decentralize the power\u00a0in Caucus\u00a0so\u00a0every member\u00a0is a part of the team and\u00a0plays a role in shaping our future. \u00a0Finally,\u00a0members are concerned about our path forward on Wednesday. There must be clarification of the rules and procedures that will be in place to address the many changes that have been proposed by Leader Pelosi.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.brown.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/brown-statement-on-the-attack-at-the-ohio-state-university", "Brown Statement on Attack at The Ohio State University", "2016-11-28", "2016", "2016-11", "Democrat", "House", "OH", "Sherrod Brown", "B000944", "www.brown.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Monday, November 28, 2016\n            \n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) today issued the following statement on the attack at The Ohio State University:\r\n\u201cToday\u2019s assault at The Ohio State University shook our entire community. I am grateful for the quick response of the police officers, OSU\u2019s Buckeye Alert System which informed students quickly, and our local hospitals and first responders caring for the injured. Connie and I are thinking of those recovering, the families of everyone involved, and the law enforcement officials continuing to investigate. My office is here as a resource for the community as we cope with today\u2019s event.\u201d\u00a0\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\tPress Contact\n\t\t\t\t\tContacts: Jenny Donohue/Rachel Petri\r\n202-224-3978", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://beatty.house.gov/media-center/news-articles/turkey-tom-pardoned-one-day-prior-to-thanksgiving", "Turkey Tom pardoned one day prior to Thanksgiving", "2016-11-23", "2016", "2016-11", "Democrat", "House", "OH", "Joyce Beatty", "B001281", "beatty.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "FRANKLIN COUNTY, Ohio  \n\tFor the first time, Slate Run Living Historical Farm has pardoned a turkey for the Thanksgiving holiday.\nTurkey Tom was pardoned, Wednesday, by the Columbus and Franklin County Metropolitan Parks and 10TV, along with special guests Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther and Ohio Rep. Joyce Beatty.\nTim Molone, who is the executive director with Metro Parks, says the decision was easy since turkey egg production was down in 2016.\n\"Today, we're going to give amnesty to one of our toms here so he can stay around for another couple years to help us with our egg production,\" Molone said.\nTurkey Tom will now be charged with helping increase egg production in 2017.\n\"[Tom's] grown fast,\" a farmer said. \"He looks healthy. He has a nice body shape, meaning he's got good meat on him. So, he should have children much like him.\"\nSlate Run Living Historical Farm offers a look for tourists who wish to see what farming in central Ohio would have looked like in the 1880s. On the farm, people can tour the farmhouse, watch people make home cooked meals and help farmers with barn work and chores. You can also see animals from that time period including pigs, geese, turkeys and horses.\nThe farm was built in 1856 and was restored by Metro Parks. Those who volunteer at the farm dress up in handmade, historically accurate time period clothing and operate the farm 365 days out of the year.\nFor more information on tours and hours of operation, log on to www.metroparks.net/parks-and-trails/slate-run-historical-farm.This article first appeared on 10TV's website on November 23, 2016.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://timryan.house.gov/press-release/congressman-tim-ryan-receives-endorsements-representatives-fudge-schrader-and-cooper", "Congressman Tim Ryan Receives Endorsements From Representatives Fudge, Schrader and Cooper for Minority Leader", "2016-11-23", "2016", "2016-11", "Democrat", "House", "OH", "Tim Ryan", "R000577", "timryan.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, DC \u2013 Congressman Tim Ryan was pleased to receive the endorsement of Representatives Marcia Fudge (OH), Kurt Schrader (OR) and Jim Cooper for Minority Leader.\n\u201cI am proud to receive these additional endorsements from my colleagues for my bid for Democratic Leader. Their support shows that there is a growing consensus within our Caucus that we need change. I will continue to champion a multicultural, progressive, and innovative vision for America as well as my plans to send the best and brightest stars within our party to the states and districts where our message needs to be heard the most.\u00a0 Together, we will win back a Democratic majority in 2018,\u201d said Ryan.\u00a0\nRepresentatives Ed Perlmutter (CO) and Kathleen Rice (NY) endorsed Ryan earlier in the week.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://fudge.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=25&itemid=1791", "Congresswoman Marcia L. Fudge Endorses Tim Ryan for House Minority Leader", "2016-11-23", "2016", "2016-11", "Democrat", "House", "OH", "Marcia Fudge", "F000455", "fudge.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Today, Congresswoman Marcia L. Fudge (OH-11) released the following statement in support of Congressman Tim Ryan (OH-13) for House Minority Leader:\r\n\r\n\t\"After spending considerable time contemplating the future of the House Democratic Caucus and our party, I have decided to support Tim Ryan for House Minority Leader. \u00a0\r\n\r\n\t\u201cI believe now is the right time for new leadership. \u00a0As of January 2016, Democrats have experienced significant losses in the House and Senate, yet Members have been asked for little to no input to address the reasons for these losses.\u00a0 We continue to rely on consultants who know less than we about our districts and our states.\u00a0 \r\n\r\n\t\u201cI know Tim to be a good listener, motivator and inclusive leader. He is open to new ideas and will listen to the concerns and suggestions of all Caucus members.\u00a0 \u00a0\r\n\r\n\t\u201cI am now and have always been a loyal Democrat.\u00a0 I will support all those we elect to leadership positions.\u00a0 However, I do believe this is the time for a new direction and am confident my colleague from Ohio is the right choice.\u201d\r\n\r\n\t###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://beatty.house.gov/media-center/announcements/beatty-celebrates-national-adoption-month", "Beatty Celebrates National Adoption Month", "2016-11-22", "2016", "2016-11", "Democrat", "House", "OH", "Joyce Beatty", "B001281", "beatty.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Beatty Celebrates National Adoption Month \nNovember is National Adoption Month, a month-long initiative to increase awareness on the important role that adoption plays in the lives of children and families in our country and around the world, as well as an opportunity to recommit ourselves to ensuring every child can find their \u201cforever family.\u201d In that spirit, U.S. Congresswoman Joyce Beatty (OH-03) issued the following statement:\n\u201cEach year, more than 100,000 children in the United States are waiting in foster care for an adoptive family and another 23,000 cycle out of foster care with no family or permanent home. We must reduce and reverse these trends; and I believe Congress can do more to help expedite and streamline the process. Every child deserves the opportunity to live in a loving home with their \u2018forever family.\u2019\u201d \u00a0\nFor more information on National Adoption Month, please visit the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services\u2019 website.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.brown.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/brown-portman-call-for-immediate-action-to-protect-healthcare-pensions-of-retired-miners", "Brown, Portman Call for Immediate Action to Protect Healthcare, Pensions of Retired Miners", "2016-11-22", "2016", "2016-11", "Democrat", "House", "OH", "Sherrod Brown", "B000944", "www.brown.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Tuesday, November 22, 2016\n            \n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Sens. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and Rob Portman (R-OH) today joined a group of 20 bipartisan Senators in a letter to Senate and House leadership, calling for the passage of the Miners Protection Act by the end of this year. Without a change to current law, 12,500 of the country\u2019s retired coal miners will lose their healthcare on December 31, 2016. \u00a0\r\n\u201cDuring the month of October, approximately 12,500 of our nation\u2019s retired coal miners received notices informing them that their healthcare benefits will be terminated at the end of this year. The funding provided for Patriot Retirees Voluntary Employee\u2019s Beneficiary Association will be exhausted by December 31, 2016, leaving these miners and their families without the essential healthcare benefits they earned through a lifetime of hard work,\u201d said the Senators in the letter. \u201cOn November 1st, another 3,600 miners began to receive notices.\u00a0 And next year, 6,500 more will suffer the same fate. Additionally, the pension fund that these miners and their widows rely on for life\u2019s basic necessities will reach the point of no return shortly thereafter.\u201d\r\nBrown and Portman sent the letter along with U.S. Sens. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Bob Casey (D-PA), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Mark Warner (D-VA), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Al Franken (D-MN), Patty Murray (D-WA), Joe Donnelly (D-IN), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Bill Nelson (D-FL), Richard Burr (R-NC), Mark Kirk (R-IL), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Jim Risch (R-ID), Barbara Boxer (D-CA), and Jerry Moran (R-KS). \u00a0\r\nTo read the full letter, click here.\r\nRetired miners are facing uncertainty because the United Mine Workers of America (UMWA) 1974 Pension Plan is severely underfunded. Unlike other public and private pension plans, the 1974 Pension Plan was well-managed and funded prior to the 2008 financial crisis, which hit at a time when this Plan had its highest payment obligations. This \u2013 coupled with the fact that 60% of the beneficiaries are \u201corphan\u201d retirees whose employers are no longer in the coal business, and the fact that there are only 10,000 active workers for 120,000 retirees \u2013 has placed the Plan on the road to insolvency. If the Plan becomes insolvent, these beneficiaries face benefit cuts and the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation will assume billions of dollars in liabilities.\r\nTo address these issues, the Miners Protection Act would:\r\n \r\nAmend the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act to transfer funds in excess of the amounts needed to meet existing obligations under the Abandoned Mine Land (AML) fund to the UMWA 1974 Pension Plan to prevent its insolvency.\r\nMake certain retirees who lose health care benefits following the bankruptcy or insolvency of his or her employer eligible for the 1993 Benefit Plan. The assets of the Voluntary Employee Benefit Association (VEBA) created following the Patriot Coal bankruptcy would be transferred to the 1993 Benefit Plan to reduce transfers from the AML fund.\r\n \r\n###\r\n\u00a0\r\n\u00a0\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\tPress Contact\n\t\t\t\t\tJenny Donohue/Rachel Petri\u00a0\r\n(202) 224-3978", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.brown.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/brown-statement-on-texas-court-ruling-to-block-overtime-rules", "Brown Statement on Texas Court Ruling to Block Overtime Rules", "2016-11-22", "2016", "2016-11", "Democrat", "House", "OH", "Sherrod Brown", "B000944", "www.brown.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Tuesday, November 22, 2016\n            \n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) released the following statement in response to a ruling by a federal judge in Texas today that blocks new Department of Labor overtime rules for workers making less than $47,476 annually. More than 130,000 hardworking Ohioans would be eligible for overtime pay under the new rules, which were set to take effect Dec. 1.\u00a0\r\n\"Using taxpayer dollars on a lawsuit to take hard-earned money out of the pockets of American workers is shameful,\u201d said Brown. \u201cBut, the fight is far from over and we will continue fighting to make sure American workers are paid for the hours they work.\"\u00a0\r\n\u00a0###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://timryan.house.gov/press-release/congressman-tim-ryan-announces-dccc-reforms", "Congressman Tim Ryan Announces DCCC Reforms", "2016-11-21", "2016", "2016-11", "Democrat", "House", "OH", "Tim Ryan", "R000577", "timryan.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, DC \u2013 Congressman Tim Ryan (D-OH) today announces proposed reforms for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC): \u00a0\n\u201cThe regressive agenda we can expect from President Trump and Congressional Republicans means that our party cannot afford to fall short of reclaiming our majority in 2018,\u201d said Ryan. \u201cLike any winning team success starts with good recruiting. We need to get back to our grassroots in how we find and support new candidates and how we integrate all members of our Caucus in that process.\u201d\nCHANGING HOW WE RECRUIT FOR A NEW CONGRESSIONAL MAJORITY\n Currently, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) Chair is handpicked by the Democratic Leader and then ratified by a vote of the full Caucus. If elected Democratic Leader I will seek a change in Caucus rules to require the DCCC Chair be elected in the same manner as the top five members of our Leadership (Leader, Whip, Assistant Democratic Leader, Caucus Chair, and Vice Chair).\n\tEvery region in our Caucus must have a voice at the DCCC if we are to draw on the expertise of Members who already know how best to get elected in their region. If elected Democratic Leader, I will ask that each of our 12 regions select a Member to represent their region as a DCCC Vice-Chair. These Vice-Chairs would assist the DCCC Chair in recruiting candidates and retaining Members from every region.\n\tThe DCCC must not lose touch with the perspective and energy of our newest Members. If elected Democratic Leader, I would ask that the Freshman Class appoint a Freshman Advisor to the DCCC Chair.\n\tAs a Caucus, all Members need to play an important role in how we recruit, support and engage upcoming candidates. As Democratic Leader, I will work with the DCCC to create a Congressional Mentorship Program that will connect current Members with candidates around the country. This program will provide Democratic candidates with campaigning, fundraising, and overall strategy advice from experienced Members of our Caucus.\n\tWe must do a better job supporting candidates earlier in the election cycle. We cannot wait until the final months before Election Day to get active in Congressional races. If elected Democratic Leader, I will work with the DCCC Chair to ensure we are doing a better job of assisting candidates earlier\u2014including not only financial help but also simply providing more extensive technical advice and tools.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.brown.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/with-the-holiday-season-approaching-brown-visits-mid-ohio-foodbank-in-grove-city", "With the Holiday Season Approaching, Brown Visits Mid-Ohio Foodbank in Grove City", "2016-11-21", "2016", "2016-11", "Democrat", "House", "OH", "Sherrod Brown", "B000944", "www.brown.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Brown Helped Sort and Pack Donations\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tMonday, November 21, 2016\n            \n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\r\nGROVE CITY, OH \u2013 U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) visited the Mid-Ohio Foodbank today to highlight the need for support for local foodbanks and his continued support for federal funding of programs that increase Ohioans\u2019 access to nutritious meals.\u00a0Brown helped volunteers sort and pack food donations received by the Foodbank.\r\n\u201cAs we approach Thanksgiving and the holiday season, we remember that for too many Ohioans, the holidays are another day when they will struggle to feed their families,\u201d said Brown. \u201cAs paychecks fail to keep pace with the rising cost of living, Ohio\u2019s great food banks, like this one, step in to fill the void. No Ohio family should go hungry\u2014during the holidays, or any time of the year.\u201d\r\nBrown has been a strong supporter of federal funding for nutrition programs. After his call for the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to increase its contributions to ensure food pantries can continue to serve their communities, USDA increased the Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) by $50 million. TEFAP is used to supply low-income senior citizens and families with nutritious commodity foods, including canned fruits and vegetables, meat, poultry, fish, beans, pasta, peanut butter, rice, and soups. In Aug. 2015, Brown and 22 of his Senate colleagues urged USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack to distribute existing funding through TEFAP to purchase additional foods for distribution to food banks in Ohio and across America. \u00a0\r\nBrown also supports the Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP), also known as the \u201cSenior Box Program,\u201d in which the Mid-Ohio Foodbank participates. The CSFP, a program administered by USDA, aims to provide participants with nutritious foods to supplement their diets. Participants must be 60 years old or older and living at or below 130% of the federal poverty level.\r\nBrown has been a strong advocate for continued federal funding of the CSFP program and other programs that increase Ohioans\u2019 access to nutritious meals. In March 2016, Brown wrote a letter to the Senate Appropriations Committee asking the committee to fund the CSFP program at the level President Obama requested in the FY 2017 Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration and Related Agencies Appropriations bill.\r\nBrown also authored the Hunger-Free Schools Act that expands school lunch programs to ensure Ohio kids can get nutritious meals during summer vacation. The Hunger-Free Schools Act, which helps reduce paperwork and enroll already-eligible students in childhood nutrition programs through direct certification was the centerpiece of the anti-hunger component of a new law enacted in 2010, the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act.\r\nLast year, Brown also helped permanently reinstate a tax deduction for food donations as part of a bill that extended and made permanent several important tax credits. The bill reinstated a deduction that encourages individuals and organizations to donate food by providing a tax deduction for donations. It also increased the deduction to 15 percent of one\u2019s taxable income for food donations.\r\n\u00a0\r\n###\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\tPress Contact\n\t\t\t\t\tJenny Donohue/Rachel Petri\r\n202-224-3978", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://timryan.house.gov/press-release/congressman-tim-ryan-harshly-rebukes-hate-and-bigotry-trump%E2%80%99s-appointments", "Congressman Tim Ryan Harshly Rebukes the Hate and Bigotry of Trumps Appointments", "2016-11-20", "2016", "2016-11", "Democrat", "House", "OH", "Tim Ryan", "R000577", "timryan.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, DC\u2014Today, U.S. Congressman Tim Ryan harshly rebuked the hate and bigotry of Donald Trump\u2019s presidential appointments, including Jeff Sessions as Attorney General, Michael Flynn as National Security Advisor, and Steve Bannon as Chief White House Strategist.\n\u201cIt\u2019s incredibly disappointing that Donald Trump has chosen to continue the divisiveness of his campaign by appointing to his administration open racists, xenophobes, and misogynists,\u201d Ryan said. \u201cIf we are going to bring the country together, there can be no place in the White House for an Attorney General who opposes civil rights, a National Security Advisor who spreads fear about an entire religion, and a Chief White House Strategist who gives a platform to the hatred and bigotry of the alt-right. Let me be clear: Jeff Sessions, Michael Flynn, and Steve Bannon will never be welcomed in my office if I am elected Minority Leader; and I will fight every day to prevent the Trump Administration\u2019s destructive ideas from tearing our country further apart.\u201d \u00a0\u00a0\nSessions has called the Voting Rights Act of 1965 a \u201cpiece of intrusive legislation\u201d and was rejected from a federal judgeship by a Republican-controlled Senate because of the testimony by former colleagues that he was a racist.\u00a0\nFlynn is an ardent Islamophobe who urges Americans to be fearful of Muslims, lies about the spread of Sharia law in the United States, and advocates ignoring Vladimir Putin\u2019s human rights abuses in order to work with him on defeating Islamic militants.\nAs executive chairman of Breitbart News, Bannon is the leader of the alt-right movement and its xenophobic, misogynistic, and racist ideology. Bannon\u2019s ex-wife has also sworn during testimony that he refused to allow their children to go to school with Jews.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://timryan.house.gov/press-release/congressman-tim-ryan-outlines-proposed-reforms-house-democratic-caucus", "Congressman Tim Ryan Outlines Proposed Reforms to the House Democratic Caucus", "2016-11-19", "2016", "2016-11", "Democrat", "House", "OH", "Tim Ryan", "R000577", "timryan.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, DC \u2013 Congressman Tim Ryan today released his proposed reforms for the House Democratic Caucus. The Democratic Party cannot move forward and win back our majority unless we decentralize the power of our Party Leadership and bring it back to all Members. Each and every Member brings to Congress ideas for how we can shape our Party and our country for the 21st Century, and it is time our Leadership recognized that every member of our Caucus must play a role.\nRyan will work immediately to enact these reforms if elected to serve as Democratic Leader.\nDEMOCRATIC CAUCUS REFORMS FOR INCREASING THE NUMBER OF VOICES IN CAUCUS AND COMMITTEE LEADERSHIP\n If elected as Democratic Leader, I will split the duties of the Steering and Policy Committee between a Democratic Steering Committee and a new Democratic Committee on Policy Innovation. With a significant number of seats reserved for young members, members in competitive districts and reflecting the diversity of our Caucus, the Democratic Committee on Policy Innovation will become our Caucus\u2019 \u201cIdea Factory\u201d\u2014ensuring the Democratic Party is always seen by the American people as the Party of Ideas. This Committee\u2019s work will help translate our policies into electoral success. \u00a0\n\tAs Democratic Leader I will immediately create, beginning in the 115th Congress, an elected-leadership position reserved only for Members with three terms or less. This person will also have a seat on the Democratic Steering Committee.\n\tI will work with our Committee Ranking Members to create the role of Vice-Chairs/Vice-Ranking Members of Committees. The Vice-Chair position will be an opportunity for additional Members to take part in decision-making, have their voices heard, assume additional responsibility, and increase their national profile. The Vice-Chairs will also have representation on the Democratic Steering Committee or the Democratic Committee on Policy Innovation.\n\tThe Democratic Policy and Communications Committee\u2014currently Chaired by retiring Representative Steve Israel\u2014should be renamed the Democratic Committee on Message Strategy, headed by two Co-Chairs, and focused on ensuring that our best messengers in Congress are given the resources they need to advance the Caucus\u2019 message nationally. Members of the Democratic Committee on Message Strategy will be tasked as Issue Ambassadors working hand-in-hand with the newly created Democratic Committee on Policy Innovation and the Democratic Leader\u2019s office to find new and innovative ways to communicate with the American people.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://timryan.house.gov/press-release/congressman-tim-ryan-tim-ryan-statement-death-jovan-wilson", "Congressman Tim Ryan Statement on the Death of Jovan Wilson", "2016-11-19", "2016", "2016-11", "Democrat", "House", "OH", "Tim Ryan", "R000577", "timryan.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, DC \u2014Today, U.S. Representative Tim Ryan (D-OH) offered the following statement about the death of Jovan Wilson:\n\u201cI\u2019m once again saddened to learn that another American has tragically lost his life to gun violence\u2014especially at such a young age. I offer my prayers and heartfelt condolences to Jovan\u2019s family and my friend and colleague, Rep. 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